by L A Cotton
“Nice, Bennet,” someone yelled as the rest of our players closed in.
We were winning comfortably in the fourth quarter, the Eagles disorganized and sloppy with no Lewis Thatcher to lead them. It didn’t stop us from going hard. The hunger for the win tethered us, pushing us harder, faster.
I’d been prepared not to play with my team again, but now I was out here, the roar of the crowd fueled me. And knowing Mya was out there watching me only made me stand taller.
God, I was going to miss this. I’d been lying to myself; thinking I could go off to college and focus on school instead of football. But being out here, wearing a blue and white jersey, it meant something.
Something I couldn’t just forget.
“Nice tackle, Son,” Coach said, offering me a stiff nod, as I jogged off field to let the offense do their thing.
“This one’s for you,” Jase clapped me on the back as he jogged out to the huddle, ready to give the play.
“How does it feel being back out there?” Coach asked me, keeping his eyes ahead.
“It feels good, Sir.”
“The Panthers will be lucky to have you next season, Son.” The words hung between us, and I half-expected him to call me out on why I hadn’t yet committed to the team.
He didn’t though. Jason threw a perfect ball to Cameron who took off down field, every single Raiders fan making the run with him.
“Go, go,” Coach yelled, thrusting his clipboard in the air, as if it was the final play in the Championship game.
“Touchdoooooown!” the announcer yelled over the PA system, sending the stadium into a frenzy.
Jase caught my eye across the field, understanding passing between us. Football would always be a huge part of us, of our friendship. I didn’t doubt that. But he was only just beginning his journey. While mine… mine ended here.
And I had to be okay with that.
“You did it,” Felicity and Hailee rushed over to us. Jason caught his girl, pulling her in for a kiss.
“We never doubted you for a second.” Hailee smiled, nestling into Cam’s side.
“Where’s Mya?” I searched the crowd for her jersey but couldn’t find her among the friends and family who had flooded the field to help celebrate our win.
“She got a call,” Flick said, coming up for air. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“Son,” my dad’s voice cut the air like a knife and my spine snapped straight.
“Mr. Bennet,” Jase said coolly. “Nice to see you.”
The air turned tense as my friends watched our interaction. They still didn’t know the whole story, but I figured they had begun to slowly piece things together.
“I wanted to be here to show my support for the team. I’ve donated a sizeable check to the charity.”
“That’s great, Sir,” Cam said, ever the peacekeeper.
“Where’s Mom?” I asked him.
“She’s talking to Cameron’s parents. You know how he gets whenever Xander is around.”
She loved that kid almost as much as she loved me.
“I should probably go and say hello.” Cameron gave me a nod. “I’ll catch you later at Bell’s?”
But just as he turned to head over to the bleachers, something caught my eye. “Is that—”
“Oh God,” Felicity breathed as she took off toward Mya and the tall black guy she was talking to.
“What the fuck?” Jason grumbled.
“I think that’s Mya’s ex.”
“Shit.”
I was already moving but Dad’s voice gave me pause. “I really don’t think now is the time for this, Son. Miss Hernandez and her friend obviously have some things to talk about.”
They were beyond the perimeter of the stadium, huddled by the fence. It was too far to read Mya’s expression, but my gut told me it wasn’t a friendly visit. And if my dad thought for one second I was about to leave Mya—the girl who owned my fucking heart and soul—alone with her ex, he was sorely mistaken.
“We should go and make sure she’s okay, Mr. Bennet,” Jase said, clapping me on the back. “Come on.”
We broke out into a steady jog. “I take it this is a surprise?” Jase side-eyed me as we slowed our approach.
“He isn’t supposed to know she’s in Rixon.” A whirlwind of emotions churned inside me. I didn’t know what to think, what to feel. I had so many questions, but nothing outweighed my need to get to Mya and make sure she was okay.
Felicity had already reached them, taking Mya’s side as she continued to talk to Jermaine. Although now we were closer, I could see that they weren’t talking at all—she was begging him to leave.
