Before I could correct her, Felicity’s horn blared outside. I knew because I’d been listening to the annoying-as-fuck sound for almost two years since she passed driver’s ed.
“Right then, I’ll guess I’ll see ya.” Hailee moved toward the door, but I called after her. “Yeah?” She glanced back.
“I didn’t know.”
“Know?” Her brows knitted.
I dragged a hand down my face wondering why the fuck I’d said anything to begin with. But it was out there now, hanging between us. “Yeah, about Felicity being a... you know,” I explained.
My step-sister inclined her head, studying me for a second and then said, “Okay.”
Okay?
What the fuck was that supposed to mean?
“I’m glad we cleared that up.”
A hint of a smile lifted the corner of her mouth but then her expression turned serious. “I know we have to tolerate each other for Cameron’s sake, but stay away from Felicity, Jason.”
“I—” The words got stuck, but it was too late anyway. Hailee had already slipped outside and disappeared, leaving me standing there, wondering what the fuck just happened.
Chapter Three
Felicity
“You’re distracted,” Hailee said over her sundae. “It’s him, isn’t it? Jason.” There was a coolness to her voice that squeezed my heart.
“It’s not…” I let out a heavy sigh, meeting her gaze. “I thought I’d feel good or relieved or something but now I just feel…”
I didn’t know what I felt.
The list was supposed to help me push my boundaries, to step out the confines of my perfectly average life and take more risks. It wasn’t like I’d planned to seduce Jason. To play his stupid game of cat and mouse. He was just there. Like a slow building wave that before I realized what had happened, crashed over me and swept me off my feet.
“Oh, Flick.” Hailee reached over the table and grabbed my hand. “I could kill him for doing—”
“It wasn’t his fault. I need you to know that. I—”
“You like him, don’t you?”
“I can’t really explain it but something’s different this year.” I’d never looked twice at Jason and his friends before. Neither had Hailee though, and look how that turned out. Now she was madly in love with Cameron and they were planning to go off to college together and have cute football playing babies.
“Did you think if you slept with him, he’d suddenly change? Because—”
“What? No. No!” I shook my head. “I know Jason isn’t boyfriend material. Trust me, I know. But there’s something... he makes me feel...”
Just then, the door opened and a swarm of people entered, all wearing red and white jerseys.
“Crap,” Hailee grumbled as we watched the Rixon East football players stroll up to the diner counter.
“Don’t they know this is Switzerland?” I whispered.
Tate, the owner of The Alley, refused to let the rivalry between Rixon High and the high school across the river, Rixon East, affect his business. Anyone was welcome here so long as they played nice. That meant no football jerseys, colors, or smack talk. It’s why both football teams usually avoided the place like the plague.
“Apparently the rules just changed.” Hailee retreated into herself, and I couldn’t blame her. Lewis Thatcher, captain and QB for the Rixon East Eagles, had come after her once he discovered she was Jason’s step-sister. It had been a shitshow, but since Rival’s Week was done, we figured—hoped—the stupid pranks were over.
“Oh shit.” I’d clearly spoken too soon as Lewis Thatcher entered The Alley, a smirk on his face as everyone sat up a little straighter. Like Jason, he was worshipped by his classmates and townspeople. But he wasn’t in Rixon East now and technically, this was Rixon territory.
So what the hell was he doing here?
“Maybe we should go,” I said to Hailee who was still gawking at them. “Hails?” I kicked her leg gently under the table and her head whipped around to me.
“Sorry, what?”
“I said maybe we should go.”
“And let him win? No way.” Defiance sparked in her eyes. “I doubt they even recognize—”
“Ladies,” a deep voice said, and we both glanced up to find Thatcher and another guy staring down at us. “Hailee and, I’m sorry, I don’t think I got your name?”
“You didn’t,” I sassed. “Because I didn’t give it to you.”
The whole diner had fallen quiet, everyone straining to hear our conversation. Hailee flashed me a look that said, ‘don’t make it worse’, but no way was I just going to sit here while he taunted her.
“You go can now.” I dismissed them with my hand and focused on Hailee again. Silently praying they left. But they didn’t.
“I like this one,” Thatcher’s friend said. “I wonder what else her mouth can do—”
“You need to leave,” Hailee ground out, her hands curled around the edge of the table, turning her knuckles white.
“Funny,” Thatcher leaned down into her space, his lip twisted with amusement, “Because it sounds like a warning, and yet, I don’t see anyone here coming to your rescue. Do you, Gallen?”
“Don’t see no one, Cap.” Thatcher’s dog folded his arms over his chest, glaring at me.
My eyes surveyed the diner, searching for someone—anyone—who might help us. But the handful of kids I recognized from school all dropped their gazes the second I looked at them.
Cowards.
The rest of the kids watched with a mix of interest and sympathy, and I figured they were East kids. Used to Thatcher’s games.
“What do you want?” Hailee sounded disinterested, but I caught the inflection in her voice.
“Want?” Thatcher grinned. “I want lots of things, baby.” He plucked a strand of her hair and brought it to his nose, inhaling deeply.
Screw this. I dipped my hand into my purse and managed to dig out my cell phone without Lewis or his dog noticing. Quickly locating Cameron’s number, I fired off a text and then slid it back into my purse.
“Rumor has it you’re fucking Chase now?”
Hailee pressed her lips together refusing to answer.
“Get off her, you disgusting pig,” I yelled, but panic filled Hailee’s eyes as she shook her head subtly.
“Want me to shut her up, Cap?” The dog said. “Because I’d love nothing more than to watch her choke on my—”
“I’d like to see you try.” The words spilled out before I could stop them. Hunger glittered in the dog’s predatory gaze as his hooded eyes drifted down my body.
“Pig,” I muttered, angling myself away from him.
“I want you to give your boyfriend a message for me—”
“Why don’t you give it him yourself?”
Relief slammed into me at the sight of Cameron and Asher standing in the door. Thatcher immediately straightened, but he didn’t leave Hailee’s side.
“Are you okay?” I mouthed at her, and she nodded, unshed tears pooling in the corner of her eyes.