Rebellious: A Best Friends-To-Lovers Romance

by Kristy Marie

  Vee pulls several dresses from my closet, ignoring the cute comment I made about her and Sebastian. “Hurry and change or you’ll be late to your own graduation.”

  Usually, I’m the responsible one between the two of us, but these last few days, knowing I’m leaving my crew behind, I’ve been lax. I haven’t cleaned. I haven’t washed clothes. I’ve basically been bribing Bennett and the boys to do all this crazy shit with me, like bungee jumping. Had Vee been home when I thought of it, I would have made her come too.

  “Have you been instructed to escort me to the ceremony?” I ask, picking up one of the black dresses she laid out.

  She flops down on my bed, her Doc Martens boots dangling off the side. “Yep. Your dad doesn’t think you’ll make it to the graduation ceremony if Bennett takes you.”

  He has a valid concern.

  It’s not like I haven’t tried to convince Bennett to ditch the ceremony with me and take a road trip across the country. We could visit Vee’s brother in California, see Vegas, swim in Lake Michigan. We could spend eight blissful weeks together with no interruptions.

  But he wouldn’t go for it.

  Not when our parents are hosting the annual carnival for the foundation this weekend. They called us to help, and Bennett, always the favorite, would never disappoint our families.

  “Asp.” Vee’s voice is soft. “Are you about to cry?”

  I shake off the depressing thoughts. “I’m fine,” I tell her, wiping the tears on the back of my hand.

  I don’t remember when she sat up, but suddenly she’s standing, clasping my hands. “Everything will be okay,” she lies. “Bennett will stop all these rules.”

  I shake my head, but she keeps going. “He will. I know it. Once he realizes he has no other options after this summer, he’ll break his rules. He has to.”

  He won’t. I know Bennett. “I thought the rules would be temporary, you know?” I pull us down to the floor, our backs against the bed. “I told myself if I played along, he’d eventually break.” A tear slips down my face. “Eleven years later and those damn rules still keep us apart.”

  Vee lets go of my hand and wipes my face. “Drew said Bennett was thinking of transferring schools.”

  I suck in a breath. “He’s said nothing to me.”

  She shrugs. “Maybe he didn’t want to say anything until he was sure?”

  My heart flutters in my chest. Could Bennett possibly be considering coming with me?

  Vee smiles, but it’s strained. “Maybe he’s changing the rules?”

  Graduation flew by in a blur of photo ops. All I wanted to do was yank Bennett into a corner and demand to know what he planned to do about transferring. All he’s ever wanted is to go pro and get into the NFL. If he transfers now, he’ll be required to wait a year in order to play college ball again.

  Therefore, any transfer will take him longer to graduate and to enter the draft. As we all know, Bennett is sensible. Considering a transfer is very unlike him. Bennett doesn’t make rash decisions. That’s my job.

  “Alright, our dinner reservation is in fifteen minutes. Let’s load up.” My mom, God bless her, breaks up the bazillion hugs.

  I almost high-five her, but she, too, pulls me in for a hug. “You’re riding with me, Angel,” she announces, knowing I would make a beeline to Bennett’s SUV as soon as the hugs stopped. “I haven’t seen you all day.”

  Technically, I saw her this morning, but my dad whisked her away before we had any time to chat. “Sure.” I flash her a smile. I have missed her, but right now, I need to corner Bennett and coerce answers from him.

  I turn, searching for Bennett in the crowd. Our uncle Hayes has him boxed-in, each of his little girls on an arm. I can’t make out what they’re saying, but if I had to guess, I would say it’s football related since every few breaths, Hayes acts like he’s about to throw a ball. Instead of a ball, though, he jostles Honor and Maya around as if they’re footballs.

  Bennett catches me watching and holds my gaze. It’s in times like these I wish we had a secret language we could use to communicate. I could use sign language—Bennett and I are both fluent—but so is the rest of the family. Before Vee’s father and brother had surgery, they were hearing impaired. Bennett and I grew up signing when we spoke. We haven’t practiced in years, but that doesn’t mean if I signed right now, my family wouldn’t pick up every word.

