Page 71 of Unwritten Rules

I was wide awake and jumping out of bed. “Hold on! I’m awake!”

Brent didn’t budge like the sleeping dude he was while I was scrambling to cover my naked body. There was no way to hide the evidence if she came in, and I was furious at Brent for not locking the door behind him.

Kelly poked her head into the room. “I made panca–” her eyes caught sight of the other body in my bed and me clutching a blanket around my naked body. Red handed. “Oh. My. God,” she said before closing the door and scampering away giggling.

“I’ll be right out,” I hollered at the door.

Mental facepalm.

There were four of us at the breakfast table sitting as awkwardly as people in our situation could. Eggs, bacon, pancakes, and maple sausages covered the table in a large family spread style. We all looked around awkwardly while taking small bites of food wondering who would break the silence first.

“Breakfast is great, thanks Kelly.” Brent decided he would be the one to do it.

“Uh huh.” She gave me a sideways glance and kicked me under the table. “Did you twosleepwell?”

I kicked her back. “Perfectly fine,thanks.” Subject change time. “So, James. You’re my new bodyguard?”

He looked startled that I acknowledged him and nodded. “I also came with the documents Mr. Evans would like you to review. Don’t worry, I will guide you through the process and instruct you on what roles you will be taking on as your transition happens.”

Brent looked between James and I, taking in the information. “You’re taking over your mother’s company in sophomore year of college?”

“Why, going to run back to tell Augustus Vaughn?” I avoided his eye contact after my newfound attitude slipped through the cracks.

James startled for the second time realizing Brent Vaughn was at my house after spending the night–and fucking me. That news wasnotsomething I wanted traveling around, but I expected a lot of words to be exchanged about it at Montgomery Group. The complications kept rolling for me day by day, never letting me come up for air.

“It’s probably good news for him,” he replied after downing a glass of orange juice. “Your mother and my grandfather worked closely, and I don’t expect things would change with you stepping up to lead the company.”

“Are you not in line to inherit?”

By the way his jaw ticked when I asked the question, it looked like that was a sore spot for him. If he wasn’t set to inherit the company, why was his grandfather deemed ‘the Dictator’ and so hard on him?

“So...” Kelly chimed in, “is the hot tub good to go for use? I want to go soak away this knot in my back and have cute date nights with Shane.”

“Yep,” I popped the ‘p’ for emphasis. “What documents have you got for me, James?”

“Nothing urgent that cannot wait until later in the day.” That had to be code for private.

The drama that unfolded just hours ago made me dread seeing the outside world and everyone in it looking at me differently. “I don’t know about you guys, but I am not excited to be on campus today.”

“You’re uber famous now, Fal.”

“Don’t remind me, Kel.”

Brent leaned into our conversation. “Need a ride?”

“And be spotted with another guy? No thank you. Kelly and I will go together.” I glanced at him, feeling like I was seeing a different person. He had a contented look on his face that usually held a devious smirk or an uninterested expression. His usual laid-back demeanor was replaced with sitting unusually tall–his chest puffed up more than normal.

Maybe he was playing big man in town since Kelly–and James–found us out.

“Damn right. Chicks before dicks. Sorry, Brent.” Kelly poked her tongue out at him.

If only things could feel as simple as they did at the kitchen table this morning, but it wouldn’t last for long. My depressingly short reprieve.

The drive was quiet, and when we made it to campus it was like stepping into an alternate reality. A crowd of students gathered around us as soon as we stepped out of the car.

“Why didn’t you tell us you were Fallon Montgomery?”

“What’s the story with you and Garrett Bradford?”

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