by L A Cotton
“Goodbye, Cameron.” My eyes dropped to where his fingers were curled around my wrist and he released me.
“Whatever you say, Sunshine.” He had to have the last words. “But just remember, Hailee.” My name on his lips made my stomach do a little flip. “You can run but you can’t hide.”
Chapter Eighteen
Cameron
Hailee hurried back into school, but I didn’t go after her. I needed some air. The girl got under my skin until I couldn’t think straight.
When I’d followed her out here, I hadn’t planned on kissing her again. I only wanted to talk, to find out what the hell was happening. But then I’d pulled her around the side of my truck and the temptation was just too damn much. Watching her fight herself over whether to admit she felt this thing growing between us, was the final straw.
Fuck.
She was messing with my head. Making me want things I couldn’t have. But there were bigger things happening right now, like the fact someone had sent her a note in history loaded with dirty disgusting things that made me want to punch something—or someone.
When practice had ended and Jase had showed me the photo Thatcher had added to his Snapchat story, I’d almost lost it. What I hadn’t expected though, was how the rest of the kids at school would react. The second I’d found her sitting at the back of class, I knew something was up. Hailee didn’t hide; she usually sat up front, eager to answer questions and participate. But she was quiet, hiding behind her glasses, her eyes void of the usual spark I saw there. And the second I’d watched her read the note, saw her expression harden, the blood drain from her face, I knew it was only the tip of the iceberg.
Stuffing everything down, I went back into school heading straight for the cafeteria, surprised when I saw Hailee sitting with Felicity at their usual table.
“That shit Thatcher posted is everywhere,” Asher said, coming up beside me, his eyes flicking over to the girls. “What did she say in history?”
“Not a lot, but someone sent her a note and it was bad.”
“I heard a group of guys in the hall talking about her like she was—”
“Don’t,” I ground out.
He glanced at me. “What’s up with you? You seem tense? Maybe you need to call up Miley and get her to help you work out those—”
“Seriously, bro, I said don’t.”
“Jeez, someone’s on their period. Or is it this shit with Jase and Hailee? It’ll blow over, you know?” He clapped me on the back. “Thatcher has bigger fish to fry.”
I wasn’t so sure about that.
Even though the photo of Hailee was obviously manipulated, kids saw what they wanted to see, and thanks to Thatcher, Hailee had become public enemy number one. It didn’t matter I’d done something similar at the pep rally because that hadn’t pitted her against us. For as fucked up as it was, to most girls at school, getting called out for riding Raider dick would have been a badge of honor. But sleeping with the enemy, even if it was only a rumor, was a crime our fans would not forgive.
“Come on, I could eat a small horse.” Asher shoulder-checked me, moving ahead of me to the line. Except he didn’t wait, he slipped right to the front, giving the diner lady a huge grin. They made small talk about the upcoming game Friday, while I grabbed a sub and added it to his tray. He worked his charm until she gave him a knowing wink, letting us slip past her without paying.
We wound our way through the tables toward Jase who was already sitting at our table, Jenna Jarvis practically dry fucking his leg. “What’s up?” he said coolly.
“We’ve got a problem,” I replied under my breath, motioning over to Hailee.
“She’ll be fine.” Jase swallowed his words as we watched a guy approach their table. Flick glowered at him as he dropped down on the bench beside Hailee.
“Maybe we should—” I started but Jase cut me off with a shake off his head. “She can handle herself,” he said.
I didn’t doubt that, but she was in this situation because of him. Because of us. And that didn’t sit right with me.
The guy was saying something, a smug smirk plastered on his face, as he leaned in close to her. Too fucking close. He hooked his arm around Hailee’s waist, and I braced myself to intervene, but she smacked him right across the face. The guy howled with laughter, backing away, but I saw the shock in his expression.
We all did.
Asher whistled through his teeth. “Shit, that girl’s got balls of steel.”
“She’s going to need them,” Jase grumbled as if he knew—and accepted—it was only going to get worse.