“Babe, everything okay?” Jason was as cool as a cucumber as he strode up to Flick.
“Yeah, we’re okay. Mya was just introducing me to her friend Jermaine.” Her eyes flicked to mine. But I was too busy watching my girlfriend watch her ex.
“I’m Jason,” he extended his hand to Jermaine. But the dude just stared at it. “And this is Asher.”
His eyes slid to mine, sharp and assessing, even if his posture was still relaxed and easy. “Asher.” He rolled my name around on his tongue. “You the guy tryin’ to make a move on my girl?”
“J,” Mya said. “I’m not your girl anymore.”
Her eyes finally met mine, swirling with too many things.
“Don’t be like that, baby girl. You know me and you got history. We’re always gonna have history.”
“Exactly. History. We have history, Jermaine, as in, it’s in the past.” She let out a strained sigh. “You should go.”
“We drove all the way out here to see you and you gonna dismiss me, just like that?”
“Jermaine, please.” Mya’s voice cracked.
“Maybe you should leave,” Jason said. I was still rooted to the spot, my thoughts running at a mile a minute trying to figure out why he was here.
How he was here.
“Really, you’re going to pick these white boys over me? I came for you, baby girl. Came to make things right between us.”
“You shouldn’t have,” Mya almost choked over the words, and I could see she was hanging on by a thread. “I’ll call you later, okay?” The words spilled from her lips in a hurried jumble. “Let me finish up here and then I’ll call you.”
“A’ight. We can stick around a while.”
What the fuck was happening?
Was she having second thoughts after seeing him again?
Jason glared at me, his heavy stare nudging me do something. To say something. But I was paralyzed by the situation. By the idea that Mya had anything to do with Jermaine being here, in Rixon.
“Come on,” Felicity urged Mya to start walking. “We should get back to everyone.”
But I couldn’t move. Mya caught my eye, silently begging me to go with them.
“Go on ahead,” I said tightly. “I’ll be right there.”
A sly smirk tugged at Jermaine’s mouth, as if knew exactly what I was thinking. Jason gave me an understanding nod, herding the girls away despite Mya’s protests. When they were out of earshot, I edged closer, locking eyes with him. He was taller than me by about an inch but where I was broad, the guy was lean.
“You the one my girl’s fucking around with?” He got straight to the point.
“She isn’t your girl and that’s none of your fucking business.”
“You think a chump like you is going to keep her?” He arched a thick, dark brow. “Mya doesn’t belong in your world. She belongs with me.”
“That must be why she’s here with me and not back in Philly with you then.”
We’d moved closer now, standing almost nose to nose. My own anger and possessiveness reflected back at me in his eyes.
“I was her first,” he drawled, and I was almost certain the guy was high. “Her first kiss, her first fuck, her first everything. You think she’s just going to forget that? Forget what we had? Why do you think she came home? Because she needed a little of what only I
can give her.”
Don’t let him provoke you. I forced myself to take a step back, fists clenched tightly at my sides. “Mya ended things with you. If you care about her at all, you need to let her go.”
“Let her go?” He sneered, clucking his tongue. “I’ll never let her go, she’s in my blood. I need her.”
“Asher,” her voice reverberated inside me and I closed my eyes, inhaling a ragged breath. “Let’s go, please.”
Our eyes met and I couldn’t do anything but go to her.
“Well, would you look at that,” Jermaine mocked. “You running around after her like a little bitch boy.”
My body locked up as I glanced back, but Mya slid her hand in my mine and pulled me away. “Don’t,” she said. “He’s not worth it.”
He wasn’t.
But Mya was.
As we walked away, I couldn’t help but think that I’d made a mistake going too easy on the guy.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Mya
The mood was tense as we rode to Bell’s. Asher’s parents had insisted on taking us out for dinner.
All of us.
