Ruined Hopes: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romance (Rixon High) Page 5

  I headed straight for the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator. When I closed the door, he was standing in the doorway, watching me.

  “Good run?”

  I nodded, twisting the cap and downing the whole bottle.

  “You’re pushing too hard,” he said, stepping into the room.

  “I’m fine. I need to shower though.” I went to move around him, but he threw out his arm.

  “Mya said you saw Ashleigh and Hailee today at the store.”

  “So?” I held his stare, tension rippling through me.

  “You need to give her space,” he said, eyes narrowed to thin, assessing slits.

  “I know. You don’t have to worry.”

  I wanted nothing to do with her.

  “Senior year starts soon. You’re both going to—”

  “I said you don’t have to worry.”

  He gave me a curt nod, but I saw the concern glittering in his eyes. He didn’t trust me.

  I didn’t blame him.

  But he could trust me with this. I had no intentions of going after Ashleigh, of getting close enough to cause any problems. She needed to heal, to adjust to her… situation. And I needed to keep my head down and stay out of trouble.

  It was the only way we were going to survive repeating senior year.

  “Can I go now?”

  Asher studied me, his gaze like a hundred spiders under my skin. He did this sometimes, looked at me as if he was trying to see past my bravado and cool façade.

  It unnerved the shit out of me.

  But this time, he stepped aside, letting me off the hook. “Get out of here,” he said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  I mumbled some reply before heading straight to my room, hoping to avoid Sofia and Aaron. Neither of them appeared, and I breathed a little easier as I slipped into my bedroom at the back of the house.

  It was so different to any of the rooms I’d had in foster care. Big and spacious with two windows that overlooked the yard, and the lake beyond that. It was still decorated in gray and blue tones from when I’d first arrived. Mya had begged me to let her redecorate last year, to change it to something more to my taste. But I hadn’t wanted it. She’d given up asking eventually.

  Sometimes, I wondered why they bothered trying with me. I definitely wondered why they went to so much trouble to adopt me. Part of me thought it was because once I’d turned eighteen, they were worried I’d leave. That I’d just walk out of here and never look back.

  I was an asshole, but I wasn’t a total douchebag. So I’d given them that. I’d let them make me theirs.

  Their son.

  If I was expecting it to change things, that once the papers were signed some thread inside me would snap into place and bind me to these people, this family who had done nothing but care for me and try to be there, I was wrong.

  Nothing changed.

  Nothing felt different.

  I didn’t suddenly feel like one of them.

  A Bennet.

  And then the accident had happened, and everything went to shit, and now I wondered if they regretted it.

  If they realized what all the other families before that realized—that I wasn’t worth it.

  The next morning, I ventured downstairs, only to wish I hadn’t.

  “Morning, Son,” Asher said. “Coach Ford stopped by to talk to you.”

  Shit. That didn’t sound good.

  My eyes darted to the door I’d just walked through, planning my escape. But Asher was already one step ahead of me.

  “Take a seat, Ezra,” he said, firmly.

  Well, okay then.

  Sliding onto one of the stools at the breakfast counter, I glanced between them.

  Jason Ford was one of Asher’s best friends. He was also the football coach at Rixon High. An NFL legend and local celebrity.

  And he was glaring at me like I was the devil incarnate.

  “Ezra,” he said, coolly. Too fucking coolly. My blood ran cold.

  “Hey, what’s up?”

  “A little birdie tells me you’ve got a ton of energy you need to burn.”

  My eyes shot to Asher, and he shrugged. “You’re running yourself ragged.”

  “I am—” I clenched my fist against my thigh, trapping the words behind my gritted teeth.

  Just breathe.

  “Running helps take my mind off things,” I said.

  “Me and Ash have been talking and we want you to join the team this year.”

  “No.” I stood up, ready to bolt.

  Ready to run.

  “It’s not a request, Son.” Asher pinned me with a hard look. One that said you will fucking do this or suffer the consequences.

