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The Trouble With You 96
“What’s his deal?” Asher joined me, running his eyes over the crowd below.“Who, Jase? Just his usual bullshit.”“He likes her, you know,” he said as if it was nothing. “He won’t ever admit it, but he does. She gets under his skin.”I side-eyed him but he was too busy watching the dance floor... the girls.Felicity.He was watching Felicity.“And what about you?” I asked, uncertain whether this was water I wanted to tread. “Does she get under your skin?”He shrugged, playing it cool. But I saw the tightness around his jaw. He liked her. Fuck. “Doesn’t matter,” he said. “She’s not into me.”“And she’s into Jase?”“I’m not sure. She says she isn’t, but I catch her watching him sometimes with this look in her eye, and I’m pretty sure something happened with them the other week at my house.”“What look?”Asher expelled a shaky breath as he gripped the rail. “The look you used to give Hailee. The same look that says you want something even though you know it’s a really fucking bad idea.”“
The Trouble With You 1
Hailee“Son of a bitch.” I slammed my dresser drawer shut and stomped into the bathroom adjoining my room. The one I grudgingly shared with my step-brother.“Jason!” I yelled, rooting through the laundry hamper, clothes flying everywhere. My breath came in short, sharp bursts. “Jason, I swear to God, I’m going to—”“Problem, sweetheart?” Mom’s head appeared around the door. She caught a flying tee and balled it up, looking at me like I’d lost my freaking mind.“Jason stole all my bras.”“Hailee Raine, I’m sure he did no such thing.” Her expression slipped, her filler-smooth forehead cracking as much as it could. “Are you sure they aren’t just all in there?” She motioned to the hamper; the one I was still rummaging through like a crazy person.My brow rose as I ground out, “He took them. I’ll kill him.”“Sweetheart.” She let out weary sigh. “Can you and Jason please try to get along this year? It’s senior year, you’re practically adults. These silly little pranks you two play on—”“Den
The Trouble With You 2
Ever since Jason and I were forced upon one another in sixth grade, when his dad and my mom announced they were moving in together, we’d been at war. Jason didn’t want a sister and I had no time for a brother. Especially one as annoying and conceited as Jason. We were polar opposites—him: popular and athletic; and me: artsy and free-spirited. Jason lived and breathed football, like most of Rixon. But not me. I barely even knew the rules of play. Needless to say, as we got older, the rift between us only grew. He loved nothing more than to piss me the hell off and I loved nothing more than spending my days plotting my sweet revenge.“Just because everyone else thinks the sun shines out of his ass, doesn’t mean I have to lie down at his feet and take his shit.”Flick’s brow shot up. “He does have a rather fine ass though.”“Take that back.” I almost choked on a mouthful of Pop-Tart. “Take that back, right now.”“What?” Her soft laughter filled the car. “I’d never sample the goods, but i
The Trouble With You 3
Cameron winked, before slipping around me and Flick. He shoved my hand off the door handle and I jerked back, caught off-guard by the tiny bolts of electricity shooting through me. He paused for a second, looking at his hand, before shaking his head and ducking inside the building, letting the door slam closed behind him... and right in my face.With a heavy sigh, I yanked it open and slipped inside, Flick trailing after me. “Just look at that ass,” she whispered, leaning in close, watching Cameron’s retreating form as kids tripped over themselves to move out of his way. But I wasn’t looking at his ass. My eyes were burning into the back of his head, imagining all the painful ways I could hurt him. He glanced over his shoulder, our eyes locking, and I let out a frustrated groan.I knew that look.I’d seen it enough over the years. But I’d never seen it from Cameron before. Sure, he went along with Jason’s pranks and efforts to find new ways to piss me off. But he’d never been so blata
The Trouble With You 4
“Are we really going to class?” Asher asked as we made our way down the deserted hall.“What do you think?” Jason grumbled. “I can’t believe we’re stuck with Khloe all year.”“Like you haven’t already banged that.” Asher elbowed Jase who levelled him with a hard look.“Exactly,” he ground out. “And I’m not looking for a repeat. Ever.” Contempt dripped from his words, as if the idea of being with a girl more than once was crazy. But then, when girls threw themselves at you the way they did Jason, I couldn’t blame him.Being a Rixon Raider came with a certain set of privileges. We were treated like gods in the halls at school; and outside the school gates, around town, wasn’t much different. It was easy to get swept up in it all. The girls. The attention. The respect. But being the team’s star quarterback was a whole other deal. Jason Ford wasn’t just a Rixon Raider—he was the Rixon Raider. The guy legends were made of, and we all knew he had a one-way ticket straight to the NFL.“So, w
The Trouble With You 5
But that wasn’t good enough for Jase. No, he issued a whole school lockdown. It was excessive. I knew it. Asher knew it. Everyone knew it. But since everyone also knew her step-brother’s reputation of following through on his threats, no one dared ask her out. And for the last three years, Hailee had been a social pariah. She kept herself to herself, had a small circle of friends, and preferred to lose herself in the art studio than lose herself in school spirit. Although part of me couldn’t help but wonder if she liked it that way, or if she’d just come to accept her fate.I should have felt an ounce of guilt of over it—I didn’t. Because the truth was, Jason wasn’t the only one who had issues with his teammates, or anyone else for that matter, hooking up with Hailee.“Found them.” Grady, another senior, breezed into the locker room, holding a pile of clothes. “But you’re not going to like what she did to your jersey.” He unballed the white and cobalt-blue shirt and held it up, a stra
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“Desperate,” I added, feeling a strange dip in my stomach. Ignoring it, I pushed my plate away, slid on my glasses, and pulled out my sketch pad and pencils.“What’re you working on?” Flick leaned over to get a better look. “Wow, that’s good, Hails, really good.”Pride swelled in my chest. I didn’t draw for other people, but it never hurt hearing someone appreciated your art. The piece, a sketch of kids filing into school I’d titled ‘first day rush’, had taken me hours but it still wasn’t quite finished. I liked to carry a project around with me for moments like this.Moments where I needed to escape all the bullshit that came with being Jason Ford’s step-sister.“Hmm, Hails.” Flick’s voice ruined my concentration and I glared at her.“What?”“Is that any way to greet your... friend?I glanced over my shoulder to find Asher Bennet standing behind me, a smug grin plastered on his face.“What do you want?” Pencil poised between my fingers, spine rigid, I readied myself for whatever bull
The Trouble With You 7
Cameron I left Asher and Jase in the gym with the excuse I had to meet with the guidance counsellor. I didn’t, but they didn’t need to know that. The halls were empty as I made my way to the art studio. Hailee had a free period which meant there was only one place she would be. So it was hardly a surprise when I found her in one of the smaller rooms. The door was ajar and I slipped inside, closing it behind me. It was a risk coming here, but no one would dare question me. And if anyone did run their mouths, I’d spin it to my advantage. Say I was doing Jase a favor, warning her to back off. Hailee was straddling a chair, her back to me. Her dark blonde hair was pulled up in a messy bun, strands falling around her face as she swiped the paintbrush against the canvas in long angry strokes. Every now and again, she paused, inclining her head, revealing the delicate slope of her neck. The oversized shirt she wore—no doubt to protect her clothes underneath—combined with her black framed gl
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