“What do you want, Cameron?” Hailee folded her arms over her chest, cocking her hip to one side. “I’m busy.”
“You need to back down, Sunshine,” I said, and her honey-brown eyes flashed with contempt. Damn this girl. This stubborn reckless girl. I hadn’t realized but I’d started moving toward her as if she was reeling me in with some invisible thread.
“Cameron, what are you…” She swallowed, staring up at me as I stopped right in front of her. The air shifted around us, thick and heavy. I’d always kept my distance from Hailee. Looked but never touched. But standing here with her right there, I wanted to touch… fuck did I want to touch her.
Surprising us both, I reached out, plucking a strand of hair between my fingers. “Back. Down.” I said quietly despite the warning woven into my words. “Jase needs to focus on the team, on the season; he doesn’t need to be distracted with your games.”
Her gaze widened, her soft-pink lips parted as she sucked in a sharp breath and swatted my hand away. “My games?” She almost choked on the words. “Fuck you, Cameron. You know this is all his fault. He’s always hated me. He pushes and pushes. But I won’t break. I’ll never break.” Hailee trembled, the vibrations rippling off her.
“Are you sure about that?” I cocked a brow at her, stepping further into her space, forcing her backward. Her legs must have hit the chair because she stumbled. My hand flew out to her waist, steadying her, and tiny bolts of electricity zipped through me as our eyes collided. Hailee stared at me, her gaze wide and clouded with confusion. Shit. She’d felt it too. I’d felt it Monday as well, the morning when I’d teased her about her t-shirt.
This was bad… really fucking bad.
Yet, I made no move to pull away. Pull away dickhead.
“Cameron. What the hell are you—”
I lowered my head, bringing us face to face. Her eyes simmered with anger, but I didn’t miss the way her breath caught again. “Walk away, Sunshine. Jase will get bored eventually if you just back the fuck down.”
“Been there, done that, and it didn’t fucking work,” she seethed. “Two words… Macauley Denver, remember that?”
Remember it?
I’d been plagued with the memories for weeks.
Ignoring her, I said, “One of you needs to back down before shit really hits the fan, and we both know he won’t walk away.”
Jase played with Hailee, but it was all harmless shit. Sure, she might have got her feelings hurt occasionally or suffered the odd embarrassment at the hands of the kids at school, but it could have been worse… so much worse.
This time was different though. Last season had been tough on Jason. Tensions between the Raiders and the Rixon East Eagles were higher than ever, and he was gunning for blood. I knew it was likely Hailee would be caught in the crossfire. Jason used her as his own personal punching bag. But after calling him out earlier in the cafeteria… Hailee might as well have been the red flag and Jase the bull. I didn’t doubt he was already planning his retribution. And, this time, it wouldn’t be some childish prank.
She inhaled a harsh breath and my eyes automatically went to her mouth. I closed the distance between us until my lips were hovering right over hers. “Last warning, Sunshine,” I whispered, so close I could almost taste her. “Back down or don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Her palms shot out, slamming against my chest and I staggered back. “Fuck you, Cameron. Fuck all of you.”
“Hailee, come on—”
I hadn’t meant to use her name, it just tumbled off my lips. But she cut me off. “Get out. Get out before I scream, and I will. I’ll do it. You might be a Raider, but I don’t care.” Her eyes were wild, drilling into mine with such hatred my stomach knotted. But it was a good thing. She needed to hate me.
With a smirk, I started backing away. “Don’t come crying to me when he ruins you.”
Her face blanched and I knew she remembered every prank, every time Jase came after her. Before she could ream me out some more, I slipped out of the room and got the hell out of the art studio.
Telling myself I hadn’t almost just kissed her.
“So, what did Miss Hampstead say?” Asher asked as we met up outside class.
“She just wanted to run by my college applications again.”
Jase scoffed. “Like she doesn’t know exactly where you’re headed.”
“Nothing’s a given,” I said quietly as we made our way to the locker room.
“You’ll be at Penn State with me.” He spoke the words with no hesitation. None. As if it was already a done deal.
I gave him a hard look. “I’m not the golden boy of Rixon.” The corner of my mouth lifted. “There’s no guarantee the scouts will—”
“They’ll want you,” he said, cutting me off. “You already know they’re interested.”
“I need to have other options though.” Besides, I wasn’t even sure if the call did come, that Penn State was what I wanted. It was an Ivy League school and Ivy League meant expensive. So even though it was one of the top football programs in the country, when I had interest from Pittsburg and Michigan State that would most likely come hand-in-hand with athletic scholarships, there was a lot to think about.
“What’s up with you?” Jase shoulder-checked me as he shouldered the door. “You’ve been in a pissy mood all morning.”
“He needs to get laid,” Asher chimed in, slinging his bag onto the bench. “What’s it been, man, like a month?”
“Fuck off.” I yanked off my tee and balled it up, throwing it at him.
“Party at my house tonight?”
“You know it. But don’t invite Khloe or the cheer squad,” Jase said. “It’s only the first week of the semester and I’m about done with her shit already.”
“Maybe we should invite Hailee?” Asher grinned. “Mix it up a bit.”
Jase’s eyes widened, his nostrils flaring. “Seriously, you’re going to talk to me about her. Now? Do you want someone to end up in medical?”
Asher clapped him on the back. “Call it motivation. Coach said you needed to bring your A game this season.”
“I always bring my A game, fucker.”
“Well you can bring your A+ game then.”
“Did I hear someone say party?” Joel stuck his head around the locker cages.
“Yeah, at my place tonight. Spread the word. But no cheerleaders. Invite the gymnastics team though, those girls are as flexible as fuck.” Asher grinned. “Hey, Cam, maybe you can hook up with Miley?”
“Maybe I will.” I smirked. Miley wasn’t a stage five clinger like most of the girls at Rixon.
“You three going to sit around all day bitchin’ like little girls?” Coach appeared in the door. “Or are we going to play some ball?”
We hurried to slip on our shoulder pads and cleats and filed out of the door onto the football field.
“Bring it in,” Coach boomed, and we moved in to form two semi-circles around him, the front row taking a knee. “Okay, quiet down, quiet down.” He waited for the rumble of our chatter to subside. “It’s been a good week. You’ve come into the semester with the dedication and motivation I expect. Jason.” He addressed my best friend, and our captain. “You’re looking good out there, Son. Are you ready to take your team all the way this season?”