An hour later, I was busy at the stove when the front door rattled. “Mya?” My aunt’s voice drifted down the hall.
“In the kitchen,” I called back, stirring the pan of tomato sauce.
“Ooh, something smells good.”
“It’s just spaghetti.” Glancing back, I smiled. “How was your day?”
“My feet are ten degrees hotter than hell, but I’ll live. Did you throw in some of those chilies I like?”
“Yep.”
“Good girl. I taught you well.”
Making her extra hot tomato sauce was one of the first things Aunt Ciara taught me when I’d arrived. Everything about my aunt from her five-three stature to her petite frame and sparkling eyes screamed sweet. But Ciara Hernandez liked her food hot. Eyes burning, mouth-watering, get-the-fire-hose hot.
“I saw Mrs. Clements. She said you had a visitor.”
My spine stiffened at the disapproval in her voice. “A friend gave me a ride home, yeah.”
“And did this friend also come inside the house?”
“Aunt C, I’m eighteen.” I kept my cool, offering her a placating smile. “I didn’t think it would be a problem.”
“She also said she thought he was a football player.” Her brow lifted, voice drenched in accusation.
“Asher plays for the team, yes.”
“Mya, girl, don’t be telling me you brought that Bennet boy into my house.”
“He’s just a friend.”
“Yeah, and it was your friendship with Jermaine that landed you here. Do you really want to go—”
“That’s not fair,” I said, quietly feeling the weight of her words settle heavy on my chest.
She clucked her tongue. “Those Raiders are bad news. Walk around this town like they own the damn place. Get away with murder too. I’m not sure I like the idea of you taking up with one of them.”
“I’m not taking up with anyone. There was a storm. He offered me a ride home and it seemed rude to just send him on his way, so I invited him in. It isn’t a big deal.”
Aunt Ciara’s expression softened as she looked to the ceiling, no doubt silently asking the Lord for guidance. When she settled her big eyes back on me, she said, “I know how hard this is for you, Mya. I’ve been there, remember? I’ve walked the path you walk now, except I had no one to turn to or guide me right. You’re here to finish senior year, to get your diploma, and get into a good school. To put your life in Fallowfield Heights behind you. You are such a bright young girl, and you have such a bright future ahead of you, but you have to stay on course.”
“It was just a ride home, Auntie.”
“A ride home with a white athlete who thinks he can take what he wants when he wants without consequence.”
“Auntie, that’s not—”
“I know how it sounds.” She sighed. “But it’s the truth, whether you want to hear it or not.”
There was no use arguing with her. Aunt Ciara was a woman scorned, her heart still wounded by the young man who’d promised her the world and gave her nothing but a broken heart and countless black eyes.
“I don’t pick my friends based on the color of their skin, Aunt C. That’s not who I am.”
“And I wouldn’t want you to. You’re better than that. But the lines blur so easily, Mya. And boys like that Asher Bennet and his football friends are used to the people falling at their feet.”
I went back to stirring the tomato sauce. “We’re just friends,” I uttered again.
But every time I said the words, the lie coiled a little tighter around my heart. Because I wasn’t sure me and Asher were just friends. Yet, I knew we could never be more.
So where the hell did that leave us?
Chapter Four
Asher
“Fee, baby, can we talk?” I jogged up beside Felicity, laughing when she gave me her deer-caught-in-headlights expression. “Chill, Jase is in the gym. He’ll never have to know.” With a wink, I slung my arm around her shoulder.
“Asher! You can’t do that. If Jason sees… you know how jealous he gets.” She batted my arm and it fell away, much like my bravado.
“So it’s like that, huh?” I pouted dramatically. “Fine. I’ll just have to go harass Hailee. At least she won’t—”
“I didn’t say we couldn’t talk.” Felicity smiled. “It’s just Jason is really wound up about the exhibition game. I’m worried about him.”
“Thatcher is off the team. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“I know that, and you know that, but Jason is…”
“Jason,” I said, needing no further explanation. “I’ll talk to him.”
“Thanks. I tried to help him last night, but he didn’t want to know.”
“Are you sure you were doing it right?” I frowned, fighting a smirk. “Because it’s not that difficult, Fee, baby. You just put the p—”
“Asher, stop!” she shrieked, swatting my chest, her soft laughter washing over me. It wasn’t so long ago I’d work hard to hear that sound. But that was before I realized she was meant to be with my best friend. Now I loved her like a sister.
And I needed a sisterly favor.
“What do you want?” she asked, trading out some books in her locker.
“So this is going to sound weird but I don’t have anyone else to ask.”
“Okay.” Her brows bunched together as she glanced over at me.
“It’s about Mya.”
“Oh no; no you don’t.” She slammed her locker closed. “I’m not getting in the middle of whatever weird thing you two have going on.”
Weird thing?
“Did Mya say something to you about me?”
“I wouldn’t tell you if she did. She’s my friend. And you’re...” Felicity hesitated.
“Also your friend?” My lip curved.
“Well, yes, but it’s different. You’re my boyfriend’s best friend. And Mya is one of my best friends. I can’t be in the middle of this. Whatever this is.”
“I need to know what happened with her ex.”
“Oh hell no, Asher Bennet,” her voice rose again but Felicity quickly schooled her panic. “You can’t ask me that.” Her hand wrapped around my arm pulling me into the locker, carving out a sliver of privacy in the emptying hall. “What kind of question is that?”
“Well, I thought it was a perfectly reasonable question until you went all psycho on me.” I grinned because making light of things was my default setting. Even if I wanted to kidnap Felicity and hold her hostage until she told me every little detail about Mya and her ex.
She reared back, studying me. “Did something happen between the two of you?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Asher…”
“Fine. I may have let it slip out I thought she was beautiful. Yep, I may have said that.”
Fuck.
I felt like a giant pussy admitting it. But if anyone would understand it was Felicity Giles.