Well, screw that.
“It’s so sad,” Jenna said, twirling her hair around her fingers. “She could have been one of us, but instead she chose to fuck Thatcher just to get one over on—”
Jase shoved her off his lap and she landed on the bench beside him with a thud. “Ow, Jase, what the hell was that for?”
“I’m bored.” His voice was cold. “Run along now.”
“You bastard.” Jenna kept her voice composed, but her cheeks flamed with embarrassment as she beckoned for her friends to follow her, and they sauntered away, trying to retain some dignity. Some of the guys howled with laughter but soon shut up when Jase sent them a hard glare down the table.
My eyes found Hailee across the room again. She had her head down, pushing a salad around her plate. “We should go over there.”
“Did you get hit a little too hard in practice?” Jase snorted.
“I’m just saying, if we don’t do something to end this, it’s going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better. And if it gets that bad, and the wrong teacher overhears something, it could land on Finnigan’s desk. And that is trouble we don’t need.”
My best friend regarded me for a second, scrubbing his face. “Fucking girls,” Jase mumbled, shoving off the bench. He stood up and glanced back at the two of us, “Come on then, I’m not doing this shit alone.”
“Oh, hells yeah, I’m in. Maybe I can tap up Felic—”
“She’s off-limits,” Jase barked.
“She is?” Asher jerked back as if he’d been slapped. “But why? I thought everyone except Hailee was fair game?”
“Because I said so, jackass.”
Asher threw up his hands in surrender, his lips twitching.
When we reached their table, Hailee and her friend gawked up at us. “Yes?” she said flatly. “Can we help you?”
“No, but I think we can help you.” Jase dropped down beside Felicity. Her eyes widened, glancing between him and Hailee and back again.
“What is happening right now?”
“You need us,” he said as if it was that simple.
“Hmm, no,” Hailee quipped. “No, we don’t.”
“That’s not what he thinks.” Jase flicked his head over where the guy who she’d slapped watched us. The little fucker looked ready to piss himself, his eyes darting to the ground when I narrowed my gaze right on him.
“Pfft,” Hailee grumbled. “I handled him just fine.”
“That you did, Hails,” Asher added, sliding in next to her. I sat on her other side, watching her out of the corner of my eye.
“Don’t call me that,” she said, a defensive edge to her voice. “We’re not friends.”
“Looks like we are from where I’m sitting.” He grinned.
“If I recall.” Hailee glared at him. “None of this would be happening if you hadn’t gate-crashed their party and started brawling with Thatch—”
“Brawling?” Asher quipped as Jase sat back, watching her with a dark expression. “Naw, baby, that wasn’t a brawl, that was just the warm up.”
Hailee sneered, her eyes quickly moving to her step-brother. “This has been fun and all, but you can go now.” She wiggled her fingers in a wave.
“Yeah, I’m thinking this was a bad idea. I’m out.” Jase got up and walked off while Asher threw me a ‘what should we do now?’ look. But before I could say anything, Hailee levelled m
e with a cold look, and said, “I don’t know what this is, but I don’t need you to pretend to be friends with me. I managed just fine without you all this time; I think I’ll survive this.”
“Fine,” I said, realizing maybe Jase was right. Maybe coming over here was a huge fucking mistake. “Have it your way, Sunshine. Ash, let’s go.”
“But…” His eyes flicked to Felicity, but when I shook my head, he let out a long breath. “Fine, I’m coming. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t, ladies. See you around.”
Everyone watched as we stalked away from Hailee and her friend, but they could look. If she was too stubborn to admit she needed us, then we’d just have to go around her.
“She’s a handful,” Asher muttered as he shouldered the door. “But her friend is quiet. I like that. Means she’s probably a real freak between—”
“Do you think with anything other than your dick?”
“Football and pussy.” He shrugged, a lazy grin splitting his face. “What else is there?”
