by L A Cotton
“And if she doesn’t show?”
“She’ll show,” he said with absolute conviction.
“How can you be so sure?” I asked him, bouncing on the balls of my feet.
My heart had been in my throat all fucking day. It had all seemed like the perfect plan when I was putting it all together, but now as I stood on the football field, surrounded by my teammates, I wasn’t so sure.
If she didn’t come... fuck, I didn’t want to fall to my knees and cry like a pussy in front of them all, but I was pretty certain that’s exactly what would happen.
Cam was on his phone when he glanced up. “Showtime.”
“They’re here.” My pulse spiked.
“They’re here.” He gave me a reassuring nod. He’d been great about this whole thing. Jason too. It hadn’t been easy aligning all the pieces, but we’d called in some favors here and there, and I may have dropped my father’s name once or twice; but this was it, make or break.
“Okay,” I said jogging into position. “See you on the other side.” It was impossible to see her, my vision blocked by the wall of bodies all facing the bleachers where I knew Hailee and Felicity had led Mya to wait. I could imagine her standing there in my jersey, wondering what the fuck was going on.
At least, I hoped she was.
“Who are we?” Jason roared.
“Raiders,” my teammates voices echoed through the air.
“I said who are we?”
“RAIDERS.”
“And what are we?”
“Family.”
“And what are we gonna do?” Jason glanced back at me, giving me a sharp nod.
“Get the girl,” they yelled in unison.
“I said what are we gonna do?”
“Get the girl!”
Adrenaline pumped through me as the guys began to close rank, jogging into two lines—offense and defense—until they were stacked in front of me in a long vertical ladder leading straight to Mya.
Grady glanced back, shooting me a shit-eating grin. “You got this, bro,” he mouthed, and I nodded.
I’d done some questionable things over the last four years. Partied too hard. Fucked too many girls. And partied some more. I’d lied to my friends and played a role in a game I never wanted any part of. I’d grown bitter and resentful and I’d dealt with it the only way I knew how—by plastering on a fake smile and making some lame ass wisecrack and raising a glass to the perfect life everyone thought I had.
But this, standing here waiting for my cue, was the first time I felt at peace. There wasn’t a single doubt that this was the right decision.
Now all I had to do was convince Mya.
The opening beat to Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons boomed over the PA system and slowly, pair by pair, the two lines separated until I could finally see her.
Mya.
My Mya wearing my number, staring at me as if I’d lost my ever-loving mind.
Maybe I had.
Maybe this was an over-the-top cheese fest of epic proportions. But she deserved it. Mya deserved to know unequivocally that I loved her and that I chose her. And what better way to show her than in the presence of my teammates. My brothers.
My Raiders family.
I jogged toward her, high-fiving my teammates on the way down. When I’d first asked them to help me out, they’d all given me a ton of shit and Grady had asked to see my newly grown vagina. But Jason, being Jason, had soon insisted they fall in line. We were a team. And if one of us needed help, we stepped up. End of.
Slowing my pace, I came to a stop just in front of Mya.
“Hi,” she said softly.
“Hi, yourself.”
“I... I don’t even know what to—” Her eyes widened to saucers as they finally took me in. “Asher...” she croaked.
“Yes, babe?” The corner of my mouth tipped as realization slowly seeped into her expression.
“Why are you wearing that?”
“What this?” I pinched the cherry and white jersey and pulled it away from my chest. “Figured I should get used to it.”
“B- but why?”
I took a step closer. “Because come fall, I’m going to be playing for the Temple Owls.”
“You are?” The surprised expression on her face was adorable.
I nodded, fighting a grin. “It isn’t official yet, but it will be soon enough. What do you think?” Turning on the spot, I paused long enough for her to get a good look at the name printed on the back.
“Hernandez,” she whispered.
“That’s right, babe.” I faced her again, closing the distance between us. “You’re wearing my name and I’m wearing yours. Do you know what that means?”
Her lips parted but the words got stuck.
“It means,” I leaned in, hovering my lips over hers, “I’m yours and you’re mine.”
“I think I like the sound of that,” her voice quivered, but the smile on her face said it all.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” she breathed. “There’s just one tiny problem.”
I reared back, my brows bunched together. “I won’t be at Temple in the fall.”
“You won’t?”
What the actual fuck?
Mya shook her head. “I won’t be there… because I accepted the place at Cleveland.”
“You what? I’m not following.”
Guilt sparkled in her eyes. “After that night at Felicity’s, I knew there was no way I could walk away from you. I just needed time to figure things out. So I accepted the place at Cleveland. I was waiting for the right time to tell you.”
Cupping the back of her neck, I drew her close to me. “Well, you’re going to need to un-accept it. I want Temple, Mya. I want Temple with you.”
“You’re sure?”
“More than anything. Where you go, I go, Hernandez.” Her body relaxed against me at my words.
“But what about your dad?”
I eased back to look at her. “Who do you think pulled some strings with the administration at Temple?”
“He did?”
“He owed me, and now,” I kissed the end of her nose, “now we’re even.”
