Unspoken Rules

by Eliah Greenwood

  “First, on behalf of my wonderful parents, I’d like to say that we are incredibly happy that you could all make it tonight.” He smiles. When the guys said Tanner invited them earlier, I saw the tiniest light glow in Haze’s eyes. It was a short, fleeting moment of hope. Even after what Tanner did, Haze would still like to believe his brother can be redeemed. I grab his hand and intertwine our fingers to show him my support.

  “As you all know, we are gathered here tonight to support my dear mother’s new clothing collection. But before we proceed with her speech, I have a big announcement to make.”

  Haze doesn’t seem to realize how tight he is squeezing my hand, but I don’t budge one bit and let him drain the blood out of my fingers. He needs it.

  “Maybe some of you don’t know, but I’m the eldest son. I’m twenty-two. And I feel like the time has come for me to start building a life for myself by pursing the Adams legacy.”

  A heavy hush descends over the reception room, the chatters and whispers dying down abruptly.

  “My father once told me, the son who married first would become the legal heir of Adams Inc.”

  Haze’s jaw drops.

  “And so, it is my pleasure to tell you that I have found the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.” He clears his throat. “This woman and I go way back, and even though we lost our ways when we were younger, we’ve recently found each other again. Honey, come join me,” he says to someone on the second floor. We can’t see them from where we are.

  Then it happens.

  She walks down the stairs, and I immediately want to stick the collapsing pieces of Haze’s heart back together.

  “Everyone, meet my wife, Riley Evans.”

  Color drains from Haze’s face as his brother cuts the very last thread still holding their relationship together. As he daggers him right in the back. As he shoots the final bullet.

  The bullet Haze will never heal from…

  Nothing makes sense. Tanner and Riley? When? How? Where did this even come from?

  “But that’s not all,” Tanner adds.

  Riley climbs back up the stairs for a second, and joins Tanner again, but this time… she’s holding the familiar angel that I’ve grown to love even through the hell Haze and I went through. One second is enough.

  Everything falls into place.

  Every lie finds its truth…

  “This is our son, Jacob.”

  31

  Flames And Revenge

  Tanner’s eyes haven’t moved. They’re stuck on Haze. He’s staring. He’s waiting for a reaction, for Haze to break something—everything. And I know I’d be lying if I said that I’m not waiting, too. Haze hasn’t moved a muscle. Or spoken. Not once. He’s in shock.

  “Haze.” I call his name because, frankly, it’s all I can do. I want him to look at me. Just me. I want him to know how sorry I am, even though sorry doesn’t come close to scratching the surface of how I’m feeling right now.

  Only Kendrick understands how bad this is. Will is completely clueless. My eyes meet Richard’s for a second. He’s not surprised. I think he knew. I always said that Jacob had to come from the Adamses. I was right. He did. Just not from the Adams we thought…

  “Get him out of here,” Kendrick tells me, and if he thinks Haze is about to lose it, he won’t have to ask me twice. I turn to my boyfriend, who seems to be in some sort of a trance. He’s fighting every nerve in his body not to explode.

  “Haze, let’s just leave, please,” I whisper and grasp his arm. He sees right through me.

  “You fucked my brother?” he finally shouts, his voice resonating across the huge reception room.

  There isn’t a guest that doesn’t gasp. Tanner included.

  “Haze, brother. No need to make a scene. Let’s talk about this like adults,” Tanner begs.

  He’s embarrassed. Good.

  “Don’t you dare pretend that he’s overreacting,” I say, surprised at the words coming out of my mouth.

  “Winter, with all due respect, this is none of your business,” Tanner says rudely.

  That’s what makes him snap.

  “With all due respect?” Haze cackles. “I’m sorry, when did you ever respect her? Was it before or after you tried to murder her?”

  An even louder wave of gasps cuts through the air.

  “Haze, stop!” his mother exclaims. This isn’t good for business. She may be the queen of false emotions, but this… this she can’t fake. Even Richard looks panicked.

