Breaking The Rules

Chapter 33

I adjusted the hem of my sweater, the soft fabric brushing against my fingertips, and grabbed my bag. I had been a nervous wreck the entire afternoon. Even then, standing in the foyer of the Hockey House, my stomach bubbled. While we had been away, Eden had invited me to hang out with a couple of the Falcon's girlfriends. I had tried to remind her that Maverick and I weren't anything to write home about, but Eden had been persistent. Her bubbly excitement was contagious as she explained their weekly ritual of getting together with junk food and wine while watching trash TV.

By the end of her pitch I had been sold. There was a small part of me that longed for that connection again––the one I had broken when I first started dating Miles. The pressure for this night to go well weighed on my shoulders.

Arms crossed, I turned away from the window by the front door with a sigh. Eden should be here soon. Oliver observed me with green tea eyes from his spot on the carpet, his tail flicking lazily as if judging me for leaving.

"I won't be gone long," I promised him, slipping into my boots.

To be honest, I didn't know what time the other girls would be dropping me off at home. It had been a long time since I had hung out with a group of friends outside of class.

I was squatting, scratching Oliver behind the ear when the door swung open with a loud bang. For a moment, I thought the whole thing had gone off its hinges. Maverick barged in, his face pinched in rage. He didn't even glance at me as he stomped past, his boots leaving faint wet prints on the floor.

"Maverick?" I called before I could stop myself. Maybe putting myself in the line of fire wasn't a good idea. "What's wrong?"

Maverick froze inches from the staircase. With tension in his shoulders he snapped his head towards me. "You won't have to worry about your ex getting me kicked off the team anymore," he ground out in a low voice.

Miles no longer being a problem should have been a good thing, but Maverick wasn't necessarily jumping for joy. Something had gone wrong with the team. Horribly wrong.

My brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

But he didn't answer. He just shook his head, muttering something under his breath as he stormed up the oak steps.

"Maverick!" I tried, my heart twisting with worry.

His door slammed a second later.

Before I could even consider following him, the sound of a car horn outside broke through the tension. Eden's voice shouted from the driveway, the front door still wide open. "Celeste! Come on, we're late!"

I hesitated, glancing between the second floor and the front door. But another honk forced my decision, and I grabbed my bag, stepping outside, closing the door behind me. I tried to fix the expression on my face and flashed both girls a grin as I made my way down the driveway. Clearly, Maverick wasn't in the mood to talk about what might have happened. I had to give him some time to cool down, then maybe––maybe––I could approach him about it again. We were friends, but I wasn't a miracle worker. He would open up to me when he was ready.

At least, that's what I told myself as I slid into Ella's back seat. It made me feel a little bit better about the fact that I left him alone.

There wasn't much time for me to wallow. It was a quick ten minute car ride to campus. The apartment building was much more modern than the rest of the architecture at Fenton. Expansive windows allowed for natural lighting, and the neutral interior was every sad-beige-mom's dream. It was definitely more visually appealing than the patch-work aesthetic of where I was currently living. But considering I was living there for free, I wasn't going to be picky.