The Rulebreaker (The Dugout #3)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Dr. Nora Bell

I open the door to my private waiting area and know right away that I’m going to earn my hourly fee with these two.

They’re sitting on opposite sides of the room—heads down, thumbs moving, not a single inch of eye contact between them.

Famous clients aren’t my usual lane. But these two were referred to me by my college friend Paisley Petrov. She’s hard to say no to. Plus, there’s a reason a person goes into a career in psychology—we want to help people.

Still, seeing them in person hits different. The headlines didn’t accurately convey the distance between them.

“You can come in now.” I step out of the doorway to give them room to move past me.

They stand at the exact same time.

Pocket their phones at the exact same time.

Cross the room at the exact same time.

At the doorway, they hesitate. Both gesture for the other to go first.

They’re polite and courteous, and so tightly wound I can feel it in my own chest.

The dark blond with tattoos and shoulders with sharp edges steps through first. The darker-haired one follows with a small nod that says I’m the nice one, but don’t dig too deep into me.

They each take a seat on the couch as though we’re preparing for a boxing match—opposite ends, bodies angled away.

I don’t reach for my notebook. It’s our first session. People talk less when they feel observed.

I fold my hands over my knee and offer my kindest smile. “So, what brings you two here?”

Neither of them even glance in my direction.

And the longer the silence stretches, the more obvious it becomes—this isn’t about what happened last season. It’s about something rooted deeper from years earlier.

I keep my expression smooth, but inside, I’m already texting Paisley in my head.

You owe me a big European vacation for this one.