The Girl I Was Never Supposed To Love

Everyone has rules.

Some are simple.

Some are strict.

And some are the kind that follow you your entire life whether you agree with them or not.

Rixxy Carter grew up surrounded by those kinds of rules.

The Carter family and the Hayes family had hated each other for nearly twenty years.

Nobody talked about it openly anymore, but everyone in Seattle’s wealthy circles knew the story. Or at least pieces of it.

A failed business partnership.

Millions of dollars lost.

A betrayal no one ever forgave.

And after that—

Two families that refused to even breathe the same air.

Rixxy had heard the warnings his entire life.

“Stay away from the Hayes family.”

“They only care about themselves.”

“They destroy everything they touch.”

As a kid, he believed it without question.

Why wouldn’t he?

When hatred is repeated enough times, it starts sounding like truth.

But the older Rixxy got, the less he cared about old family drama.

He had his own problems.

Basketball practice.

Grades.

College applications.

Trying to survive senior year at Westbridge High without losing his mind.

Love was the last thing on his mind.

Especially forbidden love.

That Thursday started like every other exhausting school day.

Rain clouds covered Seattle’s sky from morning till evening, turning the entire city gray and cold.

Rixxy spent most of the day half-asleep in class before basketball practice completely drained the rest of his energy.

By the time practice ended, it was already dark outside.

And raining hard.

“Yo, you need a ride?” his best friend Jay asked while spinning his car keys.

Rixxy shook his head. “Nah, my house isn’t far.”

Jay looked outside at the storm. “You’re gonna drown.”

“I’ll survive.”

“You say that now.”

Rixxy laughed lightly and grabbed his bag. “See you tomorrow.”

The second he stepped outside, freezing rain hit him immediately.

“Okay… maybe Jay was right,” he muttered.

He quickly pulled his hoodie over his head and jogged toward the nearest bus stop across the street.

That was when he saw her.

A girl stood beneath the shelter alone, trying to protect a stack of books from the rain.

She looked frustrated, cold, and completely unaware that her backpack hung halfway open.

Rixxy slowed slightly without meaning to.

Something about her caught his attention instantly.

Maybe it was her eyes.

Maybe it was the way she looked annoyed at the weather like she wanted to argue with the storm itself.

Or maybe—

It was just her.

“Uh… your bag’s open,” he said finally.

The girl looked up immediately.

And for one strange second—

Everything around him went quiet.

She had warm brown eyes that somehow looked soft and intense at the same time. Raindrops still clung to parts of her hair, and despite looking completely soaked, she somehow still looked beautiful.

She quickly zipped her bag and sighed dramatically.

“Great. My notes are probably ruined now.”

Rixxy laughed lightly. “At least your phone survived.”

She checked quickly before smiling faintly.

“Barely.”

That smile hit him harder than it should have.

Rain hammered loudly against the roof above them while cars splashed through puddles nearby.

For a few moments, silence settled between them.

Not awkward silence.

Comfortable silence.

“I’m Rixxy,” he said after a while.

The girl studied him briefly before answering.

“Becca.”

And somehow, hearing her name made this whole moment feel important.

Even though it shouldn’t have.

“You go to Westbridge?” Becca asked after noticing his varsity basketball jacket.

“Yeah. Senior year.”

Her eyebrows lifted slightly. “Seriously? Same.”

Rixxy frowned. “I’ve never seen you before.”

“That’s because I transferred recently.”

“From where?”

“Chicago.”

“That explains it.”

A loud thunderclap echoed across the city.

Becca flinched instantly.

Rixxy smirked. “You scared of storms?”

“No.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

Another thunderclap interrupted immediately.

Becca jumped again.

Rixxy burst out laughing.

Her eyes narrowed playfully. “Don’t start.”

“You literally jumped.”

“I did not.”

“You almost levitated.”

To his surprise, she laughed too.

A real laugh this time.

And hearing it made something warm settle inside his chest.

The storm continued for almost another hour.

And somehow, neither of them seemed eager to leave.

They talked about random things.

Favorite music.

Terrible teachers.

How much Seattle weather sucked.

Becca teased him for being obsessed with basketball while Rixxy mocked her for carrying way too many books.

“You know lockers exist, right?” he joked.

Becca rolled her eyes. “Not all of us survive school by throwing balls around.”

“Basketball is a respected sport.”

“Sure.”

“You sound judgmental.”

“You sound defensive.”

Rixxy laughed again.

It felt easy talking to her.

Too easy.

Like he had known her longer than an hour.

Eventually, the rain softened into a light drizzle.

Becca checked her phone and sighed.

“My ride probably left already.”

Rixxy glanced around. “You want me to walk you home?”

She hesitated briefly.

Then nodded.

“Okay.”

The city streets glowed under wet streetlights as they walked side by side through downtown Seattle.

Cold wind brushed past them while they continued talking like they had no reason to stop.

For the first time in months, Rixxy felt strangely calm.

Like being around her quieted all the pressure constantly sitting in his mind.

