Page 52 of Your Rule to Break

Me

why the new number

you said it bothered you, the random texts and pictures

from people I used to date or whatever

and it’s been out of control for a while tbh

you didn’t have todo that

no, I did

<3

you’re the first person I texted, consider yourself special

I'll be at your place in ten

My stomach flips andsomersaults, and I realize I’m smiling at my phone like a completely unhinged human being. Call me the Joker from Batman. I set my phone down on my vanity, like it’s hot and going to burn my fingers, and put my hands over my mouth. Even with the hands, I can see the ridiculous smile underneath.

It feels like my lips have been on fire ever since we kissed, or since I lived out one of my fantasies. A hot professional athlete picking me up, setting me on his bar, and kissing me silly? Okay, yes. I’m on board with this.

Zack kissed me.

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t said those words aloud, to myself in the mirror, to reiterate the point. It happened. In real life.

If my heart could sing, it would. I’ve had hookups where men have driven me wild, or have made me see stars, but I've never felt like this during a first kiss. Like it’s what the universe had planned and has just been cackling at the two of us trying to figure it out. Like I want to do it forever. Like I want him kissing every single inch of me.

Now, Zack is picking me up to go to dinner with his family. This was planned before the kiss that changed my entire outlook on life, but it somehow feels like this is exactly how things were supposed to go.

Luckily, Willow needed to move a meeting we had scheduled. I know she’ll take one look at me and know something isn’t the same. The flush of breaking the rules crawls up my neck, showing on my reflection in the mirror.

I watch my fingers as they graze my lips and try to think back to the exact feeling, everywhere Zack kissed me—but it’s like a fever dream.

Snapping out of it, I change into the outfit I picked out for dinner. His mom is cooking, and Zack said it’s laid back, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t agonize over what to wear. I landed on a black and white striped boat-neck top with a black midi skirt.

There’s a knock on my door as I smooth the skirt a final time and grab a quick look at my reflection.

I open the door to see Zack, propped against the frame. He's doing the door lean—I might pass out. Before I can utter a single word, sound, anything to confirm I’m still awake, he beats me to it.

“How do you do this? Look this good for a meal I said my mom was cooking.” He pops off the door frame and walks toward me.

For a split second, I wonder if this will be awkward—seeing each other after an almost too-hot make out session slash first kiss slash jump into whatever this is. Before my brain has time to spiral, Zack answers my question.

With his hand on the side of my face and his thumb below my chin, he puts his lips on mine.

Zack is kissing me. Again. I can’t help but smile into him. Part of me wondered if the other night was a fluke. This would argue it wasn’t, that we aren’t.

He tastes like sugar as I deepen the kiss, my tongue touching the seam of his lips. My rib cage feels like it’s too small and my heart is going to crack it open. I can feel it in every inch of my body, no need to check my pulse.

I take my hand and put it at the hem of his forest green henley. Moving it between my fingers a few times before I reach for him beneath the shirt, my hands on his skin. He flexes at the touch, surprised, and the muscles push back against my fingers.

“If you keep doing that, we’re going to miss dinner.” He pulls back but I keep my hand under his shirt, laughing. “And I don’t piss off my sister, when I can help it.” He gives me a quick, chaste kiss.

“Baby, you ready?”

I don’t know if anyone has ever called me that.Baby. I feel like it’s something people say but don’t actually like. In this moment, I know one thing to be true.