Rule #3: You Can’t Kiss Your Best Friend (The Rules of Love)

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by  Anne-Marie Meyer

RULE #3 YOU CAN'T KISS YOUR BEST
FRIEND
THE RULES OF LOVE BOOK 3
ANNE-MARIE MEYER
Copyright © 2018 by Anne-Marie Meyer
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and
retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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To Trisha
Thanks for joining me on this crazy writing journey!
CONTENTS
Grab a FREE novella by Anne-Marie Meyer
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Epilogue
About the Author
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C HA PT E R O NE
I
sat at my desk Saturday afternoon, trying to do my physics homework—I really was—but
all I could do was stare at the little, folded-up piece of paper that I’d tacked to the
bulletin board above my desk.
It was the piece of paper that contained Lachlan’s number.
Lachlan Daniels. The Lachlan. The guy I’d crushed on for the last three years. All six-foot-
something of incredibly toned, olive skin–covered perfection. And he had given me his number. Just
thinking the words sent shivers across my skin.
Granted, he gave it to me because we had an Economics project together with three other people
—but I was choosing to ignore that little factoid. As far as I was concerned, he’d given me his
number because he’d wanted to.
And right now, that little piece of paper was making it really hard to focus on calculating the
velocity of a car.
A tap on my window drew my attention. I smiled when I saw Ethan’s face appear on the other
side of the glass. He was the quarterback of the football team, my life-long pal, and my confidant. His
shaggy blond hair dipped down over his eyes as he grinned and pointed toward the lock.
We’d been next-door neighbors since we were five. We’d done everything together—well, until
he got popular and I didn’t. But he never made me feel like I was less than he was. I was the only one
who cared about our different social classes. Ethan always told me, nothing would ever come
between us. Sometimes I doubted it, but I just had to see his face to realize I was stupid for thinking
our relationship would ever change.
I waved as I walked over and let him in.
“Hey, Livi,” he said, pushing his hair from his forehead.
I narrowed my eyes. “Aren’t you too big to be sneaking in through my window?”
Ethan was tall. Like stories above my tiny, five-foot-four frame. Growing up, he’d always been
my height. Until the summer he went to football camp and came back a skyscraper.
Now, at eighteen, he was tall and—according to half the school’s population—hot as heck.
I wrinkled my nose as I tipped my head to the side. I didn’t see it.
I wasn’t blind. I knew a perfectly formed nose and a chiseled jaw when I saw one. But he was my
best friend, and I was pretty sure not finding the other person attractive was one of the biggest rules
written in How to Get a Best Friend and Keep Them.
And besides, Ethan was popular. I was not. In high school, if you want to survive, you stick to
your social class.
Ethan waved his hand in front of my face, snapping me out of my thoughts. I glanced over at him to
see his lips tipped up in an amused smile.
“What?” I asked, pushing past him and collapsing onto my desk chair.
He shrugged, taking that moment to dive-bomb my bed. After throwing a few of my stuffed
animals onto the floor, he propped himself up on one elbow and studied me.
I spun a few times in my desk chair, and when I picked up my pencil, he groaned.
“Olivia Williams, it’s Saturday night. You have all day tomorrow to do homework. Besides, this
is the first Saturday in forever where you and I aren’t working.” He flopped back on my bed and
studied the ceiling. “Let’s go do something.”
“Like what?” I asked. I wouldn’t hate getting away from my physics book for a while.
He shifted on my bed until he had a few pillows under him. “Tasha is throwing a party.”
I stuck my pencil into my mouth and pretended to throw up. “No thank you. I’d rather do my
physics homework while having pins shoved under my nails.”
Ethan laughed. “Okay. Tasha’s party is a no go.”
I shook my head. There was no way I wanted to spend my Saturday night staring at “Miss
Popular” and her cheerleading minions. I had enough of that at school. I didn’t need it in my personal
life.
When my gaze made its way over to the little, folded square on the board, an idea formulated
itself in my mind. I turned, giving Ethan my biggest smile. The one reserved for when I wanted to
convince him to do something crazy.
“You have that crazy look in your eye,” Ethan said, pointing to my face.
I feigned a shocked expression. “I do not. This is just the way my face is.”
He rolled his eyes. “Nope. It’s your crazy look. The same one you got when you wanted me to go
see that weird French movie.” He shook his head. “Whatever you want me to do, the answer is no.”
