The Harder You Fall (Rixon Raiders 3)

“Show me what you brought over again.” Flick beckoned at me.

Digging out the bag of worn jeans, denim skirts, shorts, and tank tops, I pulled a face. “This is definitely not going to cut it.”

“It’s okay, we still have time. I must have something in here.” She began sifting through her wardrobe again.

My eyes flicked to the dress Flick planned to wear. It was a deep shade of green, cut low in the front and even lower in the back. Her mom had bought it specially for her, wanting her daughter to look the part for our big trip to New York.

I couldn’t den

y jealousy had simmered in my veins when she’d told me. I wasn’t jealous of her, or even the dress, but I couldn’t ever remember a time my mom had taken me shopping. And for as strong as I tried to be, I couldn’t pretend my friend’s sparkly new dress wasn’t a reminder of everything I’d lost.

Everything I never had.

“Okay, I think I’ve got it. Show me those jean shorts again. The dark wash ones.”

“These old things?” I’d breathed life into an old pair of jeans by cutting off the legs, but they hardly screamed New York club vibe.

“I think they might work with this.” She spun around, presenting me with a sequined black halter that was too short to be a dress but long enough my midriff wouldn’t be on display. “The back is cut low, so you won’t be able to wear a bra.” Flick flipped the hanger so I could get a look.

“Not a problem.” I climbed off the bed. “Can I try it on?”

“Uh, yes! I need to see it. Try it with the heeled boots.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind me borrowing all this stuff?”

She gave me a pointed look. “As if you even need to ask.”

“Thank you.” Snatching up the shorts and boots, I disappeared into her small bathroom and stripped out of my clothes and shimmied into the outfit. The girl staring back at me was taller, thanks to the killer heels, but she was also older somehow. Wiser.

Felicity was right. I didn’t look like a picture of happiness, my resting bitch face making my expression too serious. But I saw the subtle change in my eyes. The little sparkle. And I knew the root of it. The girl beyond the door, determined to make me look the part for our big night out. The boy I’d be walking hand in hand into the club with. Rixon was changing me and it wasn’t all bad. In fact, some of it was good.

Very good.

“The suspense is killing me,” Flick called through the door. “Are you done?”

Taking a deep breath, I toyed with the material in the front, so it hung just right. “Okay,” I stepped back into the bedroom. “What do you think?”

Her eyes went wide and she clapped, letting out a little shriek of approval. “Hell yes. Asher is going to die when he sees you.”

“Well hopefully he won’t die. I kind of like having him around.”

“This trip is going to be the best.” Felicity beamed. “Just promise me you’ll stick up for me if Vaughn makes a play for Jason.”

“I got your back.” I shot her a playful wink. “Is Asher close to his cousins?”

“Not really. I mean, they seemed friendly enough when we went before, but they don’t keep in regular contact or anything. Why do you ask?”

“No reason.” The lie soured on my tongue. But I couldn’t tell her how the little voice in my head was whispering all kinds of things to me.

“They’ll love you, Mya,” she said trying to reassure me. “You have nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah.” I forced a smile, telling myself it didn’t matter what they thought.

Even if I knew, deep down, it did.

Asher

Our trip to New York was finally underway. The smaller Rixon grew in the distance, the more I could breathe. My arm tightened around Mya, and she gazed up at me.