The Game You Play (Rixon Raiders 2)

I hadn’t even stopped to tell them I was leaving, I just needed to be far, far away from Jason and his poisonous words.

“I can’t remember the last time I had a girls’ night.”

“Pre-Cameron we did this a lot. Although most of our sleepovers ended up with Hailee plotting revenge on Jason.”

“Hey,” Hailee said, “We still hang out. You make it sound like now I have Cameron, I’m not around.”

“I’m joking, Hails. I’m happy for you, I am. After everything they put you through, you deserve all the happiness.”

“Your brother sounds like a grade-A asshole.” Mya’s eyes crinkled.

“My step-brother is an asshole. But he’s different lately.” Her gaze flicked to mine.

“Yeah, well, different or not,” I sighed, “he’s still a cold-hearted bastard.”

Mya and Hailee both looked at me with sympathy in their eyes. “Please don’t do that; don’t look at me like he ripped out my heart and trampled all over it. I wanted closure and I got it.”

“Yeah, but I still can’t believe he did that. And with Jenna, of all people.”

“Really, Hails? Because this is Jason we’re talking about. He’s disappointed me at every turn, why should last night have been any different?”

“I just thought that this time he would...” She swallowed the words.

“I know,” I said quietly, “me too.”

Although I knew exactly who Jason Ford was, part of me had still foolishly hoped he had changed. That I’d changed him. I had managed to convince myself I was different to the Jenna Jarvis’ of the world when all along I was exactly the same.

It was a bitter pill to swallow. But at least I’d seen his true colors once and for all. I could move on knowing I’d tried to smash through Jason’s steel walls. Even if it did suck that I failed.

“If you ask me, you’re better off without him. Jason Ford loves only two things: himself and football.”

“You’re not wrong there.” Hailee leaned over to high five Mya.

“Anyway, enough boy talk. I thought this was supposed to be girls’ night. What are your plans for after high school, Mya?”

“Ooh straight into the heavy stuff, I like it.” She crossed her legs in front of her and pushed her spiral curls from her face. “I always wanted to do something to help people, you know. Like drugs counselling or a school guidance counsellor.”

“Psych major?” I asked.

“Maybe, or education. I haven’t really narrowed it down, but I’m applying to Montclair State and Michigan. I want to go out of state but not too far away.”

“Me and Cameron are headed to Michigan.”

“No way.”

Hails nodded. “He was supposed to go to UPenn with Jason, but—”

“But he realized he couldn’t bear to be apart from Hailee and applied to Michigan instead.” The way my best friend blushed at my words was so darn cute.

“Wow, that’s... serious.”

Hailee shrugged. “I couldn’t imagine going without him.”

“I miss that,” Mya sighed. “Having someone to make plans with. What about you, Flick? Given anymore thought to your plans?”

“I thought the plan was to study business.” Hailee frowned at me.

“It was... I mean, it is.”