Rule #2: You Can't Crush on Your Sworn Enemy (The Rules of Love)

by Anne-Marie Meyer

  I tried to ignore how good it felt to have him next to me. Or the fact that he was opening up to me. Why was my heart reacting this way?

  Once we got to the front of the diner, he pulled open the door and waved his hand for me to go first. I stepped inside and he followed after me. He guided me over to one of the empty booths and sat. Not sure what to do, I slipped into the seat across from him.

  “Are we supposed to just seat ourselves?” I asked, leaning closer to him.

  He shrugged and grabbed one of the menus that were tucked between the salt and pepper shakers on the far end of the table. “I doubt they’ll kick us out for doing it.”

  I scoffed. Was that Cade’s life motto? I’ll do it until I get kicked out?

  I saw him looking at me from over his menu. I tucked my hair behind my ear and grabbed one for myself. It felt so raw and exposing, him looking over at me like he did. What could he possibly be thinking? Did I want to know?

  “Hey, sweetie,” a soft voice said to us.

  When I turned, I saw the blonde woman from Cade’s house smiling down at us. She had her light-blonde hair pulled up into a ponytail. Wisps of hair fell around her face. She wore an apron over her light jeans and t-shirt.

  Cade smiled over at her. “Hey, Mom.”

  She pulled out a notebook and pen. Suddenly, I felt both of their gazes fall on me. I smiled. “I’m Penelope,” I said, reaching out to shake her hand.

  Why did I do that? I wasn’t really sure, but I might as well commit.

  His mom’s gaze dropped to my outstretched hand. She took it. “I’m Georgia. Cade’s mom.”

  I nodded. “Yep. I know.”

  Her eyes widened, and I suddenly felt desperate to explain.

  “I saw you a few nights ago when I came over to find Cade. That’s when I met Bryson, Olivia, and Rex.” A look of recognition passed over her face, but I kept going. For some reason, I didn’t want her to think that there was something weird going on between me and Cade. Perhaps I wanted to convince myself as well. “I’m just Cade’s tutor and image adjuster.”

  Blah. That sounded as weird out loud as it had in my head. But what else was I supposed to say? Life coach?

  Georgia glanced over at Cade with her eyebrows raised. Relief flooded my body. Good. Let him try to explain it.

  He was smiling—of course. Watching me stumble through my words seemed like a favorite pastime for him. “Yep. Principal Connell suggested we work together. You know, since Judge Jones wanted me to get my life in order.” He glanced over at his mom and gave her a wink.

  Georgia sighed. It was a sentiment I recognized. So, he wasn’t just cocky with me. His mother felt it too. “Well, thanks for taking on my son,” she said as she raised her pencil and tapped her notepad. “What did you guys want?”

  I hadn’t really studied the menu, but I didn’t want her to stay and hear me say something stupid again, so I picked the grilled cheese with french fries. Cade ordered a burger with all the fixings. His mom wrote it down and disappeared.

  I glanced over at Cade. He was leaning back against the booth with his arms folded. He had a satisfied expression on his face.

  “So, am I to assume that this really isn’t a date, seeing how I just met your mom?” I asked, hoping to sound confident. For a moment, I detected a hint of pink on his cheeks. Had I made him nervous? Or just upset? Either way, it felt good to finally say something that bothered him the same way he was always bugging me.

  He straightened and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Do you want it to be a date?”

  My turn. My entire body flushed with heat at his question. Did I want it to be a date? Somewhere in the back of my mind, the word maybe floated around. I coughed and fiddled with the napkin dispenser next to me. “I’m not sure how Tiffanii will feel about that. You and I going out on a date.” I paused and moved my gaze up to study him. His reaction would give me a good idea of the situation.

  He didn’t look bothered that I brought up his not-really-but-maybe girlfriend. He shrugged and shifted on his seat. “Eh, I don’t care what she thinks,” he said, pushing his way out of the booth and standing. He reached out his hand as if he wanted me to take it.

  I stared at it. What was going on? I peered up at him.

