Fallen Crest University (Fallen Crest High #5)(32)

Prison…

A shiver went down my back. I hadn’t thought it would get that ugly, but Logan was right. There had been an attempted hit-and-run. A house was burned down. And those had been the opening acts.

Shit got real.

I sucked in my breath. My hand flattened against my stomach—no, that was Mason’s arm. I moved closer to him, edging forward, as Logan was talking. Mason held me back.

I moved back a step, and he glanced down at me. There was a question in his depths. Was I okay?

I nodded, feeling my pulse skyrocket, as Logan’s voice kept repeating, “Prison,” in my mind.

“You think that’s where this is going?”

Logan craned his head to the side. “We’ve been on campus for two days, and both days, we’ve run into you. I don’t think it’s a coincidence, and I think you’re stupid to pretend that they were.”

“What are you saying?”

“Nothing.” Logan looked around to the crowd. “Just telling you that we have no delusions where this is going and that we’re not underestimating you.” He glanced to Mason. “Though, I agree with my brother. I think you’re underestimating us.”

Logan is stalling.

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. So was Mason. That was why his anger subsided. They were waiting for something. I studied Sebastian, and I noticed he was, too. No one was making a move against the other. The crowd grew more restless. They were like me, waiting for the fun to happen—not that it was fun. If this was a preview of what was to come throughout my entire freshman year, this was going to give me a heart attack by the end of the year.

“Okay.” Summer stepped forward, standing between Logan and Sebastian. “I don’t really know what’s going on or even who this dude is.” She jerked a thumb at Sebastian. “But I can tell that nothing’s going to happen. Whatever pissing show this confrontation was supposed to fulfill, it has to stop. If you all keep talking, someone will eventually snap—oh…” Her eyes got big.

Bull’s-eye.

Sebastian’s mouth lifted in a quick grin before it vanished just as quickly as it’d appeared. That was what he had been doing after all. He wanted one of them to swing at him.

I frowned. That couldn’t be the whole reason. Mason and Logan were right. That was too simple. That wasn’t sophisticated at all, not what they were expecting from Park Sebastian.

An uneasy sensation took root in me.

Something was off.

Something wasn’t connecting.

“Okay.” Summer cleared her throat. “Whatever. It’s not going to happen.” She said to Sebastian, “They aren’t taking the bait. They’re not going to fight you here.” She twisted to Mason and Logan. “And I think he got your message. You’re not underestimating him. Check. Got it.” Her head skirted between all of us, falling to me at the last second. Her eyebrow arched high. “Can we all move along now? Let’s proceed until the next confrontation because, apparently, it’s bound to happen. I, for one, am already late for my first class, and being late is one of my pet peeves. No model can be late for a shoot. That’s been pounded into me by now.” She winced at her choice of words. “I could’ve used a better word there.”

They stood there for a moment after her speech ended. No one laughed at Summer’s slip. Logan kept staring at Sebastian, and so did Mason. They were waiting for his next move. Knowing they’d stay there until he was forced to either attack or retreat, I slipped around Mason’s arm and moved in front of him.

Still, no one moved.

I shook my head, catching Summer’s eye. She realized what I was doing and lined up in front of Logan. I placed my hands on Mason’s chest, feeling his pulse beating hard there, and ignored the little tingle of lust forming in me. I began lightly pushing him back, herding him through the crowd and toward my building.

Summer tugged on Logan, pulling him with us.

Logan held firm, still staring at Sebastian, until the moment was gone.

The tension suddenly lifted.

Mason and Logan went with us, and soon, the crowd closed off so we couldn’t see Sebastian anymore. That was when Logan cracked a grin, wrapped his arm around Summer’s waist, and lifted her in the air. She squealed, more from surprise than enjoyment, but a second later, a laugh came from her, and Logan threw her over his shoulder.

He grinned at her. “You got me. Where do you want me?”

She shook her head, still laughing, as she looked at him, hanging upside down. “You’re crazy.”

He winked at her. “And you’ve only known me for two days, too.” He gestured to us. “I’m taking this one to her class. I’m going to make a big scene so she can slip in, unnoticed, and I will make my apologies to her professor, leave, and find out where my class is. See you two lovers later.”

He headed off, circling around where our standoff just happened. As soon as they were gone, Mason’s hand slid down, and his fingers entwined with mine. He pulled me inside my building and into a private classroom. Once the door was shut, he sighed. “I’m sorry that happened just now.”

I shook my head. His other hand rested on my hip, and I lifted our hands to his chest, feeling his heart still racing.

“I don’t really know what happened, but I guess it was inevitable that we’d run into him. Might as well have been the first day, right?”