He Broke My Heart, I Broke His Rules

"K-Karina, I can explain."

I looked at him, tears almost blinding my vision as different emotions coursed through me. My heart hurts so much that I can feel the air in my lungs not moving.

Unable to handle looking at him any longer, I turned and made my way out of the Hotel. I can hear him calling out to me, but that's not my problem right now. I can't breathe; my ears are ringing.

I need air, I can't breathe, I have to breathe.

"Karina, wait, just listen to me, please, baby."

I struggled to find my keys in my bag while I was on the verge of hyperventilating.

Jayden caught up with me. He stopped my frantic efforts to search through my bag.

I felt my skin crawl where his hand touched, so I snatched my hand forcefully away from his.

"Please, Karina, I can ex-"

"There is nothing left to explain. I get it, my trust, my heart, my feelings, none of these ever mattered to you. To you, I am probably just another one of your girls, so you don't owe me any explanation. Honestly, I understand. So, from now on, let us have nothing to do with each other again. Thank you for your hard work."

With that, I entered my car and drove off.

I couldn't help the tears as they came pouring down in torrents.

I am choking on my sobs.

It hurts so much, my chest hurts a lot.

But why does it hurt? I expected it, I mean, that's freaking Jayden Calisto. Every girl wants a piece of him, so why did I think I was special when he asked me out personally? I'm such a fool to think I'd be different.

How did my life end up like this?

3 hours ago...................

Saturday, a day meant for rest and doing absolutely nothing, just my bed and me. I finally found the book I've been searching for, Twisted Love by Ana Huang. I am obsessed with this series, I've been seeing it everywhere, and I am going to spend my weekend reading till I reach the last book.

My phone suddenly lit up, and a notification appeared, but the strange thing about it was that it came from an unknown number.

That's odd.

I opened the message. Scanning through it lazily, until a familiar name was mentioned, I took it seriously.

Huh?

Marley's hotel, room number 314. You will find your boyfriend

It's the weekend, what is my business with what my boyfriend is doing at a five-star hotel? He's probably partying with his friends or something.

I threw my phone down and opened my book to begin my reading, but I couldn't help my mind wander back to the message. I mean, I trust my boyfriend obviously, but something about the message doesn't sit well with me.

And that's how I found myself standing in front of the hotel's reception. What do I say if I end up running into him? I'll probably be like, "Hey, fancy meeting you here. I had a hangout here, so that's why I'm here." Like hell he's going to believe such a lie.

Oh well, I'd better get this over with and go back home. I stalked my way to the elevator, punching in the buttons. I couldn't help but feel nervous, like there was this bad feeling that had been clawing at the back of my mind.

I stood in front of the room, contemplating whether to knock or go in. Should I knock or not? What if he's with his boys? No, it's oddly quiet in there for a gathering of boys, and I can't shake off the anxiety either.

Screw it.

I turned the door handle, but it's not locked. So, I pushed open the door, but maybe I should have just stayed at home. I shouldn't have let my curiosity get to me; I should have ignored everything.

"J-Jay?" I called out, my voice barely above a whisper.

There is my boyfriend naked, entwined with a girl that looks familiar, but I can't bother to remember where I have seen her; all I can see is my boyfriend having sex with another girl.

I pushed back the tears that threatened to fall. This is what I get for trusting him, for falling for all his lies. I feel so stupid right now.

"Jayden," I called out this time louder and firmly.

He finally noticed my presence, like a deer caught in the headlights, pushed the girl off him, and scrambled to get dressed...

I was tired of thinking about it; I did not want to think about it anymore. It was just weird how someone I loved so much could change so much with just one thing, and now even the thought of him disgusted me.

But why does it hurt? I expected it, I mean, that's freaking Jayden Calisto. Every girl wants a piece of him, so why did I think I was special when he asked me out personally? I'm such a fool to think I'd be different.

Stupida.

My car swerved off the road and crashed into a tree. I couldn't care less about the damage as I sat there bawling my eyes out. I cried till I felt numb and drained. I stared absentmindedly at the airbag in front of me.