Jason and Felicity were riding together, and Cam and Hailee were riding with his parents. Which left me to ride with the Bennets. After witnessing me arguing with Jermaine, I was surprised my invitation hadn’t been revoked.
Asher was quiet, too quiet; but his dad... well, his dad was deadly silent.
Thankfully, we pulled into the parking lot within minutes, and Mr. Bennet cut the engine. “We’ll see the two of you inside,” he said, motioning for his wife to join him. They disappeared inside leaving me with Asher.
“Tell me there’s a reasonable explanation for him being here?”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I ground out, not liking the accusation in his voice.
“You told me he didn’t know where you were. You looked me in the eye and told me—”
“I didn’t tell him.” My blood ran cold. “He convinced my friend, Shona, to tell him. She tried to call me, but it was too late.”
Asher ran a hand down his face, cussing under his breath.
“Ash...” I laid a hand on his arm, hating the distance between us. “Seeing him surprised me as much as it did you.”
“So that’s your ex?” A sad smile tipped the corner of his lips. “I thought he’d be... taller.”
I managed a small laugh. “When I talk to him later, I’ll tell him he can’t be here. That it’s over. I’ll make him—”
The color drained from his face and I knew I’d messed up. “You’re not seriously going to meet him?”
Guilt slithered around my heart. “I have to. If I don’t...” I didn’t like to think about what Jermaine would do. No, the only logical plan was to meet and talk to him and hope I could make him see sense.
“I’ll come with you,” Asher said, defiance burning in his eyes.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Yanking his arm away, Asher folded into himself. “Do you still want him?” His eyes slid to mine, the vulnerability in his expression like a hammer to the chest, cracking my ribs wide open and leaving my heart bloody on the floor.
“No. No, Asher. I love you. I’m in love with you. But Jermaine is... complicated. I have to talk to him.” I shuffled across the seat and cupped his face, gently pressing my forehead to his. “I am so sorry he’s here. But he’s a part of my past, a part of who I am. I thought you accepted that.”
His hand drifted to my cheek. “I do. I just... shit, Mya. Seeing the two of you like that. I wanted to kill him with my bare hands.”
My eyes fluttered shut as I drew in a harsh breath. I didn’t want Asher anywhere near Jermaine. It had been hard enough watching the two of them square up to one another while Jason and Felicity all but dragged me away.
“We should go inside,” he said, breaking the heavy silence. “Everyone is waiting.”
I leaned in to kiss him, but Asher turned his head, my lips grazing his jaw. His rejection burned through me like acid. But I couldn’t blame him. Knowing about my past with Jermaine was one thing, having it shoved in his face was another.
We climbed out of his dad’s car and walked into Bell’s together, despite the growing distance between us. Felicity and Hailee came straight up to me while Asher disappeared into the sea of people gathered to celebrate the Raider’s win.
“Are you okay?” Flick asked, her eyes gleaming with concern.
“I can’t believe he’s here.” I swallowed hard. “He’s not supposed to be here.”
The second I’d turned on my cell and saw all the missed calls from Shona I knew something was wrong. But it was the single text of Jesse that confirmed it. Jermaine and his guys had followed Shona home to an empty house and threatened to trash the place if she didn’t tell him where I was. I knew my best friend and I knew how feisty she was, and deep down, I knew she wouldn’t have given up my whereabouts unless she felt she had no other choice.
“Where is he now?” Hailee asked.
“I told him I’d meet him later to talk.”
“What the hell, Mya?” Flick’s eyes almost bugged out of her head. “You know that is a bad idea. Asher will—”
“What else would you have me do?” I gritted out, trying to hide the nervous energy coursing through me.
Her eyes flitted past me and I didn’t need to turn around to know who was watching me. “Okay,” she let out a weary sigh, “let’s just try to get through dinner and then we can figure out what to do.”
With a small nod, I followed them to the long table Jerry had arranged for us. Mr. Bennet sat at the head of it, with Asher to his left and his wife to his right. His cold gaze met mine as he said, “Jason, son, why don’t you move up one and let the girls sit together?”