  He sighed. “I’m not going to bite you, CM. I want to show you something.”

  I hesitated before I placed my hand in his and allowed him to help me up. I tried hard to ignore the tingles that raced up my arm from his touch. I held my breath as he kept my hand firmly in his own. Were we seriously holding hands right now?

  “Wh-where are we going?” My voice came out low and breathy. Great. Way to paint a neon sign over your head that says, Your Touch Does Something to Me. I’d never live it down if he suspected that I had feelings for him.

  He laughed and turned to wink at me. “Have a little faith.”

  He led me to the front of the diner and then outside. I stared at our table where his mom had returned to drop off our waters. She didn’t look alarmed that we weren’t there, so this must be a normal thing.

  Once outside, Cade dropped my hand. I fought the groan that grew in the back of my throat. I needed to be okay with the fact that we were no longer touching. I relaxed my expression.

  “I’m starving, you know,” I said. “You don’t want to see what happens to me when I’m hungry.”

  He glanced back at me. “I think I’ll take my chances.”

  I followed after him as we rounded the building. A bubbling sound filled the silence. Through the darkness, I could see a statue of a woman. Water trickled down her toga-clothed body and into a pool below. A few multicolored lights shone up through the water, accentuating the places where the drops fell. From where I stood, I could see all the coins that had been tossed in.

  I glanced over at Cade, who was studying the water. “What is this?” I asked.

  He smiled. “This is the most famous wishing well in the Midwest,” he said, jingling the coins he held in his hand.

  “Wishing well?”

  He peered over at me. “You don’t believe in magic?” He laughed as he sat down on one of the benches that surrounded the pool. “I’ve been coming here since I was a kid. Every time, I throw a coin in.”

  Not wanting to stand there alone, I made my way over and sat next to him. It was supposed to be innocent, until I realized how close we were to each other. I scooted over to the edge.

  “Have they come true?” I asked, keeping my gaze trained forward. I worried what might happen if I looked into his eyes. My resolve to keep my feelings secret just might dissolve on the spot.

  “Maybe,” he chuckled, his voice low. I turned to look at him. He was studying me as if there were a million words that he wanted to say but wasn’t sure how to say them.

  And I wasn’t sure I wanted him to.

  “Can I?” I asked, reaching out my hand. He let a coin fall onto my palm. I needed to do something to break this spell he had over me.

  I stood and made my way over to the pool. I studied the ripples that floated across the surface. A wish. What did I wish for?

  The first thing that came to mind was Cade. I knew I wished something about him, I just wasn’t sure I was ready to put that out into the cosmos yet. So I went with my parents. Was it wrong that I wished that they would stay together? That this talk about splitting up was just a nasty nightmare?

  I didn’t want my family to break apart. Sure, we weren’t perfect, but that didn’t mean I wanted things to change. I hated change. And I hated how helpless I felt. I was used to pleasing people to get what I wanted. And I was beginning to realize that no amount of good grades or teacher recommendations were going to save me from this disaster.

  I wish my parents won’t break up. I hesitated before I threw the quarter into the water. It plinked as it broke the surface and sunk to the bottom.

  “What did you wish for?”

  Cade’s voice startled me. I glanced over to see that he’d moved from the
bench and was now standing next to me. I pushed him with my shoulder.

  “You can’t tell someone your wish. It’s like a law.” I glanced over at him.

  He raised his eyebrows. “Wow. I didn’t know you believed in wishes that much.” He winked at me and then turned his attention to the water. A few seconds passed before he held up a coin and flicked it. It flew up above the water and dropped in with a thunk.

  We stood there in silence. The sound of the water surrounded us. I fought the urge to ask him what his wish had been. I was pretty sure it had something to do with Tiffanii or his family. Though I kind of wanted his wish to involve me.

  I wrapped my hands around my arms as I pushed that thought out. There was no need to put that idea in my mind. When I thought too much about Cade, stupid things came out of my mouth.

  “Wanna know my wish?” he asked.