  I sigh. Now is not the time. I’ll just have to pin him down later. Wiggling my fingers, I wave to Bennett and follow Mom to her car. “Is Dad not coming?” I ask.

  Her brows raise as she eyes me from over the hood. “I thought you and I needed some alone time.”

  Oh no. I didn’t learn how to corner Bennett on my own. I learned it from the best, this woman right here.

  “What do you know?” I sigh.

  She winks, opening the car door. “More than you think.”

  Fabulous. Just what I needed today.

  Getting in, I buckle up, watching as Bennett pulls Drew out from the driver’s seat of his SUV, only for Cade to pull Bennett out, and make them both get in the back seat. Bennett may be a bossy badass around me, but he’s a respectable man around his father. And that behavior does all kinds of things to my heart.

  “Your dad and I are excited to have you home for a while.”

  I pull my gaze away from Bennett’s SUV and smile at my mom. Her tequila-gold hair, the same shade as mine, is pulled up into a twist. She’s dressed up tonight in a black pantsuit, all fancy business and not like the mom I know whose wardrobe consists of leggings and t-shirts.

  “Yeah,” I confirm, “it’ll be good to be home for a while.”

  Although I’d rather spend the summer at our vacation home on the lake.

  “Your brother said he and Drew are only staying through the weekend.” She makes a face. “Just long enough to help with the carnival.”

  My brother has the right idea. “I thought Bennett and I could stay at the lake house for a few weeks before I have to leave too.”

  “And where are you going exactly? I’ve heard rumors.”

  She thinks she’s being cute with the whole rumor thing, but I know her, and I know she’s been snooping. “You opened my mail?”

  She taps the steering wheel. “I didn’t open it, no. I just received a call from a concerned party.”

  Does anyone in this family keep a freaking secret?

  I sigh. “Uncle Thad called you, didn’t he?”

  Unlike the rest of my uncles, Thad is my biological uncle. He and my dad are twins. Their relationship is weird—not like Bennett and Drew’s.

  “He did.” My mom laughs. “He’s concerned about his safety.”

  “I don’t know why everyone is scared of Dad.”

  She shakes her head. “Neither do I. He’s just a hateful little teddy bear.”

  I laugh. “Did Thad tell you I was considering working with him?”

  “Mhmm.”

  “And he wondered if I told Dad yet.”

  The SUV slows as she turns into the restaurant. “He did, but what I don’t understand is why? Why haven’t you told us you were considering other options? Especially your father. He thinks you’re headed to Boston at the end of summer.” Her brows raise. “Are you scared of your dad?”

  I scoff. “No.”

  “Then why haven’t you told him?”

  I gaze out the window, watching as my family files into the lot and parks. Automatically, I search for Bennett.

  “Aspen?”

  “I don’t know.” I scrub my hands down my face before I realize I have makeup on, and I probably just made myself look like a feral trash panda. I pull down the visor and flip open the mirror. Fortunately, the makeup Vee applied stayed put—the perks of rooming with a makeup artist.

  Mom shifts in her seat, leaning over and closing the mirror. She takes my hand in hers and forces me to face her. “Tell me, Angel,” she coaxes. “What’s going on in that beautiful little head of yours?”

  D
o I care that she’s talking to me like a baby? Absolutely not. Because as soon as she cocks her head to the side, waiting for my answer, I throw my arms around her neck and let the unshed tears fall.

  She holds me there, tight to her chest, and lets me cry into her shoulder. “Sometimes,” she says, swaying us side to side, “change is scary, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong.”

  I dry my tears on her pretty top. “I don’t know what you’re trying to say,” I mumble.

  She chuckles and pats me on the back, pushing me away so I can look at her. “You can’t force him to change, Aspen.”

  I know she’s talking about Bennett.

  “I don’t want him to change,” I admit, a rogue tear escaping. “I love him exactly as he is, but—”

  She tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “You need to move on, baby.”

  I shake my head. “I just need more time.”

  “You’ve had time, sweetheart. A whole twenty years’ worth.”

  A sob catches in my throat. The truth is agony.

