had, but when you were a Raider and played for Coach Hasson, they weren’t optional. We were expected to show up, smile, and give the people what they wanted. Most of the guys lapped it up—the chance to be kings for the night. But not me.
“Miley’s looking hot,” Jase said and my eyes slid to his. “What’s going on there?”
“It’s just casual.” I lifted my shoulders in a slight shrug.
“No shit. But come on, man, do you like her? I’ve seen the way she looks at you.”
“We’re just friends, Jase.” Nothing more. Nothing less. But he didn’t look convinced.
“Yeah, well, keep it that way. The last thing we need is any distractions. And she has trouble written all over her. I’m going to take a leak.” He made his way across the room, parting the sea of bodies like he was the prodigal son.
And maybe he was.
For a town like Rixon, Jason was a ticket to having their name splashed in the national papers. People couldn’t wait for the day, five years from now, when they could say they knew the new star of the NFL.
I spotted Asher over by the doors on his cell phone. Worry lines were etched into his face, and I straightened, my spine tingling. But before I could go over there and find out if he was okay, his eyes found me across the room and he grimaced.
We met halfway, just as he was ending the call. “Everything okay?” I asked him as he stood staring down at his cell phone.
“I, hmm, that was Fee.”
“Fee? As in Felicity?”
“Y- yeah.” He swallowed, running a hand through his hair. “She, uh, she asked me to get you to call her immediately.”
“Me, but why would she want—Hailee.” The air whooshed from my lungs. “You have her number?”
Of course he did, they had just been on the cell phone. But everything was a little hazy, my heart thundering in my chest.
“I put my number in her phone the time she cooked breakfast. You’d better call her, she sounded panicked. When I asked what was wrong she said there wasn’t time to explain…” he added and my eyes locked on his.
“Text me her number and tell Jase I had to leave.”
“Shit,” he breathed. “What should I—”
“Tell him it’s my mom or something.” It didn’t matter. I just needed to get to Hailee. If Felicity had called Asher....
“Cam?” Asher’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.
“Yeah?”
“I said, are you sure you know what you’re doing? Maybe this isn’t a good idea—”
“Just text me her number.”
“Shit, yeah. Okay.” He started messing with his cell phone and I waited for the incoming message, and then I got the hell out of there.
Once I was clear of the dance, I pulled out my cell phone and called Felicity.
“Cameron?” she rushed out. “Is that you?”
“What happened?”
“I... she... crap, this is bad, Cameron. I don’t know what to—”
“Slow down. Where are you?” I was almost at my truck.
“At a party, across the river.”
Fuck.
“Okay.” I schooled my anger. “Can you text me the address? It’ll take me about fifteen minutes.” If I broke the speed limit.
“Y- yeah. And thank you. I didn’t know who else to call.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” I said before hanging up. Reaching my truck, I almost yanked the door off its hinges.
An East party.
They’d left Homecoming and gone to an East party. Asher was right; I had no fucking idea what I was doing. Because it was the last place I should go. Especially without back up. But Hailee was there, and from the despair in Felicity’s voice, whatever had gone down wasn’t good.
Dammit.
As I reversed out of the parking bay and stepped on the gas, restless energy zipped through me. Hailee needed me. Okay, so the reality was Felicity needed me, but I wasn’t about to split hairs over the fact she’d called me to help.
I couldn’t deny a small part of me was pissed though. I’d spent most the night searching for Hailee, hoping to catch another glimpse of her, and all along she had been at an East party with that douche Toby no doubt. My hands tightened around the wheel. I’d always known Hailee was trouble. But if Jason found out about this, shit would hit the fan. I couldn’t leave her there, though, I wouldn’t. Because Hailee Raine was under my skin.
And even worse, I liked her being there.
“What the fuck happened?” I was out of my truck and on Felicity in a second, pulling Hailee’s limp body out