  Shivers rushed across my skin. I shook my head, worried that, if I spoke, the wrong thing would come out. That I would end up saying, “Yes, but only if it’s about me.”

  “The law,” I managed.

  He chuckled and leaned closer to me. “That’s only if you believe in them. See, I make a wish knowing that if I want it to come true enough, it will.”

  It almost seemed that with each word, he was leaning closer and closer to me. My heart pounded so hard I could hear it in my ears.

  Calm down, Penny. Calm down.

  “Well, I believe, so my belief will override yours and the wish won’t come true.” I kept my gaze forward. At this point, it was really a self-preservation tactic.

  “That’s too bad, then,” he said. The depth of his voice sent shivers down my spine.

  I needed to get away. I couldn’t feel these things about Cade. “Is our food ready?” I asked, turning to stare at the restaurant.

  He pulled back and turned as well. “Probably.” Then he glanced over at me. “Ready for some food?”

  I nodded and started across the lawn. I didn’t stop until I was inside and sitting at our booth. He came in a few seconds later and joined me.

  Our food had been delivered, and I was grateful. Eating meant I didn’t have to talk. And not talking meant not worrying that my relationship with Cade was changing drastically. I wasn’t sure I was ready for that.

  Chapter Eleven

  We ate in silence until all of our food was gone. I was grateful that Cade wasn’t in a hurry to bring up what had happened by the well. I wasn’t ready to face my feelings or his.

  I inwardly groaned. Why did I keep using the word feelings every time I thought of Cade? It was totally ridiculous and would most certainly never happen. Me and Cade.

  Panic rose up in my chest. I needed to get away.

  I wiped my mouth with my napkin and set it on top of my plate. Cade was just finishing as well. His plate was empty, and he was drinking the last of his water.

  His mom returned and grabbed our plates. “Did you guys want dessert?” she asked, glancing from Cade to me.

  “No—” I said.

  “Sure.” Cade said at the same time.

  His mom’s eyes widened as she smiled. “I’ll come back.”

  Cade nodded, and his mom headed back into the kitchen with our plates.

  “You don’t want cake?” Cade asked. He leaned forward on his arms and was studying me.

  I shook my head. “I’m not really a cake person,” I lied. I loved cake, but I didn’t want to stick around even though just hearing the word made my salivary glands kick into overdrive.

  He eyed me. “You okay?” he asked.

  I pinched my lips together and nodded. “Yep.”

  “Because it almost seems like you are trying to get away from me.”

  I feigned shock. “That’s not it. I just figured you have a lot going on. Maybe it would be best if we just called it a night.” My chest squeezed as the last words left my lips. I didn’t want to go home and be alone in my giant, empty house. But being here with Cade was confusing and worrying me.

  He met my gaze. “Did I do something wrong?”

  Oh man. Why did he have to look so sincere? It was getting harder and harder to hate him. Why did things have to change? I’d been so comfortable in my previous life. And now everything was falling apart.

  I fought the tears that threatened to spill. I was rapidly losing control of everything. “Be right back,” I called over my shoulder as I stood and hightailed it to the bathroom.

  Once I had the door locked, I let out my breath. I could do this. I could continue to hate Cade and keep my parents together. It would just take some work, but I was up to the task.

  I turned and faced the mirror. After splashing my skin a few times with the ice-cold water, I felt less and less like I was going to break down at any moment.

  I patted my skin dry and took a few deep breaths. The last thing I needed was for Cade to see me cry. He’d know that there was absolutely something wrong with me, and then he’d never leave it alone.

  I straightened my hair and blotted under my eyes. After a short countdown, I pulled open the bathroom door to see Cade standing on the other side. His eyebrows were drawn together, and he had a worried look in his eyes. In his hand, he held a small white box in the shape of a piece of cake.

  “You okay?” he asked. He raised his gaze to meet mine.

  My breath caught in my throat. He was worried.

  “I’m okay,” I said, giving him a smile and passing by him. When I walked back to the table, I looked for my purse, but I couldn’t find it.

