Fallen Crest High (Fallen Crest High #1)(47)

"What?" I growled.

"Are you going to that dinner with David? I know it's for the families too."

I sighed and turned away. "I don't know, mom. Maybe."

When I started to walk inside, she called after me, "It'd be okay, you know. I'd understand. I wouldn't want him to be alone…"

And the door shut on her words when I stepped inside. I let it slam harder than normal. When I hurried upstairs and to my room, Mason's door was kicked open and he appeared. He was shirtless and in jeans. His hair was wet and he held a toothbrush in his mouth, but he watched me approach.

I whistled under my breath. "You shower quick."

He grinned over a mouthful of toothpaste and disappeared inside. A second later, he came back out and wiped his mouth with a towel. Then he grinned, sans his toothpaste, and leaned against his doorway. When he crossed his arms, his muscles bulged out, but it wasn't a show. That was him.

I fought the urge not to flinch under his steady gaze. "What?"

"Come out with us tonight."

"I don't think so."

Logan's door opened down the hall and he stepped out, but he didn't say a word. He waited.

"Why not? It'd be fun."

I wavered. "Where are you going?"

He lifted an easy shoulder. "Probably just some bonfire, nothing big."

And I hoped that meant there'd be no Lydia, Jessica, or even Adam. The week had been tolerable, but I felt the weight of all of them. Lydia wanted to be my best friend again and Jessica seemed torn. After Logan's humiliation, she had stayed away, but I still caught the few friendly grins she'd sent my way. Becky loved it. She was eating all the attention up, including how Adam still seemed pissed. She enjoyed being the go-between with him and me.

"Hey," Mason prompted me again.

I frowned as I tried to remember what Becky had said they were doing tonight. It was probably a party. It always seemed to be a party. "Don't you guys have a football game tonight?"

"Not for us."

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged again and scratched at his chin. "We skipped all week. No way can coach put us in."

"And that doesn't bother you?"

"He won't kick us off." He frowned. "Why do you care about that?"

His question threw me backwards a step. Why did I? I shrugged and slid my hands into the back pockets of my running shorts. I was trying to look cool. My sweat had dried, but my nose twitched at the smell of it as it hung in the air.

"Look," I started. "I'm not up for another party. Besides, I think that Tate girl is out for my head."

Mason shot up from the doorway and the wall slammed over his face again. "Tate?"

Logan's eyes clasped shut behind him and his head went down. His shoulders dropped.

I sucked in my breath and my eyes widened. "Uh…I mean…"

"You met Tate?"

I nodded.

"At the last party?"

I nodded again.

"Why'd she be pissed with you?"

I shrugged and looked away.

"Sam." He grasped my shoulder and I squeaked. I threw a look at Logan, but quickly glanced away. Too late. Mason followed my gaze and saw his brother. "Tate's in town?"

Logan's head lifted and a haunted look was in his eyes. "Yeah."

"When?" Mason's voice was biting.

"She came last Saturday. She was looking for a chick that Sam's quarterback was banging."

Mason looked back at me. His eyes were cold. "What does she want with you?"

"Becky and I lied to her. She seems like the type to hold a grudge."

"What the hell, man?"

It took me a second to realize Mason wasn't referring to me. I looked up with his hand still on my shoulder and saw something pass between the two brothers. Logan backed up and gave him a tight smile. "What do you want?"

"You're still covering for her."

Though Mason's statement came out quiet, there was a dangerous feel to it. The hairs on the back of my neck stood upright and I was frozen in place. His hands gripped my shoulder tighter. A bruise would appear there, but it didn't hurt. I didn't feel a thing at that moment.

"Sam, honey?" My mom's voice came up from the stairway.

Everyone reacted.

Mason shoved me away. When I caught my balance and looked up both of their doors had been shut. I hurried into mine and locked it when my mother turned the knob. "Sam, can you please talk to me? I'd really like to talk to you about David. And James told me he had a word with you. I'd like to talk to you about him as well." She waited a moment. "Please, honey?"

I stood on the other side and held my breath. My heart was pounding, but it wasn't from my mother, for once. And then when I heard her walk away, I let out that deep breath and sagged against the door. My hands and legs shook when I made my way to the shower so I slid down the wall and let the water slam over me.

It was an hour later before I went downstairs in sweats and a tank. My hair was pulled back by a headband and my body felt strong from the latest run. When I went into the kitchen, I expected everyone else to be gone, but drew up short. Logan sat at the table in the dark. A glass was in front of him and a bottle of Brandy beside that.