  “Come here,” she says, pulling me back into her arms. “I’m not saying this to be mean. But I’ve been there; I’ve been in your shoes.”

  I highly doubt it.

  “And what I’ve learned is every woman should find herself first.” She pushes me back again and taps her finger to my nose. “Who is Aspen Von Bremen without Bennett Jameson?”

  I just stare at her face, listening to the ridiculous words coming out of her mouth.

  “Is she a sports agent like her uncle Thad? Or is she going to allow her father to influence her into taking a Boston job she doesn’t want—being eye-candy for a camera where no man will respect her talent for knowing baseball stats better than they do?”

  My mom doesn’t pull any punches. “Or does Aspen Von Bremen fill out the LLC paperwork and open her own agency like she secretly wants to?”

  I narrow my eyes. “I knew you opened my mail.”

  She laughs. “It was an accident—Aspen, Anniston, it all looks the same.”

  She is so full of shit.

  “The problem is, Aspen, everything you’re doing is for someone else.” She narrows her gaze on me. “If you take the Boston job, you’ll make your father happy. If you work for Thad…” she arches her brows, “I’m guessing, his downtown office that’s fifteen minutes from campus makes Bennett happy.”

  My mom, the no bullshitter…

  “Bennett doesn’t know about Thad,” I correct her.

  “Does he know you’re considering forfeiting your own dream in order to stay in a relationship that will never be everything you want?”

  I sigh and run my hands through my hair. “I’m not giving anything up for him.”

  “It sounds like you’re considering it.”

  I roll my eyes and she cuts me a stern look. “I’m sorry.” I sigh. “I just need more time with Bennett, Mom.”

  Anniston Von Bremen, the queen of our castle, nods her head. “Take the time, Aspen, but when that time ends, make sure you do what makes you happy.”

  “And if Bennett is what makes me happy?”

  She frowns. “Then—”

  “Why the fuck is Aspen crying?” My dad’s face appears, pressed up against the glass behind Mom. “Open the door, Anniston. Right this second.”

  My mom grins, ignoring my father’s demands.

  Their relationship hits me straight in the chest. What if Bennett never changes his rules? What if he can never love me like my dad loves my mom?

  “Mom,” I whisper, hoping she hears it over my dad’s banging. “Am I a fool for loving someone who can never love me back?”

  My father’s fist beats on the glass. “Swear to God, Anniston, I will break the window. Unlock the door. Tell me what’s wrong with Aspen!”

  My mom reaches for my face. “No. You’re not a fool for loving someone more than you love yourself. But you might have to give Bennett the space to realize he feels the same way about you.”

  I shake my head. “He’ll never break his rules.” Inhaling, I drop my head. “And I can’t ask him to.” One night I broke down and told my mother about Bennett’s rules. I needed to confide in someone, and she was the lucky winner.

  “Who has a flashlight?” My dad still isn’t stopping. He’s determined to get in this car.

  “No, you can’t ask Bennett to break his rules. Trust me, the Jamesons are stubborn men when they want to be, but you can give him the space to change the rules in his own time.” She kisses my cheek. “Now, we need to go before your father really breaks my window.”

  No checking if I’m hard

  Bennett

  Aspen’s eyes are red.

  Even if I hadn’t heard Theo yelling through the window, I would have known she’d been crying as soon as she got out of the car.

  “You want my shrimp?” I glance sideways at my brother. He’s been bored ever since our parents made everyone put their phones in the middle of the table. Now I can’t even text Aspen to meet me in the bathroom to see what’s wrong. All I can do is stare at her puffy face across the table.

  “No,” I tell him. “I don’t want your shrimp.”

  His head cocks to the side. “What crawled up your ass in the past fifteen minutes?” He looks around me as if he’s looking for said ass-crawler.

  “Nothing,” I snap, pushing around the green beans on my plate. As much as I love seeing my family all together, I’d very much like for them to disappear and give me some space with Aspen.

  “Whatever,” he says in a stupid voice. “Pout away then.”

  “I’m not pouting,” I clarify, for no other reason than to convince myself.

