Page 51 of Unbroken Rules (Rules 3)

Allie: Yeah.

Kendrick: Is there something wrong? I thought last night was great…

What the…

Allie: Me too. But I don’t think it should happen again.

Kendrick: Why not?

Kendrick: ???

Looks like he got Allied—that’s my way of saying blown off because that’s practically the girl’s brand.

“Winter, stop!” It sounds like he’s trying to beat the door down. If he thinks he’s angry, he hasn’t seen anything yet. I slam the door open with all my strength, and he jumps back a step.

“You slept with my best friend?” I shout.

I’ll spare you the part where I chase Kendrick around with a frying pan. Along with the part where Haze has to play moderator so we don’t wreck the entire apartment.

“Look, I didn’t plan it. She came over, we hit it off, and it just happened. Why are you so upset?” Kendrick argues.

This coming from the guy who can’t stand to see his best friend with a family member.

“Plus, she rejected my ass. She doesn’t like me,” he says, his bruised ego showing.

I remember how upset she was when she ran out. The look on her face, I’ve never seen it before.

Shit.

He’

s wrong.

She does.

I don’t waste another breath on him, grab my coat, and head for the door.

Haze chases after me. “Where are you going?”

“To see Allie. I’ll be back tonight.” I smack a kiss on his cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he says two seconds before I’m out the door.

Allie’s house has always been some sort of sanctuary for me. While my mother forbade sleepovers, Allie’s mother encouraged them. While my mom refused to buy me makeup, Allie’s mother had boxes and boxes of it from her job as a makeup artist. It was always one of my favorite places to hang out at, but now that I’m standing on her porch, uninvited, I wonder if I should go home. Maybe she needs to be alone.

I texted her before I left my apartment, and although she didn’t see my messages, her gray car is the only one in the driveway. After arguing with myself for a minute, I decide I didn’t come all this way for nothing. I knock. Once. Twice. Three times.

I hear footsteps.

The door opens.

Allie blinks at me in surprise. Today’s her day off from work. She changed into her pajamas, her hair is up in a ponytail, and she looks done with… well, everything.

“Winter? What are you doing here?” She glances around.

“I know what happened last night.” I cut to the chase.

Her reaction is instant.