Page 38 of Rule Breaker

“So, chapter five deals with three concepts,” he continued. “We’re going to get quizzed on this next week and?—”

“Thank you,” I interrupted, nudging him with my shoulder.

This was totally unexpected. No one, not even my closest friends, had done anything like this.

Maddox refused to make eye contact and began typing away on his laptop. He was wearing a couple of silver rings and a rolo bracelet that rattled with every movement. As I glanced at his hands, it struck me that they were as beautiful as the rest of him. It got me thinking about what those hands would feel like on my body. And what my body would feel like next to his.

Then I remembered our practice, and watching him do his warmup stretches for his hip flexors. His knees spread wide, then wider still, until he was all but humping the ice. Fuck. Goalies had great flexibility, and I wondered how agile Maddox really was.

“Kayden?”

My mind veered off the dirty track and back to the present.

“Yeah?”

“We’ve already lost almost fifteen minutes of study time. You ready?”

“Sure.”

I didn’t want to study economics. Just Maddox.

“I want you to tell me about the concept of deflation.”

“You mean, like, after you come?” I snickered.

“Jesus Christ.” Maddox looked up at the ceiling and then turned to me, his steely blues as intense as ever. “Do you want to ace this course or not?”

“Yes. Okay, sorry. Sorry.”

Focus, Kay.

We went back and forth about the concepts, and then Maddox quizzed me. I got eight out of fifteen. Not great. Another hour of study. More questions, more quizzes. But at least,Maddox let me explain stuff in my own time. And he didn’t get frustrated or annoyed when I fucked up an answer.

After two hours, I was fried. But at least I had a better handle on the subject.

No, not Mad. That one I was still working out.

Maddox

What had possessed me to buy all that shit for Kayden? No freaking clue. Call it distraction.

After that disturbing phone call from my father’s attorney, and the panic attack that followed, I called my therapist. Then I contacted Daniel and asked for his advice. I knew what was coming, but I still wasn’t prepared.

I didn’t want to hear anything about my father ever again. Thinking about him gave me full-on chills and made my stomach clench hard.

There was only one thing that kept me from spiraling, and it was hockey. Okay, two things. Hockey and my study session with Kayden. I’d been a dick and didn’t show up last week but I wasn’t going to go back on my word. And, like always, getting into the game—or the study session—and getting out of my head was necessary. But I wasn’t ready to talk to Kayden about what had happened. Not at practice, anyway, and not with everyone around.

And whatever this was between me and Kayden? I still had no idea. I found myself reaching for my phone several times. But I didn’t text him. Instead, I bought him that fucking journal. It was purely a selfish move on my part. If it helped him pass this course, then he’d be out of my hair. That was a good enough reason. Well, not totally because there was still hockey. But next semester would be different. We’d only see each other at practice and games. Okay, we’d see each other every week. But not upclose and personal. Not that study sessions were personal, but being in close contact with Kayden was making me want things. And it had me noticing stuff I’d prefer to ignore.

Like the way Kayden worried his full lower lip when he was working out an idea in his head. And the way his eyes changed color, from light gold to the darkest honey, and back again. Not to mention the messy hair that I wanted to fix. My hand itched to reach up and tuck the unruly strands behind his ears. Not that I wanted to touch his hair or anything. That would be weird, right?

Thank fuck he hadn’t made a big deal out of my gift. I was grumpy enough at myself for even purchasing the journal to begin with. Whatever. He could take it or leave it. It didn’t matter to me either way. I didn’t care.

With two hours of study done, Kayden suggested we grab a bite in town. I wanted to tell him to get lost, but I had to eat, anyway. And he’d probably follow me back to the dorm if I said no.

Then I remembered it was Friday.

“Don’t you have a party to go to?” I asked as we headed across campus and down the south lawn.