Page 2 of The Rule Breaker (Colton U Playbook #1)

ISABELLA

M y arms are going to fall off.

How I thought bringing every single thing I own with me was a good idea, I’ll never know.

I suck in a sharp breath, hoisting my suitcase up the last ten steps of this never-ending staircase from hell, groaning like a dying animal when I finally reach the top.

Holy fuck.

And to think this is only half of my stuff. I’m lucky Dad’s bringing the rest up, because if I had to do this again, I’d be calling it quits on higher education. Not being dramatic, either. I’m pretty sure my lungs have reached full capacity.

Dragging my suitcase down the packed dorm hallway, I scan the numbers for 208, dodging stacks of cardboard boxes and the occasional human speed-walking with their parents trailing behind like lost puppies.

I can feel my curls frizzing up from the sweat on my scalp. If I had known move-in day was going to be a full-body workout, I wouldn’t have wasted a hair wash this morning. That was premium shampoo, too. Devastating.

Room 206. Room 207.

208.

Finally.

I stop at the door, sucking in a deep breath before pushing it open.

Inside, my eyes land on, who I’m guessing is my roommate, balancing on her tiptoes, one hand pressing the last corner of a band poster onto her wall while the other clutches a can of soda.

Priorities .

My eyes drift over her long blonde hair and the short black playsuit that makes her legs look endless. She hums along to soft pop rock playing from her phone, taking a sip of her drink. Her gaze flicks down to me, her brows lifting before her lips curve into a grin.

“Hey, you must be my new roommate.” She pauses, her brows tugging together. “Unless you want to switch rooms.” She shakes her head before I can respond. “In that case, not fucking doing it. I don’t care if your roommate has sleep apnea and needs a machine, I’m not?—”

“No, I’m your roommate,” I confirm with a laugh.

She relaxes, flashing me a smile as she hops down from her bed, and holy shit, her legs don’t just look endless—they are. I’m not short by any means at 5’6”, but this girl has to be at least 5’10”.

“Isabella, right?” she asks, cocking her head.

I nod, dropping both of my suitcases on the ground. “Yeah, that’s me.”

“I’m Aurora.” She pauses for a second, her head tilting to my bags. “Need help?”

I set them down with a small sigh of relief, my shoulders aching. “Honestly? Yes. I think I brought my entire house with me.”

Aurora lets out a laugh, her shoulders shaking slightly. “Don’t worry, same here.” She gestures toward her side of the room. “My side looks like a disaster zone.”

She’s not wrong. Her clothes are everywhere. A pair of sneakers thrown on the floor. A coffee mug half-filled with something that doesn’t look like coffee. But she seems cool, so I don’t mind.

“I’m good with it,” I reply with a chuckle. “Besides, this is just my clothes. The rest of my stuff is at my brother’s place off campus.”

Her brows shoot up. “Your brother lives off-campus?”

“Yeah,” I say, tossing my smaller suitcase onto the bed and unzipping it. “He lives with his teammates.”

Aurora’s eyes widen. “Hockey player?”

I pause, narrowing my eyes. “Yeah… how’d you guess?”

She shrugs. “My boyfriend’s a hockey player. I just assumed.” Then, with a smirk, she adds, “Hockey players are hot, and you look like you’d have a hot brother.”

I choke out a laugh. “Uh… thanks?”

She winks. “You’re welcome.” She unzips a packing cube and starts stacking my neatly folded clothes onto the bed. Kinda digging that she’s helping me out, given that we’ve only just met. “Is this your first time away from home?”

I shake my head. “I’m not really far from home. My dad’s the coach, so we live close.”

Her brows shoot up. “Wait, your dad coaches the hockey team?”

“Yep.”

“Damn.” She grins. “So, you’ve basically been surrounded by hockey players your entire life. That explains why you’re immune to their charms.”

I snort. “I wouldn’t say immune. Just… conditioned.”

She laughs, plopping onto my bed. “Well, I’m from California, so this is definitely far from home for me.”

“Wow,” I say, my brows shooting up. “That’s far.”

She stretches her legs out, tilting her head. “Yeah, well… Colton U has the best art program in the country, and, you know,” she pauses, flashing me a wink. “I wanted to be very, very far away from my parents.”

I breathe out a laugh. “Not close to them?”

She waves a dismissive hand. “They suffocate me, and I just needed space to breathe.” She shakes her head. “Plus, they’re not exactly thrilled about the whole art thing.” She rolls her eyes. “Starving artist and all that.”

Folding up my skirts, she glances up at me. “What’s your major?” Her eyes narrow with suspicion. “Please, for the love of God, don’t tell me it’s something boring like business.”

I let out a laugh, scrunching my nose. “Well… kinda,” I admit, shrugging as I fold a sweater. “I’m majoring in sports management. It’s necessary if I actually want to work with a team someday.”

Her brows shoot up, and she lets out a low whistle. “Okay, I’ll let that slide because that’s actually really fucking cool. We need more women in sports.”

