by L A Cotton
The roar of the crowd was deafening. It had been for the entire game, which turned out to be brutal, just as everyone expected. The Eagles scored a touchdown, we scored one back; they sacked our QB, we took Thatcher down twice as hard. We were exhausted; mentally and physically broken, and despite outplaying them, the Eagles were leading by five. But we were fourth and goal, with eleven seconds left on the clock, which meant we had time for one final play.
And we needed it to count.
“Time,” Coach yelled across the field and we moved in for his instructions. “Okay,” he said. “They’ve got us pinned down, I know that. You know that. But this game should have been ours coming into the second half. Jase, what are you thinking, Son?”
We all looked to our QB and captain, hardly surprised Coach was letting him take control. He trusted Jase explicitly. We all did.
“We should run the Red 59 Counter Arrow,” he said calmly, despite the fire in his eyes. He didn’t just want this win, he needed it.
“Fourteen?” Coach locked eyes with me. “You ready for this?”
“I’ve got it.” I nodded.
“That’s what I wanted to hear. Now get out there and take care of business. Raiders on one.”
Our battle cry rippled across the field, fueling us. Giving us the strength we needed for one final play.
“You ready?” Jase jogged over to me.
“Let’s end them.” Understanding passed between us as he offered me a rare smile.
“Go get ‘em, bro.”
We all moved into position behind the line of scrimmage, waiting for Jase’s call. He reeled off the play before signaling, “Hut.” Grady, our center, snapped the ball to him and he faked left. I took off, pushing past the safety. My best friend dropped back, hiked up his arm and let the ball fly, straight toward the end zone and my destination. I pumped my legs hard, running faster than I’d ever run in my life. We had to win, I had to get my hands on that ball.
It wasn’t just about football, it was about Hailee. About wiping the smug grin off Thatcher’s face when we beat them. But it was moving fast, too fast. Shit. In a risky move, I pushed off the ground and lunged forward, stretching my fingers until I felt my muscles rip, pain pinging through my shoulder. But it paid off as I felt the familiar smooth leather graze my fingers.
“Touchdown,” the announcer yelled as my body collided with the hard ground. The crowd went wild as I lay there, staring up at the lights. My muscles hurt and my lungs burned, and I was pretty sure I’d pulled something, but it didn’t matter. We’d done it.
I’d done it.
Jase and Ash were first to reach me, pulling me to my feet and then the rest of the guys were on us, jostling us around like we’d won the Championship game. But Jase wasn’t celebrating with us, he was staring across the field, his eyes set right on Thatcher.
“Come on, man.” I pushed through the crowd and slung my arm around his shoulder. “Not here, not now.” I kept my voice low.
“One day,” he ground out, his voice eerily calm. “One day.”
Two hours later, still riding the high of our win against Rixon East, we were crammed into Coach Hasson’s place for the annual Rivals Week dinner. It was a ranch style house overlooking the river with enough space to host the team and their families.
“Hmm, bro, why are Hailee and Fee here?” Asher nudged my arm and tipped his head to where the girls had just walked in, both looking like deer caught in headlights.
“Beats me.” I took a long pull on my soda, feeling the deep ache in my shoulder.
Later, after dinner, Coach would turn a blind eye when we all raided his cooler for beers. But for now, while the team’s families were present and sober, he expected decorum.
“They came with my dad and Denise,” Jase grunted, joining us. My eyes went to the beer in his hand.
“Really?” I asked, my brow quirked up.
“What?” He shrugged. “I needed one.”
Rolling my eyes, I fought a smirk. Jason didn’t follow the rules, he made them. And I knew no one would give him shit about it.
“I knew they were at the game,” Asher added still staring over at them. “But I had no idea they were coming here. I think she’s stalking me.”
I sprayed soda into the air, chuckling at the ridiculous statement. “You’re not serious?”
“As a heart attack,” he deadpanned, folding his arms across his chest as his eyes narrowed on Hailee and her friend. But they never so much as glanced in our direction.
