“I admire it actually. It’s nice to meet someone who understands where I’m coming from.”
“Surely there must be someone? A best friend? Boyfriend?”
“Best friend, yes. Boyfriend, no.” My stomach dipped. “But I’m not sure Hailee really gets it. She’s always known what she wanted to do.”
George’s expression had changed, his eyes fixed on mine, searching for something.
“George?” I asked, breaking the strange tension that had descended over us.
“What? Sorry.” He shook his head. “It’s been a long day. Where were we?”
Benji chose that moment to shake his fur again, soaking George. I grabbed some towels and hurried over to them. “Thanks,” he said, “that’ll teach me for not paying more attention.”
The moment between us had passed, but I couldn’t help but wonder what had him so distracted in the first place.
Jason
“You’re sure about this?” Grady asked for the twentieth time that week.
“This thing needs to end now.”
“I’m not disagreeing, I just don’t understand why you’re not taking Bennet and Chase for back up. Well, Chase I kind of get. If Thatcher had come after my girl the way he went after Hailee, I wouldn’t be able to—”
“Grady…”
“Shutting up,” he groaned. “So we’re really doing this?”
“I’m doing this. I just need you there in case things go south.”
He let out a low whistle. “And you’re sure we can’t hold off doing this until after we win State?”
“It has to be now.”
“If Coach—”
“Coach won’t find out.” Thatcher was many things, but he wasn’t a snitch.
“I could call a couple of the other guys—”
“If you’re having second thoughts, man, I’ll go alone.”
“Nah, I’ve got you. I just think this is a bad idea. A really bad idea.”
I didn’t disagree but Thatcher wanted his pound of flesh and he was determined to get it one way or another. At least this way, if I met him one on one, it would be a fair fight. Besides, it wasn’t the first time we’d rumbled. I knew I could take him.
“Noted. I’ll see you in ten.”
“Yeah, yeah. See you there.” I hung up and grabbed my keys off the sideboard. It was almost sundown. Cameron was out with Hailee, and Asher’s parents were in town for a flying visit and had insisted on taking him for dinner. Dad and Denise were off doing whatever the fuck they did on Friday nights. The coast was clear.
Until I walked out of the house.
“Aimee?” I stared at the girl who had screwed me over once upon a time. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Hey, Jason,” she gave me a tentative smile, “it’s been a while.”
“Not long enough.” My teeth ground together. “Let me guess, your brother sent you.”
“Actually he doesn’t know I’m here. If he did...” She trailed off, her eyes darting to the ground. “Can we talk?”