Page 5 of Broken Ties (Rixon High 4)

“Oh my God, Dad,” Ashleigh shrieked, throwing her arms around his neck again. “For real?”

“You’ve earned it, sweetheart.”

“E, did you see this? New York City.”

He gave her a secretive smile. “Yeah, buttercup, I knew. Asher is letting us stay at the family penthouse.”

She gawked at them both. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. Ah, I’m so excited.”

“Excuse me,” I said, shrugging out of Lily’s hold. She stared after me as I slipped into the Bennets’ house and down the hall toward the bathroom.

I was being ridiculous. It was a celebration. A party. I had no reason to feel anything but happy. Ashleigh deserved nothing but good things.

Inside the Bennets’ luxurious bathroom, I splashed some water on my face and inhaled a deep, calming breath.

“Get it together, Poppy,” I chided myself in the mirror. “You’re being ridiculous.”

Laughter in the hall caught my attention and my heart ratcheted at that voice.

His voice.

Aaron Bennet.

One of my best friends.

My…

I shook those thoughts out of my head.

Crap. He and his friend Cole were right outside the bathroom, laughing and joking.

“I thought we were hanging with everyone for Ashleigh’s birthday?” Cole asked.

“Yeah, we can, for a little bit,” Aaron said. “But then I figured we can invite some people to your house and chill.”

“Dude, it’s Monday. We have an early practice tomorrow.”

“So? We’re seniors now, Kandon.” Aaron chuckled. “We’ve got to make the most of it while we can. Besides, I heard Madison say she wouldn’t mind getting to know you better.”

“I’m not interested in Madison,” Cole said.

“Why the hell not? She’s hot as fuck.”

My breath caught and I clapped a hand over my mouth.

“You hook up with her then.”

“Maybe I will.” Aaron snorted, and thankfully, they moved down the hall so I didn’t have to listen to anymore of Aaron’s bullshit.

I gripped the edge of the sink, my eyelids fluttering. Was I really hiding out in the Bennets’ bathroom? How pathetic.

There had been a time I could tell Aaron Bennet anything. But things had changed lately. Maybe they’d been changing for a while.

We weren’t kids anymore.

We were seniors. Aaron was one of Rixon High’s beloved football players and I was the coach’s youngest daughter.

Besides, I was dating Eli now. Sweet, kind, caring Eli. And he liked me.

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