I let out a laugh, nodding because… yeah, we really do.

She reaches into my suitcase and pulls out a purple mug wrapped in a t-shirt, her brows tugging together. “This a special mug or something?”

I breathe out a laugh. “Just one I made. I like doing pottery sometimes,” I explain. “It calms me down and gives me something to do other than scrolling on my phone.”

Her eyes widen as she inspects the mug. “This is really good.” She tilts it in her hands, studying the design. “I mean, some of the details could be better, but I can help you with that,” she says, flashing me a grin. “I might even commission one from you.”

I grab the mug from her and place it on my nightstand. “First one’s on the house.”

Aurora grins and scoops up a handful of clothes from her pile, tossing them onto her bed. “I was kinda worried my roommate would be a total drag. I’m so glad you’re not.”

I let out a laugh. “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

She nods, blowing me a kiss. “Closest thing to one you’ll probably get.”

I shake my head, a smile tugging at my lips as I dig through one of my bags. I pull out a framed photo of Jacob and me, and just like that, my smile fades. My stomach twists as I stare down at it, memories clawing their way back in.

I trail my fingers over the edge of the frame.

“Who’s that?” Aurora asks, her gaze flicking over with curiosity. “Boyfriend?”

I lift my head, sighing as I slip the photo into my drawer and shut it a little too fast.

“Ex-boyfriend,” I correct, the word feeling foreign on my tongue. “We broke up before summer. He went to Harvard, I came here.” I shrug, forcing indifference. “He didn’t want to try long distance.”

Aurora’s expression softens, but instead of pity, she gives me a knowing look. “Oof.” She lets out a harsh breath and flops onto my bed. “Yeah, long distance sucks. My boyfriend goes to Westbrook. He’s a sophomore, so we’ve been apart for a while. It really does suck sometimes.”

I nod, my gaze drifting to the window. “I know. I know we did the right thing, but… he ended it so fast. Like flipping a switch. These feelings don’t just disappear overnight. At least not for me.”

Aurora watches me for a moment, leaning back on her hands. She smirks, her eyes glistening. “What you need is a rebound,” she adds. “You need someone to fuck you so hard you forget about your ex altogether.”

I huff out a laugh, shaking my head. “Yeah, don’t think that’s happening.”

“Why not?” She tilts her head, studying me. “Are you a virgin?”

“No.”

She hums, giving me a once-over. “Are you one of those people who need an emotional connection before sleeping with someone?”

I hesitate, my brows pulling together. “Maybe?” I shrug, shaking my head. “I don’t know. Jacob is the only guy I’ve ever been with.”

Aurora’s eyes widen. “ Ever ?”

I scrunch my nose. “Is that bad?”

She doesn’t reply, her brows tugging as she presses her lips together.

Growing up with an overprotective hockey-playing brother meant most guys didn’t even try to get close to me.

Jacob was the only one, and even he didn’t stick around.

The second we graduated, he packed up for Harvard and left me behind like a forgotten souvenir.

He moved on so fast, I have to wonder… did he love me? Did I even love him?

“God.” I drop onto my bed, rubbing a hand over my face. “I don’t even know who I am without him.” My gaze flickers to my closed drawer, where our picture is now hidden away.

Aurora slides closer, bumping her shoulder against mine. “It’s not a bad thing,” she says, tilting her head. “Just… unexpected. I mean, you’re hot.”

I snort, glancing at her. “That was a real compliment.”

She sighs dramatically. “You looked pathetic. It felt necessary.”

A laugh escapes me, but a groan follows it a second later. “We broke up months ago. I don’t know why I’m acting like some tragic, lovesick loser today.”

Aurora shakes her head, a chuckle leaving her lips. “You’re not a loser. You’re just long overdue for a little fun.” She springs off my bed, planting her hands on her hips. “Which is why we need to pick an outfit.”

I lift my head, already suspicious. “For what?”

“There’s a party tonight.” Her eyes gleam. “Welcome week rager. Filthy frat house, warm beer, drinking games…” She waggles her brows. “Am I selling you on it yet?”

I huff out a laugh, shaking my head. “Not even a little.”

Aurora rolls her eyes. “C’mon. It’ll be fun.”

I flop back against my pillow. “I think I’d rather be in bed with snacks and a movie than stepping in questionable bodily fluids at a frat house.”

She gasps, clutching her chest. “That is slander. This one only smells like stale beer and bad decisions.”

I arch a brow. “Oh, well, in that case. Totally convinced,” I reply, with a dry look.

“You’re coming.” She jabs a finger at me. “I refuse to let my hot new roommate rot away in bed on the first weekend of college.”

I groan but can’t fight the smile tugging at my lips. “Fine. But if some guy in a wife-beater breathes too close to me, I’m out.”

Aurora’s eyes light up. “Hell yes!” She jumps off my bed, already rifling through my clothes. “Okay, let’s find something slutty but approachable.”

I snort. “What does that even mean?”

She waggles her brows and flings a tiny black lace top at me. “It means this.”