Bending the Rules (The Rules, #1)

20

Brenna

Ella finds me in the hallway on Monday, and she doesn't hesitate to drag me into the nearest women's washroom, which also is the women's locker room. Although Ella and I are friends, we're not close friends—that's more her and Evren's lane. Time has passed since we got together at Catina's house. I haven't seen her since then.

"What?" I ask once she's closed the door.

The bathroom reeks of perfume. Several types, ranging from sweet and floral to citrusy. A group of girls just had a gym class. The perfume is potent, giving me an instant headache.

Ella tosses her blonde hair over her shoulder as she crosses her arms. "What's going on with you and Shea?"

"Nothing," I reply. My voice is too assertive, drawing suspicion from Ella.

"Brenna, you kissed him. That's far from nothing. I want to make sure everything's okay. He doesn't surround himself with good people. Associating yourself with him will only pull you into that circle. Connor, Preston... Basically any boy aside from Jayden and KJ is a problem."

I expel a flustered breath. Does she think I'm stupid? "I know," I reply. "Just because Shea is trying to treat me better doesn't mean he's realized. This isn't some fucking miracle. He's still an asshole. There's been progress, but it's not satisfactory progress. He still has to acknowledge his sister. Whatever decision he makes regarding treatment of me or any woman is based on Chelsea. He needs to stop doing that. He's taken baby steps, but it's not enough."

Sighing, Ella rubs her temples. "That's not what I'm talking about. You can't trust Shea. Even if you think he's making progress, Brenna."

"Do you hate him?" I ask, cocking my head to the side.

"No," Ella replies. "When I was dating Kaleb, I got to know Shea. He's a good person, but he has his flaws. He's morally grey. Shea isn't afraid to do the wrong thing if it means getting what he wants."

I snort. "That's a loaded statement. Either you hate him or you like him. There's no in between."

Ella chuckles. "He's problematic. An anti-hero, if you will. Trusting him is a mistake."

The focus of Ella's conversation is trust. It's her priority. Why would she be insisting I can't trust Shea? There are obvious reasons, but it's as if something lies beneath. It's almost as if... My eyebrow raise in surprise. "KJ told you about the bet, didn't he?"

Ella's grip tightens on the strap of her leather backpack. "You know about it?"

"Shea told me," I reply. "I'd tell you the rest, but I'm assuming you know. It's strange, Ella. Didn't you dump KJ? Why talk to him if you dumped him?" 

"He came to me," Ella says. Her shoulders sag with relief. "He was worried about the consequences. Kaleb asked me to look out for you."

I cock an eyebrow. "So you've been spying on me?"