  “I’ll do the year again. I’ll keep my head down and study hard.” Hard enough to get my diploma at least. “But I’m not cut out for team sports. I’m not—”

  “Which is exactly why we want you to become a Raider. You’re lost, Son.” Asher’s expression guttered. “What happened—”

  “Don’t.” I gritted out, unable to stand the invisible weight bearing down on me.

  “This will be good for you,” he said, giving Coach Ford a strange look. The two of them seemed to have a silent conversation.

  I didn’t need to decipher it to know what Jason was thinking. Ashleigh was his niece. His family. And it was all my fault she was suffering.

  “And if I say no?” I met Jason’s heavy stare.

  “It’s not a choice, Ezra. Training camp is in a few weeks, I expect to see you there.”

  “But—”

  “No buts, Son.” Asher let out a heavy sigh. “You will do this.”

  “Fine. Are we done?” It took everything inside me not to lash out, but it was pointless. They knew I wouldn’t argue.

  I couldn’t.

  “Ezra, please—”

  “I’m going for a run.”

  “Don’t you think you’ve been doing enough of that?”

  “Let him go,” Jason said. “He’s going to need all the stamina he can get for practice.”

  “Whatever.” I skulked out of there, grabbing my sneakers off the rack and shoving my feet into them. Maybe I was pushing too hard, but it was better than the constant noise in my head. The images of blinding lights, the sound of Ashleigh’s screams.

  I’d take physical pain over that any day.

  Taking out my cell phone, I opened the music app and jammed my earbuds in, letting the music flow through me.

  And then I hit the ground running.

  When I got back to the house, I found Aaron and Sofia hanging out with their friends by the pool. He spotted me before I could make a dash to my room.

  “E, come join us,” he beckoned me over.

  I ignored him, grabbing a drink from the refrigerator and turning to get the hell out of there. But Lily appeared in the doorway, frowning at me.

  “Hey,” I said, her gaze laser focused on me.

  “She’s worried about you.”

  Four little words I didn’t want to hear.

  Four little words I didn’t deserve to hear.

  She let out a frustrated huff when I didn’t reply. “Seriously, Ezra, what the hell is wrong with you? I tell you Ashleigh is worried about you, after everything she’s going through and you’re just standing there, gawking at me.”

  “She shouldn’t be,” I gritted out, every word like glass in my throat.

  “Shouldn’t be what?” She pursed her lips, judgment swirling in her steely gaze.

  “She shouldn’t be worried about me.” I barged past her, but Lily grabbed my wrist. My eyes dropped to where she was touching me and then flicked upwards. Lily scowled, instantly dropping my arm.

  “You know, sometimes I wonder what she sees in you.”

  As I walked away from her, only one thought ran through my head.

  You’re not the only one.

  Chapter Seven

  Ashleigh

  “Ashleigh, Lily’s here,” Dad boomed up the stairs.

  I checked my reflection again, nervous energy zipping around my stomach. After too many days cooped up in the house, Lily had suggested we go out somewhere. Just a trip to Riverside. There were food trucks, entertainment, and an arcade. We’d been a hundred times before. It was familiar. Safe.

  Except for all those trips I couldn’t remember.

  “Ash—”

  “Yeah, Dad,” I yelled back. “I’m coming.”

  Inhaling a shaky breath, I grabbed my purse and slung it over my body. I hadn’t bothered making too much effort, sticking to casual jean shorts and a rainbow motif t-shirt. My long, dark-blonde hair hung in a loose braid over my shoulder, and I’d swiped a layer of gloss onto my lips.

  Part of me didn’t want to go. I wanted to stay here where it was safe, where I didn’t have to deal with my new reality. But Lily was only in Rixon for another few weeks, and I knew I would regret not spending time with her while I had the chance.

  Besides, I was going stir crazy. Some fresh air and a change of scenery would do me good.