  “Could have fooled me.”

  I’m in no mood to deal with Drew’s shit. It was hard enough dealing with the eight million questions from my mom: “What’s wrong with Aspen? Are you two fighting? Is she pregnant?”

  The pregnant question sent a flurry of gasps and a harsh look from my father. Fortunately, my brother and Fenn doubled over laughing, wheezing out between breaths that I wouldn’t even know how to impregnate Aspen.

  “Are you leaving tonight and going home?” Drew asks, thankfully changing the subject.

  “I guess.” I shrug. “That’s what Mom and Dad prefer.”

  Drew nods, lowering his voice. “I’m thinking we ‘accidentally’ fall asleep packing and end up leaving in the morning.”

  “We’re not having a party,” I tell him, already knowing where this line of suggestion is going.

  He scoffs. “Not a party. Just a few friends hanging out.”

  “You want to see a girl?” I guess.

  He licks his lips. “See a girl. Taste a girl. Feel a—”

  I hold up my hand. “I get the point.”

  “It’ll allow you to live out another sinful night with Aspen,” he whispers.

  I don’t react. Instead, I spoon a forkful of green beans into my mouth and chew slowly. He’s right. I could get Aspen alone. We need to talk, and I need to find out what upset her tonight.

  “I’ll think about it,” I say finally.

  My brother claps me on the shoulder. “Sure you will. Meanwhile, it might be best if you stay in your room. I don’t want to be blamed for scarring your virgin eyes.”

  My mother would miss him if I dropped him in the woods somewhere; I’m sure of it.

  “So Bennett. One more year left. What football team is looking good to you?”

  Vee’s father, Tim, is a cool guy. I don’t see him very often anymore, only on holidays.

  “Um, Boston is probably in my top five,” I tell him, ignoring Theo’s groan.

  “Bennett, Boston won’t pay you what Ohio will. Why are you still entertaining their team?”

  Because his daughter is going to Boston.

  “Atlanta is a contender as well, sir.”

  If there’s a chance Aspen will stay here, I want to be prepared.

  Theo rolls his eyes. “Shocker.”

  He knows I will go where his
daughter goes, even if I shouldn’t.

  “You don’t want to go to Texas?” Hayes asks.

  I like Texas, but nothing is there other than their football team. “Nah. I don’t think I’d fit in.”

  “Are you planning on transferring schools?” Aspen blurts out, creating a cacophony of gasps around the table.

  “Are you considering a transfer, Bennett?” It’s my father who responds first. His tone seems calm and easy, but I know he’s not pleased. “You know, making a transfer between two D-1 schools will cause you to lose a year of football. You would have been better off declaring draft in January.”

  I fight the urge to shove my brother out of his chair. I told one fucking person. One! “No, sir. I’m not considering a transfer.”

  My father nods, smiling. “Good man. It wouldn’t make sense to transfer now. You’re better off finishing your senior year and entering the draft.”

  I nod. “I know, sir.”

  “I’m proud that you’re finishing your degree. You never know how long you’ll last in the pros. Look at your uncle Theo.” My father takes a sip of his water. “He only lasted a few years in the Majors.”

  “Jameson,” Theo says casually. “Do not make me hurt your feelings in front of the kids; our wives say it’s distasteful.”

  My father chuckles. He lives for teasing Theo. My mom says if something ever happened to their marriage, she’d be the one to leave. She couldn’t bear for my father and Theo to part.

  “Look, Bennett,” Theo says. “Your father, in his backward logic, is right about getting your education. Should you decide to be like me and leave the pros, you’ll have something to fall back on, like taking care of random men your wife finds on the side of the road.”

  “Excuse me.” Aspen shoves back from the table and darts toward the back. I stand, but her father stops me.

  “Don’t even think about it,” he clips.

  I nod tightly but refuse to sit back down.

  Theo’s eyes narrow. “I don’t know what the problem is between you and my daughter tonight, but you better fix it before you get home.”

  “Aspen and I are fine, sir.” At least we were earlier. I’m not sure what’s happened since that time, but I plan to figure it out.