Fallen Crest High (Fallen Crest High #1)(97)

He looked in pain. "Yeah…"

Mason cleared his throat. "Can we go? The touchy-feeling scene is done."

David shook his head. "What my daughter sees in the two of you—"

"She's not really your daughter." Mason didn't blink as he leveled him with a look. "She comes from someone else and you were the one who swooped in to raise her, but like she said—she's going to be 18 and it's not going to make a difference. It'll be her choice." He stepped forward and his chest touched my back. An arm curved around my waist and he pulled me against him before he kissed my shoulder where my shirt had been pulled to the side. His breath fanned against my skin. "And she's made her choice, a couple times now…with me."

David's face had turned to stone.

My stomach twisted into a knot and I felt it drop to my feet. I didn't know how to undo what he'd done.

Logan covered up a laugh behind us, but I knew he wasn't hiding back his smirk.

Then David bit out, "Why did you want me to know that?"

Mason fell silent.

My dad jerked forward a step. His eyes gleamed with some emotion I couldn't place. His jaw was so rigid. "You made a grand show here, Mason, and you wanted me to know that my daughter is sleeping with you. Congratulations. I figured it out long ago, but your delivery was in poor sportsmanship. Why'd you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Deliver your triumph how you did." David's eyes were unyielding. "You wanted to hurt me. You wanted me to know that she's sleeping with you. Why? Are you threatened by me? Do you think she'll listen to me if I tell her to dump you?"

Mason's arm stiffened around my waist, but he remained quiet.

David went on, "I don't like you. I don't like either of you, but I respect you as football players. I don't think you've ever been coached by someone that you respect and I don't think you've ever respected another man, even your father. I've watched the two of you on the field. Everyone has in this state and you are both ruthless. You're the best and you make damn sure everyone knows it on the field, but the one thing that always strikes me isn't how good you both are, it's your level of respect. You don't respect anyone else on the field, but you respect the game. Every time I watch you, I think to myself what kind of men are you two? What motivates you?"

"You think you're the coach that we're going to respect? Did you raise Samantha with Disney movies too?" Mason's tone was mocking and it sent chills down my back. His arm wasn't moving around my waist.

David moved back a step and he sounded sorry when he spoke. "I think of the men you could've been under my watch. You would've been twice the men you are now."

Logan had grown quiet, but Mason let go of my waist and moved me behind him. He was face to face with my father now and his tone had gentled. "You think we're two kids who grew up with bad parenting, but you're wrong. I might not respect my dad, but I love him and I respect my mother. You've never met her. You don't know a damn thing about Logan and me, but you're reaching for straws. I don't like you, but you're a great coach. I've watched you too and I know you're a great coach, but your players don't respect you, sir. They listen to you because you motivate them, but don't misunderstand that. They don't respect you. If they did, Quinn would never treat Samantha how he does. She's a prize to him. You want to paint us as the bastards that grew up with no competition. You want to paint our dad as someone less than you, but you couldn't be farther from the truth. We grew up knowing who we're going to have to deal with during our lives and guys like you, guys like Quinn are a dime a dozen. They're around every bend in the road. Logan and I aren't stupid enough to buy the crap most adults try to sell."

He turned and met my gaze. I flinched under his stare, but held it. He was looking for something inside of me and I knew I couldn't look away. I couldn't quake or tremble so I settled my nerves, stood upright, and lifted my jaw. My eyes were hard as I stared back at him.

Mason turned back to my father. "I respect you as a coach, but I don't respect you as a man. You should've never let Sam go."

The fallen look on my dad would haunt me forever. That knowledge trembled inside of me and I turned away to press into Mason's arms. He swept me up and pressed a kiss against my forehead. As he deposited me in his vehicle, I didn't hear anything. Logan should've been laughing. My dad should've been yelling. I should've been crying, but there was nothing. Just silence.

It echoed throughout my body.

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

We went to their hotel. It was some ritzy place. I didn't care and I trudged behind them as we rode the elevator to their top floor. Of course they'd be staying in the top suite, it only made sense, but as we got there Mason pressed a different button. Logan got off and gave us a salute with a cocky smirk. "See you later." The elevators slid to a close on his words and we rode the elevator down two floors. It stopped on the one between and as it opened, I stepped back into Mason's side.

Garrett stood there, waiting for the elevator. His shocked gaze swept over me and then Mason. He murmured in a fake Southern drawl, "A bee's bit my asscheeks to be seeing you here. How are ya?"

I pressed my forehead into Mason's side and his hand swept around me. He answered for me. "Who are you?"