The Harder You Fall (Rixon Raiders 3)

“Oh, I have plenty to say.” His expression softened in a way that rendered me speechless. “But something tells me you’re not going to listen anymore, so I think I’ll save my breath.”

My mouth tipped at one corner. “I think that’s the most real thing you’ve said to me in years.”

He chuckled at that.

It was weird.

The whole fucking thing was weird.

We’d been at odds for so long, I’d forgotten what it felt like to be on the same side. Even if we were still sitting at either end, a vast space between us. It didn’t matter though. He needed to focus on Mom. If he was going to prove he’d changed, that losing Mom had made him realize what was important in life, then he needed to let me walk away and make my own decisions. He needed to let me walk my own path.

A path I hoped led me straight back to Mya.

“You sure about this?” Jason asked as I folded the last note and added it to the pile.

“Never been surer.” I looked at my two best friends and grinned. “But if this doesn’t work, you’ll probably have to lock me up in a cupboard until graduation because I can’t promise I won’t do something stupid.”

“Don’t talk like that.” A dark look crossed Cameron’s expression.

“I’m joking,” I laughed. “It was a joke.” Well, for the most part. Although I was pretty certain I would go off the deep end if Mya didn’t take me back.

I needed her in a way I couldn’t explain.

A way I didn’t even want to try to understand.

“I gotta say, man,” Jase said, “I didn’t know if you had it in you.”

“Fuck off,” I grunted. “We can’t all be like you.”

“What do you think he’ll say?” Cam asked me, wariness in his eyes.

“Honestly, it doesn’t matter; not anymore. He hasn’t been my father in a real long time.” I hesitated.

“Tell me I’m not going to have to kick Mr. Bennet’s ass all over town, because you know I’ll do it, even if it’ll land me in a whole world of trouble with Penn.”

“There are some things I need to tell you, yeah.” I dragged a hand down my face. “But I want you both to know that the only reason I didn’t tell you is because I was ashamed. Well, that and my father is a piece of shit and as good as blackmailed me.”

“What the fuck, man?” Jase’s eyes bugged, the vein in his neck throbbing violently.

“If I tell you—”

“When, when you fucking tell us. I’m not kidding, Ash, if something happened—”

“Jase.” Cam laid a hand on his shoulder. “Let him talk.”

“Thanks.” I gave my calmer friend an appreciative nod. “If I tell you everything, I want something from you in return.”

“Anything, you know that,” Cam said without hesitation.

“It ends with us,” I said. “As much as it pains me to say this, Mom is going to need him and he’s changed, I really believe he has. I don’t want what I’m about to tell you to go further than the three of us, okay?”

“But Mya knows?” Jase rubbed his jaw.

“She does.”

“Good,” he said, his shoulders dropping. “I’m glad you have her, man.”

I didn’t have her yet, but if my plan worked out, I would soon enough.