Digging through my bag, I found my phone. I dialed Dayton's number; he's my best friend since diaper days, and I depend on him a lot.

"You have six seconds to speak before I go back to my game."

"D-Day, can you come pick me up?"

"Are you okay? Where are you? What happened? You know what, I'm coming, I'll find you."

With that, he ended the call. I laughed softly at how his tone changed when he heard me crying.

Cute.

It didn't take long for Day to find me since we always share our locations. At first, he glanced around frantically, looking for me, and when he finally found me, he looked relieved. However, upon seeing my puffy face and the state of my car, he became worried again.

"What happened to you? Are you alright? Shit! How did this happen?"

Somehow, I lost control of my emotions, which I had just managed to get under control.

I broke down, I cried ugly, worse than I cried when I was alone. Dayton panicked, gathering me in his arms gently.

"It's alright, I'm here, don't cry again, please."

I kept choking on my sobs while Dayton rubbed my back in a comforting manner.

"Feeling better?"

I sniffed, nodding slowly as I kept my eyes trained to the ground. I avoided his questioning eyes as if it were the black plague itself.

"Where were you going? Thought you said you weren't leaving home today?" he asks, guiding me slowly to his car.

When I didn't give him a response, he sighed but didn't say anything.

"I'll take you home and call the girls over. About your car, I'll have it towed to the workshop."

I didn't say anything, just looked down tearfully at my fingers.

Honestly, I expected Jayden to pull something like this, but it still hurts knowing that he didn't prove me wrong. If I am to blame for anyone, I'd blame myself because I knew the kind of guy he was, and I still let myself fall for him.

Fall for all the sweet nothings he promised, fall for how he'd comfort me, or the sweet names he called me. I fell for his little acts of service, fell for how he looked at me as if I were the only one that mattered, not knowing he looked at other girls the same way.

God, I am so stupid.

I walked into the oversized house completely numb as my surroundings and all the noise around blended into one. Dayton was saying something, but I couldn't hear or understand what he was saying. Maybe it's because my vision is clouded with tears, or the fact that there is a persistent ringing in my ears, I can't seem to get rid of it.

Somehow, I managed to make my way to my bedroom, throwing myself onto my bed as I finally broke down into loud, heavy sobs. This hurt more than the tears I cried in Day's arms, probably because I finally realized how much of a joke I had been.

I am sure he's laughing at me heartily. I must have been some amusement to him and his friends. A joke they will never get tired of cracking.

Pathetic piece of shit.

I'm not sure how long I had my face buried inside my pillow as I cried like a fucking ghoul, but I suddenly felt arms wrap around me gently on both sides.

"Just let it all out," Chloe's soothing voice whispered gently into my ear.

"It's going to be alright," Ashley says gently.

I cried more and so loud it could bring down the roof, but I didn't care, my best friends were here, and suddenly nothing mattered anymore.

Noticing I had calmed down, Ashley and Chloe turned me to face them and also get some air since I had been crying into my pillow for a while. My eyes were puffy, red, and swollen so badly that I could barely see. I heard a shutter sound, and I knew someone had taken a picture of my face.

"Dayton, seriously?" Ashley asks in a deadpanned tone

"It's for keepsake," I can hear the joy and cheekiness in Dayton's voice.

"Gerrout, go and get her some ice cream and chocolates," Chloe says, shooing Dayton away.

He grumbled but didn't resist and left.

"Want to tell us what happened?" Ashely asks

"Ash, don't rush her; allow her to calm down," Chloe scolds.

"She looks calm enough to me," Ashley defends herself.

"Besides, if we don't know what happened, how are we going to comfort her?"

Chloe was rubbing my back in a gentle circular motion to calm me down better, while Ashley talked, threatened, begged, and pleaded before she finally gave up and just sat beside me quietly.

"You are scaring me, do you know that?" she finally says, concern in her tone.

"H-he cheated on me," I said in the tiniest croaked voice I could muster from my parched throat.

