Fallen Fourth Down (Fallen Crest High #4)(64)

“Threesome Fearsome again?”

I nodded. “Threesome Fearsome going strong.”

“Damn straight.” He flicked the corner of my lip, grinning at me. “I love you, little sister.”

“Little?” I straightened up, moving so I could turn around and face him squarely. Our hands let go and his arm slipped down my back, resting behind me. I wrinkled my nose. “I believe I’m older than you.”

He shrugged. “Age doesn’t matter. It’s what’s in here.” He touched his chest.

“Your heart?”

“My lungs. They’re stronger than yours. I’m in better shape. That’s what’s important.” His grin stretched from ear to ear.

“Oh, god.” I punched him in the side and rolled my eyes. “But I’m older and wiser.”

“Not true.” Still grinning, he tugged me back and wrapped his arm around me. He moved so he was hugging me from the side. His forehead lowered to rest on my shoulder. He glanced up at me from the corner of his eye. “Thank you for telling me about Jackson.”

“Yeah.” I shot him a dark look. “Do not tell Mason. I want to tell him myself.”

“I promise. When are you going to tell him?”

“Tonight.”

“Tonight?”

I nodded. “I’m leaving after this.”

He lifted his head from my shoulder. A serious expression came over his face. “You’re driving there?”

“I wanted to come and make things right with you, then go to see him. I’m going to stay there for the weekend.”

He nodded. “Mason trusts you. You don’t need to be nervous.”

I knew that. Giving him a soft smile, I lifted my hand. Forming it into a fist, I pretended to hit his chin. The corner of his mouth lifted as he held my gaze. I asked, “Are you and Kris having problems?”

A storm passed in his eyes. Hesitating, his chest lifted, and he answered, “Yes.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Me too.” He shook his head, closed his eyes, and when they opened again, a mischievous look had replaced the sadness. Wrapping his arms around me, he stood and swept me up with him. I was tossed over his shoulder. He climbed over the bench, smacked my rear, and yelled out, “Derek! Do you have a pool?”

“No!” I started kicking. “Logan, put me down.”

He started forward. The crowd moved aside for him. Smiles started to spread around the backyard. His friends had moved to the basketball court. When we got there, they noticed the change in his attitude, and just like that, like a switch had been flipped, the party atmosphere went up a notch. It was all because of Logan. He seemed to infect everyone.

As he kept laughing, I felt the reverberations through his body as he moved me around. “Huh? Huh? Want to get wet, Sam?” His head straightened, and he hollered across the backyard, “What about it, Derek? If you don’t have a pool, please tell me you have a large tub.”

I should’ve been fighting more, but I couldn’t. Logan’s excitement was even affecting me. I had a feeling that I’d be trying to dry off on the drive to see Mason.

CHAPTER TWENTY

It was dark, nearing one in the morning, when I got to Mason’s house. I called, but he never responded so I was relieved to see the living room lights on when I headed for the front door. Instead of ringing the doorbell, I knocked softly. Mason told me earlier they had practice in the morning, but that it was exam week too, so he didn’t know if people would be sleeping or staying out to party. When the door swung open, I recognized their quarterback.

He squinted at me, rubbing the side of his face. He pulled the door so it was only a fraction of an inch open. His head poked around the frame. “Who are you?”

“I’m Samantha, Mason Kade’s girlfriend. You’re Drew, right? We met a few weeks ago.”

At the mention of ‘girlfriend’, his eyes got big and he stepped back from the door. Still holding it open with a hand, he tilted his head to the side.

I flushed. He was looking at me like I was an alien. “Is there a problem? Do you have rules that I can’t be here?”

“You’re Kade’s girlfriend?”

“You don’t remember me?”

“No offense, but when his girlfriend was here, I only saw her for an hour. Mason kept her all to himself, not that I could blame him.” He skimmed me up and down. “You sure you’re her?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. What’d he mean by that? “Yes.”

“Girls show up all the time and say they’re so and so’s girlfriend. Kade’s serious about his girlfriend so if I let you in and he throws you out, don’t be surprised.”

“Well, I am his girlfriend and thank you?” This conversation was weird. “I don’t know what to say to that.”

He shrugged, stepped back, and opened the door wider. “Your funeral, lady, if you aren’t who you say you are.” He gestured up the stairs. “He’s probably still awake. We just got back an hour ago. Second door on the right.”

I stepped inside. Shooting him a dark look, I said, “It’s the third door on the left.”

He flashed me a grin. “Ah. So you have been here before.”