Fallen Crest Alternative Version (Fallen Crest High #2.1)(73)

They held their tongues when I told them that I knew Kate had been Mason’s hook-up before I came along. Both of them glared past me with such hatred, I was jolted from it, but then I turned and saw the objects of our conversation. Kate and her friends had stopped in their path. Their mouths hung down when they saw me. Kate glared at me before she left. The group was slow to follow, but they did. Parker was the last and she sent me a sneer before Natalie clamped a hand on her arm and dragged her away.

As they faded from our sight, Laura turned awestruck. She oohed and aahed that Kate Sullivan had walked away from me. Then they wanted to know why, if there had already been exchanges between her and I. I shrugged and told them that Kate was aware I wasn’t a fan of hers as well.

After that bit of information, the girls turned from polite to warm. They acted like I was their new idol. It made me uncomfortable, but it made me wonder what Kate was like at their school. I knew the girls were tough. I knew they wanted to rip me apart at the mansion the other night, but they stood down. I wasn’t sure if that was good or not. It also made me wonder if Mason or Logan had something to do with it. I’m sure they did. I wasn’t stupid, but a part of me still wanted to fight Kate. A shiver of ownership went through me when I thought about her time with Mason. My blood boiled as I remembered when she slid her hand through his hair and tried to pull him down to her at his last game. Then a rush of lust soared through me when I remembered how Mason had shoved her hand off.

“Sam?”

I turned and saw Logan at the end of the Fiat. He frowned and ran a hand through his hair. As he messed it up, he shook his head. He was dressed in jeans and his school’s sweatshirt. “What are you doing?”

“Logan!” Mason shouted at him from across the lot. His eyes met mine for a second. They narrowed, but then he yelled at Logan, “Come on. We’re heading inside.”

Logan gestured to me. “Did you know about this?”

I felt the girls’ tension behind me. One of them sucked in her breath and the other let loose a twitching hum from her mouth. I figured she wasn’t aware of it.

“Let’s go!” Mason gestured again. “Coach wants to talk quick.”

Logan groaned and ran his hands through his hair again. “Sam, are you coming to the game?”

Then Laura surged forward. Her chin was tightly clamped, but there was a tremor in her voice. “Mason introduced her to us. He wants us to be friends with her.”

“Why?” Logan snorted. He skimmed up and down her figure. “You’re nothing.”

Kelly surged forward this time but skidded to a halt in front of her friend. “We are not. We were friends with Marissa and we still are. All of you people bullied her and made fun of her. We didn’t. We stood next to her the whole time.”

“Logan!”

I flinched as I heard the anger start to rise in Mason’s voice.

“Logan.” I stepped forward. He was locked in an angry stare-off with one of them, but I stood between and caught his shoulders.

He jerked his face up and softened. Then he touched my arm. “You sure you want this?”

“It beats sitting alone at your games.”

His shoulders dropped and he groaned again. This time it sounded in surrender. “I’m sorry, Sam. I forget about your crappy friends.” Then he gave me a small smile. “Are you going out with us tonight? At least do that. Please.”

One of the girls harrumphed behind me and I stiffened.

He glared past me. “I wouldn’t advise you two to come. Kate hates you two.”

Laura crossed her arms. “We don’t care. We hate her too. We hate the whole Fab Four, but we like Sam. We’re going to stand by her too.”

“Sam, are sure about this? They hate us. They hate Mason too.” He touched my shoulder and turned me back.

“Logan!” Mason’s tone was sharper now and closer.

We turned and saw him five feet away. Irritation was evident as he jerked his head towards the school. “Let’s go. Now.”

Logan narrowed his eyes, but sighed. “Fine.”

As he went to his brother and passed him, Mason held my gaze in his. I felt him searching inside of me. I knew he wanted to know if I was okay and I nodded. I gave him the answer he wanted and then he softened. The look in his eyes switched to a different message and desire burst through me as I answered it. A knowing grin spread over his face before he turned and headed after Logan, who now waited for him.

Laura and Kelly came to stand on both sides of me. Then Laura sighed. “I don’t like ‘em. I don’t like ‘em at all, but after that look he gave you, I can see why you’re with him.”

I gave them both a small smile. They still didn’t know I was the future Kade stepdaughter, but then I forgot about that fact as we went into the game. Mason was right. It was more fun to go with others, people who were not his mother. As we took our seats in the cheering section, high above the section that Ethan and their friends congregated, I glanced at the box across the gymnasium. I couldn’t see inside that well, but I wondered if Helen had come to tonight’s game. I hoped not.

When their team entered the gym, the cheering was deafening. Mason and Logan entered last and were still dressed in their street clothes. A round of booing went over the crowd, but it faded after awhile. It went ignored by their team and soon everyone was cheering again. I saw that Logan and Mason were both looking for me and gave them a small wave when they spotted me. Both looked relieved and then I was ignored the rest of the game, or most of it. They conversed with each other, with their coaches, and with the rest of the players the rest of the game. Every now and then I felt a tingle and looked up. I was never surprised when I saw Mason’s eyes on me. Then we’d share a look, one that sent desire pulsating through me again, before he would get distracted by one of his teammates.