"What?"

I can't tell if she genuinely can't hear me or if she just can't believe her ears. Chloe handed me a glass of water to help me.

Ashley looked at me, confused and angry at the same time, but her eyes held softness and pity.

Clearing my throat gently, I repeated audibly, "He cheated on me."

"Who? Jayden?" Chloe asks dumbly.

Ashley looks at her like she's dumber than the chicken in Moana at this point. It took her a moment to finally register what I said before she flew into an outburst.

"HE WHAT?! HOW DARE HE?" she yells angrily

Ashley and I stare at her, genuinely confused. I forgot about my heartbreak, while Ashley forgot about her anger as we watched Chloe rant and swear, something she never does, by the way.

"How did you find out?" Ashley asks once Chloe is done.

"I saw it with my own eyes, he was having sex with some girl in a hotel," I said, showing them the message I had received earlier.

"THIS FUCKER! HOW DARE HE IMMA HAVE HIS HEAD!" Ashley roars.

Chloe was also not taking this well. "How could he do such a thing? If he was tired of you or if he was upset about something you did, why did he not come to you? He's awful for this."

"I always knew he wasn't worth the effort, but this is too much," Ashley says

"Does Ria know?" Chloe asks.

"No, I just found out like an hour ago," I say hoarsely.

"Let's get back at him," Chloe says

Ashley and I stared at her like she had grown an extra head because an idea like that is something only Ashley and Dayton could have thought of, and the fact that it came from Chloe is another shock, since she's the sweetest one in our group who always chooses humanity over revenge.

"Why are you guys staring like that?" Chloe asks innocently.

"UH-uh, nothing, we were just shocked," Ashley says.

"And how do I do that?" I ask

"Damien," Chloe says.

"HELL NO! I'm not allowing that, Bruh, of all people, think of someone else, please," Ashley says firmly.

"After what happened last time, I doubt he will still want to talk to me," I tell Chloe, but she looks determined; it's crazy.

"He's perfect, do you know why?" Chloe asks, looking at us with expectant eyes like we can read her fucking mind.

"Jayden really hates Damien's guts since you guys have broken up. Seeing his ex with his Op is going to piss him off really bad. " Chloe says.

"I do not support this idea," Ashley says

"It's not a bad idea, though," I say, avoiding Ashley's questioning eyes.

"You- I have nothing to say to both of you," Ashley says, glaring at Chloe and me.

"Besides, Damien legit still likes you, like, have you seen the eyes he gives anytime you are in his line of sight, so I think this is a solid plan," Chloe goes on, completely ignoring Ashley's daggered stare.

"I do not support this," Ashley says.

"He makes a good rebound, though, I mean, he is hot and quite a nerd, perfect for her," Chloe says, feeling quite smart.

"Why don't you go date him since you admire him so much?" Ashley says, rolling her eyes

"Nah, I prefer older guys," Chloe says, laughing.

"This is stupid, guys," Ashley says

I just sat there watching Ashley and Chloe arguing over what I should do with my love life. I think it's funny that they are the ones stressing while I do absolutely nothing. But then again, what can I do? I really liked him, hell, I loved him, and yet he played me in my face.

Pathetic.

Yeah, maybe I do need that rebound to get over him.

I stood there, barefoot, clad in loose grey sweatpants, watching her car drive off. I can't explain the numbness or the dull ache I'm suddenly feeling; it feels wrong. Standing there for who knows how long, I finally managed to drag myself back to the room.

Tina was sitting on the windowsill, drinking from a wine glass. She looked at me as I entered the room with a cocky expression.

"Are you done? Chasing after Cinderella, if you are, can we finish what we started?" she says in a flirty tone.

I didn't say anything to her as I just walked straight to the bed and sat down.

What have I done?

Why does it feel so wrong?

I can't figure out why I feel like this; everything feels very sour and bitter. The look on her face seems to be stuck in my head, and I can't get it out.

My chest hurts.

I felt hands on me. I turned back and found Tina behind me. She smiled coyly while her hands kept wandering.