  “I’m sorry. Are Daddy’s partners not in on the criminal sons’ secret?” Haze asks. “Wait, what am I saying? Of course they’re not. I’m looking at the people who saw the murder of their five-year-old daughter as bad business.”

  Here comes wave of gasps number three.

  I swear this is better than TV.

  So, Haze’s parents do know about the fights. I assume they don’t know everything, but they are aware of their boys dipping their toes into a few shady things.

  Riley’s standing back with Jacob as he hides his head into his mother’s neck. He never liked shouting. He’s the truly innocent one here. He can’t help that he was born into such a dysfunctional family. He shouldn’t be witnessing this.

  “It’s him? The guy you cheated on me with?” he addresses Riley. “My own brother?”

  Tanner turns to his “wife” and motions not to answer.

  “Haze, let’s put all this nonsense in the past and move forward, please. Or if you want to talk about it, let’s take this outside,” Tanner says.

  “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? For me to stop airing your dirty laundry to possible investors? Well, too bad. I’m not going anywhere. How long? How long did this last?”

  Tanner fidgets with his tuxedo sleeves.

  “I said how long?” Haze screams.

  “The whole time,” Tanner finally breathes out.

  Ouch.

  Haze shakes his head in disgust.

  “Did you two know about this?” He gazes at his parents. “Did you know back then that my girlfriend was pregnant with my brother’s kid?”

  People hold their breath, as though they fear the sound might keep them from hearing what Richard will say next.

  “Yes, we knew,” he admits. “We caught her sneaking out of the house once.”

  There goes another bullet straight into Haze’s chest. They knew he was beating himself up over it, and they didn’t say anything.

  “But that doesn’t mean you and your brother shouldn’t talk this out,” Richard has the audacity to add.

  “Talk this out? You want us to talk this out. Okay, fine, what do you want to talk about, bro? The fact that Riley was my first girlfriend and now you’re married to her? Or the fact that you were sleeping with her the whole time we were dating? Or maybe you want to talk about the fact that she got pregnant with your kid but pretended that it was mine because you refused to pay for your son?”

  “Haze Christopher Adams, that’s enough!” His father raises his voice at him. Haze’s middle name is Christopher?

  “So, to all of you rich investors, I have one question to ask. Is my brother really the type of person you’d like to invest millions in? I suggest you don’t. Because he’ll fuck your wife, get her pregnant, and then marry her to steal your company.”

  Holy shit!

  “Security!” Richard yells, but we both know it’s too late. Haze’s already said too much and probably cost his family a colossal amount of money. A tall man that’s shaped like a fridge starts to walk toward us, a pained expression on his face. He doesn’t want to do this.

  “Don’t bother, Daryl,” Haze tells the man, “we’re leaving.” He looks back at his family. “Don’t ever contact me again. None of you. I’d rather be an orphan than have a family like this,” he says through gritted teeth and rushes to the exit. “Desiree would be real fucking proud.”

  As if Desiree’s name is a knife jamming into her stomach, Haze’s mother pulls an agonized face. I supp
ose it’s been forever since she heard her daughter’s name. That tends to happen when you do everything in your power to cover up your kid’s death.

  Kendrick, Will, and I carefully follow Haze. None of the guests move. They watch us walk away in silence. We’ve barely stepped foot outside the house when we hear someone chasing after us.

  “Haze, wait, I’m begging you,” Tanner calls from afar.

  Haze turns around very calmly and waits for his brother to reach us, but I know better than to think it’s because he’s ready to hear him out.

  “I never meant for this to happen. I was stupid. She’s the one who snuck into my room one night when you were out with Vic. She came on to me. She said she liked older guys and…”

  Bam!

  Haze’s fist repeatedly grinds into his brother’s face. Tanner falls to the ground like a magnet drawn to his other half. It takes both Kendrick and Will to get Haze off him, but the damage is already done. That’s going to leave one heck of a bruise. Tanner groans in pain, still on the ground.

  “Haze, please. We’re brothers. I didn’t know Riley meant this much to you. I…” Tanner’s words trail off.