He didn’t need to say the words for me to know I was being cut out. I glanced at Asher, half-expecting him to come to my defense, but he didn’t, not this time.
My blood ran cold.
What had started as one of the best days of my life, standing in the bleachers wearing my boyfriend’s number as I cheered him and his team on, was turning into my worst nightmare.
As I took my seat between Felicity and Hailee, I’d never felt more of an outsider. Felicity grabbed my hand under the table and squeezed. “Just breathe,” she whispered.
Cameron’s mom sat opposite me, a picture of happiness as she played with Xander who sat between her and Mr. Chase.
“What’s your name?” he asked me.
“Hi, I’m Mya.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mya,” Cameron’s mom smiled. “I’m Cameron and this little monster’s mom. You’re Asher’s girlfriend, right?”
I nodded, too choked up to reply.
“Asher ot a irlfriend.” Xander picked up his sippy cup and thrust it in the air, sending juice flying everywhere. “Asher kissy his irlfriend.”
Cameron, Hailee, and his parents smothered their laughter while the other end of the table remained quiet. It was like being stuck between sunshine and a thunderstorm.
“Xander, remember what we talked about, buddy?” Cameron gave his little brother his best serious stare.
“Me gots to behave if I want to be a big boy.”
“That’s right, buddy.”
“Cam?” A little grin tugged at his mouth.
“Yeah, Xan?”
“Do you kissy Ailee still?”
Quiet laughter came from the dreary end of the table and I peeked around Felicity and Jason at Asher. A half-smile barely hid his amusement. But when his eyes met mine, it melted away replaced with regret.
God, I hated this.
I hated that Jermaine, and his dad, and my aunt, had the power to come between us so easily.
I hated that no matter how much we tried to be strong, there would always be something—or someone—trying to come between us.
Asher looked away first, giving the server his full attention. Cameron’s mom offered me a knowing smile, but i
t did little to ease the tightness in my chest, because not only did I have to survive this dinner.
I also had to survive seeing Jermaine again.
For the next hour, I ate and smiled and pretended that on the inside it wasn’t killing me to sit there and act as if everything was okay.
In some ways, it was a relief I wasn’t seated closer to Asher and his parents. Xander provided constant amusement, entertaining us with his random toddler outbursts, and Mr. and Mrs. Chase were both warm and friendly, treating me with the respect Mr. Bennet hadn’t afforded me. But I’d kept an ear on the conversation between Asher’s and Jason’s parents. Surprisingly, Mr. Ford didn’t bring up football, and I wondered if Jason had warned him to not mention it.
“A toast,” Mr. Bennet’s deep voice commanded our attention. He stood up, glass raised. “To good friends and future adventures.”
Everyone lifted their drinks, a collective chorus of, “good friends and future adventures,” echoing around us.
He was a good actor, giving no hint at the real man hiding beneath an expensive suit and fat checkbook.
“You’re all welcome to join us back at the house for a nightcap.”
“Oh, we couldn’t possibly,” Cameron’s mom said. “We have to get this little monster home to bed.”
“Of course,” Mrs. Bennet gave her friend a weak smile.
“Kent, Denise?”
“Not tonight, Andrew. Early start in the morning. But thank you for dinner. You didn’t have to pick up the tab.”
“Don’t be silly, Kent. What’s a little dinner between friends?” They shook hands and Jason’s dad helped Mrs. Raine-Ford into her coat.
I stood too. “I’m going to go,” I said to Hailee and Felicity. The sooner I met with Jermaine, the sooner I could try to put today behind me.
“Thank you for a lovely dinner.” I forced myself to look at Mr. Bennet. His jaw clenched as he gave me a brief nod.
“Goodnight, Mya.” Mrs. Bennet rose, beckoning me around the table. I went to her and she wrapped her slim arms around me. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “But please, don’t give up on my boy. He needs you, more than you know.”