The Game You Play (Rixon Raiders 2)

Just a little bit.

Jason

“Are you going to drill daggers into my head all morning?” I finally dragged my eyes to Hailee’s, and she clucked her tongue in disgust. “Whatever’s on your mind, just spit it out so I can finish my breakfast in peace.” I all but growled the words.

“I’m just wondering what made you this way. I know you have Daddy issues, but join the fucking club. Most of us have parent issues. Which makes me think there must be something else. A reason you’re so… so cruel.”

“I don’t have to answer to you.” My eyes narrowed.

“You’re right, you don’t. But I’m asking anyway.” Hailee glared right back. “Why? Why did you do that to her?”

“Am I supposed to know what the fuck you’re talking about?”

Her nostrils flared, a streak of pink coloring each cheek. My step-sister was pissed and instead of trying to cool the flames, I was stoking them. But she didn’t have the first fucking clue about why I did the things I did.

No one did.

“Felicity came to Seniors Night for you,” she hissed. “To be there for you. And you went and threw it back in her face. I know the two of you have been meeting. I know she slept with you… again. I know everything.”

It wasn’t her harsh tone that had me internally flinching, it was the fact Felicity had told her everything. Things I’d thought had been just between the two of us. Not that it mattered now.

None of it did.

“Yeah, well, it’s over.”

“Are you even listening to yourself? You were seeing her in secret… why?”

“I don’t—”

“Because you care about her. Stop pretending you don’t. You think we don’t all see the way you look at her? Even Thatcher and his goons noticed. You watch her. You watch her when you think no one is looking, so don’t stand there and tell me whatever was happening between the two of you was nothing.” Hailee slammed her hands down on the table, making the breakfast bowls clatter.

“So I care?” I yelled back, my thin rope of control snapping. “It doesn’t matter. None of it fucking matters. I can’t afford any distractions next year.”

“If you care about someone, they’re not a distraction, Jason,” her voice softened a fraction, “they’re a support.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Stop saying it doesn’t matter. It fucking matters,” she roared back, her chest heaving with the strain of her words. “Felicity deserves better. And you promised; you promised me you wouldn’t hurt her…” Tears pooled in her eyes, twisting my gut.

“No, I didn’t,” I said coolly.

“Yes, you did.”

“No, I didn’t. I promised to only ever do what I think’s best for her, and this… this is what’s best.”

Hailee shook her head, cussing under her breath. “That doesn’t even make any sense. If you wanted to fuck Jenna, you could have at least waited until Felicity left. She was right there and you rubbed Jenna in her face. So tell me, Jason, how is that what’s best for her?”

“She needed to know we were done.” The words almost got stuck in my throat and I sucked in a harsh breath.

“Oh my god, listen to yourself. You make me sick.” She slumped back in her chair defeated. “I really thought you were changing. I thought you’d finally shed that hard shell of yours. But it really was a game, wasn’t it?”

I gave her a dismissive shrug.

“You think the whole world revolves around you. That just because you’re some football god you can do whatever the hell you want. But this is high school, Jason. Soon you won’t be at the top of the food chain anymore and I hope you get a taste of your own medicine.”

“Are you done?” I growled.

“Done?” She smirked. “I’m only just getting started. You’re so self-centered you can’t even see what’s going on around you. You didn’t stop for a second to consider Felicity’s feelings. It never even occurred to you that maybe she has her own shit going on. You automatically assumed she was applying to UPenn to follow you there. Jason Ford. Football star and epic asshole.” bitter laughter spilled from Hailee’s lips, “but you couldn’t be more wrong.”