The Rules We Break

know

oe had never

Fr

s. He was also her forme

school, he ha

panies in Europe. Wealthy, good-looking, and naturally ath

crowds of girls would gather to

straight into an elite uni

yrocketing to success, living the kind of life that seemed

r life had been muc

uld even compare to h

emarkable student. She wasn't the kind to speak

ry courses, Chloe was pretty sure F

d never

oon in their second

been brigh

nguage class and was leaving t

when she heard cheers erupting from the dist

the classroom with her, instinctively rushe

to guess what

was p

h spectators forming a s

zling-there was never a need

, caught glimpses of him thr

ripping with sweat, his movements smoot

his hands, the entire c

verse had placed a s

that day was her bad luck

shot, then looked away, read

n her ears-until, sudde

ng pain explod

ion wen

ooks in her arms tum

e heard

ing, like her skul

self, clutching her

she heard hurried foots

ep, urgent

u okay? Can

voice.

rrowed h

s on. Her throat felt tight, bl

t mov

calm and steady,

, give her

get a tea

e to see anything, but she could hear

g soft being drap

to

posed skin under her skirt

n her eyes to know who

as F

ked out for

was lying on a hospital bed, her par

hit-no internal injuries, just some swelling on th

bump beneath her hair. At least it was cover

er, were now neatly stacked besid

observation, she was

ght had alr

hospital waiting area, s

s still

with his elbows on his knees. The overhead

presence, he looke

up, steppin

arents politely before turning his attention t

u o

hitting you." He rubbed the back of his head, looking g

t cold or unreadable-there was act

t time Chloe had ever

ze. "I'm fine. The doctor said I just nee

nearby, neither o

er, Fred took detailed class notes and perso

doing it out of guilt or

from him and flipped through th

a single careless stroke. The key points

ngertips light

matches the

his notes, thanked him, and then

ong across the ground, the golden ligh

mained as indifferent as alwa

o many girl

y had ever been througho

ey went back to being nothing

saying they wished the ball had hit them instea

st laugh

he once accidentally hit

ouldn't connect t

looking, with thick bangs covering her f

real presen

her to get a new haircut and update her wardrobe-

their class held their first hig

different, or because the dim bar lighting playe

estive atmosphere, he had

led the hell

king at his company after graduation, their liv