The Game You Play: A Rixon Raiders Novel

by L A Cotton

  “You’d be surprised where people dump their unwanted pets.”

  My heart clenched as I found the long-eared rabbit in a special cage away from the other animals. He was so cute and defenseless; the idea someone could just toss him away made my heart ache.

  “So when an animal first arrives, the first port of call is a full health check...” For the next ten minutes, George explained how they processed new animals and how they used a digital matching service to try and rehome as many animals as possible.

  “The average stay with us is eleven weeks, which means we’re doing a fairly good job of finding animals new compatible homes. We have a thorough screening process and insist potential adopters attend one of our information sessions before jumping headfirst into anything. And we’re proud to hold an eighty-five percent rehoming success.”

  “Eighty-five percent? But what happens to the other fifteen percent?”

  “Oh, they usually become lifers here or we transfer them to a more suited center.” He moved over to a cage and crouched down. “Now this is Boomer. He’s a black lab who’s been with me since the beginning.”

  The dog stared up at me, leaning up to sniff the air around me. “Hi there, boy.”

  “You want to meet him? He’s as friendly as they come.”

  “I’d love to.” A little thrill shot through me as George unlocked the cage and pulled open the front gate.

  “He’s a little unsure of new faces so give him a minute.”

  “Hey, Bo—”

  The huge dog leaped toward me, knocking me back onto my butt.

  “I think you have a fan,” George chuckled but I had my hands full of dog as Boomer nudged and licked my face, coaxing me to run my hands through his soft, glossy fur.

  “And George said you were shy.” I glanced over at him and he blushed a little. He was kind of cute, made ten times cuter by the fact he cared for all these animals.

  But I wasn’t here to crush on George, I was here to soak up everything I could about what it entailed to work in a place like A Brand New Tail.

  “You like that, huh?” I scratched under Boomer’s neck and he lifted his head from side to side so I could get better access.

  “Okay, Boom, back in you go. Joseph isn’t on shift today, but I’ll make sure you get to stretch those legs later.” He patted Boomer on the head before gently herding him back into his cage.

  “They all get daily exercise?”

  “They do. Twice a day. And then Joseph usually has them out in small groups in the yard. It’s important for socialization and preparation for their new homes.”

  I nodded, eagerly soaking up every word. “I always wanted a dog or a cat, but my mom was concerned about allergies.”

  “I have three pets.” George scooped a handful of doggy treats out of a jar and began working his way down the low row of cages. “A spaniel and two cats.”

  “Where did you study?”

  “I did animal science at Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine. I graduated last year, got my licenses, and Regina offered me the position of center manager.”

  “Wow, that’s amazing.”

  “I always imagined I’d work at a veterinary clinic, but once I started volunteering here, I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. There’s something magical about bringing together a rescue pet and a new owner.” Pride radiated from every word and I realized I wanted that. I wanted to make a difference to animals and people.

  “You have that look,” he observed.

  “I do?”

  “Yeah,” he smiled, “The newbie sparkle. I remember it well. It looks good on you.” His eyes widened at his slip of the tongue, and I smothered a giggle.

  George was flirting with me. It was probably unintentional and harmless, but it felt nice all the same.

  “And that was really inappropriate. I’m sorry. Sometimes I speak before I think. I can assure you, I’m usually much more professional.”

  “It’s okay.”

  Awkward silence stretched out before us despite the little flutters in my chest.

  “So, hmm, yeah this is the ‘zoo’. We also have a surgical room, a recovery room, and a couple of isolation pens for the worst cases.”

  “It hurts my heart knowing people can be so cruel to something so cute.”

  “We see it all here. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart, but it only makes it all the more rewarding when a dog who has only ever known neglect and abuse finds a loving home. You want to see the rest of the place?”

  Nodding eagerly, I said, “I’d love to.”

  I ended up staying most of the afternoon. George was happy to talk shop and I was more than willing to listen. It couldn’t have gone better... until he reminded me there were no volunteer openings, and the bottom fell out of my happy bubble.

  “Of course, I understand,” I said, wringing my hands in front of me.

  “I think you’d really fit in here.” A gentle blush creeped into his cheeks again and there was no mistaking he was flirting. “But my hands are tied. Hopefully you got a real feel for what it’s like though?”

  “I did, thank you.”

  “Well, it was nice to meet you, Felicity. If you have any questions or need any help with your application, just give me a shout.” He fumbled in his pocket. “Here’s my card.”

  “Thanks.” I plucked it from him and held it close to my chest as if he’d just offered me the universe. “I should probably let you get back to it. Wouldn’t want to keep them waiting.” My head flicked over his shoulder.

  “Yeah, I have big shoes to fill today since Joseph is on vacation.”

  “I’m sure you’ll do a great job.”

  “I’ll try.”

  Neither of us made any effort to move but it was starting to feel awkward, so I gave him a small wave and walked away. It had been such a bittersweet experience; confirming my unexplored desire to work with animals but tempered by a sting of regret. Frustration because I hadn’t been braver to go after what I wanted last year or whenever my mom and dad brought up college.

