Fallen Crest Public(121)

Mason groaned as his hand curved on the inside of my thigh. His finger rubbed between my legs in a smooth motion as he started to lift me back to my feet. I gave him a lopsided grin when he stood next to me, and his hands found my waist once again.
I was still drunk. A bit.
He shook his head, but the corners of his mouth curved up. Pressing his lips to my forehead and then to my lips, he whispered at the same time, “I love you. You need to know that.”
I did. As they headed off and I stayed back, I continued to know that. Then I grabbed my phone and dialed Mark’s number. When he answered, out of breath, I told him, “You need to come pick me up again.”
“What? Come on—”
“You said you’d help.”
He grew quiet, then groaned. “Fine. Be there in a little bit. I’m in the,” he hesitated, “middle of something.”
“Again?!” someone screeched in the background.
It was a screech that I recognized, and I couldn’t hold back a smirk. “Cass? Really?”
“Yeah,” he grumbled. “Hold on. I’m getting clothes on. You’re at your dad’s?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright. See you in a few.”
Yes, I knew Mason loved me. Yes, I knew he was doing all of this to protect me, but I wasn’t a sucker. I was going to be at that confrontation. Nothing was going to stop me from being there with front row tickets. When Mark pulled into the driveway twenty minutes later, I was glad that I hadn’t changed out of my clothes or washed my make-up off. He gave me a quick perusal and nodded in approval. “Can’t see the bruises anymore, but you smell like booze.”
My day was complete. “Thanks. Just what every girl wants to hear.”
He grinned. “Where to, boss?”
Where would Kate and her friends be? Or the better question is, where would they go after sending Tate a blackmail message? I shrugged. “Where’s the party tonight?”
“Ethan Fischer’s having a big one.”
“Isn’t there supposed to be a bonfire tonight?”
“That’s a no-go. The only way back there is next to Quickie’s, and they shut it down. I guess the clerk keeps getting beat up by the Broudou brothers, so they’ve been banned. I heard police were even going to be there, and if the Broudou’s can’t go, no one from Roussou’s going. Hence,” he flashed his dimples at me, “there’s a Public party at Fischer’s. I was there earlier.”
It was perfect. “That’s where we’re going.”
He didn’t move. In fact, he turned the engine off.
“Mark?”
“You sure about this?”
“What do you mean?” There was something in his gaze that made me uncomfortable. As he continued to stare at me, the more I wanted to run. Then it clicked. Pity. He felt sorry for me. “I know.”
“You do?”
“About Kate and Mason?”
His eyes widened.
“I know. That’s why I’m going.”
“They weren’t there before.”
“Let’s go, Mark.” They were going to be there. She was going to be there, and so was I. I wasn’t going to miss this for the world.



“They’re late.”
I glanced at Logan as he checked his phone for the fourth time. We were waiting in my car, parked outside of Ethan’s house, and I was tempted to punch my little brother. “We’ve been here five minutes. Relax.”
“You relax,” Logan shot back. “We need to get in there and get that video back from Kate. If it were Sam in it, you’d go steal the video from Kate’s house.”
“I wouldn’t.”