Fallen Crest High(67)

He chuckled. "Yeah. Mason sent me down. He and Nate are waiting in the front, but we better hurry. If Tate finds out we lied, she'll be after our asses and I don't want to deal with that girl right now."

"You mean you're not up for an ex this morning?"

He groaned. "She told you that, huh?"

We both fell in step as I tried to help Becky stay upright. "And a bit more.

Pretty sure she regrets it now."

"She could tell I like you and that threw her."

I looked at him sharply. "How do you know that?"

He shrugged. "I know her pretty well."

I wanted to know all about their relationship and what Mason had to do with it, but I held my tongue when we climbed into the back of his Escalade. Becky gave them both a sloppy grin and a slurred thank-you, but she crumbled into a heap on her chair as soon as she crawled up. I had to boost her butt over so Logan and I could get in too. When we pulled up to Becky's house, Nate came around the side and hoisted her over his shoulder. He followed me inside and we snuck her into her bedroom after I fumbled through her pockets for her keys.

When the four of us got to the mansion, it was nearing six in the morning. I wasn't tired at all. I was wide awake. The nagging questions of Tate/Logan's relationship and who Marissa was had me energized. I could've gone on a run.

And then I decided to do it.

As I went through the kitchen, a big black bag was in the foyer along with hiking bag. Mason dumped a rolled up sleeping pad beside it a second later. He had changed into ratty green khaki shorts and a sleeveless black shirt. It was tattered along the edges and had two gaping holes in the back.

"Where are you going?"

It took me a second to realize he'd asked my question. I frowned at him. "I'm going on a run. Where are you going?"

He checked his watch. "It's after six. You were up all night."

I kicked at his bag and heard pots and pans rattle against each other. "Where are you going?"

'Who's Marissa?'

He grimaced for a moment and then flipped his black sunglasses over his eyes.

I could no longer read him. "We're going camping."

"Camping?"

"Something we do." And he turned to leave again.

I was a bit miffed as I stood there. He'd been all buddy-buddy and now—

nothing. Camping. That's it. No other explanation, but then again I had to remind myself—who was I kidding? These guys weren't my stepbrothers and I highly doubted their father would really marry my mother.

Everything hardened inside again.

The truth was that my mother and I'd be out within three months. That was my guess. When that happened, it'd be like none of this happened. No Logan.

No Mason. No Nate. Nothing. And I'd have to deal with Lydia and Jessica once again.

With that thought, I felt another burst of adrenalin surge through me and I could barely hold it in as I jumped through the door and started running.

None of it matter. I mattered. I was the only one. I had to take care of myself.

Those thoughts kept flashing through my head as my feet pounded the pavement. I ran and then I ran some more. Sweat was dripping off of me and leaving trails wherever I went and I went everywhere. I soared past Adam and Becky's house once, and then ran past it again.

Then I found a park and sprinted over the bridge. Ducks and geese scattered for me and the water felt good as I darted through a small part of a pond.

When my legs started to hurt, I headed back. And as soon as I approached the front lawn, my body crumbled. I fell to a heap on the lawn and stayed there until my heart and chest slowed down.