“He’s finally asleep.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like that,” she said.
“I’m going to help the guys.” Hailee gave me a smile before leaving us alone.
“What do you know about Asher’s parents?”
“His parents?” Flick frowned. “They’re mega rich.” She glanced around the huge kitchen as if a person’s worth amounted to state-of-the-art appliances and sparkling marble counters.
“Yeah, but what do you know about them? Like, why are they never around?”
“His dad is in the tech business. Developed some security system for rich celebrity types. So he’s away a lot schmoozing them and having meetings, I guess.”
“So you don’t really know?”
“I... I never really thought about it. It’s just always how it’s been. They’re good people though. You know they gave Cameron a room here for when he needed to get away from his family, and Mrs. Bennet used to help his mom out with Xander.”
Xander, Cameron’s little brother, was the cutest kid I’d ever seen, but it didn’t explain anything about Mr. and Mrs. Bennet.
“So they were around more when Asher was younger?”
“They went to his games when they could, but they’ve always travelled a lot.”
“Both of them? Doesn’t that seem a little weird to you?”
“Where’s all this coming from, Mya? Jason and Cameron seem to respect Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. They’re pretty cool parents. If you ask me, Asher’s lucky to have them.”
Lucky to have them.
Asher had mumbled something similar. But he was so wasted it was hard to decipher what was real and what was the liquor talking.
A couple of beats passed before Flick said, “You think something happened with his dad?”
“I’m not sure. He wasn’t making a lot of sense. Hey, don’t tell Jason any of this, okay? I’m not sure Asher will remember any of tonight and I don’t want to seem like I’m poking my nose in where it doesn’t belong.”
“I would never...”
“I know.”
“What will you do?”
“I’m not sure yet. Part of me wants to dig around and find out what’s going on with him, but the other part...”
“Is scared?” Her brow arched.
“I’m not—”
“You like him, don’t you?”
“Felicity, come on. You know I’m not looking for that.”
“I know, but sometimes it comes whether you want it or not.”
“I don’t want to give him the wrong idea about us.”
“Asher is a good guy, Mya. He would never hurt you.” The unspoken words glittered in her eyes.
“It could never work,” I said, mentally running over all the reasons me and Asher were a terrible idea.
“There was a time I would have said the same thing about me and Jason,” Felicity pointed out.
“Yeah, but that’s different.”
“Is it? I know you think you come from different worlds but what’s that saying, ‘opposites attract’? Who knows? Maybe you’re exactly what each other needs.”
My eyes darted to the doorway. “I should probably get home, my aunt will be—”
“Want a piece of advice? Don’t run. These Raider boys have a way of getting what they want, and whether you want it or not, I think Asher wants you.”
I gawked at her, the air sucked clean from my lungs. He’d made no secret of the fact he felt something for me. Even made me admit I felt it too. But everything was so easy for him or, at least, I’d thought it was before tonight. But now I didn’t know what to think. I’d heard no rumors around town about his father; nothing to make me question the kind of childhood he’d had.
From the outside, Asher Bennet had it all.
Money.
Looks.
A bright future ahead of him.
Everyone knew looks could be deceiving though, and I couldn’t shake the feeling there was more to Asher than met the eye.
I knew I should walk away. Walk away and forget all about the football player with the easy smile and glint in his eye. But the fixer in me couldn’t just forget.
Mom always said I was drawn to broken things. Right since I was a little girl and used to feed the neighborhood’s stray cats. Then Jermaine came along with his crooked smile and nose for trouble and that was it, I’d never wanted to fix something as much as I’d wanted to fix him.
“Mya?” Flick’s voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I blinked over at her.
“Yeah?”
“Are you okay?”
“Just tired. I should go.”
“You could always stay here. It’s late and I don’t like the idea of you walking home alone.”
“It’s not that far.” And I’d walked through much worse neighborhoods at night.
“Let me ask Jason—”
“Ask me what?” He appeared at the door, his brows drawn tight.
“Can you give Mya a ride home?”
“It’s fine, I can walk.”
“Come on, tough girl,” he teased. “I only had one beer.”
Riding with Jason, alone, was the last place I wanted to be, but Flick gave me a nod of encouragement before gazing up at him with stars in her eyes. “Thanks, babe,” she said. “I’ll finish cleaning up. Call you tomorrow.” That was for me.
I gave her a tight smile before following Jason out of the house. His restored Dodge Charger glistened in the moonlight. “You going to stand there all night or get in?” he said.
“You didn’t have to do this.”
“You’re one of Felicity’s best friends which makes you my friend. Now get in the damn car.”
Feeling my jaw clench, I yanked open the door and slid inside.
“There,” Jason smirked, “that wasn’t so difficult, was it?”
I shot him a pointed look but he only chuckled.
Silence settled over us as Jason backed out of the Bennet’s large driveway and took the road out of town.
“I take it Felicity told you where I live?”
“There isn’t much she doesn’t tell me,” he said dryly.
“I’ll bear that in mind.”
“How was Ash when you finally left him?”
“Passed out hugging a pillow.”
“He say anything to you?”
“Just a lot of jumbled nonsense. What do you think happened?” I glanced at him sideways, wondering if Jason had his own theories, and whether or not he’d share them with me.
“He’s been acting weird for a while. At first, I thought it was just about Felicity. He likes... liked her.” Jason cleared his throat. “For a second I thought she was actually going to come between us.”
I shifted uncomfortably in the leather seat, jealousy edging into my thoughts.
“But now I’m thinking it has nothing to do with her.” His hard gaze burned into the side of my face. “He likes you, ya know?”
“So everyone keeps telling me.”
“You’re not feeling it?”
“I... it’s complicated.”