"C'monnn, stop sulking and let's have fun, are we going to let that little minx spoil the day?" she pouts.

My skin crawled where her hands touched so badly that I flung her arms off my body. I stood up, putting some space between us.

"Dress up, we are leaving," I say stiffly.

Tina looked quite offended. "You are not going to leave me hanging just because of her?!"

I sighed, "It's not because of her; I am not just feeling it anymore."

Tina smiled, "I can help put you in the mood. What do you think?"

I watched warily as she got off the bed and walked towards me slowly, her whole body on full display. My eyes were glued to her as she approached me.

"I'll make you forget completely about her," she purrs.

Forget her? Will I be able to?

I stared at Tina's sleeping figure on the bed. She passed out immediately after we were done. The room was a mess, with clothes strewn across the floor. Standing up, I picked up a pair of sweatpants from the mess and put them on.

I found my way through the dark room to the balcony. A lit cigarette in my mouth, I scrolled lazily through my phone until a call came in.

"Jay?"

"Yeah, wassup?" I replied lazily.

"Are you home?"

"No, I'm with Tina," I replied.

"Seriously? I knew you could never settle down, so it was all just a farce."

The noise was causing me a headache; I couldn't help rubbing my temple in annoyance as I let out puffs of smoke.

"Why did you call me?" I asked with irritation in my voice.

"Ah... the guys wanted to know if you would show up at the party."

"No. I'm not feeling it," I said, ending the call.

The questions and noise were getting on my last nerve; my head hurts from everything. My finger hovered over Karina's contact name. Should I call her?

No point.

Even if I do, what am I meant to tell her? I didn't mean to? Even that is a lie. Besides, why do I even feel the need to explain things to her?

Ah, my head hurts.

I can't keep thinking about this; there is no point. It's even better this way, fewer complications and ....

And what?

Ugh!

What's with all these confusing emotions and shit? I can't continue like this.

I need to go to bed.

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ASHELY

I woke up entangled in different sets of limbs, a hand in my mouth, a body half across me. How did we sleep in such a position? Last night's events are a little blurred; all I can remember is Karina crying till her head felt heavy. Dayton also dropped off ice cream for us, but got chased away.

Finally freeing myself from that complicated mess, I got up and got ready for school while the other two slept in. They deserve the extra rest; last night was hectic. Chloe and I spent the whole night trying to cheer Karina up.

Karina, on the other hand, calmed down at some point and then broke down again. Her mom returned from work, confused, and tried calming her down, but Karina lashed out at her. I felt bad, honestly.

Poor Miss Grey.

Jayden is really going to regret messing with my girl. Putting her in such a state, the fact that I have never seen her cry this much since we knew each other makes it all worse.

"Wake up, assholes, we are going to be late," I say, nudging Chloe.

She woke up, her hair looking like it had been through war and back. She seems so lost and confused, it is almost comical; I giggled silently. I just had to take a picture as a keepsake, couldn't help it.

"Is that Karina?" Chloe asks groggily.

I rushed to Karina's side, gently hugging her, "Karina," I call out softly.

She opened her eyes slowly. She stared into space for a good minute before her eyes finally cleared up. She looked at me and Chloe's concerned faces, wondering why we were looking at her like that, as if she wasn't the one who had just literally cried in her sleep.

"Is something wrong?" Karina asks, confused.

Wow.

"You were crying just now in your sleep, and we thought something was wrong," Chloe explained.

"I was?" Karina asks, confused.

She rubbed her cheeks, realizing there were tear stains and wetness on them. She looked at us, more confused than before.

"I didn't know I... never mind, I'm okay now, so let's get ready for school," Karina says.

She got up from the bed, leaving Chloe and me confused and worried. We stared at each other silently, trying to process what had just happened.

Chloe later found Karina in a full mental breakdown with a full-blown panic attack in the bathroom. It took a while for her to calm down and get herself together. Chloe, at some point, ended up crying along with her.

"She's not going to school, she can't," I said firmly.