So it wasn’t the first time something like that had happened. Interesting. I stored that snippet of information for another time.
Me: STEP-brother. And trust me, I wish he wasn’t.
Toby: I wondered why you didn’t mention it...
Me: I didn’t know it was important?
It wasn’t exactly an opening line that worked well for me, ‘Hey, I’m Hailee Raine, and by the way, my step-brother is Jason Ford’.
Toby: It’s not. But next time, we should probably avoid an Eagles party…
My heart did an unexpected little somersault at the words ‘next time’.
Me: Next time? How very presumptuous of you.
I was grinning now.
Toby: Is that a yes?
Me: I’ll think about it
As I hit send my cell began to ring. “Hey,” I said to Flick, my voice still thick with sleep.
“Hey. So... last night was interesting.”
“Ugh. Don’t.” I groaned, throwing my arm over my face. “I can’t believe they showed up there.”
“I can’t believe I thought we were in the middle of a shootout. My heart didn’t stop pounding all night.”
“Yeah, it was crazy. But guess who just texted me?”
“He did? That’s funny because Jude texted me too.” Her voice lifted.
“Oh.” Suddenly I didn’t feel so special. “Do you think they planned it that way?”
“Does it matter?” Flick scoffed. “They’re hot and nice and they want us. Even after finding out who your brother is.”
“Step-brother,” I corrected her.
“Like that matters. Jason marched you out of that party like he was your dad.”
“Please don’t remind me.” I’d get him back for that.
One day.
Pushing back the covers, I climbed out of bed, listening to Flick as she told me the ins and outs of her texts back and forth with Jude. Apparently, they had shared a secret kiss at the party and if I didn’t know better, it sounded like my best friend had a serious crush.
Inside my bathroom, I listened for any signs of life from Jason’s room. When there was none, I slipped out into the hall and downstairs. I loved Sunday mornings. Kent and Mom always left the house early to go play couples golf with our neighbors; and if Jason was home, he rarely surfaced before ten and then he usually headed straight over to Asher’s house. But when I hit the bottom step and heard the low rumble of voices coming from the kitchen, I paused. Cupping my hand around my phone, I whispered, “Flick, I need to go.”
“Go? But I was just about to tell you—”
“I think Jason and the guys are here. I’ll call you later.”
“Oh, okay.”
We said goodbye and hung up, and I tiptoed down the hall. Jason was talking to Asher, but I couldn’t hear anyone else. I hovered, straining to listen.
“He could use her against you,” Asher said, and I heard Jason sneer.
“Like anything he could do to her would bother me.”
“Dude, you might hate her, but she’s still family. If your dad or her mom found out...” Asher’s voice trailed off, and my spine went rigid as it dawned on me; they were talking about last night.
About me.
Without thinking, I stormed into the kitchen, my eyes immediately landing on Jason and Asher... and Cameron, sitting at the breakfast counter. Jason groaned, scrubbing a hand down his face, while Cameron grew tense. Ignoring him to focus on my step-brother, I said, “Why would they use me against you?”
“Hailee...” It was a warning, his voice low and cold. But screw that. They played enough with my life without dragging me into their rivalry with Rixon East.
“Fuck you,” I spat, frustration and fury licking the inside of my stomach. “I didn’t ask you to turn up at that party last night and ruin everything.” Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Cameron’s expression harden, his fingers curl around the edge of the counter.
And then I realized I was only wearing my thin tank top and boy-short pajamas.
Great.
Just great.
“You shouldn’t have been there in the first place. Fuck, Hailee, it’s East territory. Those fuckers—”
“You think I care about that? About what team they play for? Me being there had nothing to do with you.”
“Come on, Hails, you expect us to believe—” Asher swallowed his words when I levelled him with a hard look.
I threw up my hands, bitter laughter spilling out of me. “You’re deluded, all of you.” My eyes went wide. “If you must know, me and Flick went to that party because you made damn sure we don’t get invited to any parties here. We didn’t even know it was an Eagles thing until Toby said—”
“Toby, who the fuck is Toby?” Cameron finally spoke, and my gaze slid to his.
“You’re actually going to sit there and act like you care?” I all but spat the words at him. In true asshole fashion he remained stone masked, my words rolling off his impenetrable expression.
Silence stretched out before us, the air growing dense. With an exasperated sigh, I looked to Jason again. “Why do you care so much that Lewis Thatcher knows who I am? It’s never mattered before.”
“Because they could come at me through you.”
I scoffed at that. He was talking stupid. I was nothing to him, no one. So the idea someone would hurt me to get at Jason was the most stupid thing I’d ever heard.
“If that’s the case,” I said, “Then I’m surprised you didn’t hand me over willingly.” I locked eyes with him, daring him to prove me wrong.
Jason’s jaw clenched as he curled and uncurled his fist against the counter, over and over, as if he was working the muscles in his hand as well as the problem in his head.
“Trust me, little sister,” he seethed. “You don’t want to end up in the middle of this.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? I didn’t ask to end up in the middle of anything.” My voice was shrill, but I was so done with his shit. “You don’t own me, Jason. Everyone else might treat you like the prodigal son of football, but I. Don’t. Care.” My blood boiled with contempt.
Jason stood up. “Fuck this shit,” he said, storming out of the room.
“That went well.” Asher gave me a wry smile, and I rolled my eyes. But he wasn’t done. “You know, he’s right. You think we make your life hell, but if you get in the middle of things with Thatcher and Jase, things could get very messy.”
“What did he do that Thatcher would want to use me to get back at him?”
Asher went to reply, but Cameron said, “Ash, don’t,” shaking his head.
My eyes snapped over to his. “Really, you’re going to keep me in the dark?”
“It’s for your own sake.”
“Oh please, like anything you do is for my sake.”
“Aaaand, I’m out.” Asher got up and started to leave. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t, bro. Although looking as good as she does,”—his eyes raked over me, eliciting a shiver up my spine, and not the good kind—“I wouldn’t blame you if you did.”