Page 55 of The Rules We Broke
I’d kept quiet while they’d spoken, but the whole thing made me roll my eyes internally. His parents were ridiculous. Kendrawas smart, loyal, and obviously in love with Benjamin. Wasn’tthatwhat should matter?
Who cared about her alma mater or whether she’d worn a tiara once? It just reinforced what I already knew: Brady and I could never be together. If they needed convincing to accept a non-Eaton, what chance didIhave?
We’d tried before, and the wounds were still fresh. Being with someone whose parents despised you wasn’t just hard—it was impossible.
And yet, Kendra’s words about Brady lingered like fog. She’d said he’d been pressured. Manipulated. That he hadn’t truly loved Amber. She’d claimed he still loved me.
But if that were true, why hadn’t he come after me? Especially after his dad had recovered? Brady wasn’t the type to be pushed around. At least, the Brady I knew wasn’t.
Maybe Kendra was wrong about me not being meant to get over him. Ineededher to be wrong.
The hospital came into view, pulling me out of my thoughts. I arrived thirty minutes early. Just before the nurses began prepping Aunt Lu.
She wasn’t being put under, but they had to prep her groin and numb the area. She wasnotthrilled—and she made sure everyone knew it. The nurses didn’t flinch. They seemed used to her sass and took it in stride.
The doctor arrived, clipboard in hand. “The procedure should take about an hour,” he said. “Barring any complications.”
Complications?My stomach dropped.
The doctor smiled reassuringly. “I don’t expect any. Ms. Eaton is in great shape for a woman of her age.”
Aunt Lu didn’t take kindly to that. She shot him a look that could wither an entire field of dandelions. But, thankfully, she refrained from commentary.
I glanced at her and winked. She looked great for her age—and she knew it.
The doctor noticed her glare and fidgeted slightly. He looked at me, with a flicker of unease in his eyes. “We’ll send someone to get you once she’s in recovery.”
I nodded and stood, walking over to Aunt Lu, who suddenly looked so small. Fragile. Like the fire that had carried her this far was flickering low.
I kissed her cheek and held back tears. “I love you, Aunt Lu,” I whispered.
She looked up at me with those warm doe-brown eyes and squeezed my hand.
“I love you more than air, Ella Lu.”
Then they wheeled her away.
Leaving me very alone.
I made my way to the waiting room, bracing for the quiet—only to be met with something else entirely.
There stood Brady Jackson, in a dark suit and red tie. Two cups of coffee in hand. Looking like every heartbreak I’d ever had and every wish I had never been granted.
And that grin of his that said,“I know exactly what I’m doing.”
He swaggered over as if the hospital lobby was his stage. All at once, I didn’t feel alone anymore. More like panicked.
“What are you doing here, Brady Jackson?”
“If my momma were going into surgery,” he said, quiet but firm, “I wouldn’t want to be alone.”
I should’ve told him to leave. But his sincerity hit me hard—and he was right. Ididn’twant to be alone. If I could choose anyone to sit beside me, it would’ve been him. Even if it was wrong. Even if it couldn’t go anywhere.
I needed him this morning.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
He motioned for me to sit and handed me a paper cup. I wrinkled my nose automatically.
