Unbreak My Heart (Rough Riders Legacy #1)

“Sierra—”

“Don’t say anything.”

We stayed like that for a long time. Not looking at each other, clinging to each other, so close but so far apart.

I whispered, “I have to go.”

“Not like this.”

“There’s no other way. This was your choice.”

He placed one last soft kiss on my lips.

I pulled away from him. “Goodbye, Boone.”

“See you around, McKay.”

I hadn’t looked back. Not once. Not even in the rearview mirror when I bumped over the cattle guard.

I just drove away.


And for the first time, in a long time, when I thought of that night? It wasn’t as painful.

Maybe being older helped.

Maybe the passage of time helped.

Or maybe the fact Boone was back in my life again made all the difference.

With that surprising, comforting thought in mind, I finally fell asleep.





Two obnoxiously loud knocks sounded on my bedroom door Saturday night.

I didn’t have time to dive into my closet before Lu burst in and said, “Sierra! What the hell? Get ready for the party.”

“I’m not feeling it tonight, Lu.”

“Bull. You’ll feel it if you get your ass outta bed and into something slutty like this.”

My BFF had gone all out for the party. She’d tied the billowing ends of her low-cut poet’s shirt below her breasts, showcasing the flame tattoo around her navel above the plaid skirt. The rest of her outfit, fishnets and patent leather over-the-knee dominatrix boots, brought to mind Bavarian bar wenches. Despite the contrasting styles, I’d be damned if the outfit didn’t work. “You are da bomb, Lu.”

“I know, right? So get up and slip on the mermaid dress.”

I wore the mermaid dress—nicknamed such because the metallic material resembled shimmering fish scales and the skintight fabric fit to my every curve—whenever I needed a pick-me-up. “I already told you I’m not going.”

“You are killing me here. This isn’t like you. Lying in bed navel-gazing.”

“It’s been a rough week. I’m taking time to regroup and reassess.”

“Reassess tomorrow. Hit the party for one hour. If it sucks you can go.” Her pause lasted like fifteen seconds. “Kyler is your family. Today was a huge game for him. You know he wants you there helping him celebrate.”

“I was at the game, which is the important part. Besides, I doubt he’d even notice if I didn’t show up—and that is not a statement of pity.”

“It’s a statement of fear. You’re skipping the party because you’re afraid Boone will be there.”

“Afraid?” I snorted. “Uh, no.”

Lu flopped on the edge of my bed. “You’re giving Boone way too much power. You were happy living your life before he showed up. And you’ll be happy living your life after he’s gone. A blip in the radar. That’s all he is.”

Boone wasn’t a blip on the radar. That was the problem. He was the whole fucking map.

“You need a mood enhancer. What’s the shot your sister Rory always makes?”

“A ‘bang me from behind’?”

Lu snapped her fingers. “Let’s pregame with those. I’ll line up the shot glasses, you find that inner slut and let her come out and play.”

It was impossible to resist Lu in a party mood. I loved her for that. “Fine. I’ll get ready. But I’m not wearing the mermaid dress.”



Lu knocked back three shots to my one. Mine was more like a half shot, which turned me into the DD.

Parking was a bitch. Why did the neighbors in this upscale neighborhood put up with this? It wasn’t like the house was just down the street from frat row.

I’d never seen so many people. Lu spied her senior design project partner and they strolled away, arm in arm, singing the school fight song.

As I wove through the throng, I didn’t recognize a single person. Maybe I oughta take it as a sign I’d outgrown these parties, because a few kids looked like high schoolers. What was Mase’s personal liability if the cops showed up? Maybe he wasn’t home. That would upset me more, to think Kyler was throwing parties because he thought he deserved it.

Stop being Debbie Downer and have some fun.

A bunch of jocks were standing on the steps, obstructing the entrance to the house, assigning a number to every female that walked by.

“Four.”

“Six.”

“Jesus, are you guys drunk? She’s a two at best.”

Laughter.

Tempting to kick every one of these douchebags in the nuts. As I tried to slide in behind them, I accidentally bumped one of them.

He whirled around with, “Watch it.”

“Then quit standing in front of the door.”

That had him blocking it even more. “Aw, hey baby, don’t be like that. You’re hot. Hang out with us. We’ll show you a good time.”

“Pass. I’m meeting someone. Now let me through.”

Surprisingly, he moved. I’d just made it inside when I heard, “Face and body a solid eight.”

“Yeah. Too bad she opened her mouth ’cause it dropped her to a three.”