Page 17 of The Trouble with You (Rixon Raiders 1)

Jenna lifted her face from Jason’s neck, her lip curved with arrogance. “Oh, I know he does. But I bite harder.”

Well, okay then.

“Come on, Chase,” Miley laughed softly, and I jammed my hands in my pockets, following her toward Asher’s house. “Fancy place,” she said.

“Yeah, Ash’s parents are loaded.”

“You don’t say.”

We slipped inside and Miley paused, letting me lead the way. I stopped to grab a couple bottles of water and then led her upstairs to the guest room the Bennets let me use whenever I stopped over. I wouldn’t exactly call it my room, but no one else stayed in here. They’d even given me a key last year.

“What is this?” Miley asked when I stopped outside the familiar door and dug the key out of my wallet “Your red room of pain?”

“Something like that,” I smirked at her. “Why, scared?”

“Nah, Chase. You put on a good show, but I see underneath all that macho Raider bullshit.”

Her words caught me off-guard, but I schooled my expression. “You know what this is, right?”

“Yeah, yeah,” she replied giving me a little shake of her head. “We fuck, nothing more, nothing less. I’m not asking you for anything.”

With a curt nod, I pushed open the door and pulled her inside. Sometimes, in the quiet moments after sex with Miley, I wondered what it would be like to open up to her; to tell her all my deepest fears, my darkest secrets. We weren’t that to one another though, and I didn’t want that, not with her anyway.

But life wasn’t fair, and we couldn’t always have what we wanted.

I knew that better than most people.

Hailee

“This is a bad idea.” Flick snatched the bottle of vodka mixer from me and took a big swallow of it. “This is a very bad idea.” She smeared the back of her hand across her mouth before hiccupping.

“Come on, we need to be quick.” I grabbed her hand, pulling her through the trees bordering the Bennets' property.

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” she groaned quietly as the woods grew denser, the shadows swallowing us whole.

“Consider it something to add to your list.”

“Hails.”

“Oh, come on, Flick. I already I said I’d go with you to the stupid pep rally, and I’ll consider Homecoming—”

“You will?” The hope in her voice made me feel like the shittiest friend ever but I buried down the emotion, focusing on the task at hand.

When Jason, Cameron, and Asher had walked away from us at Ice T’s, I knew I couldn’t just leave it. Even if Cameron had warned me to back down. It was one thing to mess with me but to mess with Flick? That was completely unacceptable, especially after I’d learned she actually wanted to go to their stupid party. So, while she devoured her apology-brownie, I hatched a plan.

“Okay,” I said pausing at the edge of the trees right where they met Asher’s driveway. “Give me the drink.” I needed some more Dutch courage for what I was about to do. It was stupid and reckless, and it could land me in hot water if anyone caught me, but it would be so worth it.

I chugged the remainder of the vodka mixer, my stomach churning as the bitter taste flooded my senses. When I was done, I tossed the bottle into the undergrowth and held out my hand. “Now give me the other stuff.”

Flick hiccupped again before handing me the cannister and sticker. “Are you absolutely sure about this?”

“Do you even need to ask?”

“I guess not. But, Hails, you don’t need to do this, not for me.”

“Hush now, I need to concentrate.” I read the instructions again, my glassy eyes making everything a little blurred. When I was sure I had it, I gave Flick my attention. “Wait here, okay? I won’t be long.” Slipping my hood over my head, I pulled the cord to conceal as much of my face as possible and slowly inched from the trees.

The front of the house was steeped in darkness; all noise and music coming from around the back. I’d never been in Asher’s house before, but everyone knew his parents were rich. I had overheard kids at school talk about his infamous parties down by the lake his property backed onto. My eyes darted left and right, making sure no one was around, before I cut across the driveway to the row of cars. Asher’s Jeep, Cameron’s truck, and finally my target: Jason’s restored 1969 Dodge Charger.