Page 134 of Rules

Her legs wobble, and she stumbles on her feet.

It looks like she’s lost her balance, but Jeanette never finds her footing.

Instead, she falls.

I rush to catch her, her name a scream coming out of my lungs.

A warning.

Only she doesn’t hear it, because she’s already gone.

My fingers wrap around her at the last moment, barely holding on to her. I lose my balance too as the weight of her body crashes on me, making us fall to the ground.

“Anette, please…” I beg her, my trembling fingers brushing her messy hair out of her face. “Open your eyes. Please!”

I pull her to me, my hands wrapping around her slender shoulders. I can feel her bones digging into me.

What the…

My hands slide over her shoulders and hands, dipping into the hollow of her narrow waist. Too narrow. Her bones stick out, and for the first time, I notice how sunken her face looks. The bags underneath her eyes. Both her hair and skin have lost their natural shine.

“What happened to you, Jeanette?” I ask quietly, but there is no answer.

“Max, what the hell happened, dude?”

Some of the guys from the team gather around me. I’m not even sure who is there or who asked the question. I can’t make myself move my eyes from Jeanette because if I do, what if she disappears?

People start to push around me. It’s suffocating. I want to scream at them to move, to give her some space to breathe, but I try to rein in my anger.

Help.

I need to get help so Jeanette can get better.

“Call 9-1-1,” I rasp, my voice low and hollow just like I feel. “She fainted.”

“On it.”

From somewhere in the background, I can hear one of the guys call for an ambulance.

My heart is still racing like crazy, but I do my best to calm down. I’ll be of no use to Jeanette if I don’t get my shit under control.

“Max…” Maddy’s tentative whisper reaches me through all the commotion, and my back grows rigid. “What is happening?”

“Is it true?” I ask, my voice deadly calm.

“Is what true, babe?” She tries to reach for me, but I flinch back. “What’s going on?”

“Did you do it? Is what Jeanette told me true?”

She jerks, surprise evident on her face.

“Max, I…”

“Save it!” I stop her before she can utter any excuses. What she did is inexcusable. “I don’t want to hear any more of your lies.”

“But…”

“GO TO HELL!”

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