Fallen Crest High(151)

She had golden blonde hair, which looked streaked from sunlight and that rested high in a loose bun. Tendrils fell to the nape of her neck and with her clear blue eyes; she looked the image of a goddess. But her lips had formed into a sneer as she took her time to study me in turn.

Her wrist flicked at me with irritation. "This is Analise's daughter?"

Logan choked out a laugh, but guzzled some more of his beer.

Mason and their mother threw him a glare. He sank back against the couch and raised a hand across his lips. They were zipped.

Mason frowned at him, but sighed. "Yes, mother. This is Samantha."

Someone buzzed on the door and Logan jumped to his feet. He scurried around the room to open the door. Garrett Brickshire straightened as he viewed the room dressed in a navy blue suit. He'd been leaning with an arm near the top of the door.

"What's he doing here?" Mason rounded to his mother.

Logan's eyes widened. His smile grew and he hurried back to his seat. He picked up a bag of chips this time and started to munch on them.

Their mother grimaced, but swept past us. She rested a hand to Garrett's chest as his lips skimmed a kiss to her cheek. She gave Mason a small smile. "I figured it's appropriate. He is her real father after all, and you know about the two of us. We can deal with two birds with one stone tonight. Mmmm? Don't you agree?"

Mason glanced at Logan. "You okay with this?"

He made a show of showing his zipped lips again and shrugged.

"Thanks." Mason didn't hold back a wry tone to his voice.

Logan bobbed his head up and down as he reached for another beer.

And then there was another buzz at the door. Helen frowned as she walked to it and peered through the peephole. "Who could that be—oh my god." She turned back with a panicked look on her face. Her chest started to rise and fall at a rapid pace and she seethed at Mason, "Were you behind this?"

"What—no…"

Garrett rubbed a hand over his jaw and shook his head. A low baritone chuckle escaped him. "Now, darling, it only seemed appropriate for me to call her. She is my daughter's real mother after all."

"Garrett," she snapped and cursed at him. "Now's not the time to be charming."

He lifted a shoulder and arched an eyebrow before he perched on a couch's end. "Answer it, darling. They're going to find out anyway and it might as well be now. They can't be angry at us later for withholding information. I know Analise would throw that at me."

"Mom, what's going on…" The words died in Mason's throat as she opened the door and his father walked in, followed by my mother. Both of them wore reserved expressions, but when Analise saw Garrett, she sucked in her breath.

Her face stretched at every angle over her skull. She looked in pain and then her eyes swung towards Helen. A confused look replaced the horrified one.

Logan groaned behind us. Something that sounded like a mix of laughter and curses slipped out. He snorted next and pressed his head into a couch cushion as his shoulders shook.

"Honey, what are you doing here?" Analise asked me. She was cold and formal.

"Helen? Why are we here?"

All eyes turned towards James, who was frowning at Mason.

Garrett stood from his perch and stretched to his fullest height. "She didn't call you. I did."

Analise jerked forward with fists clenched to her sides. "Why?"

He swung his head towards us. "Ask them. I was doing my fatherly duty." His lip curled up in a mocking manner.