  “Don’t you fucking get it? She didn’t!” Haze screams louder than ever before. “You did…”

  Just like that, the curtain drops and the lights come on.

  The truth settles around us and we know… that’s what this is really about.

  Haze doesn’t care that Riley cheated on him. He cares that his brother, who he secretly considered to be the last of his family, could do something so horrible to him. He would rather die than say it, but deep down, he hoped that maybe one day, years from now, he’d be able to save their relationship and get his brother back. But, tonight, Tanner proved him wrong.

  Tonight, he showed him that he has no one.

  That he never did.

  “We’re not brothers anymore. You’re dead to me. Dead. If I ever see you again, I’ll end you. Are we clear?” Haze spits and darts to his car that the valet just parked out front. I tell him to let me drive, because he drank way too much to even go anywhere near the wheel, and he nods, climbing into the passenger seat and shutting the door closed.

  My stepfather always says that the road to inner peace can be very lonely… but that, sometimes, a little loneliness is precisely what you need. I never really understood just how true that is until now. That’s what Haze is. A lonely soul desperate for peace. A lonely kid who doesn’t know how to handle not being lonely anymore. He spent his entire life alone, and now that he has someone who cares, he’s waiting for things to go wrong. For the rain to come pouring down and wash away the love he’s been given.

  He hasn’t said a word to me since we left his parents’ house. He slouched into his seat, rested his forehead to the window, and let his mind wander to a place I could only wish to uncover. I can’t stand seeing him like this.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” I finally ask.

  “Nope,” he says.

  “Is there anything I can do?” I slow down in anticipation of the light turning red.

  “Just… stop talking, please.”

  Harsh.

  “Haze, I’m just trying to help.”

  “Then stop trying.”

  Immediately, my self-respect screams that I can’t let him talk to me this way. I turn into a random and deserted mall parking lot. It’s late. It’s almost midnight.

  “What are you doing?”

  I turn the key in the ignition and let the engine die while I unbuckle my seat belt and turn sideways to face him.

  “Let me make something clear. I’m a lot of things, Haze. But I’m not the girl you take your anger out on. If you want to be alone tonight, it’s fine, you can tell me. But not like this.”

  He throws his head back with a deep sigh. “I’m sorry. I’m being an asshole.”

  This is too much for him. Tonight is too much. The alcohol, the announcement. This day needs to end.

  “No, I get that you’re mad, Haze. I would be, too. I want you to take all the time you need, but I’m not the enemy. I want to be here for you, but if you want me to g—”

  He cuts me off. “Believe me, that’s the last thing I want.”

  I’m about to answer when he shoots up in his seat.

  “What was that?”

  I frown.

  “What?”

  He unbuckles his seat belt. “Get out of the car.”

  “Why?” I ask, freaked.

  “Winter, get out of the fucking car! Now!” he shouts.

  I know that look. That panic.

  Something’s wrong. This isn’t about our silly fight anymore.

  From there, everything’s a blur. I’m barely aware of how fast I rush out of the vehicle. I’m barely aware of Haze catching my hand in to his. All I know is he starts to run. So I do, too.

  I run.

  As far and as fast as humanly possible.

  Then I hear it…

  The click.

  But it’s the explosion… that really stops my heart.

  Haze tackles me to the ground, his body shielding mine as we hit the concrete. Uncontrollable sobs fill my throat. But pain has nothing to do with it. For once, I’m not crying because I’m sad. I’m crying because I’m horrified.

  “Look at me. Are you okay?” His hands are shaking from the rush of adrenaline. He keeps analyzing me the way he always does as he looks for a wound of some sort. “Are you hurt?”

  “What just happened?” The words trickle out of my mouth.

  “What everybody said would happen.” His voice shudders as he wraps his arms around me. He doesn’t want to say it, but he doesn’t need to. I know…

  Someone just tried to kill us.

