Page 49 of Get Even

I felt rather than saw Kit and Leo step up on either side of me but I kept my eyes on Aaron as I rolled my eyes, “Oh honey, your brother made me squeal louder than that. Just ask Cody.”

A snarl formed on Aaron’s face and I turned away flicking my hair back at him as I flipped him off over my shoulder. A small scuffle sounded and my mouth dropped open as I spun back to see Aaron held on his knees by some sort of pressure point, his hand twisted in the air as Max grasped it.

“Max?” I said in a voice slightly higher than usual. “Um, what are you doing?”

He gave me a nod, eyes hard on Aaron as he squeezed his hand before letting him up. Aaron scrambled away, eyes large in his face before walking over to his second-rate sports car. “Asshole tried to grab you,” Max said in a hard voice, brushing back a piece of his usually-gelled hair from his face and I blinked stupidly at him. That was the second time he’d stepped in to help me in a situation with a guy, maybe he had a white knight complex but right now I couldn’t complain.

“Well, thanks,” I said, still confused. “What are you doing at the match?”

“I'm an alumni,” he said with a small grin that showed off his white teeth and I realized that was why he was dressed so much more casually. “I leave town tonight and thought it would be fun to catch a game before I go.”

A warm arm slung around my shoulders and I breathed in the warm, familiar smell of Ry’s aftershave before pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. “Hey,” I smiled and his eyes lit up.

“Hey,” he said softly, gazing down at me and then clearing his throat as he noticed his friends staring. “What’s going on?”

“Just Aaron being an ass,” I said nonchalantly. “This is Max, fromThe Box, you remember?”

“Right,” Ry said with an easy grin, holding his hand out for the other man to shake. “Nice seeing you again.”

“Yeah you too, good game,” Max nodded to Kit and Leo who had been joined by Xander before turning back to us. “Hey, do me a favor? Talk to your girl for me about the studio?” He sent me a wink and I smiled tightly, knowing Ry was never going to drop this now.

“Of course,” Ryan said easily. “Did I hear you say you’re leaving town?”

“Tonight was my last night,” he confirmed and I held in a sigh, knowing Ry was only going to double down now that he had that knowledge. “Good seeing you all,” he said with a smile that grew a little bigger when his eyes fell on Kat. “Don’t forget to call,” he said to me, handing over another business card and I nodded casually as I took it.

“Thanks again,” I said as he walked to a sleek looking sedan and waved behind him. As soon as he was far enough away, Ry opened his mouth and I shot him a warning look. “Don’t even start.”

“Are you really not going to consider it?” he pleaded, blue eyes blinking at me adorably as if he could flirt me into driving to Arizona and singing at Max’s studio.

“I already considered it.”

“Thoroughlyconsidered it,” Ryan amended and I saw our friends drift away to give us privacy as the parking lot continued to clear out.

“I didn’t half-ass it,” I snapped and Ryan rubbed a hand across his jaw. “Academia,history,that’s where my future is. Music isrisky.My History degree is where stability and security, all those things that I never fucking had, will be. This is how I get there, how I can make something more of myself than my mother ever did.” I hadn’t realized I was yelling until he gently placed his hands on my shoulders.

“There’s more than one path to get there,” he said and I shook my head vehemently.

“I can’t just quit,” I said after taking a deep breath, “not when I’m so close to everything I ever wanted.”

“And if they suspend you? It’ll be on your permanent record, Jamie. There’s not many schools who will take a chance on hiring staff with a record of harassment.”

“But Ididn’tharass anyone!”

“They won’t know that,” Ryan sighed and pressed a long kiss to my forehead as my eyes filled with tears that I swiped away angrily.

“Just… consider it. Okay? I know you’re scared–”

“I’mnotscared,” I hissed and he raised his hand placatingly.

“Okay, then what do you have to lose by just exploring your options? You love to sing. You can’t even deny it because it radiates out of you when you’re up on stage. So just go, do the recording, see how you feel about it. Going to the studio doesn’t mean you’re giving up on your History degree. You’re not your mother, not even close.”

I clenched my jaw as I took two steps back, “Thanks for psychoanalyzing me, asshole.” I marched off towards Kat as Ryan called my name behind me. “I’m leaving. Are you coming with?”

Kat glanced behind me to where Ryan likely still stood and gave me a hesitant nod. I set off at a punishing pace, needing to get his voice out of my head. Not calling Max was the right thing to do. I needed to put all my focus and energy in one place – History. It was what I needed to do to have a better life.But is it what you love?An annoying voice that sounded irritatingly similar to Ryan’s whispered and I shoved the thought away. Love had nothing to do with it. I liked History, had been good at it in high school, though a lot of the fun had drained out of it the longer I’d had Davis as a professor.

I had a plan. Go to college, rent out my spare room, study hard, graduate top of my class and then move into a TA position or research fellowship until I could get a full-time role doing something similar. It paid well, was relatively easy on my brain and was interesting enough that I wouldn’t get bored. But more than anything it wasprestigious,I wouldn’t be Poor Jamie Silver whose mom was an addict, I’d be Jamie Silver – professor, or TA or whatever I could manage. But I wouldn’t be the girl of my past any more.

My phone dinged with a notification and I huffed angrily as I pulled it out, expecting it to be Ryan. I stopped mid-stride and Kat asked if I was okay. I stared down at the email on my phone in disbelief.

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