It had been the same all week. After the disastrous morning at Asher’s house, after the party, Hailee had avoided me like the plague. And I gave her space, because what else could I do? She’d kissed me… tried to do a whole lot more than that, and I’d rejected her. I didn’t regret stopping play that night; she was drunk, and Jase was right along the hall buried balls deep inside one of the gymnasts. But I regretted how things went down between us.
I just didn’t know how to fix things—or whether I should even try.
“Here he is,” Mr. Ford’s voice rang out above the noise. “The man of the moment. Congratulations, Son.” He made a beeline for me, clapping me on the back. “That was a hall of fame moment right there.”
“Thank you, Sir,” I said, my eyes flicking to Jase. “Couldn’t have done it without my QB.”
“Right, of course. Good game, Son.” Mr. Ford held out his hand to Jase who shook it with mild hesitation.
“Thanks, Dad.” His words were clipped, and we all felt the tension between father and son.
“Jason,” Hailee’s mom burst through our small huddle. “That was… I’m so proud of you, sweetheart.” She tried to pull him in for a hug, but he inched back. Denise faltered, covering his brush off with a wide smile. “We’re all real proud of you, all of you. And to think you could bring home the big one this year.”
We all smothered our laughter at her false enthusiasm, even Jase fought a bemused smirk.
“Okay, darling.” Mr. Ford wrapped his wife into a side hug. “Let’s leave the guys to have their fun. I want to talk to Henry.”
Henry, or Coach Hasson as we knew him, was outside at his huge grill, a cloud of smoke billowing into the air.
“This is your year, Son, we’re all counting on you,” were Mr. Ford’s parting words as they left us to our fun.
Thirty minutes later, we had all gathered outside on Coach’s orders. He and his wife served us burgers and hot dogs, steak and ribs. It was good, but I missed my parents. They hadn’t been at the game to see us beat the Eagles and they weren’t here now to celebrate with us.
And I hated it.
This was the biggest season of my life, and they weren’t here to see it, to share it with me. It fucking sucked but I had no choice but to plaster on a smile and celebrate with my teammates.
After everyone had eaten, Coach Hasson stood up, demanding silence.
“Speech,” one of the guy’s yelled and a ripple of laughter filled the air.
“Calm down, calm down,” Coach said. “There are a couple of things I want to say, so bear with me. First off, I want to thank my wife, Sandra.” He gazed warmly at the woman beside him. “Without her, I wouldn’t be half the man I am. And I’m grateful she lets me welcome you all into my home year after year.”
Everyone cheered at that, raising their glasses and bottles in the air to toast Mrs. Hasson. “Now to my boys.” His eyes roved over every one of us. “You fought hard tonight. You didn’t lie down when things got tough, you dug in your heels and kept on pushing. I’m real damn proud of you. Not only for showing those fellas across the river how we play ball, but for keeping your heads and not letting them provoke you into lowering yourself to their standards.” His gaze landed on me, Asher, and Jason, conveying some unspoken message. “Rivals Week is done. We won. We draw the line here, you hear me?”
We each gave him an imperceptible nod, irritation rolling off Jase in waves. He respected Coach, listened to his orders on and off the field, but we all knew this thi
ng between him and Thatcher was personal. So even though we’d won tonight, had handed Thatcher his ass on the field, we knew it wasn’t over.
Not by a long shot.
Coach ran a hand down his face, swallowing hard. “I’ll be doing all this again in a few weeks at Seniors Night, so I won’t harp on too much longer. But know this, coaching the Raiders is a privilege, one I don’t take lightly. And this year, is our year. I feel it in my bones, this year we’re bringing it home.”
The Hasson’s yard erupted, my teammates making most of the noise as we whooped and cheered. He waited for everyone to hush before continuing, “And finally, I have an announcement to make. Where is Miss Raine?” He searched the crowd and my eyes spotted Hailee, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment as she held up a hand. “Miss Raine has kindly agreed to work with the team on an exciting art project this season. I’d like you all to show her the respect I know you’re capable of.”
