The Harder You Fall (Rixon Raiders 3)

I was already moving but Dad’s voice gave me pause. “I really don’t think now is the time for this, Son. Miss Hernandez and her friend obviously have some things to talk about.”

They were beyond the perimeter of the stadium, huddled by the fence. It was too far to read Mya’s expression, but my gut told me it wasn’t a friendly visit. And if my dad thought for one second I was about to leave Mya—the girl who owned my fucking heart and soul—alone with her ex, he was sorely mistaken.

“We should go and make sure she’s okay, Mr. Bennet,” Jase said, clapping me on the back. “Come on.”

We broke out into a steady jog. “I take it this is a surprise?” Jase side-eyed me as we slowed our approach.

“He isn’t supposed to know she’s in Rixon.” A whirlwind of emotions churned inside me. I didn’t know what to think, what to feel. I had so many questions, but nothing outweighed my need to get to Mya and make sure she was okay.

Felicity had already reached them, taking Mya’s side as she continued to talk to Jermaine. Although now we were closer, I could see that they weren’t talking at all—she was begging him to leave.

“Babe, everything okay?” Jason was as cool as a cucumber as he strode up to Flick.

“Yeah, we’re okay. Mya was just introducing me to her friend Jermaine.” Her eyes flicked to mine. But I was too busy watching my girlfriend watch her ex.

“I’m Jason,” he extended his hand to Jermaine. But the dude just stared at it. “And this is Asher.”

His eyes slid to mine, sharp and assessing, even if his posture was still relaxed and easy. “Asher.” He rolled my name around on his tongue. “You the guy tryin’ to make a move on my girl?”

“J,” Mya said. “I’m not your girl anymore.”

Her eyes finally met mine, swirling with too many things.

“Don’t be like that, baby girl. You know me and you got history. We’re always gonna have history.”

“Exactly. History. We have history, Jermaine, as in, it’s in the past.” She let out a strained sigh. “You should go.”

“We drove all the way out here to see you and you gonna dismiss me, just like that?”

“Jermaine, please.” Mya’s voice cracked.

“Maybe you should leave,” Jason said. I was still rooted to the spot, my thoughts running at a mile a minute trying to figure out why he was here.

How he was here.

“Really, you’re going to pick these white boys over me? I came for you, baby girl. Came to make things right between us.”

“You shouldn’t have,” Mya almost choked over the words, and I could see she was hanging on by a thread. “I’ll call you later, okay?” The words spilled from her lips in a hurried jumble. “Let me finish up here and then I’ll call you.”

“A’ight. We can stick around a while.”

What the fuck was happening?

Was she having second thoughts after seeing him again?

Jason glared at me, his heavy stare nudging me do something. To say something. But I was paralyzed by the situation. By the idea that Mya had anything to do with Jermaine being here, in Rixon.

“Come on,” Felicity urged Mya to start walking. “We should get back to everyone.”

But I couldn’t move. Mya caught my eye, silently begging me to go with them.

“Go on ahead,” I said tightly. “I’ll be right there.”

A sly smirk tugged at Jermaine’s mouth, as if knew exactly what I was thinking. Jason gave me an understanding nod, herding the girls away despite Mya’s protests. When they were out of earshot, I edged closer, locking eyes with him. He was taller than me by about an inch but where I was broad, the guy was lean.

“You the one my girl’s fucking around with?” He got straight to the point.

“She isn’t your girl and that’s none of your fucking business.”