“I don’t know about this.” Mya drummed her hand against her thigh as I pulled into a parking bay at the hospital and cut the engine.
“Hey,” I said, leaning over to take her hands in mine. “Stop overthinking it.”
“I’m not... it’s just...”
“You’re scared?”
She nodded, her bottom lip trembling. Without hesitation, I closed the distance between us and captured her mouth in a deep kiss. My other hand buried into her hair, loving how soft her spiral curls felt against my skin. “I love you, Mya. Nothing will ever change that.”
“She really wants to see me?”
Emotion clogged my throat. After I’d sat and told my mom the plan I had to win back Mya, she’d looked at me with such pride, I may have shed a tear or two. Then she’d slowly uttered that she wanted to see my girlfriend as soon as possible.
“She does,” I choked out, brushing my thumb over Mya’s neck. “But if you’re not ready—”
“I’m ready.” Conviction burned in her eyes.
“That’s my girl.”
We climbed out of my Jeep and made our way inside. A couple of people stared, glancing at our joined hands, disapproval shining in their eyes, but it only made me hold her tighter.
I was done caring what people thought.
“I hate these places, so much,” Mya murmured as we stepped into the elevator.
I moved behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and dropping my chin to her shoulder. “Yeah, I’ll be glad when she’s finally home.” But I knew it could be a while. Mom was showing progress, but the doctors were concerned about the extent of the damage caused to her brain.
“I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself,” Mya whispered.
“Hey, don’t do that. We promised, remember? Jermaine did this, not you. If I hadn
’t gone for him—”
“He would have shot you or me.”
Silence enveloped us as we waited for the doors to ping open.
“When we walk out of here, we do it together, okay? And we leave the past where it belongs.”
Mya turned in my arms, gazing up at me with so much love it knocked the air from my lungs. “Together.” She leaned up to kiss me, but all too soon the doors pinged open and the noise of the busy hospital floor cut through our intimate moment.
We walked hand-in-hand to Mom’s room. Dad had made a substantial donation to the hospital to give her the best room available. It had a couch and a foldaway bed that Dad slept on most nights. He’d even gone as far as to notify all his clients he was taking an extended leave of absence to care for Mom.
It was more than I ever expected but no less than she deserved.
It shouldn’t have taken almost losing Mom for him to step up to the plate, but I was just relieved he’d come through when she needed him most.
She stirred the second we entered the room. “Hey, Mom,” I said, letting go of Mya to move next to the bed. “I brought someone to see you.”
Mom’s eyes tracked Mya as she approached us. My heart jack-hammered in my chest, my palms growing slick. I knew Mom didn’t want me to bring Mya here for any other reason than she wanted my girlfriend to know she didn’t blame her. But there was still a seed of doubt. A tiny part of me that expected the rug to be pulled from under me at any second. Mom didn’t blame Mya. Dad has conceded and helped me with Temple University, albeit begrudgingly.
It all felt too good to be true.
But when Mom lifted a shaky hand toward Mya and my girl fell at the side of her bed, clasping her hand with tears rolling down her cheeks, I knew we were going to be okay.
The past had hurt us all, but it hadn’t destroyed us.
I watched as the two most important women in the world to me shared an intimate moment. Mom had pulled Mya close, barely saying a word, but she didn’t need to. Her eyes said everything she couldn’t yet say.
“A- Ash...”
I went to Mya, covering their joined hands with my own. “I love you both, so much. And I know we’ll get through this, okay? Because we’re going to need you healthy and happy one day, Mom.”
Her eyes widened and I chuckled. “Don’t worry we’re not making you a grandma... yet.” I winked at her, but Mya’s elbow caught me in the ribs.
“I am so sorry Mrs.... Julia. You know how he gets when he’s excited about something. But you don’t need to worry. We plan on going to college before any of that happens.”
“We’ll see,” I grumbled, wrapping myself around her and kissing her neck. I knew people would think we were too young, too irresponsible to know what we wanted in life. But I’d been looking out for myself, craving love and attention, for as long as I could remember.
And now I’d found it?
I didn’t plan on ever letting it go.
“Now there’s a sight for sore eyes,” I said gruffly at the sight of Mya standing there in nothing but my Raiders jersey and her black lace panties.
After spending the afternoon with my mom, I’d persuaded her to come home with me. We’d ordered in and gone down to the home theater room to watch a movie. It was nice. Normal.
It was a slice of heaven in the living hell we’d been through the last few weeks.
Now we were upstairs, ready to sleep. But I hadn’t expected her to come out of the bathroom wearing my jersey.
“I thought you’d like it.” She toyed with the hem of the material, flashing me her smooth caramel thighs.
I pushed up on one elbow, letting my eyes rake over her. She was so beautiful, and every inch of her was mine.
Would be for a very long time if I had anything to say about it.
“I thought we were going to sleep?” I said, tracking her movements as she approached the bed.
“We are.” Mya smiled coyly, longing glittering in her eyes.
I swung my leg over the bed and curved my hand around her waist, drawing her closer, letting her settle between my legs. “Thank you for today. I know it wasn’t easy.”
