Rule Number Five: A College Hockey Romance (Rule Breaker Series Book 1)(22)

“Yes, it was all over the news.” Her voice was soft, barely a whisper.

“He was my best friend, Marcus.” I took a deep breath, calming the ache that built in my chest. “Not only did we play together, but he was the reason I got into hockey.”

She didn’t push me, just waited for me to continue.

“After he—” I closed my eyes. Breathe. “After he died, I decided I would do whatever it took to fulfill his dreams of making it to the pros. Since I was on the second line and practiced a lot with Marcus, I naturally took over for him. Sometimes it feels like I’m living his life for him, and I’ll never amount to who he would’ve become. You should’ve seen him. The way he could skate scared the shit out of guys in college.” I rubbed my trembling hands over my face and raked them through my hair. “I’ve been struggling with my game lately. I’ve got to figure it out before people start to notice—”

Her soft hand slid over my jaw and tipped my gaze to meet hers. “It’s beautiful that you’re honoring your friend… but Jax, you’re your own person. Don’t get so caught up in living his dream that you forget your own.” Her eyes were bright with unshed tears, but there was no pity there, only understanding.

Sidney pulled her legs onto the sofa, and her shoulder leaned further into mine. She was right. This was exactly what I needed, but I couldn’t help worrying about why she needed this place to begin with?





TEN





SIDNEY





There was a big A on my computer screen.

“I won the bet, Sid. Pay up.” Jax’s voice was low near my ear, and I had to fight back a shiver. I slid a small piece of paper toward him and caught my breath when my finger ghosted across his. My pulse thrummed when he pulled away, opening and closing his fist.

His voice was barely above a whisper. “That’s rule number three. How long do you think your other rules will last?”

I rolled my eyes, not bothering to respond to that.

He looked at the paper and smirked. I jotted down my number in purple ink and the words Don’t abuse it on the note.

His breath fanned out against my neck once more before he finally took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. He gave me the thumbs-up gesture, shocking a laugh out of me and effectively breaking the tension.

I stage-whispered, “I wish I’d have gotten that on camera. Could’ve gone viral on Instagram.” That earned me a full-belly laugh. The sound had my heart stuttering—

“Ms. King, what are your thoughts on positive intermittent reinforcement?” Dr. Carter’s voice broke me from my daydream.

Jax’s head snapped up, seeing me flounder, mouth opening and closing like a guppy out of the water. “She was just explaining growth hacking and how intermittent reinforcement hacks people’s psychology just like gambling.”

As soon as the professor’s attention turned away, I slumped in my seat, my heart still trying to beat out of my chest. I looked over at Jax and mouthed, “Thank you.”

His hand slid up the back of my neck and squeezed—all of my attention instantly concentrated on the single point of contact. He wrote on his notepad before sliding it toward me.

We’re a team now, Sid. I won’t leave you hanging.

He brought his face closer, gaze boring into mine before writing something more.

Right?

I grabbed the notepad, jotting down my quick reply.

Right.

Jax shifted beside me, finding a comfortable spot for himself, but he didn’t remove his hand from my neck. I relaxed into his touch, and his gravitational pull drew me toward him.

His other hand moved rapidly over the paper.

Thank fuck we studied. Looks like half the class is depressed.

Students’ heads were down with a dejected look about them. There was a girl in the corner with tears rolling down her cheeks, but her eyes didn’t move from the professor, furiously typing as he spoke. We all knew missing a single beat could cost us.

I took the notebook. Yeah, lucky for you, I helped you out.

He choked off a laugh before replying.

That’s not how I remember it.

Not my fault you have a terrible memory.

Jax’s hand slid down my neck, fingers brushing my collarbone, and he exhaled a quick breath. Was he as affected as I was? My heart beat for an entirely different reason. There was undeniable chemistry but also something more. Everything was just so comfortable with him.

Who was I kidding? He was ridiculously attractive. It should be a crime to be both that smart and attractive. Women didn’t stand a chance. I turned to my bag and pretended to look for something to put distance between us. He hesitated like he wanted to argue, but he removed his hand.

I needed to rein it in. I knew firsthand what it felt like to come in second. To be left behind by someone you love, and it wasn’t something I ever planned on doing again.

Class winded down, and I put my things away, trying to fit everything in my bag proved to be a game of Tetris. The zipper got caught, and it split open, spilling pens on the floor.

“I got it.” Jax lowered, helping me pick them up. He reached for the same pencil as me and inhaled sharply. He stared at me, his mouth slightly open, and his breaths came out hard. I took a moment to realize my blouse was hanging low, and there was absolutely zero chance he didn’t see right down my shirt. He handed me my pencil, and then a wicked look took over his face and the slow grin that curved one side of his mouth. He shrugged as if to say, “What did you expect?”