Breaking All the Rules novel Chapter 30

"So where did you and Ian disappear to last night?" Jess asks me the next morning while we're eating breakfast at the kitchen island. "I saw him drag you up the stairs like he's going to rip your clothes off."

I picked at my blueberry muffin. Blueberry muffins are my favorite but I just really didn't feel like eating it right now. "No, we just talked."

"Right. Talked." Jess says doing air quotes with her fingers.

"No, really, I swear, we just talked."

"I hope so because if you're that stupid to keep sleeping with him after you saw him making out with another girl you're farther gone than I thought."

I glare at her. "I'm not that dumb. Give me a little credit."

"I'm just saying, people do dumb things when they're in love."

"Love! You love him?" Anna asks. "I mean I assumed you did with the way you stayed in your room for two days but I wasn't sure. He asked me how you were doing and I lied and said you were fine and asked him why he asked and he said no reason. I think he might love you too."

"If he loved her he wouldn't be making out with that other girl." Jess points out.

"He said he didn't kiss her that she kissed him." Christie says.

Jess snorts. "Please tell me you don't believe that."

"I'm not saying I do but I wouldn't doubt it. I mean I've seen girls throw themselves at him, we all have seen it. Anna, Kevin, gets hit on all the time too. What do you think?" Christie asks.

"I don't know. It's possible but it's also possible he's lying." Anna says.

"Well, he didn't technically cheat on you. You guys weren't dating right?" Christie asks me.

"Yeah, and that's what I told him, that he didn't do anything wrong, but it still hurts."

"Of course it does." Jess hugs me. "You love him."

"Yeah, but he doesn't love me. Whatever, I'll get over it." I say pulling away.

"Yeah, by getting under someone else. It worked for you with Mason." Jess tells me.

"Yeah, but I didn't feel for Mason the way I feel about Ian."

"It doesn't matter, it will still work."

"I'm sure Kevin can hook you up with someone from the baseball team." Anna offers.

"No, no one from the baseball team, I know all of them and it would be too weird. Besides, I don't even want to think about dating right now. Thank you guys though."

"Too bad because Owen would love to fill Ian's spot." Jess says.

"He wants me to come over for poker tonight." I lay my phone on the kitchen island, not bothering to respond.

"He's still wanting to hang out with you?" Anna asks.

"Yeah, I mean, I told him we're still friends." I shrug and pick off another piece of my

muffin and put it in my mouth.

"He's just not taking the hint that it's over." Jess says. "You need to not even be friends with him."

"I can't do that, he's my best guy friend."

"Well, you're never going to get over him if you don't stop hanging out with him." Jess tells me.

"I know." I frown as I look at my phone, there are little dots telling me he's texting

something else.

Ian: How are we going to be friends if you're too scared to hang out with me?

I stare at the text. Scared? He thinks I'm too scared to hang out with him. The last thing I want is for him to think I'm hung up on him so I quickly text him back. Me: I'm not scared.