Page 176 of Rules

I didn’t doubt it for a second. Until Jeanette’s pregnancy scare, I never realized she wanted kids. It just didn’t go with the version of her I knew, but now I see it. She really wants this, a family of her own. And although I can see the hurt and pain lingering in her gaze, I can see happiness too.

“And he’ll be happy to have you.” I place my hand on each of my best friends’, giving them a light squeeze. “Both of you.”

We share a smile before I pull away and cover my mouth with my hand to hide the loud yawn. I look at the clock on the wall, noticing it’s well past ten in the evening.

“Tired?”

“It’s been a long day.” I nod. “Plus, apparently one needs more sleep to grow a human being.”

“Go figure.”

“Where are the guys?” Lia stands up and goes to look out the window.

“They just went to grab our stuff from the car.”

I get on my feet just as the front door opens, and I can hear their soft voices coming from the hallway. Giving up on waiting, I go to them instead.

“What took you…” The words die on my lips when I see Andrew’s worried face. “What’s wrong?”

I can feel Lia and Jeanette come behind me, but I don’t move my eyes from my brother’s face.

“I think you should sit down,” Andrew says softly, but even before he finishes, I shake my head no. Hands grip my shoulders from behind as he nods his head. “The PI who found you?”

“What about him?” I ask, although a part of me already suspects, alreadyknows.

“You know I sent him back, to take care of that Dan dude? Well, I told him to check on Josephine, just in case.” I nod, nibbling at my lip. Waiting. “He found her. She’s dead, Brook. She overdosed.”

Chapter Sixty-Six

MAX

“Everybody is staring,” Brook protests by my side, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She pulls, yet again, at the hem of her shirt, but really there isn’t much she can do to hide her belly since the shirt is plastered to her skin.

“It’s because you’ve been gone for weeks, and now suddenly you’re back,” Lia offers diplomatically as we walk down the hallway.

Brook glares at another one of our classmates who takes her in, his eyes staying a second too long on her stomach. “I think it has nothing to do with their worry about my education and everything to do with the bump I’m sporting.”

“It’s a really cute bump, you have to admit.”

“The cutest,” I agree, letting my hand graze her waist, fingers brushing the curve of her stomach. Yes, we were getting curious looks, and some nasty ones too, from the moment we entered the halls, but no one dared to come closer or comment anything out loud, and they better not. Leaning down, I whisper in her ear, “Still against wearing my jersey? I think it would be just the right size to keep this hidden for a bit longer.”

Brook looks over her shoulder at me. “I thought you didn’t want to hide.”

“Hell no. But I don’t want you to be uncomfortable either. Besides, having my name plastered on your back is hardly hiding.”

Rolling her eyes, she shoves me away, but I can see a glimmer of happiness there.

It was hard leaving her behind yesterday, especially after Andrew dropped the bomb on her. Brook insisted she was okay with Josephine’s death, but I wasn’t one hundred percent sure. How could she be? Yes, Josephine was a sad excuse for a mother, but she was her family. We told her to take the time she needs, but she said she’s okay and ready to get back to her normal life, so that’s what we did. We gave her the normal while waiting for her to be ready to talk to us if she wanted.

“When are you going to talk to your parents?” Brook’s quiet question brings me back to the school hallways.

“After school.”

Yesterday when Jeanette and I got home, Mom was still awake, so I let her know I needed to tell them something. Them meaning both her and Dad. We haven’t talked since the phone call, but I knew she was seeing him. They decided to try couple’s therapy, and they even suggested family therapy, but so far I’ve been able to get out of it. I wasn’t ready to talk to him, but with everything going on, I didn’t have much choice. I didn’t want to hide Brook or our baby. Not from my family and not from anybody else.

“Want to come with?” I ask. I’m not sure how my parents will react, so I don’t want to bring her into the crossfire, but I don’t want her to feel left out either.

Her hand squeezes mine. “If you want me too.”

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