Page 53 of The Trouble with You (Rixon Raiders 1)

She was messing with my head. Making me want things I couldn’t have. But there were bigger things happening right now, like the fact someone had sent her a note in history loaded with dirty disgusting things that made me want to punch something—or someone.

When practice had ended and Jase had showed me the photo Thatcher had added to his Snapchat story, I’d almost lost it. What I hadn’t expected though, was how the rest of the kids at school would react. The second I’d found her sitting at the back of class, I knew something was up. Hailee didn’t hide; she usually sat up front, eager to answer questions and participate. But she was quiet, hiding behind her glasses, her eyes void of the usual spark I saw there. And the second I’d watched her read the note, saw her expression harden, the blood drain from her face, I knew it was only the tip of the iceberg.

Stuffing everything down, I went back into school heading straight for the cafeteria, surprised when I saw Hailee sitting with Felicity at their usual table.

“That shit Thatcher posted is everywhere,” Asher said, coming up beside me, his eyes flicking over to the girls. “What did she say in history?”

“Not a lot, but someone sent her a note and it was bad.”

“I heard a group of guys in the hall talking

about her like she was—”

“Don’t,” I ground out.

He glanced at me. “What’s up with you? You seem tense? Maybe you need to call up Miley and get her to help you work out those—”

“Seriously, bro, I said don’t.”

“Jeez, someone’s on their period. Or is it this shit with Jase and Hailee? It’ll blow over, you know?” He clapped me on the back. “Thatcher has bigger fish to fry.”

I wasn’t so sure about that.

Even though the photo of Hailee was obviously manipulated, kids saw what they wanted to see, and thanks to Thatcher, Hailee had become public enemy number one. It didn’t matter I’d done something similar at the pep rally because that hadn’t pitted her against us. For as fucked up as it was, to most girls at school, getting called out for riding Raider dick would have been a badge of honor. But sleeping with the enemy, even if it was only a rumor, was a crime our fans would not forgive.

“Come on, I could eat a small horse.” Asher shoulder-checked me, moving ahead of me to the line. Except he didn’t wait, he slipped right to the front, giving the diner lady a huge grin. They made small talk about the upcoming game Friday, while I grabbed a sub and added it to his tray. He worked his charm until she gave him a knowing wink, letting us slip past her without paying.

We wound our way through the tables toward Jase who was already sitting at our table, Jenna Jarvis practically dry fucking his leg. “What’s up?” he said coolly.

“We’ve got a problem,” I replied under my breath, motioning over to Hailee.

“She’ll be fine.” Jase swallowed his words as we watched a guy approach their table. Flick glowered at him as he dropped down on the bench beside Hailee.

“Maybe we should—” I started but Jase cut me off with a shake off his head. “She can handle herself,” he said.

I didn’t doubt that, but she was in this situation because of him. Because of us. And that didn’t sit right with me.

The guy was saying something, a smug smirk plastered on his face, as he leaned in close to her. Too fucking close. He hooked his arm around Hailee’s waist, and I braced myself to intervene, but she smacked him right across the face. The guy howled with laughter, backing away, but I saw the shock in his expression.

We all did.

Asher whistled through his teeth. “Shit, that girl’s got balls of steel.”

“She’s going to need them,” Jase grumbled as if he knew—and accepted—it was only going to get worse.

Well, screw that.

“It’s so sad,” Jenna said, twirling her hair around her fingers. “She could have been one of us, but instead she chose to fuck Thatcher just to get one over on—”

Jase shoved her off his lap and she landed on the bench beside him with a thud. “Ow, Jase, what the hell was that for?”

“I’m bored.” His voice was cold. “Run along now.”

“You bastard.” Jenna kept her voice composed, but her cheeks flamed with embarrassment as she beckoned for her friends to follow her, and they sauntered away, trying to retain some dignity. Some of the guys howled with laughter but soon shut up when Jase sent them a hard glare down the table.

My eyes found Hailee across the room again. She had her head down, pushing a salad around her plate. “We should go over there.”

“Did you get hit a little too hard in practice?” Jase snorted.