Page 61 of Broken Rules
Forget what?
“Evie,” I say, but she won’t hear me unless I turn on the mic.
Opening the app, I promptly enter the section for room four, press the call button, and a ringing sound comes from the island. She jumps, glancing over her shoulder, contemplating answering as she stares, not one motion to pick up the call, and the sound dies out. Turning to lean on the bar, she continues to stare, breathing harder—should I try again or wait to see if she’ll return the missed call? I let three seconds pass before I dial room four once more, and she allows it to ring down to the last round before quickly grabbing the phone out of her purse.
She answers, still trying to regain control of her lungs, so I take the lead. “Breathe.” One deep strenuous breath through her nose, and she empties, holding two counts before taking another, and another until she’s back to a stable rhythm. “There you go. Nice and steady.”
I take my seat as she does the same after grabbing a beer from the fridge, removing her long sleeve sweater, and tossing it to the side. Her white bra is simple, with no lace, everything covered, yet she’s never looked sexier.
She picks at the label, then takes a quick sip. “Have you ever felt like you’re not living, only existing?” Evie asks, her voice strenuous and low.
“All the time.”
Her deep brown eyes flick to the mirror. “I like only existing.”
My brows furrow. “What do you mean?”
“Existing is safe. I only have myself to worry about.” She shakes her head, looking at her left hand, and her lip trembles. “Living is unpredictable. It’s hard, so fucking hard, and scary, and wonderful…but I don’t know how to live, how not to hurt people who want to share my existence.”
“So you choose to be alone?”
“It’s safer for everyone if I do.”
I open my mouth then quickly close it, unsure how to respond without giving away who I am, how much I want to show her I’m here, that it’s okay to be afraid and uncertain. Life’s a rollercoaster, some parts are a smooth ride, and others, we’ll hold on tight while we get through the bumps—no matter which parts we go through, I’ll be by her side, making sure she’s secure.
“What if living was safe? Would you try?”
Her lips press together while resting her chin on the bottle. “I did try, and….”
“And what?”
“I hate that I still want to, that no matter how hard I try, I can’t go back to only existing.”
Tears spring to my eyes, seeing the pain behind hers.Then don’t—live, Evie. Explore, be creative, do what you love without reservation, do it for yourself…is what I want to say, and I lean back in my seat, rubbing my palms down my face, ready to run out there, rules be damned.
“I hear you.” That’s what I got—all Hunter can say.
A tiny smirk lifts from her lips. “You see me too.”
I chuckle into my fist while leaning on the arm of the chair. “That I do.”
“Thank you.” She straightens up, pushing the beer away from her. “For listening, and I’m sorry for hijacking your session. This one’s on the house.”
“Nah, we got time.”
Her smirk turns into a full smile as she unravels her hair and draws one knee to her chest. “Ten minutes down, fifty to go—my mind’s a bit fuzzy, remind me, where were we heading?”
I hum, smiling against my knuckles. “In a new direction.”
She tips her head to the side while trailing her fingers down her leg. “And where does this new direction lead?”
“Anywhere you want. Pick a place, and we’ll go.”
“Anywhere on my body, or….”
“In the world.”
The tip of her tongue glides across her full top lip, and I follow the motion. “Italy?”