  And knowing it might have been too late.

  Jason

  I was on the way out when Hailee’s voice stopped me in my tracks. “Maybe you should call George and see if he can...” The conversation became muffled but I caught the odd word.

  Flick.

  Ask.

  Risk.

  “George?” I doubled back and breezed into the kitchen.

  “Good morning to you too,” my step-sister grumbled as she poured herself a glass of juice.

  “So who’s George?” I leaned against the door jamb casually.

  “No one.”

  “You make it too easy sometimes, you know that, right?”

  “And you make it so easy to hate you.” A smirk spread across her face. “Don’t you have to be at school bright and early for practice?”

  “They’ll wait for me.”

  “So arrogant.”

  “So prickly,” I shot back. “So, George?”

  “Is no one.”

  I didn’t like the way she was deflecting. Hailee only usually did that if she didn’t want me to know something. And right now, there was only one person she didn’t want me to know about.

  Felicity.

  “I’ll find out, little sis,” I warned. “One way or another, I’ll find out who George is.” Grabbing an apple from the bowl, I bit into it, sending her a pointed look.

  “You don’t care remember? So why would you possibly want to know who George is?” I glared harder and she chuckled. “Not so arrogant now, are you?” Her brow shot up.

  Without another word I stalked out of the kitchen, the muscle in my jaw working overtime.

  Fucking George.

  It shouldn’t have mattered who he was. He could have been the Giles’ new pool boy or a family friend for all I knew. But it didn’t stop my mind zipping off in a hundred different directions, all of them ending at the same point. George wasn’t no one.

  He wa
s someone, and I fucking hated it.

  By the time I’d arrived at Asher’s house, George had taken on a life of his own. Snowballing into Felicity’s life. Maybe they were dating. Maybe he was an ex looking to rekindle their relationship. Or maybe Felicity was pursuing him. That one especially stung.

  “Good mornin’.” Asher took one look at me when he climbed into my car and let out a low whistle. “What happened now?”

  “Who’s George?”

  “George? Is this some kind of test? Am I supposed to know who George is?”

  “Just answer the fucking question.”

  “Curious George? George Foreman? George Clooney?” Asher mocked, and I stared at him blankly. “No? Well, in that case I have no idea who George is.” My hands tightened around the wheel as I took the turn for school. “I’m guessing from the way you’re strangling the life out of your steering wheel that wasn’t the answer you wanted?”

  “It’s nothing.”

  He snorted. “If you say so.”

  A beat passed. And another. Until I finally choked out, “I heard Hailee on the phone to Felicity.”

  “And what? You’re worried George is swooping in to mend her broken heart? I’d call that a sweet dose of ‘I fucking told you so’.”

  My chest rumbled with indignation as I swallowed my reply. It pained me to say it, but Asher was right.

  “What, no comeback?” he added.

  My eyes slid to his, silently pleading for him to drop it. But I’d picked the wrong friend to confide in for that.

  “Didn’t I tell you this would happen?” Ash ground out. “Felicity is a catch, bro. If you weren’t so hung up on her, I wouldn’t have hesitated to try my luck there. But there are a lot of other guys out there, Jase.”

  “I know. Fuck, you think I don’t know that?” The words came out strained.

  “So what happened?” Out the corner of my eye, I watched as he twisted around, running a hand through his messily styled hair. “Talk to me; let’s try to fix this before it’s too late.”

  “Coach is going to be pissed if we’re late,” I said, deflecting.

  “Jase, man, come—”

  “Just do me a favor and look out for her, yeah?” I lowered my voice, finding an empty parking spot. Cutting the engine, silence descended on us.

  Asher wanted to say more, to argue I was making a huge mistake, but I’d already made my bed. This morning was just a blip. Surprise at hearing her and Hailee talk about another guy so soon. But it was bound to happen eventually. Felicity might have been quirky, but she had a caring personality and the kind of smile that lit up an entire room. Any guy would have been lucky to have her. I would have been lucky to have her. In another life, maybe.

  I shouldered the door, not even bothering to wait for Ash, and headed for the locker room. I needed to hit something. I needed to hurt.

  But most of all, I needed to forget.

  Practice didn’t help much. I skulked through two classes, barely listening to the teachers, before joining my teammates at lunch. They chatted around me, excited for a week’s rest before the first play-off game next weekend.

  “I come bearing good news.” Asher dropped his tray down and sat beside me. “George is no one.” He leaned in, keeping his voice low. “Well, he’s someone, but he’s no one for us to worry about.”

  “Us?” I said coolly, irritation shooting up my spine.

  “Who knew you could be so possessive?” He pinned me with a sarcastic look. “Anyway, George is the manager at a pet rescue place Felicity is trying to get some volunteer experience at.”

  “What the hell does she want to do that for?”

  “I heard Hailee telling Cameron she’s thinking of a switching her degree to animal science or something. But she needs hands-on experience for her application.”

  So George wasn’t some new guy she was dating. I should have felt relief coursing through me.

  I didn’t.