A murmur of grumbles answered him, as Asher and I shared a confused look. “What the fuck?” he mouthed as I tried to process what Coach was saying.
Hailee was going to be working with the team? On an art project?
What the hell did that mean?
But more concerningly, why the fuck had she agreed to it in the first place?
I didn’t see Hailee for the rest of the night. That was until I went inside to get another drink and almost walked straight into her. “Shit.” My hands flew out, steadying her. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.” She shrugged me off, smoothing her hair out of her face and tucking it behind an ear. “I was just…” Hailee pointed over my shoulder to the back door and started to move around me.
“Wait,” I rushed out, grabbing her arm. Her eyes dropped to where my fingers curled around her wrist, and then slowly lifted to mine, her brow arched in annoyance.
“Sorry, I just… can we talk?”
“You want to talk, here?” She sounded incredulous and I couldn’t blame her. Not after last weekend. But I needed to clear the air between us because all week it had felt like a heavy weight was pressing on my chest.
An idea sparked in my mind and my lip curved up. “Have you ever seen Coach’s trophy room?”
“You know I haven’t.” Her mouth mirrored mine.
“Well, then, you’re in for a treat.” I waited, letting her make the decision. It was a risk given her family was here, but everyone was outside, enjoying the warm evening and good company.
“It’s for research purposes only,” Hailee said quietly, dropping her gaze.
“Research?”
“For the Seniors Night thing.”
“Oh, yeah, that.” I ran a hand down my face. I’d almost forgotten Coach’s announcement that Hailee would be painting the seniors, but only because once I’d realized it might mean spending some one-on-one time with her, I couldn’t think about anything other than me and her. Alone. Together.
“Cameron?”
I blinked down at her, shaking the thoughts from my mind. “Hmm, yeah, come on,” I said before I did the sensible thing and walked away. “It’s just down here.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Hailee
I followed Cameron down the hall and into a big room, my eyes widening at the rows and rows of trophy cabinets and shelves. “Wow.” I didn’t know where to look first. “I had no idea.”
“Yeah.” He walked up to one of the glass cabinets. “Coach was a big deal back in his day.”
“You don’t say.” I ran my eyes over the collection of silverware. “What’s that one?” I asked pointing to a small bronze figurine.
Cameron gave a smooth chuckle. “That is the Heisman.”
“Oh, I think I’ve heard of it.”
His eyes widened with amusement. “It’s kind of a big deal.”
“Something to do with college football, right?”
He repeated my words, mumbling them under his breath. “How is it you’ve lived with Jason and his dad for six years and still don’t know any of this stuff?”
“I have excellent avoidance skills.” He gave me a pointed look and I felt myself blush. “I didn’t mean...”
“So, you haven’t been avoiding me all week?”
The air in the room turned dense as Cameron’s gray-blue eyes stared at me intently.
Clearing my throat, I managed to choke out, “I think it was pretty clear after last Saturday—” He took a step forward and I swallowed, backing up, careful not to touch the trophy cabinets. “Cameron,” I sighed.
“Yes, Sunshine?” The corner of his mouth tipped.
“You promised this was just for research purposes.”
“Is that what we’re calling it?” Humor danced in his eyes as he kept advancing on me, and despite knowing I needed to escape, I found myself lost in his stormy gaze.
My back finally hit the wall, the reverberation rattling my bones. I pressed my palms against it to stop myself from reaching out for him. But Cameron leaned in, touching his head to mine, completely overwhelming me. “I can’t stop thinking about you,” he admitted, so quietly it was more like a rush of warm air than actual words. “Last Saturday was me doing the right thing, Hailee. You were drunk and I—”
“You just want what you can’t have.” My eyes burned with defiance, willing myself to stay strong.
“I wish it was that simple.” He let out a deep breath.
“What are we doing, Cameron?” What are you doing Hailee? I silently added as I breathed him in.
