The Game: Rebels of Ridgecrest High (Book 3)

It’s been two weeks since Thanksgiving, and that night with Roman. Which I’ve repeated more times than I can count on my hands. It’s like I woke the beast within him and I’m not complaining.

Hunter’s now at Lakeview, he’s giving Asher a run for his money. I’m glad they have each other there. Or from Walker’s texts… maybe not. I guess they’re very similar so they are butting heads a little.

Asher and I are stealing kisses. But that’s all. I can’t do anything else. Not yet. And not after dad and Kate announced their engagement. I don’t want anything to stop them from being happy and married. I just need more time. Dad’s still hung up on the fact I have two boyfriend’s. I don’t think he’s going to bring out the welcome wagon for the one that lives across the hall from me.

Jace on the other hand… he’s playing dirty and so am I.

It’s movie night, just the five of us at Hunter’s. Jace wants to sit beside me, which would be no big deal only he’s been slowly dragging his hand up my inner thigh. As if I wouldn’t notice.

I get up to get more popcorn from the kitchen and he follows me. Ugh… well if he wants to play dirty… dirty is what he’ll get.

He watches me as I stalk over, licking my lips and tasting the salt of the popcorn from them.

“Did you come to help?” I hand him the popcorn bowl and his eyes drop to my chest. I’m only wearing a underwear under this tee. Which belongs to Roman, so its big like a dress and that’s exactly how I’m wearing it.

Jace stands a little taller as I move in. Only inches from him and he looks down at where I trace my finger down his tight tee and to the edge of his shorts. I watch his Adams apple bob, as I push my hand into his shorts and his breath comes out ragged as I press my palm against his hard length.

“Oh fuck,” he whispers reaching for me, but I pull away as soon as he touches me. He lets go of my arm and I grip him through the thin fabric. He grips my shoulders again and moans. I woke his length and he’s breathing picks up

“Please, god, Mila. Kiss me. I can’t wait any longer. I need you.”

I look up at him through my lashes and he’s eyes widen. I stroke him one more time before yanking my hand free and skip towards the living room past Hunter. He must have come in here to get something, but instead witness Jace not getting what he wants. Again. This has been happening since I kissed Asher… well Asher kissed me and I kissed him back.

I know I’m being a bitch. But I think one more week and it will be enough torture… maybe.

The deep groan from Jace has Hunter in a fit of laugher.

“Shut up.” Jace mutters but even I smile.

“You’re only doing it to yourself by playing dirty. You know the rules. You know what you did… and paybacks a bitch.”

I point to Hunter to come over to me, but she shakes his head. I asked him where his mom is, and she is still at some retreat. Then I asked when his dad was here, as feel like I have been living here for the past two weeks and I haven’t seen his dad once in that time. He didn’t answer me and I know there’s more to it. But he’s avoiding me.

I’ll let it slide for now. But later… he’s gonna need to answer me.

I enter the living room, and Asher looks up at me. Roman had cuddles earlier and at the moment… that’s pretty much all Asher gets from me. Until we can work out how to approach the parentals about the situation, I don’t want us to do more than kiss… cuddle and maybe a little bit of touching.

I look down at the bandage still wrapper around Asher’s hand.

He told his mom it was an accident in the kitchen, but it got infected. And more than that, when we ask Roman about the knife and if he disinfected it. He just looked at us and said, “it’s a knife and I washed it.” Like that’s the answer to that.

But turns out he didn’t know that after it was buried there for four years, it had rusted a little. He just washed it off in the pool. Yeah, the pool then cut Asher’s hand with it.

We had to explain how that’s not the proper way to prepare a knife to cut something.

“How’s your hand?”

“Needs kisses.” I giggle and kiss him. It’s been his line for the past week and it’s cute. He’s cute and mine.

His phone rings, and I realise that we’re late home. We’re picking out a Christmas tree today.

As a family.

I love the smell of pine. It reminds me of Christmas. while I was living with mom; we didn’t really celebrate Christmas the traditional way. She was more interested in socialite parties than a Christmas tree. If it wasn’t for Malcolm, I wouldn’t have had a Christmas at all in New York.

That’s one thing he’s good about at. I’m making sure that Malcolm junior and I had gifts. Even if they were bought by his secretary. He still at least thought about me will stop, not like my mother, who’s never bought me a Christmas gift.

“Let’s go pick out the perfect tree,” Kate claps her hands after we all pile out the car.

I see a weird and ugly tree all by itself in the lot.

“Oh, my God, Kate, there it is.” I point and run to it. Oh, the poor thing, it has a broken branch, and it’s got a slight kink in the trunk.

Kate turns and gives me a puzzled look.

“Oh, no. Mila. We can afford the regular trees. We don’t need the damaged one.” Dad’s phone rings and he looks at me before answering it. I pause a moment before I explain to Kate.

“It’s not damaged, it just needs some TLC and it will be good for us. It needs a home for Christmas.”

Kate looks to Asher, who shrugs. Then to Madison, who hasn’t said much today. She’s been really quiet and I want to ask her why, but when Kate and dad aren’t around.

“Mila, it’s an ugly tree.” Madison screws her nose up at it. And I smile.

“I know. Isn’t he perfect?”

Dad comes over and smiles at me and my tree.

“It’s the perfect tree, Mila. But we are choosing as a family. And everyone has to agree.”

Well, I know where I can get a vote for this tree.

“Asher? Do you like the tree?” I can see by the way he pauses, he doesn’t want to answer. “Dad?”

Now everyone’s shaking their heads and I don’t know why. It’s a tree. It’s not the best, but it needs love.

“Every year, Mila would pick the saddest tree in the lot and that would be our tree. She always felt bad that no one wanted it, just because it didn’t look pretty or wasn’t perfect.”

Well, when he puts it like that… that sounds like I like only the sad broken trees. I don’t. I love the others too.

“Ah, Mila. That’s a beautiful story. And I think we should get it.” My heart goes wild in my chest. She wants the tree. It will have a home for Christmas.

“And we will pick a second tree. So we can have two trees.”

Now I’m deflated. That hadn’t been what I meant by it. Even though my ugly tree will have a home for Christmas now.

“Mila, that was your mother.” Dad pauses. The look on his face isn’t good. “She wants you home for Christmas.” And now my heart sinks and I no longer want to be out tree shopping.

“But she hasn’t called me since I got here, dad. How is that possible? I’m not going back there.” Asher wraps his arm around my shoulder in a comforting, friendly gesture, but it’s so hard.

“I told her she can talk to my lawyers. That you’re having Christmas here, with our family.”

Why is she doing this now? Why does she want to see me at all? She’s having a new baby now.

I hate my mom.