  Because I couldn’t help but wonder if her change of plans had anything to do with my knee-jerk reaction to finding out she had applied to Penn.

  “Okay,” I grunted.

  “Okay?” Ash drawled. “I bring you the four-one-one and all you can say is, ‘okay’?”

  “Like I said before, it doesn’t—”

  “Matter, yeah, I got the memo. Guess you won’t be interested to know George gave Flick his card and told her to call him if she needed anything. I don’t know about you, but that sounds a lot like code for—” Asher groaned with pain as my elbow jammed into his ribs. I casually went back to my sub, pretending like he hadn’t just blown my world wide open.

  So George wasn’t a new guy she was seeing. But by the sounds of it, he wanted to be.

  I’d pushed her straight into his open arms.

  And I didn’t know what the fuck to do with that.

  My mood only got worse as the day went on. So when my cell vibrated as I was walking to my car at the end of the day, and I opened the incoming Snapchat message, I almost saw red. The grainy image was accompanied by only two words.

  Time’s up.

  Fuck.

  Thatcher wasn’t backing down, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could avoid him. Maybe it was better to end it now. Him and me. One on one.

  Against my better judgment, I typed back.

  Name your time and place.

  His reply was instant.

  No man’s land... Friday after sundown.

  It was a stretch of land down by the river not far from The Alley. We used to hang out there when we were kids, before the rivalry between The Raiders and The Eagles became more than just a few harmless high school pranks.

  Done. Just you and me.

  Oh you know it. I’m going to enjoy making you bleed.

  Big words for a guy who’s waited almost eight months to get revenge.

  All good things come to those who wait.

  I didn’t reply. There was no point. We could go around in circles all day about the fact he was choosing now to strike, but it wouldn’t change anything. I just had to figure out a way to walk away from this thing in one piece. Because while he had everything to gain, I had everything to lose.

  I was sitting in the yard, drinking a beer, when Hailee found me. “Out here drinking all alone, it must be bad.”

  “Just needed some air.”

  “Want to talk about it?”

  “No, I really don’t. But thanks for the offer,” I tacked on the end.

  “Someone hold the phone, hell must have frozen over,” she chuckled, dragging another chair over to mine. “You must be excited for the play-offs.”

  “I’m ready. It’s like my whole life has been leading up to this point, you know?”

  “I really don’t.” She gave me a hesitant smile. “But I’ve been around you long enough to know how important this is to you.”

  “So what? We’re friends again?”

  “I’m not sure we were ever friends, but I’m done holding onto so much hate and bitterness. I want to enjoy the rest of senior year.”

  “To non-friends?” I held up my beer and Hailee frowned. “Here,” passing her an empty, I clinked the neck of my bottle against hers.

  “Truce?” she added.

  “I think I can agree to that.”

  “I know I gave you a hard time about Felicity and I’m not going to lie, I spent a couple of days planning on ways to make you pay, but I think I’ve realized it’s for the best.”

  Her words coiled around my lungs making it difficult to breathe.

  “Yeah?” I barely managed to choke out.

  “Yeah. The two of you are from completely different worlds, and football will always be the most important thing to you. And that’s okay. Felicity needs someone solid, someone who can put up with her brand of crazy.”

  “Someone like George?” The words were out before I could stop them.

  “Oh God, please don’t tell me you’re jealous of George?”

  “Should I be?”

/>   Her expression fell. “I really don’t know how to answer that.”

  “So she wants to be a veterinary doctor or something?”

  “Yeah, it’s all kind of new. She was supposed to be studying business like her parents both did. But she made this list and it pushed her to reassess things, to go after things she wouldn’t have before.”

  “Like asshole football players who don’t know what they want?”

  “Exactly like that.” Hailee burst into quiet laughter. “Maybe in another time and place you two would have figured things out.”

  “Maybe.” I liked that idea; Felicity and me together in a few years’ time. Me the hotshot NFL player and her the big-hearted animal doctor.

  “How did you know Chase was the one?” I asked even though I felt fucking stupid the second the words left my mouth.

  “It wasn’t really a case of knowing. It was just a realization that life was better with him around than not, and when things went bad with his mom, I wanted to be there for him. I wanted to be his person.”

  I took a long pull on my beer mulling over her words. “I always thought I was his person.” My lip curved in a half-smirk despite the knot in my gut.

  “One day, you’ll get it. Maybe not now but one day...”

  “I almost had it once you know.”

  “Aimee?”

  “Yeah.” I stared off into the distance remembering a time that felt so long ago but wasn’t that long at all.

  “What happened?” Hailee asked. “I mean, I know a little, but I’d rather hear it from you.”

  Sliding my eyes to hers, I let out a weary sigh. “Aimee was... different. Special.” At least I’d thought she was. But that was before I knew the truth. Before I ever met Felicity and realized what I felt for Aimee was nothing but puppy love.

  “She hurt you?”

  “She didn’t just hurt me, she completely fucking destroyed me.”

  Felicity

  I woke to the sound of my cell vibrating. Leaning over, I fumbled to find it, and lifted it to my ear. “Hello?”

  “Felicity, it’s George.”