Page 124 of Rules

Chapter Forty-Six

BROOK

“Max!” Lia calls his name and rushes off.

It takes me a while, but I finally see him. His shoulders are slumped, the dark mop of hair on his head a mess from running his fingers through it. Black jeans and shirt wrinkled. He’s a hot mess, and there is no hiding the stiffness of his shoulders or overall tiredness.

Not that I can blame him. It’s late, and we’ve been here for hours.

Lia runs to him, throwing her arms around him and pulling him into a hug that he returns almost instantly, wrapping her much smaller frame into his body.

Jealousy I didn’t know I was capable of comes out of the blue. It’s eating at me, intense and unforgiving, but I do my best to push it away.

They’re just friends,I reassure myself.Lia’s with Derek.

It’s not Lia’s feelings you’re worried about, the little devil on my shoulder taunts me.

Forcing myself to move one leg in front of the other, I move toward them.

Her lips are moving as she talks, and I can see a slight nod in acknowledgment on his part.

Lia must have mentioned my name, because the next thing I know his head shoots up, exhausted gray eyes meeting mine from the distance. There are bags under his eyes, and the stubble covering his jaw is darker than I’ve ever seen before.

His lips move rapidly, and I see Lia’s curls bounce on her shoulders as she nods her head yes. Quickly, she turns around and shoves her finger toward the ceiling, letting me know she’s heading upstairs.

She’s going up to see Jeanette. Alone. Leaving me to deal with Max.

I gulp down hard, nervousness itching at my skin, but I wave her away.

Whatever reason Max had for me to stay, I didn’t need her to witness it.

Lia mouths “see you in a bit” before she turns around on the heels of her feet and goes to the elevator.

Even with all the noises around me, I can hear itping. People rush out while others elbow their way in, Lia being swept by the current of the moving crowd.

All this time, Max and I stay glued to our spots. Everybody’s going on their merry way, bodies moving between the open space separating us, but we don’t break eye contact.

I don’t know how long we stay like that, simply starting at each other.

It could be seconds, it could be days, but I’m not going to be the one to make the first move.

If I’m being honest, I didn’t even want to be here. I feel like an imposter, but Jeanette was hurt in an accident and knowing her state… well, I got worried. Lia and I both did. Jeanette has been through so much, and now this on top of everything else. We had to come and make sure she was okay.

Finally, he gives up on the staring game and moves toward me.

The need to turn around and run is strong, but I push it down, forcing my feet to stay glued to the floor.

“How is Jeanette?” I ask as soon as he’s within hearing distance.

“Alive.” He rubs his hand over his face. “Concussion, broken arm and ribs, bruised all over, but alive.”

I nod my head in acknowledgment. What is there to say? The girl was in a freaking car accident. She’s lucky to be alive, but with those injuries… I open my mouth, but he stops me before I can say anything else.

“Are you pregnant?”

“What?” My head flinches back in surprise, mouth falling open.

His cloudy gaze narrows as he stares at me.

---