All week, I’d told myself avoiding him was for the best, that I needed to stay away from Cameron and his mind games. It was easy when I saw him with the team, the constant rotation of girls vying for his attention. Cameron Chase, wide receiver, number fourteen, belonged to Rixon. He was theirs to have, theirs to worship, theirs to love. But there were moments with him, when it was just the two of us, when it felt like he was mine. Like he was offering me a piece of himself.
And all I had to do was reach out and take it.
But I didn’t want the scraps. I wasn’t just another jersey chaser looking for whatever she could get. I wanted all of him or nothing. Something, I knew, he would never be able to give me.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,” he said, pulling me further under his spell.
It was just that though. A spell. And when it was broken, I’d be Hailee Raine, Jason’s step-sister again and he’d be Cameron Chase, my brother’s best friend.
Which is why, no matter how much I wanted him—and I did, I could finally admit it—I forced out the words, “I’m thinking this, us, it can never work.”
Defiance glittered in his eyes as he lowered his mouth to mine. “Don’t you know by now, Sunshine? I’m a Raider and Raiders never quit.”
My stomach sank as Cameron kissed me. Not because the feel of his lips moving against mine didn’t feel good, it did. It felt like my entire body was on fire, every stroke of his tongue making the flames lick higher and higher until I was burning with need. But because he’d proved me right. He was a Raider, he would always be a Raider. And one day, he and my step-brother would ride off into the sunset together, leaving me and the rest of Rixon with no choice but to stand by and watch.
And then where would that leave me?
“Cameron—” I breathed against his lips as they devoured me. Fixed over mine again and again, stealing the air from my lungs, and all rational thought from my mind.
“Just give me this, Hailee.” He paused, his mouth hovering over mine, his eyes pinning me to the spot. “I need this, please.” There was something so vulnerable about the way he said the words it made my heart ache. I leaned back, finally bringing my hands to his face, allowing myself to touch him.
Giving myself—him—this moment.
My fingers slid against his stubbled jaw, tracing the sharp angles of his face. I dropped my other hand to his bicep, painting the tattoo peeking out beneath his sleeve. “You like that, don’t you?” he asked, and I nodded.
“It’s beaut
iful.” I’d never really found tattoos appealing before but staring at the cherry blossom and hummingbird inked on Cameron’s arm, it made me want to draw on his skin. To brand him with my own mark.
“You’re beautiful.” His fingers gently gripped my chin, forcing my face back to his. Cameron didn’t hesitate this time, tracing the seam of my lips with his tongue. His hands glided down my body, anchoring at my waist and pulling me flush against him. A small gasp spilled out of me when I felt the outline of his hardness against my stomach. I don’t think I’d ever get used to the fact that Cameron wanted me. It made me drunk with desire. Turned me on in a way I’d never experienced before.
But most of all, it made all the memories of his complicities in Jason’s games fade into nothing.
“I want to feel you,” he murmured between kisses. “Let me touch you, Hailee.” The raw desperation in his voice made my heart flutter wildly in my chest. And when one of his hands found the sliver of skin between my sweater and waistband of my jeans, I almost died, right there in front of his eyes.
“Cam—” My voice was shaky, my breaths coming in short sharp bursts.
“Tell me what you need, Hailee...”
My fingers twisted into his jersey as I yanked him closer, kissing him harder. Cameron’s hand worked lower, expertly unbuttoning my jeans. He dipped his hand inside, grazing my damp panties.
“Jesus,” he groaned, easing away from the kiss to look at me. He didn’t say anything, just watched me, as he rubbed my clit over the thin material. My knees buckled, my stomach clenching with need, as I swallowed a moan. “I need to feel you, Hailee...”
I nodded, letting my head drop back against the wall. Cameron hooked my panties to the side and slid his fingers through my wetness, eliciting a string of tiny gasps from my lips. His eyes were wild, as they watched me. Dark and hooded, simmering with pure lust.
“Hailee,” He swallowed hard. “I—”
“Yo, Chase, are you—” Asher burst into the room, his eyes going wide when they landed on me and Cameron tangled together like lovers in the dark. I panicked trying to push Cameron away, but he pressed me further against the wall, shielding me, his fingers still inside me.