And then it hit me.
His mom.
Oh God, what if something had happened with his mom?
He’d been off his game all night; fumbling passes and misreading plays. Even a rookie spectator like me could see Cameron’s head wasn’t in it.
“There’s only a few minutes left on the clock.” Flick nudged me. “If you sneak out now, you’ll miss the crush. He’s probably in the locker room.”
“Flick, I can’t just...” She gave me a pointed look and I shook my head a little, hardly able to believe the next words out of my mouth.
“You’ll be okay?” I asked.
A wry smile tugged at her lips. “Please, I was born for this.” She tipped the bill of her cap. “Besides, I want to see them stick it to the Saints.”
“Okay.” I inhaled deeply. Was I really about to try and break into the Raiders’ locker room?
Yes, yes, I was.
Because if Cameron was hurting, I wanted to be there for him. I wanted to comfort him the way he’d comforted me.
With a small nod, I apologized to the people on our row as I squeezed my way to the end. By the time I reached the bottom of the bleachers I was breathless and a little disoriented, but I quickly found my bearings and slipped into the stadium, making my way around the other side to where the locker rooms were. The crowd erupted overhead, the vibrations echoing throughout the place, making my pulse spike. From the ferocity of the roar, I knew the Raiders had scored, even before the PA system made the announcement.
When I finally reached the blue doors, I paused. I couldn’t just burst in there. What if Cameron was showering? Or receiving medical attention?
What if he didn’t want to see me?
Suddenly feeling way out of my depth, I leaned against the wall right opposite the doors. The game would be over in a couple of minutes which meant it wouldn’t be long before the rest of the team would be in there.
“Excuse me, miss.” A security guard approached me. “You can’t be down here.”
“I... hmm, I’m Hailee Raine.” Recognition flashed in his eyes, but he let me finish. “Jason Ford’s step-sister. I need to see him.” It was the first thing that came into my mind.
“Well, of course.” He smiled warmly at the mention of Jason. “Your brother played a great game tonight. Go Raiders.” His eyes lit up as he fist-pumped the air. Realizing his momentary slip, he cleared his throat, his professional mask sliding back in place. “You can’t go back there, but I’d be happy to let him know you’re waiting out here.”
Shit, that wasn’t what I wanted.
“Thank you.”
He nodded politely before slipping through the off-limits doors. I sank down on the cold floor, drawing my knees up. I should have snuck inside before the team came back. But it was too late now. I’d have to wait.
And I’d just have to hope that when he appeared, Cameron would talk to me.
Sitting there on the hard floor, I learned something new about football players—they liked to take their damn time in the showers. Thirty-five minutes after the stadium emptied, the players finally began to trickle out, hardly paying me any attention, too focused on whatever party they were heading to, no doubt. But when Asher and Jason appeared, I jumped to my feet and stepped forward.
“Hails, what a surprise.” Ash gave me an easy smile, but I didn’t miss the tightness around his eyes.
“I, hmm...” This wasn’t awkward at all. “I came to see if—”
“He’s gone.” Jase’s voice was cold, his eyes hard as they studied me. But surprisingly, for once, I didn’t feel like his contempt was aimed at me.
“Gone?” I choked out.
But I’d been waiting here above forty minutes. Unless... crap. Cameron must have come back here, grabbed his things, and left the stadium immediately. In which case, I’d just missed him.
My stomach sank.
“So I’ll let you guys talk.” Asher gave me a nod before throwing his bag over his shoulder and addressing Jason. “Call me later if you want to hang.” He took off down the long hall, and Jason let out a heavy sigh, moving to lean against the wall beside the door right opposite me.
“I never thought I’d be here.” He broke the silence.
“You and me both.” One of my shoulders lifted in a small shrug as I kicked my foot against the floor.
“I’ve never seen him like that, not in all the years I’ve known him. It’s like he wasn’t even on the field...”
“I think something is wrong.”
“Wrong?”
“Yeah.” I gulped wondering how much I should tell him. “With his mom.”
“She has depression or some shit. I think having Xander screwed her up.”
“Jason,” I scolded, wishing I knew what had happened to him to make him so mean. “It’s more than that. Maybe if you weren’t so...” I let the words die on my tongue. I wasn’t here to argue with him. I just wanted to be there for Cameron.
“Go on, say it. You think I’m too invested in football to see what’s really going on here.”
“Aren’t you?” I clipped out.
“I... fuck.” Jason’s expression hardened but then softened when he let out an exasperated breath. “Something is really happening with his mom?”
I nodded. “I think so. He told me some things.”
“What things?” That got his attention.
I pressed my lips together in defiance. It wasn’t for me to reveal Cameron’s secrets.
“He never said anything to me,” Jason added when I didn’t offer an explanation.
“Are you sure? Maybe he was trying to tell you all along and you just weren’t listening?” My voice rose, the tension between us rising with it.
He dragged a hand through his unruly brown hair, his eyes darkening. “You should go after him.”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t think this means I’m cool with the two of you. I’m not. But if what you say is true, Chase needs someone right now, and I’m probably the last person he wants to see.”
“Jason,” I sighed. “You’re his best friend.”
“A pretty shit one at that,” he grumbled.
I was stunned speechless. Never once, had I heard Jason own up to his shortcomings. He was always so arrogant and cold. Infallible. Yet, he looked completely lost tonight; the fire in his eyes extinguished to nothing more than a dying flame.
“He’ll come around,” I said without doubt. Because the bond between the three of them exceeded right and wrong, good and bad. They were brothers. Bound together by invisible threads I would never truly understand.
“Just tell him I’m sorry,” he said, and something passed between us. A mutual understanding I never thought we’d have. “Can you do that for me?”
Too choked to reply, I nodded.
“And Hailee?” He wasn’t done. “What Thatcher did; it went too far, and for that, I am sorry.”
I gaped at him unsure I was hearing correctly. This would forever go down as one of the most surreal moments of my life.
But I’d take it.
If it finally meant not being on the opposite side of the line from Jason, I’d take it.