Page 31 of The Breakaway

I couldn’t help myself. I peered over her shoulder and caught sight of her taboo crush. He was tall, athletic build. He had wavy, dirty blond hair and— “Dude, he has a moustache.”

Maddie wrinkled her nose. “Yeah. I don’t know how I feel about that.”

“It’s kind of hot,” Crystal whispered, and Maddie smacked her arm.

“How much older is he than you?” I asked, reaching for a chip.

Maddie exhaled, still trying to make herself invisible, which was impossible. Her hair alone took up two of my facial footprints. “My mom married his dad when I was thirteen. Total Brady Bunch fail. He’s four years older than me and back then . . .” She sighed. “I don’t know. He was just crazy cool. The girls at school, all my friends, were obsessed with him. There was this rumour that he slept with our biology teacher.”

“What?” I hissed, and Maddie nearly spit out her water in her rush to clarify.

“Likeafterhe graduated. But he was out of the house by then.”

Crystal frowned. “He moved out before he finished high school?”

Maddie nodded. “He had some big blow-up with his dad. I never saw him after that. My mom and his dad split by the time I left."

“Geez.” Crystal swooped her hand through her hair, knocking it to one side, making her look like a rock star. She leaned in. “Are you going to go talk to him?”

“Hell, no!” Maddie’s eyes popped out of her head. “He probably doesn’t even remember me.”

I scoffed. “What, you don’t look the same as you did at thirteen?”

She shot me a look. “I didn’t have boobs at thirteen. I was basically a stick figure with an afro.”

Crystal snorted. “Babe, I’ve seen pictures of you in high school. You were spicy.”

Maddie rolled her eyes, then turned to me. “Okay. I’m stress sweating. Back to you.”

“Nope, I’m good talking about your step brother fixation.” I pursed my lips.

Crystal shook her head. “Not getting off that easy. How did Rob know where to find you?”

That was a fantastic question. One Rob hadn’t given me the answer to. “Logan asked him to look after me. I think he was waiting up.” My conversation with Logan could’ve explained all of Rob’s behaviour. His checking in on me, him washing my water bottle. But I couldn’t stop picking at the way Logan had responded about that. Logan definitely hadn’t asked Rob to take me under his wingbeforehe left. Why would Rob have been doing that for me? Especially when every damn word out of his mouth was a jab?

Before Maddie and Crystal could comment, the bar erupted. Rob had finally arrived, hands shoved in his pockets as he shouldered through the crowd. My heart launched itself into my throat.

He had a bruise blooming over his right cheekbone. A cut on his eyebrow. A swollen lip.My fault.

He nodded to his cheering teammates, waved a hand in gratitude for the fans all crowding in to clap him on the back, then slid onto a chair, his shoulders tense.You’re not my boyfriend.

The memory of those words soured my stomach. I groaned, dropping my chin into my hands. “I was such a jerk to him.”

Crystal leaned in. “When? Last night?”

I nodded. “I was shaken up, and he was all riled up. Treating me like a child. He basically told me I had to hold his hand while I crossed the street.”

Maddie smirked. “I wouldn’t mind holding his hand.”

“Not the point!”

Crystal considered this. “I guess I don’t get what the big deal is. He was worried about you.”

“Rob?” I shot her a look. “Do you even remember everything he said to me since I moved in? This wasn’t worry. He thinks I’m a ditz. Like I’m incapable of taking care of myself. Or Logan, which?—”

“Ladies! Why are you hiding back here?” Axel swooped in, throwing his arms over Maddie and Crystal’s shoulders.

Crystal laughed and leaned into him. “Just giving you an extra challenge.”

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