1. The Third Rule

CAROLINE Maverick Thompson and I have been best friends since the day he kicked his soccer ball right into my face in third grade. I remember everything about that day. The way the ball hit me so hard my glasses flew off and shattered on the concrete. The blood pouring from my nose and how Maverick cried harder than I did, even though I was the one bleeding. We sat together in the nurse's office while she cleaned my face and called our parents. That's when we made the three rules. Rule One: Always come when the other calls, no matter what. Rule Two: Always tell the truth and never keep secrets. Rule Three: Never fall in love with each other and never confess such. We were eight years old and we thought we were so smart making rules that would keep our friendship safe forever. But the thing is no rule can protect you from the inevitable so I ended up breaking two of them. It happened three years ago during our yearly camping trip. Maverick pushed me into the lake as a joke, a

Last Updated : 2026-03-12

2. The Other Brother

CAROLINE I try to pull away but his grip tightens slightly. It wasn't hard but it was just enough to keep me from running."I'm fine," I lie. My voice is shaking.He looks at my face like he's reading my mind. Then his eyes move past me to where Maverick and Riley are still kissing."Doesn't look like you're fine," he says."I don't know you. Let go of me.""You're Caroline, right?"My stomach drops. "How do you know my name?"A slow smile spreads across his face. It wasn't really a nice smile nor was it hostile. More like he knows things you don't want him to know."I'm Harry," he says. "Maverick's brother."I stare at him. "You're Harry?""Unfortunately."I've heard about Harry. Maverick mentioned him a few times over the years. He was Maverick’s older stepbrother who doesn't come home much. He was in a band and basically the family’s black sheep. That's about all I know.Looking at him now, he looks a bit familiar. I realised I've seen him in the portrait at the family house. "I

Last Updated : 2026-03-12

3. He's an Asshole!

CAROLINE"You're an asshole.""Maybe. But I'm honest." Harry straightens and looks down at me. "You want to know the truth? He's never going to see you the way you want him to. You've been his best friend for too long. You're safe and comfortable. The girl he calls when he's sad but never the girl he wants."Tears burn behind my eyes. "Why are you saying this?""Because someone needs to. And clearly no one else will."I'm about to tell him to go to hell when someone calls my name.Maverick.He's pushing through the crowd toward us. Riley is right behind him."There you guys are," Maverick says. "We've been looking for you. Come dance with us.""I don't really dance," I say."Come on, Caroline. Don't be boring." Riley grabs my hand. "It'll be fun."I let her pull me toward the dance floor because I still don't know how to say no and Maverick follows. Harry stays against the wall, watching.The music is loud and the room is hot. Too many bodies pressed together. Riley is dancing with M

Last Updated : 2026-03-12

4. The Secret

CAROLINEUnfortunately I did the opposite of what Harry said. I cried till I physically ran out of tears.I woke up late Saturday morning with a headache that felt like someone was throwing a party behind my eyes. My eyelids were heavy and crusty from crying myself to sleep. For a second, I just stared at the beige ceiling of my new dorm, wishing I could disappear into the mattress.The sound of clinking glass made me turn my head.A girl was standing by the small counter we shared, pouring water into a coffee maker. I realized with a jolt of guilt that I hadn't even properly introduced myself to my new roommate yet. Yesterday had been so much of Maverick and Riley that I’d been a total ghost.She turned around and saw me awake. She didn’t look annoyed; she just grabbed a mug and filled it up."Here," she said, walking over and handing it to me. "You look like you need this more than I do.""Thanks," I mumbled, my voice raspy. I took a sip. It was strong and hot. We sat in silen

Last Updated : 2026-03-12

5. The Void

CAROLINEAn hour later, I was shoved into the passenger seat of Jessie’s car. I was trapped in a pair of tight black jeans and a ribbed top."You look hot, stop pulling at your shirt," Jessie said, whipping the car around a corner toward the edge of campus. "And get excited! You’re about to see Void. They’re legendary. Every girl on campus would sell their soul for a five-minute conversation with him."I hummed, only half-listening. My mind was still stuck at the pool. I could still hear Mason’s laugh and see the pity in Maverick’s eyes. I pulled out my phone, my thumb hovering over the Stargram app."Give me that," Jessie snapped, snatching the phone out of my hand."Hey!""No. No phones," she said, shoving it into the glove compartment and clicking it shut. "You’ve spent the last hour reading comments from people who don't know you. Tonight is about the music and hot guys! Focus!"We pulled up to The Basement, a brick building that looked like it used to be a warehouse. The

Last Updated : 2026-03-12

All Chapters of Breaking The Third Rule: Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

1. The Third Rule

2. The Other Brother

3. He's an Asshole!

4. The Secret

5. The Void