“We’ll deal with this once we’re in the locker room. Get in there and wait for me, you hear me?” Disappointment dripped from his words, sitting heavy on my chest.
I slung an arm around Cam’s shoulder, but he shrugged me off, storming away. “Motherfucker.” I threw my helmet down and kicked it, sending it flying into the water table.
“Ford!” one of the coaches yelled, but I didn’t stop. I didn’t even look back as I followed the rest of our team into the tunnel. We’d gotten the victory. But it had ended in a shitshow.
All because of Lewis fucking Thatcher.
Chapter Seven
Felicity
Coach Hasson’s voice echoed through the doors. He wasn’t just pissed about what had just happened, he was furious.
“Maybe we should go?” I winced, as his tirade continued, eyeing Hailee as she paced outside the team’s locker room like a caged animal. We weren’t supposed to be back here but being the star quarterback’s step-sister and star wide receiver’s girlfriend swayed the security guy’s decision to let us wait.
“You can go if you want to,” she said, one arm wrapped around her waist, the other bent so that she could chew her thumb, “but I’m not leaving until I know Cameron’s okay.”
“Okay.” I went to her. “We’ll stay.”
“I still can’t believe he did that.” Silence settled over us, but it didn’t last long when a couple of minutes later, the door swung open and the team started filing out.
Joel Mackey noticed us first. “You better get in there, Hailee.” He grimaced. “Your boy is in a bad way.”
The blood drained from her face as she looked to me. “Can you... I mean...”
“Hailee,” Jason’s voice cut the air like a knife.
She rushed over to him. “Is he okay? What did Coach say? Is he hurt?” The questions spewed out of her and Jason looked completely out of his depth.
Dragging a hand down his face, he took a deep breath. “Cam needs you,” was all he said, flicking his head to the door. “You should go be with him.”
Her glassy gaze settled on me and I smiled. “Go, I’ll be fine.”
“Fear not, Hails.” Asher appeared, making a beeline for me. “We’ll make sure she gets home okay.”
“You’re sure?”
“Go, he needs you.”
She gave me an appreciative smile before turning it on Jason. “Thank you,” she mouthed before disappearing inside.
“Will Coach—”
“She doesn’t need to worry about Coach,” Jason said as he shouldered past Asher and disappeared down the tunnel.
“Come on.” Asher slung his bag over his shoulder and motioned his head in the direction of his teammate, sending water droplets spraying everywhere.
“Asher,” I moaned, following after Jason. “Now I’m all wet.”
“And I haven’t even touched you yet.”
I glanced over at him, eyes wide and cheeks flushed.
“Relax, Fee, baby, I’m joking.”
“Oh, okay.” Embarrassment flamed my cheeks as we hurried after Jason.
Outside, most of the crowd had already dispersed. A few of the guys hung around to take pictures and sign jerseys and balls and other game paraphernalia, but Jason didn’t stop for the die-hard fans. He didn’t even acknowledge them.
“Go on ahead,” Asher said, “I’ll be right there.” He stopped to take a photo with a couple of kids who had their faces painted with the Raiders logo.
When I reached Jason the words, “Where’s Asher’s Jeep?” fell from my lips.
“I drove.”
“Oh,” I said, eyeing his car.
Jason kicked the gravel, sending a plume of dust into the air. Everything about him screamed ‘stay away’. A murderous expression. Waves of anger rippling off him. The way his jaw clenched so tight it looked painful.
He was a nuclear bomb just waiting to detonate.
And suddenly, I didn’t want to ride anywhere with them. Even if Hailee had driven us here and was now attending to Cameron’s needs.
“Change of plan.” Asher sauntered up to us, his lip in a grim line. “My parents are on their... aaaaand here they are.” Headlights illuminated the three of us, and I glanced over to where his gaze was fixed.
“They want to take me to dinner.”
“They do?” My expression must have given me away because Asher chuckled.
“Don’t look so worried, Jase can take you home. Can’t you, QB?”
The guy in question grunted something inaudible.
“I can walk,” I rushed out, wanting nothing more than the ground to open up and swallow me whole. “It’s not far.”
“Fee, baby, just get in the damn car.” The words were for me, but Asher was looking at Jason, a silent message passing between them.
“You should come to Bell’s later,” he finally turned his attention on me. “Drinks are on me.”
“I don’t know,” I said quietly. “Maybe, if Hailee—”
“Think about it.” He winked and gave Jase a two finger salute before heading toward his parents’ car.
Silence lingered, swirling with Jason’s anger.
“I’ll walk, you don’t—”
“Get in the car,” he ground out.
“Excuse me?” Indignation burned through me as I lifted a brow at him.
“I said get in the fucking car.” He stomped around to the driver’s side and almost tore the door off its hinges before throwing himself inside and slamming it shut.
I needed to leave. To put as much distance as possible between me and the brooding angry guy in the car. But there was something about his anger, the way he’d held back throughout the entire game. I’d watched him, even when I’d tried not to. Twenty-three had been all over him. But Jason hadn’t taken the bait. Even when they were both up in each other’s faces, he had maintained control. But something had changed when Cameron tried to intervene. And the only thing that tied Jason and Cameron together, except football, was Hailee.
The window rolled down, startling me. “Last time, Giles,” his voice hit me straight in the stomach, “Get in the goddamn car.”
Jason didn’t take me home. He didn’t even take me to his house, not that I’d expected him to ever do that. I didn’t. But I also didn’t expect him to take the road out of town and pull over by the lake. The sandy lot was quiet, nothing but the gentle rustle of leaves and my heart beating violently in my chest.
“So...” I said, trying to lighten the mood. “Nice view.” Risking a peek over at Jason, I was surprised to see the corner of his mouth lift.
“Want to talk about it?”
“No, I really don’t.”
“What did twenty-three say to Cameron?”
“You noticed that, huh?”
“I…” My lips pressed together, not wanting to admit I’d noticed everything.
Brushing over my slip, he added, “You don’t want to know.”