The Trouble with You (Rixon Raiders 1)

I nodded.

“So, let’s get our hands a little dirty before then. Show Thatcher we’re not taking any prisoners this year.”

“I thought we were done with that shit?” I said. “Finnigan is just looking for an excuse to bench Jase.”

“Finnigan can kiss my ass.” Jase sneered.

Asher’s house came into view and Jase parked up, effectively ending our conversation. We climbed out, grabbed the supplies from the trunk, and went around back where some of the other guys were already hanging out. Asher’s parents were cool, and since they were out of town for business a lot, we usually hung out here. His house was bigger than most of our places, thanks to his dad’s successful tech company. It backed onto a small lake where they had jet skis and a small motorboat, as if the huge pool and fire pit wasn’t already enough.

It was pretty awesome.

Jase went to join the guys, leaving me and Asher to take the beer and snacks inside. I dumped the bags on the counter levelling him with a hard look. “Why the fuck do you keep bringing up Hailee?”

“That shit’s funny. I’ve never seen Jase so bent out of shape over a girl.”

“It’s his sister, or have you forgotten that?”

“Still… it’s not like they’re blood-related.”

“Something is very fucking wrong with you.” I folded my arms across my chest, letting him deal with the bags. “Don’t be stirring up trouble, Ash, we don’t need it. Not this year.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He ducked into the refrigerator to stow the beers. When he was done, he leaned against the counter, his eyes searching mine. “I still can’t believe it’s senior year. Have you thought about what you might do?”

Dragging a hand down my face, I shook my head. “It’s not that simple.”

“Yeah, I know. But if you know Penn isn’t going to be—”

“What’s taking so long?” Jase appeared in the door, his eyes hard and assessing.

“Just grabbing some beer, man.” Asher grabbed a six-pack and chucked a bag of chips at me. “Come on.” He brushed past Jase and went outside.

“You okay?” Jase tipped his head at me, and I nodded.

“Yeah, I’m good.”

His eyes lingered on me a second longer, then he spun around and followed Asher. I sagged back against the counter, releasing the breath I’d been holding. Jase didn’t get it. He didn’t get why anything would take precedence over football. Over college. I guess that’s what made him different—what gave him an edge other players didn’t have. He was detached enough from life to make the sacrifices required, and then some. He didn’t worry about family because his team, football, was his family. I guess he’d learned that from his dad. But my dad hadn’t been a rising football star, and although he supported me, supported the team, he also had other things going on that required his attention.

Sometimes, it felt like I was standing at a crossroads: one foot planted firmly in my dreams of football and college and the promise of going all the way to the NFL; the other remaining rooted in real life where dreams didn’t always come true and life wasn’t always fair. And balancing the two… well, it was hard fucking work.

“Yo, Cam, grab an extra bag of chips.” Asher’s voice cut through my thoughts and I stuffed down all my shit and locked it away tight. Because right now I was a Raider, and football and all that came with it, needed to be my priority.

“I’m just saying,” Mackey stood tall, swaying slightly in the middle of our circle of chairs. “Alabama are looking tight this year, and Clemson are looking stronger than ever, but my money is on the Buckeyes.”

A sea of crumpled Solo cups rained down on him as he held up his hands to shield his face. “Come on, Jase, man, help a guy out. Ohio State wanted you, right? What do you think?”

My eyes fell to Jase who was sitting in a chair, legs kicked out in front of him, his eyes slightly glazed from one too many beers. “There’s no denying Ohio are going to be bringing everything they’ve got this year, but it’s not this season I’m interested in, it’s next season. And rumor has it, Penn have recruited one of the best QB’s in the country.” He smirked. “It’s a motherfucking gamechanger.”

Quiet laughter rippled around the fire pit. “Not that I’m knocking the Nittany Lions, I’m not,” Grady said. “But you do know they haven’t won a national championship since nineteen-eighty-six, right?”

Jase shrugged, arrogance rolling off him. “I heard Deontay Syracuse is going to commit to Penn. He’s the best DT in the country right now. Together, we’ll be unstoppable.”

Someone let out a low whistle.

“What about Chase? They want you too, right?”

It was my turn to shrug, taking a big swallow of beer. Jase’s eyes slid to mine but he didn’t speak. “I’m still deciding.”

The shrill of Asher’s ring tone pierced the thick silence that had descended over us, and he clambered to his feet. “The entertainment has arrived.” With a shit-eating grin he disappeared while Grady, Mackey, and a few of the other guys began scrutinizing Penn’s two-thousand-nineteen line up.