Page 139 of The Game You Play (Rixon Raiders 2)

“It’s okay, bro. I already confessed I screwed up by goading Thatcher into that fight and you had to come save my sorry ass.”

What the fuck?

I stared at Ash like he’d lost his goddamn mind. Or maybe I had. Because nothing he was saying was making any sense.

“Well, Jason, what do you have to say for yourself?”

“I, hmm, I...”

“It’s okay,” Ash whispered and my eyes slid back to his in question. He nodded, his eyes hammering home everything I didn’t want to believe.

He was taking the fall.

For me.

My teeth ground together behind my lips as I tried to figure out what the fuck to do. If I let him take the fall, chances were his season was over. But if I told Coach the truth, my season was over, and maybe Asher’s too for the fact he tried to save my ass.

Fuck.

“I haven’t got all day, Son.”

“It’s okay, Jase, just tell him.”

I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t be that guy. Not after everything.

“Sorry, Coach, but I have to tell you the—”

“The truth is, Coach,” Ash cut me off, “Lewis Thatcher is a sick fuck who has spent the last three months coming after Jason through his friends and family. Jason didn’t want to tell anyone to protect his step-sister and girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?” Coach frowned, rubbing his jaw.

“Felicity Giles, you may know her?”

“The name does ring a bell.”

“Thatcher threatened to hurt Felicity over and over, but Jason refused to take the bait. His final threat was more persuasive,” Asher threw me a sympathetic glance. “I knew if Jason found out about the threat he’d go after Thatcher, so I arranged the meet.”

“And what exactly did you expect to achieve, Son?”

Ash shrugged in that easy way of his. “World peace?” I snorted. “Fuck if I know. But I couldn’t just sit around and do nothing. Anyway, the whole thing was a set up. They jumped me and I had no choice but to call for back up.”

“Which is when you intervened?” Coach cocked his brow at me.

“I... yes.”

“To save your teammate’s hide?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“But we played straight into Thatcher’s hand because he’d wanted Jase there all along.”

“I see, and the rest of the team? How do they figure in all of this?”

“I took them as back up, but that was it.” I ran a hand over my face.

“You have proof of Thatcher’s threats?”

Asher nodded. “I have screenshots of everything.”