The Game You Play (Rixon Raiders 2)

Big words for a guy who’s waited almost eight months to get revenge.

All good things come to those who wait.

I didn’t reply. There was no point. We could go around in circles all day about the fact he was choosing now to strike, but it wouldn’t change anything. I just had to figure out a way to walk away from this thing in one piece. Because while he had everything to gain, I had everything to lose.

I was sitting in the yard, drinking a beer, when Hailee found me. “Out here drinking all alone, it must be bad.”

“Just needed some air.”

“Want to talk about it?”

“No, I really don’t. But thanks for the offer,” I tacked on the end.

“Someone hold the phone, hell must have frozen over,” she chuckled, dragging another chair over to mine. “You must be excited for the play-offs.”

“I’m ready. It’s like my whole life has been leading up to this point, you know?”

“I really don’t.” She gave me a hesitant smile. “But I’ve been around you long enough to know how important this is to you.”

“So what? We’re friends again?”

“I’m not sure we were ever friends, but I’m done holding onto so much hate and bitterness. I want to enjoy the rest of senior year.”

“To non-friends?” I held up my beer and Hailee frowned. “Here,” passing her an empty, I clinked the neck of my bottle against hers.

“Truce?” she added.

“I think I can agree to that.”

“I know I gave you a hard time about Felicity and I’m not going to lie, I spent a couple of days planning on ways to make you pay, but I think I’ve realized it’s for the best.”

Her words coiled around my lungs making it difficult to breathe.

“Yeah?” I barely managed to choke out.

“Yeah. The two of you are from completely different worlds, and football will always be the most important thing to you. And that’s okay. Felicity needs someone solid, someone who can put up with her brand of crazy.”

“Someone like George?” The words were out before I could stop them.

“Oh God, please don’t tell me you’re jealous of George?”

“Should I be?”

/> Her expression fell. “I really don’t know how to answer that.”

“So she wants to be a veterinary doctor or something?”

“Yeah, it’s all kind of new. She was supposed to be studying business like her parents both did. But she made this list and it pushed her to reassess things, to go after things she wouldn’t have before.”

“Like asshole football players who don’t know what they want?”

“Exactly like that.” Hailee burst into quiet laughter. “Maybe in another time and place you two would have figured things out.”

“Maybe.” I liked that idea; Felicity and me together in a few years’ time. Me the hotshot NFL player and her the big-hearted animal doctor.

“How did you know Chase was the one?” I asked even though I felt fucking stupid the second the words left my mouth.

“It wasn’t really a case of knowing. It was just a realization that life was better with him around than not, and when things went bad with his mom, I wanted to be there for him. I wanted to be his person.”