I wanted to tell him that, one day, he’d meet a girl who made everything else pale into insignificance. A girl who would get under his skin and gnaw away at his soul. But he wasn’t ready to hear the words… and I wasn’t ready to admit I knew what the hell I was talking about. So instead, I slung my arm around his shoulder and said, “Come on, Casanova, we should probably show up for a class or two.”
Our little stunt at lunch calmed the vicious rumors spreading through the halls, but it still didn’t stop some guys, and girls, thinking they could talk about Hailee like she was the town slut.
“You need to do something,” I urged Jase as we walked from last period to the locker room.
“Tried that, and she threw it back in my face.”
“So, give the word for the team to quash the rumors.”
He glared at me. “Why are you so worked up over this? It was just a photo.”
“And you’re okay with everyone thinking Hailee gives it up to the Eagles? To Thatcher?” My brow rose, challenging him. It wasn’t like I could tell him the truth; that every time I heard someone call her a slut or whore, I wanted to break their face. He wouldn’t want to hear that.
“You need to put an end to it, now. Before Finnigan hears something that gives him cause to look closer at this grudge between us and East.”
Jase rolled his shoulders back, his hardened gaze locking on mine. But he didn’t reply, he simply strolled into the locker room. Trailing after him, I went straight to my bench and began peeling out of my clothes.
“Yeah, well I wouldn’t mind her sucking on my dick.”
My eyes snapped over to two juniors huddled over a cell phone. “What’s that?” I asked, pulling on my pants.
The one holding the phone paled. “Hmm, nothing, it’s nothing.” He dropped the cell in his bag and pressed his lips together.
“No, seriously, what was it?” Irritation rippled up my spine. “Because I know it’s not what I think it is,” I ground out, slowly approaching them. “I know you’re not fucking stupid enough to be talking about your QB’s step-sister like that.”
Silence descended over the room, but I only had eyes for the junior who looked ready to piss himself. “Come on, Chase,” he stuttered around a weak smile, as if we were old friends. “It’s not like that… I wasn’t…”
“So, tell me how it is?” I reached him, plucking the cell phone from his open bag. He was as white as a ghost now as I thrust the cell at him and barked, “Unlock it.”
With shaky fingers, he swiped the screen and tapped out the pin. “I’m- I’m sorry, man, we were just goofing around.”
I saw the flash of Hailee’s face on the screen but kept my eyes locked on his face. I couldn’t see that shit, not again. Not if I wanted to avoid making a huge fucking mistake. Grabbing him by his collar, I yanked hard putting us face to face. “This isn’t just a team, it’s a family. You disrespect one of us, your disrespect all of us. You want to talk shit about your QB’s sister?” My breaths came hard as I narrowed my eyes on him.
“I… I’m sorry.” His face was pale.
“Chase, ease up.” Jase’s demand barely penetrated my anger, but I felt him move behind me. “Chase.” His hand landed on my shoulder and I flinched, shoving at the junior until he stumbled backward.
“You talking shit about Hailee?” Jase asked him.
“It wasn’t—”
“Chase is right. This is a team. My. Fucking. Team.” His voice was ice cold. “You feel me?”
The kid nodded, mumbling some incoherent apology.
“That goes for the rest of you.” Jase swung around, running his eyes over each of his teammates. “Anyone else want to run their mouth off about Hailee?” He was met with silence. “Didn’t think so. Hailee is off-limits. Always has been. If anyone needs reminding of that, I have no problem arranging it. This shit with the photo, it ends now.”
My best friend’s eyes slid to mine. His lips were pursed, annoyance pouring off him, but he gave me a little nod of understanding, and I returned it. Jase might not have wanted to intervene, but I’d given him no choice.
I only hoped I wouldn’t live to regret it.
Chapter Nineteen
Hailee
After Jason, Asher, and Cameron attempted to sit with us at lunch on Monday, things died down and, by the time Friday rolled around, the photo of me was old news. Instead, everyone was talking about the Raiders first game away from home against the Levinson Lions.
