Page 21 of Rulebreaker

“You know,” she coaxes. “Taking your time to slowly learn someone, all the little pieces that make them up.”

“It’s a waste of time,” I point out. “If you know about the bad stuff from the beginning then you can save everyone the effort.”

“How romantic,” she says dryly.

“I think Atlas is just trying to be proactive,” Willow says, smiling at me. I can see that she’s trying to be nice—then again, she always is.

When she’s not teasing the rest of us.

Sugary sweet with a side of mischief.

It’s why she’s perfect for Dash.

“In a world of online dating and social media,” she says softly, a shadow crossing her eyes, “it’s not easy to know who the person is you’re seeing without the carefully curated veneer.”

We all pause for a moment, knowing that she’s lived that nightmarefirsthand.

Then Briar steps in and breaks the slightly uncomfortable silence.

Because of course she does.

Always looking out for her people.

“One word of assent from me,” Briar says, smile wide and bright “And he’ll have a dossier two inches thick on West.” She snaps her fingers. “Like that.”

Lily frowns and for once, I still, holding my breath, not liking the way she’s studying me.

Like I’m a bug under a microscope.

Or like I’ve disappointed her somehow.

“That’s not right,” she says softly. “You should trust the people you care about.”

Fuck, why does that hit so hard?

“He does,” Briar says, bumping Lily’s shoulder. “You just have to traverse through all the layers first.” She winks. “Consider it your own personalLegends of the Hidden Templeexperience.”

Lily laughs, head thrown back. “Leave it to you to find an obscure television reference.”

“Hey,” she says. “That show holds up, Frankie and I were streaming it the other day—” Another smile. “Which mostly ends up being us yelling at the TV screen, telling them to move it as they try and retrieve the idols.”

“Whodidn’twant to be on a game show, especially one like that, growing up?” Willow says.

“No fair,” Jade mock grumbles.

“Why?”

“Because you’ve probably done something like that before with all your famous Hollywood movie star nonsense.”

The guilty expression on Willow’s face says enough and we all laugh.

But I do it half-distracted.

Because Lily’s words are bouncing around through my mind, ping-ponging this way and that, and not fading with every pass through my mind, but increasing in volume…

Telling me that, at least some part of me, knows that she’s right.

What kind of sick fuck investigates his friends?