  “Here,” Cade said, reaching out and handing it to me.

  “Thanks.”

  He nodded.

  I pulled open the zipper and pulled out a twenty. “How much do I owe?” I asked, glancing around for the check.

  When Cade didn’t respond right away, I glanced over at him. His jaw was set, and there was a hurt expression on his face. “Don’t worry about it. I paid.”

  No. I couldn’t have that. There was no way I wanted to owe Cade. “It’s okay. I should pay for myself.” I started walking toward the register.

  His hand surrounded my arm, stopping me. “I said, I paid.”

  I turned, hoping to meet his gaze full force. “Cade, I can pay for myself.”

  He studied me. “And I can pay for you.” He folded his arms.

  “I—” This was the most ridiculous fight I’d ever been a part of. So, I found a five in my purse and set it on the table. “Fine. I’ll tip.”

  He started to protest, but I wasn’t going to listen to it. “It’s just the tip,” I said as I challenged his gaze. I gave him a look that said, go ahead, try and stop me.

  It must have worked because he clenched his jaw shut and turned, making his way out of the diner. I felt triumphant as I patted the five and turned.

  Georgia was standing behind me, studying me. Crap. Had she seen our fight?

  “Thanks. The food was great.”

  She just kept her gaze steady as she nodded. “No problem.” Then she narrowed her eyes. “Hey, did you go to junior high with Cade?”

  I stared at her. That felt strange. It had been so long ago that I was surprised she even remembered me. “Yeah. I did.” Did she know that her son had tortured me for three years? I decided against bringing it up. It felt weird to tattle on her son.

  She narrowed her eyes. “Just be nice to Cade. He’s been through a lot.” She shifted the rag she was holding from one hand to the other. Then she moved past me over to an empty table and began wiping it down.

  That was weird. Why was she worried about how I would treat Cade. Wasn’t she supposed to lecture her son? He’d been the one who made fun of me.

  I sighed as I turned and made my way out the front door. Once I got outside, I looked around. Where was Cade?

  My gaze landed on him. He was leaning against his car with his head tipped back. I blew out my breath as I walked up to him. “Hey,” I said.

  He glanced at me, and I paused. He looked upset.

  I furrowed my brow.
“What’s wrong?”

  He straightened and walked toward me until he was inches from me. He met me with the full force of his gaze. “What was that about?”

  I swallowed, completely overwhelmed by his proximity. What was I supposed to say to him when his mere presence knocked me senseless? “What?” I managed.

  “You won’t ever let me do anything. You always have to say something.” He scrubbed his face as he turned away from me. “You drive me crazy.”

  Oh, no. I wasn’t going to let him say something like that and then turn away from me. He was definitely not going to have the last word. “Hang on,” I said, following after him. “I drive you crazy? What about you and the whole Chocolate Milk nonsense?” I stepped in front of him so he had to stop.

  I folded my arms and tapped my fingers. It both excited me and scared me to confront him like this. But, if he was going to start something, he’d better finish it.

  His eyebrows rose as if he was shocked that I would say something about that. He scoffed and glanced away. “You can’t ever take a joke, can you?”

  I stared at him. A joke? “You had the entire school call me that name. It was humiliating. Talk about taking one dumb accident and forever immortalizing it.” I studied him.

  He leaned closer to me, and then his expression softened. “You’re right. That was wrong of me. But I thought we’d moved on. I figured you knew that I hadn’t meant any harm.” He stepped around me and leaned against the trunk of his car.

  “If you didn’t do it to hurt me, then why did you do it?” I was so angry and frustrated that my skin felt hot. What was his deal? Why couldn’t I ever figure him out?

  He scoffed and turned back to me. “Really, Pen? Really? You can’t be that naive.”

  I swallowed. What was there to be naive about? “Maybe I am,” I whispered.

  He turned and stepped up to me until we were inches apart. Suddenly, his hand was around my waist and he was pulling me close. My heart pounded as I glanced up at him.

  “Wh-what are you doing?” I asked, my voice coming out breathy.