The Trouble with You (Rixon Raiders 1)

It was more than I deserved and yet, I wanted to take it. I wanted to pour my heart out to this girl.

“Cameron?” Dad’s head appeared around the door. “Can I borrow you for a second?” His eyes went to the girl beside me. “I’m sorry, how rude of me. I’m Cameron’s dad, Clarke. You’re Jason’s sister, Hailee, right?”

“Yes, Sir, it’s nice to meet you.”

“I wish it was

under better circumstances. My son said you got into a little bind last night and he helped you out?”

“He did,” her voice was quiet.

“Well I’m glad you’re okay. Cameron?” His gaze flitted back to mine, and I got up, following him into the hall.

“Is she okay?”

“Doctor Kravis wants us to go straight to Rixon General. Katie is coming by to pick up Xander—”

“Dad, I can watch—”

“You should get Hailee home and then go over to the Bennets’, okay?” He gripped my shoulder, squeezing gently. “I’ll call you as soon as we know anything.”

“Okay.” I ran a hand down my face. “I’ll get Xander’s bag packed.”

He nodded. “She’s going to be okay, Son.” Dad gave a little sigh and walked off down the hall. I went back into the den to find Hailee on the floor playing racing cars with Xander. I watched them from the doorjamb, a tightness in my chest. She was smiling, letting my little brother run his red car over her legs.

As if she felt me watching, Hailee’s eyes lifted to mine and she smiled. “Hi,” she mouthed.

“Hey.” I stalked toward them. “Guess what, buddy? Katie’s coming to pick you up.”

“Atie, I ove her.” He gave a little clap and began clearing up the pile of cars. Hailee helped and in no time, there was no evidence of their game.

I scooped Xander up and threw him over my shoulder, toddler-laughter filling the room, easing some of the pain I’d felt at seeing Mom like that. “Are you okay to wait for Katie to come and collect him and then I’ll drive you home?”

“Okay.” Her expression slipped, but I didn’t have time or energy to try to decipher it.

The drive to Hailee’s house was quiet. I was lost in my thoughts; worrying about Mom, feeling guilty over Xander being with Katie instead of his family. Instead of me. And something had changed with Hailee. It wasn’t so much what she said but everything she wasn’t saying.

Hell, who was I kidding? She probably already regretted letting me kiss her, touching her the way I had. She’d softened at my house. Let her guard down. But now we were in my truck, going to her house, and it was like last night, this morning, had all been a dream. A beautiful nightmare where you wake up and realize the amazing memories aren’t memories at all, but an alternate reality your mind created to taunt you.

My fingers tightened around the steering wheel as my emotions crashed over me like a tsunami.

“Cameron?” Hailee’s voice grounded me, and I glanced over at her.

“Yeah?”

The blare of my cell phone cut through the tension and I glanced down at the console to see Jase’s name flashing across the screen.

“Shit,” I mumbled under my breath. Hailee must have noticed his name too because she angled her body toward the window, watching Rixon roll by.

Everything was going to shit, and I couldn’t seem to find a way to smooth it over. I’d wanted us to talk. To figure out what this morning meant to her. To us. But there was no time now.

Hailee’s house came into view and I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized Jason’s car wasn’t in the driveway. “He must be at Asher’s already,” I said.

“I guess.”

I pulled up alongside Mr. Ford’s truck and looked at Hailee. She was no longer looking out of the window, but she wasn’t looking at me either.

“Hailee—”