The air turned tense as my friends watched our interaction. They still didn’t know the whole story, but I figured they had begun to slowly piece things together.
“I wanted to be here to show my support for the team. I’ve donated a sizeable check to the charity.”
“That’s great, Sir,” Cam said, ever the peacekeeper.
“Where’s Mom?” I asked him.
“She’s talking to Cameron’s parents. You know how he gets whenever Xander is around.”
She loved that kid almost as much as she loved me.
“I should probably go and say hello.” Cameron gave me a nod. “I’ll catch you later at Bell’s?”
But just as he turned to head over to the bleachers, something caught my eye. “Is that—”
“Oh God,” Felicity breathed as she took off toward Mya and the tall black guy she was talking to.
“What the fuck?” Jason grumbled.
“I think that’s Mya’s ex.”
“Shit.”
I was already moving but Dad’s voice gave me pause. “I really don’t think now is the time for this, Son. Miss Hernandez and her friend obviously have some things to talk about.”
They were beyond the perimeter of the stadium, huddled by the fence. It was too far to read Mya’s expression, but my gut told me it wasn’t a friendly visit. And if my dad thought for one second I was about to leave Mya—the girl who owned my fucking heart and soul—alone with her ex, he was sorely mistaken.
“We should go and make sure she’s okay, Mr. Bennet,” Jase said, clapping me on the back. “Come on.”
We broke out into a steady jog. “I take it this is a surprise?” Jase side-eyed me as we slowed our approach.
“He isn’t supposed to know she’s in Rixon.” A whirlwind of emotions churned inside me. I didn’t know what to think, what to feel. I had so many questions, but nothing outweighed my need to get to Mya and make sure she was okay.
Felicity had already reached them, taking Mya’s side as she continued to talk to Jermaine. Although now we were closer, I could see that they weren’t talking at all—she was begging him to leave.
“Babe, everything okay?” Jason was as cool as a cucumber as he strode up to Flick.
“Yeah, we’re okay. Mya was just introducing me to her friend Jermaine.” Her eyes flicked to mine. But I was too busy watching my girlfriend watch her ex.
“I’m Jason,” he extended his hand to Jermaine. But the dude just stared at it. “And this is Asher.”
His eyes slid to mine, sharp and assessing, even if his posture was still relaxed and easy. “Asher.” He rolled my name around on his tongue. “You the guy tryin’ to make a move on my girl?”
“J,” Mya said. “I’m not your girl anymore.”
Her eyes finally met mine, swirling with too many things.
“Don’t be like that, baby girl. You know me and you got history. We’re always gonna have history.”
“Exactly. History. We have history, Jermaine, as in, it’s in the past.” She let out a strained sigh. “You should go.”
“We drove all the way out here to see you and you gonna dismiss me, just like that?”
“Jermaine, please.” Mya’s voice cracked.
“Maybe you should leave,” Jason said. I was still rooted to the spot, my thoughts running at a mile a minute trying to figure out why he was here.
How he was here.
“Really, you’re going to pick these white boys over me? I came for you, baby girl. Came to make things right between us.”
“You shouldn’t have,” Mya almost choked over the words, and I could see she was hanging on by a thread. “I’ll call you later, okay?” The words spilled from her lips in a hurried jumble. “Let me finish up here and then I’ll call you.”
“A’ight. We can stick around a while.”
What the fuck was happening?
Was she having second thoughts after seeing him again?
Jason glared at me, his heavy stare nudging me do something. To say something. But I was paralyzed by the situation. By the idea that Mya had anything to do with Jermaine being here, in Rixon.
“Come on,” Felicity urged Mya to start walking. “We should get back to everyone.”
But I couldn’t move. Mya caught my eye, silently begging me to go with them.
“Go on ahead,” I said tightly. “I’ll be right there.”
A sly smirk tugged at Jermaine’s mouth, as if knew exactly what I was thinking. Jason gave me an understanding nod, herding the girls away despite Mya’s protests. When they were out of earshot, I edged closer, locking eyes with him. He was taller than me by about an inch but where I was broad, the guy was lean.
“You the one my girl’s fucking around with?” He got straight to the point.
“She isn’t your girl and that’s none of your fucking business.”
“You think a chump like you is going to keep her?” He arched a thick, dark brow. “Mya doesn’t belong in your world. She belongs with me.”
“That must be why she’s here with me and not back in Philly with you then.”
We’d moved closer now, standing almost nose to nose. My own anger and possessiveness reflected back at me in his eyes.
“I was her first,” he drawled, and I was almost certain the guy was high. “Her first kiss, her first fuck, her first everything. You think she’s just going to forget that? Forget what we had? Why do you think she came home? Because she needed a little of what only I can give her.”
Don’t let him provoke you. I forced myself to take a step back, fists clenched tightly at my sides. “Mya ended things with you. If you care about her at all, you need to let her go.”
“Let her go?” He sneered, clucking his tongue. “I’ll never let her go, she’s in my blood. I need her.”
“Asher,” her voice reverberated inside me and I closed my eyes, inhaling a ragged breath. “Let’s go, please.”
Our eyes met and I couldn’t do anything but go to her.
“Well, would you look at that,” Jermaine mocked. “You running around after her like a little bitch boy.”
My body locked up as I glanced back, but Mya slid her hand in my mine and pulled me away. “Don’t,” she said. “He’s not worth it.”
He wasn’t.
But Mya was.
As we walked away, I couldn’t help but think that I’d made a mistake going too easy on the guy.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Mya
The mood was tense as we rode to Bell’s. Asher’s parents had insisted on taking us out for dinner.
All of us.
Jason and Felicity were riding together, and Cam and Hailee were riding with his parents. Which left me to ride with the Bennets. After witnessing me arguing with Jermaine, I was surprised my invitation hadn’t been revoked.
Asher was quiet, too quiet; but his dad... well, his dad was deadly silent.
Thankfully, we pulled into the parking lot within minutes, and Mr. Bennet cut the engine. “We’ll see the two of you inside,” he said, motioning for his wife to join him. They disappeared inside leaving me with Asher.