Breaking The Rules | Complete

Chapter 7

The pent up frustration from that morning's practice had evaporated from my body. Muscles that had been wound up tight had eased as I drew in a deep breath. The smell of sex filled the room. Even with the autumn air filtering through the open window.

When Mila had messaged me, I knew she was exactly what I needed in order to brighten my mood. She lay sprawled out beside me, her hair a streak of brown on my pillow. The sheets were twisted around her legs, and I could make out her smudged makeup from where I sat at the edge of the bed, pretending to look for something on my phone.

The tan lines I had traced over all summer had faded, leaving behind a much paler olive tone complexion. Something that worked well with the baby blue lace bralette she chose to wear that day.

We'd been doing this for a while now. Almost two years. Maybe a bit more? I couldn't remember exactly when our agreement started, but it was clear she'd gotten comfortable around me.

I recalled the first night we had hooked up. We had met at The Underground, a bar on campus that myself and the Falcons frequented. That night she could have told me she was a Victoria Secret model and I would have believed her.

When we first started hooking up, she always showed up with her hair perfectly done, makeup on point, smelling like she'd just stepped out of a luxury perfume store. Now, she showed up in sweatpants more often than not, her hair in a messy bun, and she didn't even bother to shave her legs half the time.

The tan lines I had traced over all summer had faded, leaving behind a much paler olive tone complexion. It made the baby blue lace bralette she chose to wear that day much duller. The way it cupped her perky tits was the only thing that convinced me to leave it on during our fun. But up until recently, Mila had never gone without a tan––fake or otherwise.

It was hard not to notice how things had changed. She didn't just get comfortable in my bed; she got comfortable in my life, like she had some kind of claim to it. I'd catch her leaving her crap around the house—hair ties, lip balm, even a pair of her socks once. She was staking her claim. Even if I wasn't hers to own.

I glanced at the time on my phone, grasping at an opportunity to get her out of the Hockey House. "I've got class soon," I said as I stood up.

I grabbed the sweatpants I was wearing earlier off the floor and pulled them on. While I did have class, I didn't actually plan on going.

Mila moaned, shifting onto her side. Propping herself up on one elbow, eyes still half-lidded with ecstacy, she asked, "You don't actually plan on going, do you?"

"Yeah," I said, running a hand through my hair and twisting my back to release a satisfying pop. I didn't care to elaborate. While she sometimes acted like it, she wasn't entitled to anything that revolved around me.

Mila pouted. The gloss that was once on her lips had migrated to mine and...other parts of my body. I was busy admiring how swollen they were when a wicked smirk crossed her face.

"I could stay for a bit... Maybe bring over something sweet tonight? You like that cheesecake from that bakery near campus, right? I'm sure it would taste better if you ate it off of my body."

I forced a smile. "You know I don't eat sweets during the season."

Mila's succubine expression faltered for a second before she covered it with a small smile. "Your discipline, while incredibly attractive, is such a mood killer."

She rolled out from the sheets, giving me another glimpse of that perfectly round derriere. Then she peered over her shoulder. "I like it better when you lose control."

I breathed out a laugh, eyes trailing after her as she bent over to grab her clothes off of my bedroom floor.

She slipped her tank top over her head. "So, this new girl...the one staying here? What's her deal?"

I shrugged, waving off her concern. The image of Celeste's face came to mind. "She's a classmate of Eastons. She needed a place to crash for a bit, but she'll be out of our hair soon."

Mila's eyes searched mine for a moment, like she was trying to find something hidden behind my words. There wasn't anything for her to latch onto. We weren't in a relationship and she didn't need to know about Celeste or whatever was going on in this house.

"You don't plan on fucking her while she's here do you?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "And even if I did?"

A tight smile found its way onto Mila's face as she fixed her leggings over her hips. "I just thought that maybe I could join in on the fun." Her movements slowed, like she was dragging out every second.

The question had me wondering if she had turned up the volume again for Celeste's sake. And she was getting louder, not just in bed but in everything. Perhaps our casual relationship had run its course.

I turned away to stare out the window. There wasn't much to look at besides the shifting colour of the trees that lined the side of the road. But just like the seasons, I was starting to think that my relationship with Mila was beginning to change.

There was a shift in our connection. One that I wasn't open to. Mila had always been fun. From the first night she fucked in the Underground washrooms, I knew she'd be down for anything. We were there for each other when either of us had an itch to scratch. Things were simple. But more importantly, they were non-committal.

Boundaries were set in place to keep the lines from getting blurred. It was part of the reason as to why, in all of our months together, I had never allowed Mila to stay the night.

I tried to calculate when to end things with her. Did I want to wait until graduation or would it be easier to call it quits sooner? This wasn't going anywhere, and I didn't need the shift I was noticing with her to be a distraction. Senior year was supposed to be my big year. The NHL was within reach, and I wasn't about to let anything—or anyone—get in the way. No sleepovers, no attachments, just hockey and keeping my head in the game.

Mila rubbed at her smudged mascara with her finger in the full length mirror before applying a new layer of lip gloss. When she was finally ready to go, she leaned in to kiss me. I let her, though my mind was already somewhere else. She pulled back, smiling that same smile that had started to feel like it came with strings attached.

"Let me know if you change your mind about tonight?" There was a gleam of hope in her eyes that I almost felt guilty about crushing. Almost.

I allowed her to run her hands down my bare chest for a moment before responding. "Not going to happen."

She tilted her head, offering me a little smile. "Such a hardass. I'll see you around, Maverick."

When the door clicked shut behind her, I flopped back down on my unmade bed. After the morning I had, there was nothing I wanted to do more than nap.

_ _ _ _ _

author's note:

Sorry for the shorter chapter! I've been juggling a lot this week, namely; wedding planning, work, and getting Extra Credit ready for my editor. It's been a bit overwhelming, but a figured a shorter update would be better than no update at all.

I had to sent some groundwork between Maverick and Mila's situationship. How are we feeling about it?

Happy reading!