Beautiful Broken Rules (Broken, Series #1)(52)

“Okay, little girl, it’s time to fess up. It’s not that I don’t love the alone time with you, but I know you had classes this past week. Spill the beans,” Ellie said to me out by the pool.

“I’m just a really messed-up person. I don’t know how to handle life like every other normal college student out there,” I sighed.

“I highly doubt that, Emerson.” Ellie had never really gotten on the Em train either.

“Yeah, I am. I made all these rules for myself to keep people at bay. I just wanted to have fun with guys. I didn’t want any of them to actually stick around and become anything serious. I can’t be left behind again like I was with mom and dad. Not only did they both go and die at the same time, but even worse, they were cheating as well.” I’d never, ever, come out and said the word “cheating” when talking about my parents to Ellie.

She sighed, “I wish I would have known all of this, Emerson. I’m supposed to be able to help you go on with your life. Maybe by not forcing you to talk to me more, I enabled you to hold back like this. First of all, we can’t do anything about the fact that they died. Second of all, of course I have always wondered why they were in that car together, but we can’t just assume they were having an affair.”

I started to insert my opinion and tell her there could be no other reason. She interrupted me. “So what if they were. Life can hurt sometimes, but you know what? I wouldn’t have traded a single second I had with your dad. I was happy and he gave me a bigger family than I had before I met him. Don’t hold back your life because of the choices someone else made. Now, quit stalling and tell me about the boy.” She said, while smiling.

“Cole had his friends from Texas move into his apartment with him. They’re twin brothers. Ellie, and they are so hot!” She giggled at my excitement.

“Well, which one caught your eye, and please don’t say both… I can’t handle that,” she asked.

“Of course they both caught my eye! Did I mention that they’re identical twin brothers?”

She shook her head and smiled at me. “Which one has you running back home though?”

“Okay, okay. So Jaxon is the one that seems to be turning my world upside down. I’ve never cared if I hurt someone. With him, I feel like I’m doing everything to avoid hurting him, but then that’s all I end up doing.”

“Well, that’s easy. Just stop hurting him,” she laughed.

I lay back down with my palms on my eyes and groaned, “I’ve already done too much damage now. He hasn’t said anything to me all week, and even his brother Jace has texted me daily to check up. I wouldn’t want to talk to me either after how I treated him though.”

“Honey, have you ever thought that his brother, is checking up on you for Jaxon’s benefit?”

I thought about that for a second. “It’s possible, but Jace is also just a really nice guy.”

“You just need to go back there and let him know you’re truly sorry, and you want to give him a shot.”

“I can’t do a relationship though. I don’t know how to act or what to do. I know I’ll end up ruining it somehow.”

“If this guy knows you, then I’m sure he’ll be willing to grade you on a curve,” she said while winking at me.

“A relationship scares me to death.”

“I know, but it’ll be worth it. I promise,” she replied, sliding her sunglasses back down over her eyes and laying back on the lounger.

I pulled out my phone to text Quinn.