She gazed down at me. “I’m glad I went. I think, in a way, I needed to see her. I needed to know she didn’t blame me.”
“No one blames you, Mya. Not even my old man.” Her brow rose at that. “He’ll come around.” And if he didn’t, it didn’t matter. He’d cut me loose from my Bennet empire obligations and stepped up to take care of Mom.
If I never spoke to him again, we were even, and I could live with that.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “I don’t need his approval.”
“That’s my girl.” I curled a hand into the hem of the jersey and pushed it up her body so I could kiss her navel.
“Ash...” she breathed, letting her fingers play with my hair.
“I don’t think I want to sleep anymore.” It was late and we had school tomorrow but all I could think about now was being buried deep inside her.
“We really should—”
“Ssh.” I kissed her stomach again, swirling my tongue around her belly button. “I can be quick.”
“Not too quick I hope.” She pulled my hair, demanding my eyes.
I smirked at her sass. “Don’t ever change, Mya. Not for me. Not for anyone.” My hands slid down her back to palm her ass, guiding her down into me. Mya kneeled either side of me, lowering herself down slowly. I imagined her naked, taking my rock-hard dick inside her.
“Fuck,” I rasped as she wiggled against me, sending sparks of pleasure shooting up my spine. “Not enough,” I whispered, my lips finding the hollow of her neck as I gathered her wild curls in one hand and pressed her closer. I wanted to taste every inch of her, devour her. I wanted to brand her with kisses and imprint myself on her soul.
I wanted to bind us in every way possible.
But something told me Mya would rip me a new one if I got down on one knee and spontaneously proposed. So for now, I settled for kissing her. For letting my hands wander beneath my jersey, tracing letters of love on her skin.
“What do you want, Mya?” I kissed the corner of her mouth. “Tell me what you want.”
“You,” she said softly. “I just want you.”
“You have me, all of me.”
“Show me.” Her eyes flared with lust.
“Show you?” I arched a brow. “It would be my pleasure.” Guiding her down onto the bed, I settled over Mya and brushed my nose over hers, pecking her lips. Letting my tongue slide into her mouth, pouring every ounce of love I felt into her. We’d made it. We’d overcome the odds.
Our past and present had collided in a way neither of us saw coming, but the future?
The future was ours.
Epilogue
Mya
Three months later...
“Mya Hernandez,” Principal Finnigan called my name and I moved across the stage, the chorus of cheers and whistles making my cheeks heat. My eyes found Asher across the stage where he stood with the rest of our graduating class, his eyes alight with happiness.
“I love you,” he mouthed, and I grinned. God, I loved him. I loved his over the top boyfriend antics and the way he wasn’t afraid to tell me he loved me every second of every day.
I loved him so much I was already dreaming of crazy things like moving into our first apartment and getting married and having cute blue-eyed, blond-haired, dark skinned babies.
I was that girl now.
Completely smitten. Completely gone.
Completely his.
And I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.
After everything that had happened with Jermaine, Julia, and Asher’s dad, and even Kellie Ginly, I knew we could weather whatever storm hit us next. Because I wasn’t naïve; I knew there would be other people out there who didn’t approve of our relationship.
They could all go fuck themselves for all I cared.
Asher Bennet was mine, and I was his.
> And nothing was ever going to change that.
“Fuck, you looked hot out there.” Asher hooked his arm around my waist and attacked my mouth, planting big wet sloppy kisses all over my face.
“Ash...” I chuckled, pressing my hands against his chest. “Stop, we’re in—”
“Don’t care, babe.” His warm breath tickled my ear. “I don’t fucking ca—”
Someone cleared their throat and we both turned slowly to find Mr. Bennet standing there glaring at us. “Dad,” Asher mumbled. “Your timing is impeccable as always.”
“Asher,” he regarded his son. “Mya.”
Mr. Bennet no longer looked at me like I was dirt on his shoe, but he hadn’t exactly welcomed me into the family with open arms either. He was amicable. Polite and civil, but he made no efforts to get to know me.
Strangely, I was okay with that.
He needed to focus on his wife and helping her heal. Even if he had a problem with me still—and part of me knew he probably did—Julia called the shots now. And she loved me in a way I never saw coming.
In a way I wasn’t sure I deserved.
“Is Mom—”
“A- Ash.”
Asher broke away from me and went to his mom, falling into her open arms. We weren’t sure she would make it to graduation, but Julia was defying her doctors at every turn. Proving to everyone she was strong.
“Mya.” Her eyes met mine over his shoulder, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “I- I’m p- proud of you.” She stumbled over the words a little, but her speech was improving every week.
“I’m so happy you made it Mrs... Julia.”
She beamed, gently pushing Asher to arm’s length. “W- wouldn’t m... m- miss it for the world.”
“I love you, Mom.” Asher’s voice cracked. “I love you so damn much.” He reached back, searching for my hand. I slid my fingers into his and his shoulders immediately dropped, relief oozing from him.
“My two favorite girls,” he said, glancing between us, so much emotion in his blue gaze my breath caught.