Page 52 of The Rules We Broke
“It’s not necessary,” I said, almost by habit. “It was a long time ago.”
“For some of us,” he murmured, “it’s not that long ago.”
“I keep hearing that,” I said with a tight smile.
Benjamin didn’t push further, and thankfully, dinner took a lighter turn. The rest of the conversation was delightfully centered around puppies—Caroline’s Christmas dream clearly alive and well. She had her work cut out for her.
After we cleared the table, Benjamin played Candy Land with Caroline while I helped Kendra in the kitchen. I was glad for the moment alone with her. I really liked her—smart, warm, and clearly no stranger to Jackson drama.
As I rinsed dishes, I couldn’t help but ask, “Kendra, I have to know, what grand pageant did you win to overcome your Auburn heritage?”
She laughed heartily. “You wouldn’t catch me dead in a pageant.”
I nearly dropped the plate I was rinsing. “So you broke rules one and two?”
She stopped laughing. “I can’t stand those rules.”
“Yeah, me too,” I whispered.
“I bet you can’t.”
“Well, at least your last name isn’t Eaton.”
She gave me a look like I was someone to be pitied. “Can I tell you something, Ellie?”
“Sure.”
We dried our hands, and she guided me to the island stools. I sat, and she took the one beside me.
“When I met Brady—”
So much for not thinking about him tonight.
“—he surprised me. I thought, ‘Here’s a guy who should be on top of the world.’ A top-ranked athlete. Dating Miss Alabama.”
I cringed at the mention of Amber.
“Yeah,” Kendra said. “I feel the same way about her.”
“I knew I liked you.” I smiled.
She smiled back—wide, warm. “But you know what? He was . . . melancholy. Except when he talked about a girl he used to know with gray eyes.”
“He talked about me?”
“Uh-huh.”
“What did he say?”
“Oh, random things. If I wore Auburn gear, he’d say, ‘Ellie would love that.’ If one of your favorite songs came on, he’d mention it. But when Amber showed her true colors? That’s when he finally told me how he really felt. At least with words.Truth is, he didn’t need to tell me. I saw it in his eyes every time your name came up.”
A tear escaped before I could stop it. I wiped it away quickly.
I didn’t want to hear this. Not now. It was too much. Too confusing. How could he still love me and be with Amber?
She patted my hand. “After his leg broke, I thought I’d walk into that first appointment with a man even more sullen than before. But he surprised me. He was happy. The happiest I’d ever seen him. It was like the weight of the world had finally slid off his shoulders. But the light in his eyes? I didn’t see that until yesterday—when he dropped off Caroline.”
“Well, he loves Caroline.”