  I gritted my teeth as I tried to walk the short distance to the staircase unaided. My ankle was still healing, but the cast had finally come off this week. They’d said to take it easy for a while, but every day, I pushed myself a little harder because it gave me some semblance of control.

  And I needed that right now.

  I needed to feel like I had control over something.

  “Hey,” I said as soon as Lily came into view.

  “Do you need some help?” She went to take a step toward me, but I held up my hand.

  “I’ve got it.”

  “Ashleigh, we talked about this. You don’t need to push—” My dad said.

  “And I already told you, Dad, I’m fine.” I forced a smile, pain shooting in my leg as I hit the floor a little too hastily.

  “Sweetheart?” Concern coated his words, but I made myself smile again, despite the whimper crawling up my throat.

  “I’m okay.”

  “Please take your crutches.”

  “Dad…”

  “You need to give yourself time to heal. The doctor said—”

  “Fine, Dad. I’ll take them.” But whether I would use them was another thing.

  “The guys are waiting in the car.”

  “Guys?” Dad frowned.

  “Yeah, Kaiden and Gav.”

  Relief washed over him. “Oh, that’s okay then.”

  “Come on, let’s go,” I said. “Before he changes his mind and locks me away in my bedroom.”

  “Ashleigh, that isn’t fair.”

  “Joke, Dad.” I leaned up to kiss his cheek. “I’m joking.”

  “Be safe, okay. And if you need me…”

  “I’ll call, I promise.”

  He gave me a reassuring nod, but I saw the reluctance to let me go in his eyes.

  I was his daughter, his little girl. I couldn’t even imagine what he and Mom had been through in the days and weeks following the accident.

  Before the flood of emotion got the better of me, I grabbed my crutches and followed Lily out to her car.

  “I still can’t believe you got your driver’s permit.”

  The last I could remember, she still hadn’t been ready to take driver’s ed.

  “I still don’t really like driving.” She shrugged. “But it’s kind of a necessity.”

  “Well, I’m proud of you, Lil. You’re kicking ass.”

  “I am, aren’t I?” She chuckled, going around to the driver’s side. Gav, one of Kaiden’s best friends, climbed out of the back seat and grinned.

  “Remember me?”

  “Ha ha, funny.” I poked my tongue out at him. But part of me was relieved he wasn’t handling me with kiddy gloves. Even if I had limited memories of us ever being friends.

  Of course, Lily had filled me in enough to know that me and Gav were friends. We’d even gone to prom together. Platonically, she’d reassured me.

  I’d always had this fantasy of prom. Of Ezra finally realizing he felt the same way about me and asking me to go with him. Him all dressed up, dancing with me in front of our entire class. Holding me, kissing me like he couldn’t get enough.

  But obviously that didn’t happen, not if I went with Gav and our friends.

  That pesky pit in my stomach churned a little wider.

  “What can I say, Leigh Leigh, I’m a funny guy.”

  I jerked back at that nickname.

  Leigh Leigh.

  Lily had said we were friends… she hadn’t said he felt comfortable enough around me to call me by the nickname reserved for those closest to me.

  “Shit, Leigh, I’m sorry… I didn’t—fuck.”

  “What’s the matter?” Lily twisted around to look at us.

  “Nothing.” I smiled. Strained. All wrong. “Everything’s fine. Shall we?” I met Kaiden’s stare in the rearview mirror and he nodded.

  “It’s good to have you back, Ashleigh.”

  “Thanks.”

  But as Lily backed out of my driveway, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was a really bad idea.

  Riverside was crowded. Kaiden and Gav kept close to me and Lily as we navigated the streams of people wandering along the promenade.

  “What shall we do first?” Lily asked.

  “I could eat. They have a taco stand.” Kaiden dropped a kiss on her head.

  He was sweet with her. Always touching some part of her, holding open the car door, and guiding her around the place with a hand to the small of her back.

  Kaiden was one of the good guys.