Then they reached a massive gated property near the waterfront.

Modern architecture.

Security cameras.

Expensive black cars parked outside.

And beside the gate—

A silver plaque.

HAYES RESIDENCE

Rixxy stopped walking instantly.

His blood ran cold.

No.

No way.

Becca noticed his expression immediately.

“What’s wrong?”

Rixxy stared at the sign like it personally offended him.

Then slowly looked back at her.

“You’re a Hayes?”

Becca frowned slightly. “Yeah… why?”

Suddenly every warning from childhood rushed back into his head.

Stay away from them.

Never trust them.

They ruin lives.

Rixxy unconsciously stepped back.

And Becca noticed immediately.

“Okay… you’re definitely acting weird now.”

“No, I just—”

“You just what?”

Rixxy opened his mouth.

Then closed it again.

Because what was he supposed to say?

Sorry, our families hate each other so apparently I’m not allowed to like you?

“I just remembered I need to get home,” he lied awkwardly.

Becca looked hurt by the sudden shift in his behavior.

“Oh.”

For a second, guilt hit him hard.

Because she genuinely looked confused.

“Did I do something wrong?” she asked quietly.

“No.”

“Then what happened?”

Rixxy shook his head quickly.

“It’s complicated.”

Becca crossed her arms slightly.

“That sounds suspicious.”

Despite everything, Rixxy laughed softly.

And somehow, that tiny laugh eased the tension again.

“Well,” Becca said with a small smile, “complicated or not… I’m still glad I met you.”

Those words stayed in Rixxy’s head long after he walked away.

That night, the Carter mansion felt colder than usual.

His father sat in his office working while business reports covered the desk.

Mason, Rixxy’s older brother, barely looked up from his laptop in the living room.

Everything about the house felt tense.

Controlled.

Perfect on the surface.

Broken underneath.

“You’re late,” Mason said casually.

“Practice ran long.”

Mason nodded once before returning to his screen.

Normally, that would’ve been the end of the conversation.

But tonight, Rixxy’s thoughts wouldn’t settle.

“What actually happened between our family and the Hayes family?” he asked suddenly.

Mason looked up immediately.

The room went quiet.

“Why are you asking?”

“Just curious.”

“You were never curious before.”

Rixxy shrugged awkwardly.

But Mason was already suspicious.

“You met one of them, didn’t you?”

Rixxy froze slightly.

And that tiny reaction was enough.

Mason stood up slowly.

“You did.”

“It wasn’t planned.”

“Who?”

Rixxy hesitated.

Then quietly answered.

“Becca Hayes.”

The expression on Mason’s face darkened immediately.

“Stay away from her.”

“There it is again,” Rixxy muttered. “Why does everyone act like they’re evil?”

“You don’t understand.”

“Then explain it to me.”

Mason stared at him for a long moment before speaking.

“Dad trusted the Hayes family once. Business partners. Close friends.”

Rixxy stayed silent.

“Then one deal went wrong,” Mason continued bitterly. “And somehow the Hayes family walked away richer while ours lost everything.”

“What does that have to do with Becca?”

“She’s still a Hayes.”

Rixxy frowned slightly.

That answer didn’t feel fair.

“She seemed nice,” he admitted quietly.

Mason laughed humorlessly.

“That’s how problems start.”

Later that night, Rixxy lay awake staring at his ceiling.

Trying to stop thinking about her.

Failing completely.

Her smile replayed in his mind constantly.

The way she laughed.

The way conversations with her felt effortless.

The way she looked at him.

And the worst part?

He wanted to see her again.

Badly.

The next morning at school, Rixxy told himself he’d avoid her.

Simple.

Just keep distance.

No complications.

No drama.

That plan lasted less than five minutes.

Because the second he walked through the hallway—

He saw her.

Standing by the lockers laughing with a group of girls.

And somehow, the crowded hallway blurred around her.

Then Becca looked up.

And smiled the moment she saw him.

That smile alone nearly destroyed every warning he had ever heard.

Before he could escape, she walked toward him confidently.

“You disappeared fast yesterday.”

Rixxy rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Yeah… sorry.”

“You’re still acting weird.”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

He sighed.

She noticed too much.

“Look,” Becca said softly, “if I offended you somehow—”

“You didn’t.”

“Then tell me what happened.”

Rixxy glanced around nervously.

People were already staring.

And if anyone recognized who she was—

This could become a disaster fast.

“It’s complicated,” he admitted quietly.

Becca crossed her arms.

“That answer keeps sounding more suspicious.”

Despite himself, Rixxy laughed again.

And seeing him laugh made Becca smile too.

“Well,” she said softly, “complicated or not… I still want to be your friend.”

Friend.

That word should’ve made things simpler.

Instead, it made his heart beat faster.

Because deep down—

Rixxy already knew friendship wasn’t going to be enough.

And somewhere inside her—

Becca was starting to realize the exact same thing.

Because sometimes the people we’re warned about the most…

Become the ones we can’t stay away from.

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