Page 179 of Rules

“Of course. I think they need time to adjust,” I offer. I’m not sure if I’m telling the truth or not; I don’t know his parents the way he does. Hell, with how dysfunctional my parents are, I should be the last one to give advice to anybody.

“Maybe,” he agrees, and I can see that he’s done with talking about his parents, so I let it go. There is something else I wanted to talk about anyway.

“So,” I drawl slowly. “You talked to your new coach.”

That brings a small, sheepish smile to his face. “Maybe.” When I give him a stern look, he sighs. “I wanted to have all the facts before we talked about it again. What I said to my parents is true. I’m not their first student to come with a family. I don’t want to hurry you, but I need an answer as soon as possible so I can let him know if we want their help in finding housing. Even if you don’t decide to come, I’ll probably find an off-campus apartment. I don’t want you to think you’re not welcome to come anytime you want.”

I look at him, my hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair off his face. “You really want this, don’t you?”

“I want you to be happy, Brook. That’s the only thing that matters.”

“I am. You make me happy.”

Leaning closer, I let my lips brush against his. It’s slow and sweet, and it makes my whole body beg for more. More kisses. More of Max’s hands on me. More of him.

When I blink my eyes open, I see the same need I feel inside me reflected in his eyes. The hunger is barely contained underneath the surface, and I can’t help but wonder how long until the control he has over himself snaps.

“I’ll do it.” His eyes grow wide at my whispered words. “I’ll go with you to BU.”

A smile so big you’d think I just gifted him the whole world spreads on his face. He jumps up and pulls me in his arms. The water bottle I was holding falls out of my hands as he spins me in the air, and I can’t help but giggle. It feels freeing, being here with him; it feels freeing and right. Like I finally found my place under the sun.

“You’re not going to regret it.” He sets me down, his hands cupping my cheeks as his lips fall on mine. He kisses me, long and hard. His tongue swipes over my lower lip, and I let him inside, moaning at the first touch.

Need ripples through me, so I move closer, my arms wrapping around his neck and bringing our bodies flush against one another.

“Umpf,” Max hisses, breaking the kiss.

Moaning in protest, I look at him. “What now?”

“Didn’t you feel that?”

“Feel what?” I frown, looking at him. His hands go to my belly, just in time for another small kick against my womb. My heart speeds up like every other time I felt the baby move.

“Oh, he’s been doing that every so often lately, but never this strong.”

Max squats down in front of me, his hands pressing harder against my stomach as he waits. Gray eyes dart to my face, filled with wonder. “You still think it’s a boy?”

“I can feel him kick, and it’s still pretty early.”

“Maybe it’s a girl,” Max smiles when he feels another, although this time lighter kick against my stomach. “Jeanette has a nasty right hook, just ask your brother. It probably runs in the family.”

Family.

I never had a real family. I never thought Iwantedone, but I was only fooling myself. Doing my best to protect what little was left of my heart. The old Brook would follow her rules, condemning herself to a solitary life of her own making, but this Brook… She is stronger. And looking back, I realize the rules I thought were supposed to protect me, ended up hurting me instead. They gave me a reason to hide, but I was done with hiding.

Running my hands through Max’s hair, I look down at him, the joy and love shining from his eyes. He came for me. He told off his parents for me. He would give it all up for me. For our family.

He deserved nothing less.

“Max,” I call, his name a wheeze of air that I barely managed to push out of my lungs. Those gray eyes lift to mine as I feel the final brick fall down. This is the boy who knows my deepest, darkest secrets. The boy who saw me at my lowest, yet loves me in spite of it. Maybe I should do the same. “I love you. I fell for you the moment we met in this very spot, and I don’t think I’ve stopped falling since.”

“Brook…” He gets on his feet, his hands gripping mine. “You don’t…”

“It’s true. I tried to resist it; I tried to resistyou. Even when you came to get me, part of me was fighting against the pull that somehow always brings me back to you. But I’m done fighting. I want this. I wantyou. I want our family and friends and the future you showed me we could have. I want us to go to college, and I want to sit in the stands, cheering you on. I want lazy Sundays in bed, and family vacations with our friends. I want to see you hold our baby. I love you, and I want us to be a family.”

“And we will have it,” Max whispers, his forehead touching mine as he pulls me in for a hug. “We’ll have it all.”

“I know the odds aren’t in our favor.”

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