  And I was so happy she’d found him. Lily was a different girl to the girl I remembered. In some ways, our roles had reversed. I had become the shy, uncertain girl afraid of her own shadow. Except it wasn’t my shadow I feared; it was ten months of lost memories and the knowledge that I might never get them back.

  “Ashleigh?” he asked.

  “Sounds good.”

  We managed to find a table and the guys joined the line.

  “You good?” Lily asked me.

  “Yeah, it’s weird being here. In the middle of summer.” I glanced around, spotting a group of kids from school. Quickly, I ducked my head.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I… I don’t know.” I lifted my eyes to meet Lily’s concerned gaze. “It’s just… I’m guessing everyone knows; about the accident, I mean?”

  “Well, yeah, word got around. But people won’t know about the amnesia.” She reached across the table and laid her hand on mine. “You get to decide who you tell what to, Leigh.”

  I wasn’t sure that was a good thing.

  I didn’t want to be the local freak, but I also didn’t want to have to explain to everyone why I didn’t remember anything from the last ten months.

  “Hey.” Lily must have noticed the sheer panic on my face. “It’ll be okay, I promise.”

  She couldn’t promise that though. No one could.

  “Oh my God, Ashleigh.” Candice Willis, a girl from our class, approached our table with her younger sister in tow. “You’re okay. I mean, I heard about the accident. We all did.” She and her sister shared a nod. “You’re okay then?”

  “I… yeah, I’m fine.” My lips pursed.

  “I heard Ezra Jackson was driving.”

  “It’s Bennet now,” I snapped. “Ezra Bennet. His parents adopted him.”

  Candice cast me a strange look. “Oh, okay. Well, I just wanted to say hi. Zara and I are enjoying some quality sister time before I leave for college.”

  “That’s… great.”

  What was happening?

  Candice wasn’t my friend, there was no way that had happened in the last ten months. She was a vapid mean girl, who basked in the misery of others. We’d avoided her like the plague at school. So the fact she was standing at our table, pretending to care, was utter bullshit.

  Thankfully, Kaiden and Gav returned before things got any weirder.

  “Move, I’m sitting there.” Gav practically barged Candice out of the way and I could have kissed him.

  Candice let out an indignant huff before muttering something to her sister and storming off.

  “What the fuck did she want?”

  “To give me a headache?” I shrugged.

  “We got a bit of everything.” Kaiden started dishing out the food containers and Gav handed us extra plates and wooden sporks.

  “Did you ask her yet?” Kaiden grinned.

  “Ask me what?”

  “Bryan’s parents are away on the weekend.”

  “When are they not?” Gav mumbled.

  Kaiden shot him an irritated look and continued. “Since he and Carrie-Anne are leaving for college early, we talked him into one last party.”

  “Oh, I’m not sure—”

  “You have to come,” Lily said. “It’s the last time we’ll all be together until who only knows when.”

  God, those words hurt far more than they were supposed to.

  “We’re keeping it low key. Us, Aaron and Cole, Sofia, Poppy, a few guys from the team and their girlfriends.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “Come on, Leigh. You have to come.” Gav pouted. “If for nothing else, then to save me from a night of playing fifth wheel.”

  “He’s right.” Lily flashed me her best puppy dog eyes. “You have to come. Gav needs you.” Her soft laughter filled the air.

  “Okay, Ford. I’m not that desperate.”

  “I don’t know, man. You are pretty desperate.”

  “Oh, it’s like that now?” Gav balled up his napkin and threw it at Kaiden.

  I smiled and laughed because that’s what you did when your friends were goofing around. But my smile was a little too tight and my laughter was a little too strained.

  “At least that’s settled,” Gav said, flicking his eyes in my direction. “Leigh will come to the party and be my wing-woman.”

  “I’m sorry. Your what now?”

  “Wing-woman. You know, my sidekick.”

  “He means, you can help him with the ladies.”

  “I… I’m not sure I want that job.”

  “Ouch.” Gav winced.