“Hi, Hailee,” some girl I barely recognized said as Flick and I walked to lunch.
“Hmm, hi,” I replied, my brows drawn tight, before glaring at my friend. “Okay, what the hell is happening now?”
She gave me a smug look, and I asked, “What?”
“I think you’re Rixon’s new hottest toy and everyone wants to play with you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” So a couple of people had tried to talk to me, and I’d even been asked if I was going to watch the game tonight. I wasn’t, obviously. But my total lack of school spirit no longer seemed to qualify me as a social leper. And for as much as I didn’t want to admit it, Flick was right. People were interested in me all of a sudden.
With a chuckle, she looped her arm through mine as we entered the cafeteria. “You know, they came to sit with you for a reason.”
“Yeah, but…” I hesitated. I knew what she was hinting at, but it didn’t make any sense. “Let me get this straight. First, I’m treated like an outcast because Jason issued some kind of blanket Hailee-is-off-limits rule. Then I become the school slut for a fake photo circulated by Lewis Thatcher. And now, I’m what? Hot property because Jason and the guys sat with us at lunch; for all of five minutes, I might add.”
“Jason and the guys?” Flick grinned, her eyes mocking me.
“Oh, piss off,” I grumbled. “You know what I mean.” It had been a simple slip of the tongue. Nothing more.
“I’m not saying it makes any sense, I’m just saying, I think he did something.”
“Did something?” I scoffed. “He’s barely said two words to me since Monday.” There had been the odd grunt here or there when we passed one another at home, and he had actually sat down and eaten a meal with us last night, much to everyone’s surprise. But I was under no illusion Jason and I were any closer to becoming friends. That ship had sailed long ago.
Not that I wanted that anyway.
I didn’t.
Flick shrugged as we joined the lunch line. “But he might have said something behind the scenes. Told people they need to be a little nicer to you, perhaps?” Her brow shot up suggestively.
“You have met my step-brother, right? Being nice is not in his emotional capacity.”
“He’s a douchebag, I’m not denying that.” Her lips pursed as if the words left a sour taste in her mouth. “But think about it. He’s never let anyone else near you. The second Thatcher sent that photo though, he stepped up.”
Stepped up? Is that what we were calling it?
/> “And I’m what?” I whisper-hissed, aware of all the prying eyes and ears within our immediate vicinity. “Just supposed to forgive the last six years and become Team Jason?”
Like that was ever going to happen. I loaded my tray with some lunch items and followed Flick to the service counter.
“I guess it does sound kind of lame when you put it that way.”
“You think?” I shot back unable to keep the disbelief out of my voice.
“And how are my two favorite ladies?” Asher Bennet appeared out of nowhere and slung his arms around us, guiding us to our usual table. I ducked out of his embrace leaving him and Flick to walk together, shooting her a hard look in the process. She shrugged like it was no big deal.
Traitor.
“So.” He sat down next to Flick as if he joined us for lunch every day. “I was wondering—”
“Steady there, you might get a headache.” I smirked, stabbing a piece of pasta with my fork totally not pretending it was Asher’s face.
“Ouch. So prickly, Raine. So prickly. Anyway, as I was saying.” He gave my best friend his attention and she lapped it up, hanging on his every word. My stomach sank. “How would you girls like to come to a party tomorrow night?”
“No,” I said at the same time as Flick said, “Yes.”
Laughter rumbled in Asher’s chest. “I can see we’re going to have to keep an eye on this one,” he said the words to Flick but directed them at me.
“You can go now,” I huffed. It was bad enough he was sitting at our table. But flirting with Flick? That was enough to make me puke and I hadn’t even taken a single bite of my lunch yet.
“You should come. There’s no hidden agenda, I swear,” were his parting words as he stood up, his eyes lingering a little too long on my friend. When he retreated back to his table, Flick squealed with delight. “A party,” she shrieked, lowering her voice when I gave her an irritated glare. “A party at Asher Bennet’s house. I can’t believe this.”