Mason (Fallen Crest High 0.5)(18)

I said to Tate, “Why’d you come over here? We were fine.” Tate had been doing that shit a lot lately. If a girl was talking to me, she came over. The only time she didn’t was if it was Kate. Those two had started to pretend they were friends. They weren’t. They only thought they were fooling the other.

“Mason.”

Tate’s head reared back. “Fuck, Mason. Do you always have to be an ass**le?”

“Yes. Why do you always have to poke your nose where it’s not needed?”

“My boyfriend is over here.” She gestured to Logan. “Excuse me if I wanted to know what was going on. He left me over there for you.”

“Yeah,” I shot back at her. “He left you over there for a reason. He didn’t bring you with him.” Then I remembered the girl was still there and said to her, “Go. None of it’s going to happen, even if you’re interested. I’m not anymore.”

She hurried off. Then Tate started, “Mason.”

I rounded on her. “You’re not wanted here.”

She looked at Logan. “That’s your brother.”

He started to say something and didn’t. Instead, he lifted his shoulders up and let them fall. “You’re butting in, Tate.”

“You always butt in. Butt out.” I glared at her. “Go away.”

“Logan.” She pointed at me. “Are you going to let him talk to me like that? Really?”

He started again, but I cut him off this time. “I didn’t come to you. You came to me. Go. Away.”

“Unf*ckingbelievable,” she hissed out, and left, shoving through the crowd. They scattered at the sight of Tate, her jaw clenched, her eyes enraged, as she passed through without hitting anyone. Like a flock of birds, they moved back together in her wake and turned back to watch us.

I looked at Logan. “Your girlfriend’s pissed.”

“Uh yeah. With good reason.” He shook his head, but he didn’t seem too concerned. “Why do you talk to her like that? It’s been getting worse lately.”

Because she’d been more of a whore lately. I hadn’t told him about the times when I was in the gym at home and she would come in to use the treadmill. The speed was so low, she barely moved. She just watched me, but there were others. She would come in my room when he was sleeping; there were times when she would ask if I would make food for her; or if I was in the pool, she would come out to race laps. My friendliness waned the more frequent those occasions happened and it had turned into hostility when I saw her outside my bedroom door the other night. She waited, listened through the door, and lifted her hand to turn the knob. I watched from down the hallway when I was coming back from the kitchen. Kate was in my room, and when she said something on the phone, Tate hurried away. She went back to Logan’s room and shut the door, but her whole demeanor had been guilty. Her shoulders tightened. She never looked around. She fled.

She was a migraine waiting to happen. I had no idea how to stop it from coming. Logan wouldn’t believe me, not unless I had proof. He loved her.

“She’s not my girlfriend. She doesn’t have to involve herself when I’m around,” I said

Logan let out a short laugh. “Are you kidding? She practically lives with us.”

That was the problem. Tate wanted something. I was starting to think every chick wanted something. Glancing over, my gaze lingered on Sarah. She was with her friends. She paused, watching me back and then tilted her head to the side and grinned at me. It was an invitation for more. My stomach clenched from anger. Even now, even after I laid it out how her mother wanted to use her, the girl was actually interested.

I was beginning to believe no girl was trustworthy.

8

CAUGHT

I could hear Logan and Tate in the hallway. She was giggling, then she shrieked, and his door shut a second later. His room was down the hall, but when his music switched on, I grinned. He was getting it on.

My phone buzzed. It was a text from Kate. Want me to come over?

I leaned back from my desk. I’d been trying to do homework. Fischer had a party tonight, but I opted out. Coach wanted me to come in for extra training in the morning so I chose to stay in and be responsible.

Where are you?

Horny. That’s where I am.

I grinned, but typed back, I’m good. Talk to you tomorrow. Then I waited. Kate hated being rejected and I’d been rejecting her a lot lately. It was a while before my phone buzzed again. F U. Yep. I laughed. She was pissed. Logan kept telling me to hook up with other girls; that it would put Kate back in her place. To be honest, I didn’t mind other girls, but I wasn’t a whore and Kate was good in bed. She knew me. I knew her. It was comfortable and easy. The clingy shit was getting old though. I debated my next move. I could text back a smart-ass comment or leave it alone.

I sighed and tossed my phone in my drawer. I left it alone. Sometimes it was fun to see how pissed I could make her, but I didn’t want to deal with her anymore. She’d find another guy tonight and think I would care. I hoped she wouldn’t bring it up because I wouldn’t care. If another guy was dealing with her, good for him. She hated being reminded how little I gave a shit.

I had other things to deal with. With a plan set in my mind, I went downstairs for a quick mile sprint in the gym. When I came back, the hallway was dark and the music in Logan’s room had been turned off. When I passed his door, I didn’t hear a sound, so I figured they had passed out. Because of that, I didn’t lock my door. I had started to when Tate was around. She liked trying to spend time in my room. One time she brought her textbook and spread out on the couch before I even realized what she was doing. I had been about to kick her out, but Logan came in and lifted her feet so he could sit on the other end of the couch.