I widened my eyes. “What? You don’t even know what I’m going to ask.” I stood and clasped my
hands together. “Please?”
He studied me and then sighed. “What?”
Heat raced across my skin as I took a deep breath. Sure, Ethan knew about my crush. It just wasn’t
something we really talked about. All I got was his raised eyebrows and rolled eyes when I tried to
talk about boys, so I kept my super-girly side to a minimum. But tonight, I needed his help.
“So there is this band that I want to go see.” I started slowly, glancing up at him.
Ethan quirked an eyebrow. “A band?”
I nodded. “Lachlan’s band.” It came out as a whisper.
“Lachlan. Lachlan Daniels?”
I nodded again, watching his reaction.
“That guy’s in a band?”
“Yep.” I was having a hard time reading him.
“And you want me to go with you, why?”
I groaned as I tipped my head back and studied the faded stars on my ceiling.
Ethan and I had put them up years ago, and somehow the glue had congealed itself to the
sheetrock. The only way to get them down was to remove layers of the stuff. Dad forbade it, so I had
to live with them.
“Because I can’t go by myself. Hannah and Nick can’t go ‘cause they’re both working.” I stared
down at him. “Please?”
He eyed me before sighing. “You really want me to go? I have to say, Livi, it wouldn’t look too
good to show up with another guy.”
I laughed. “I don’t think Lachlan will be threatened by you. You’re like my brother.”
Ethan chuckled, but his normal carefree smile looked strained. “Yeah, that’s what I was going to
say. We’re like siblings.”
An awkward silence fell around us. I glanced over at him, trying to read what he was thinking.
Did he really not want to go with me? I didn’t want him to feel like I was forcing him.
“You can stay back if you want,” I offered. But I hoped he wouldn’t take me up on it. I tried to
sweeten the pot. “But if you go, maybe you’ll meet someone.”
Lately, Ethan had been perpetually single. I didn’t really know why. He was one of the most
sought-after guys in school, yet he never seemed to have a girlfriend. When I asked him about it, he
would just shrug and say that he hadn’t found the right girl.
He grabbed Mr. Bumbles, the stuffed bunny I’d won from a carnival when we were ten, and
started pulling at the frayed tie. “When are you going to throw this away?” He held it up and shook it
at me.
My jaw dropped as I grabbed it from him. “You don’t throw away Mr. Bumbles. He’s family.” I
stuffed him onto my shelf and turned back to Ethan.
“So, will you go to Buzzed with me or not?”
He sighed and flopped back on the bed. “I guess,” he said, turning his head to stare at me.
I squealed and pumped my fists in the air. “You won’t regret it,” I said in a sing-song voice as I
made my way to the bathroom and started getting ready.
After I agonized over my clothing choice, Ethan flopped back on my bed and commanded that I
just pick one. I sighed and settled on a knee-length floral skirt with a matching solid top. It was dressy
but casual.
I turned a few times in front of the mirror as I studied my outfit. I pulled my long brown hair over
my shoulder and then flipped it to the back. Should I put make-up on? Did that mean I was trying too
hard? I’d already annoyed Ethan enough tonight. I studied my dark-green eyes and sighed.
“I don’t know,” I said, lifting up my thumb to gnaw on my nail.
Ethan appeared from behind me. His gaze swept over me. “You look great. He’s blind if he
doesn’t notice you.”
My body flushed from his compliment and his approving expression. Which was strange. This
was Ethan I was looking at. Ethan. We fed each other mud pies.
I sighed, directing my attention back to my reflection as I tucked my curly brown hair behind my
ear. “I hope so. He’s amazing.” Butterflies erupted in my stomach at the thought of his dark-blue,
almost grey, eyes and the way his black hair swooped to the side. And the fact that he played guitar
and sang? He was the perfect guy for me. If only he’d realize it.
Ethan scoffed as he walked over and fiddled with my homework. “You barely know the guy, Livi.
How can you know he’s perfect?” He started to doodle something on my homework.
I tsked at him as I rushed over and pulled the pencil from his grasp. “You don’t have to talk to
someone to know they are perfect for you.” I started to erase the stick figures he’d begun to draw on
the paper.
“That makes no sense.” He stared at me as he crossed his arms and tapped his fingers on his
forearm. “You can’t know things about a person until you talk to them. See them when they are sick or
at their lowest.” His expression grew soft as he studied me.
I swallowed, not sure how this conversation got this intense. I shrugged as I fiddled with my skirt.