Fallen Crest Home (Fallen Crest High #6)(25)

A headache was forming. I gritted my teeth, knowing it’d be blinding me within an hour. “Look,” I gentled my tone. “It was nice finding out that you wanted me at your engagement. That was…” I didn’t have the words. I wasn’t sure. There was still a tickle in my chest every time I thought about it. “But we’re not friends. I hugged you. I congratulated you, but you’re acting like we’re friends again. I don’t remember saying I was okay being friends with you again.”

“Oh.” She looked at the ground.

And I felt like an asshole, but you can’t trick someone into being a friend. That’s not how it works, or that’s not how it worked with me.

“It is nice not having you or Adam as my enemy, though.”

Her head lifted. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. “Yeah?”

I nodded. I could give her that. “Mason said he and Adam are actually getting along. That’s something.” His exact words were that he ‘didn’t feel like knocking him unconscious every day,’ but that was progress for Mason. I tried giving her a reassuring grin.

“Adam will like hearing that.” Her bear looked to be in danger of decapitation. She squeezed him like she was a boa constrictor. “He was nervous when he got the assignment from his dad, said there’d be no way they could work together. But he’s been saying the same, you know? He’s impressed with Mason, said he has a brilliant head for business.”

We were approaching unwelcome territory for me. Becky would start feeling all sorts of warm fuzzies, thinking thoughts about Mason and Adam becoming friends. That would lead to her wanting me and her to be friends, too, and I’d have to recycle everything I just said to her.

I began to inch around her, back into the booth.

“Well, fuck.”

My eyes snapped up, and I recognized one of Jared Caldron’s buddies.

“Caldron, look who’s back here,” he called.

Jared Caldron came to stand next to his friend, and I felt bathed in dirty and perverted mud. I fought against actually trembling; they’d get off on that. Instead, I moved past Becky and said under my breath, “Go around the back. Get Mark.”

She wavered. “But—”

“Now!”

I blocked her retreat just as Caldron started toward me. His buddy was joined by another two, and I let out a breath.

“Where’s your little friend going?” He leaned over to look beyond me, but Becky should’ve already been out of sight.

I still moved to block his view. “Where do you think?”

“Going for reinforcements?” He laughed, and a whiff of alcohol mixed with cigarettes and cotton candy coated my face. “Kade’s not here. I would’ve seen him, and we’ve been over the entire place.” He lifted an arm, holding onto one of the ropes used to set up the booth, and struck a cocky stance. He was literally leaning over me. His gaze lingered on the carnival shirt I wore. “You work here? That’s…convenient.”

He looked too smug. I fought against the urge to bring my knee up in a sharp jerk. Mason was coming, but I didn’t know when he’d show. I needed to stall until Mark could get here, and I hoped Adam would join in. I wasn’t holding my breath, though.

I moved back, moving away from the carnival midway. “Yeah. I work here. Why?”

“I pegged you for a stuck-up bitch. No rich priss works as a carnie.”

“Really? How do you know? Spend a lot of time at carnivals?”

“Ha-ha.” His eyes flashed. “I used to work at one that didn’t stick around longer than two weeks.” He pulled on the rope, testing how strong and tight it was. He gazed around the tent and the booth next to us. “I think this is a good company. They stay in one place for two months, too. I wish they’d been here when I needed a job back in school.” His eyes raked over me.

I had that feeling of being covered in mud again. I’d need more than a few showers to feel like I’d cleaned off his filth.

His eyes darkened with lust. “Would’ve been nice if you were there, too. Maybe we wouldn’t be on opposite sides like this.” The lust dissipated quickly, anger coming back full force. His jaw clenched as he leaned closer. “But I know you’re just slumming it here because you are a privileged bitch. I would’ve known it back then, too, and I would’ve fucked you, then tossed you to the trash. Kade wouldn’t want to touch you, not after I ripped apart that pussy of yours.”

I felt a low growl in the bottom of my throat, but I swallowed it. Time. I needed more of that. I just had to wait. Help would be coming.

All I said was, “Really?”

“Oh yeah.”

He looked down my shirt, and I fought against the revulsion gathering in my stomach. It wanted to spew out all over him. I moved even farther back. I couldn’t help myself. My body was on full alert, my mind screaming to get away from him.

“Where you going?”

“Hey! What’s going on out here?”

I cringed. Worst timing ever, Petey. I didn’t want him to get involved with this, too. He’d get hurt.

My coworker stepped out of our booth, coming toward me.

“Hey, man.” One of Caldron’s friends stopped him, a hand placed on his shoulder.

Petey went still, his eyes narrowing. He looked at the hand, then at the guy it belonged to. “Get it off, or you’re going to lose it.”