Page 118 of Break the Rule
“Something funny?”
“I’m imagining Andrew here having his sensibilities offended by sex.”
“Not all of us need to see other people having sex,” Andrew replies in a clipped tone. “Especially not my own brother.”
“Andrew wouldn’t like to see anyone having sex, he’s kind of a prude.” Zach’s smiling like he’s said something witty. “Or he was in high school. I thought maybe he’d finally loosened up but apparently not.”
“What the fuck is your problem?” Eden yells.
“Eden, don’t,” Andrew tries, but it’s too late.
Between Eden’s dislike of Zach, his own mess of insecurities, and the protective feelings he has about Andrew, he’s itching for a reason to punch this fucker.
“Chill out, I’m only teasing.” Zach leans forward and reaches across the couch to ruffle Andrew’s hair.
Andrew swats his hand away. “Shut up, Zach.”
“Aw, did I hurt your feelings? Don’t be so uptight. You never could handle a joke.”
“Nothing about what you said is a joke,” Eden interjects.
Zach shakes his head. “Calm down.”
“You’ve been a dick since the moment you walked into this house.”
“Everyone thought I was charming, didn’t they, Andrew?”
Andrew’s jaw is clenched tightly, his hands fisted in his lap. He says nothing, and Eden doesn’t understand why. Why isn’t Andrew telling him what a dick he is?
“Not everyone,” Eden says, willing to say something even if Andrew isn’t.
“Everyone who matters liked me,” Zach says, smiling in a way that has Eden clenching his fists.
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“Eden,” Andrew tries.
“No,” Eden snaps. “This guy is a fucking dick.”
“He’s also not worth it,” Andrew murmurs.
“Aw, that’s not what you used to say in high school. Especially not when you were begging me to date you.”
The silence is deafening, and Eden’s not sure what’s worse—his dawning realization about who this guy is or the look on Andrew’s face.
“You,” Eden hisses, recalling his conversation with Andrew in the kitchen that first morning he slept over at Charlie’s. The high school friend who’d used him because he couldn’t haveCharlie. The one who made Andrew feel used and broken for not wanting sex. “It’s you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Zach tries, composure faltering.
“You’re the dickbag from high school.” Eden laughs, even though nothing about this is fucking funny. “You couldn’t have Charlie, so you used Andrew.”
“Eden, stop.”
“Hey man, whatever Andrew told you is a lie. It’s not my problem Andrew can’t enjoy himself and relax. We could’ve had a good time if he hadn’t been such a prude.”
“Just because I didn’t want to fuck you doesn’t mean I’m a prude,” Andrew curtly replies.
“You used him.”