  He holds me against his chest and apologizes, over and over again. That’s all he can do. Passing cars pull over to the side of the road. Witnesses run to us, asking us if we’re okay, if we’re hurt, but I can’t bring myself to answer. Hell, I can barely bring myself to breathe. I think I hear a girl say help is on the way, but I’m not sure. We should be dead. We would be dead. If Haze hadn’t heard whatever the hell it was that gave the bomb away, they’d be pulling our burnt corpses out right now.

  I watch as fire rises in the empty parking lot, the pile of scrap that used to be Haze’s car melting away under scorching flames, and remember what Tanner said to Haze a few days ago. I can still hear his voice as he says it. “Someone’s after you, brother.”

  And I’m terrified…

  Because he was right.

  32

  Traitors And Last Days

  “No way. I’m not going on that.” I cross my arms over my chest and ogle the death ride—I’m not exaggerating; that’s literally what it’s called—Haze’s been talking about since we stepped foot inside the amusement park.

  “Yes, you are. We only have two days left together. You’re not just standing by while we have fun.” Haze circles my shoulder with his arm, and I peer at Kendrick, Alex, Will, Mia, and Kass walking behind us. When Haze showed up at my locker after this morning’s exam and suggested that we go enjoy ourselves for a change, I knew I had to spend at least one of my last days in Florida with my family. He’s not the only one I’ll be leaving on Friday, and although I’m glad that he did, I still can’t believe that Haze let the East side tag along.

  “Fine. But when I throw up all over your jacket, just remember you asked for it.”

  He smirks. “I promise I’ll hold your hair.”

  I laugh as we walk to the overly long line of people waiting for their dose of Death. We’ve been here for a few hours already. I went on as many rides as I could with them, but I’ll gladly have Will and Kendrick call me a chicken until I’m eighty to escape this one. Giant steel balls tied to wires being thrown hundreds of feet into the sky? Thanks, but hell no.

  I glance back at Kass, who’s been conversing with Will for a few minutes now. They’re laughing. I’m not up-to-date with their scandalous forbidden love story, but I’d sa
y things are going better. As for Kendrick and Alex, they look like kids, amazed by the lights, the commotion, the music. Man, the East side really needs to get out more. And by get out, I mean to places that don’t include dark alleys, abandoned buildings, or creepy sewer fighting spots.

  Mia, Alex’s girlfriend, easily fit right in with us. She’s the one who suggested that we set a no phone rule for the rest of the day. Haze and I were happy to oblige. One, because it allows us to truly live in the moment, and two… because we don’t want to receive any more calls from the police asking us to come back to the station. The investigation’s still ongoing even if they labeled it a random attack. Someone tried to blow up two kids, and it’s got people talking. The detectives assigned to the case haven’t been much help, but it’s only because we haven’t been much help. From the second they showed up at the scene, we knew we couldn’t tell them the truth.

  Oh, it’s actually quite simple, Officers. You see, my boyfriend here used to be involved in very high-paying illegal street fights and is also, overall, just an asshole who gets people mad. Good day!

  It looks like Tanner was right. Someone is after Haze. But who? We’re not anywhere closer to figuring that out. The list of suspects is endless. Who knows how or when the bomb was even placed under his car. As soon as Maria was informed of what happened, she forbade me from sleeping at Haze’s place again. She says it’s gotten out of control. That being near him is too dangerous, but has that stopped me from letting him sneak in through my bedroom window every night since? Nope.

  She’s right. About everything.

  My brain knows it.

  But my heart doesn’t care.

  I dodge flying cotton candy when Alex and Kendrick start throwing food at each other. I smile. I can’t help it. I’m going to miss these idiots. But most importantly, my idiot.

  “I can’t believe that in a few days I’ll be back in my bedroom full of boy bands posters,” I mutter to myself, and Haze’s hand grows rigid in mine. I know he hates hearing me talk about it. He’s still hoping that I’ll change my mind. “Haze…” I pine for his forgiveness. Now’s not the time to get into a fight. The closer we get to the big day, the longer and bigger our arguments become. I think we’re finally starting to feel the walls closing in on us.