Fallen Crest Home (Fallen Crest High #6)(34)

She turned to Mason. “I get it. You have a monthly knockout quota or something?”

Mason didn’t answer, but one side of his mouth lifted.

Adam skewered all of us with a look. “I should’ve known nothing’s changed. Here I thought we were all moving past the bullshit from high school.”

He turned to go, but Mason was right there, blocking him.

“What did you think we were doing?”

Adam’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“You seem to have been under the impression we were friends?”

“Oh, please.” Adam started to move around Mason, but Mason kept in front of him. Adam let out a sigh, lifting his arms in a helpless gesture. “What do you want? Yes, I was the idiot. I’m now realizing there were no friendship promises made.”

“You just assumed?”

Mason was stone cold, no reaction or emotion showing on his face. His chiseled jawline was firm, and his eyes were almost dead. Even though I’d been writhing underneath him this morning, another sensual shiver slid down my spine. It was eerie, but I wanted him so damned much in this moment.

“Yes. I just assumed. Happy now?” Adam spat.

Becky and Cass came to the beer garden’s tent entrance, and Adam looked over Mason’s shoulder. “I’m coming. I just had to grab something.”

Becky’s face was wet from tears, and Cass had a hand on her shoulder.

I felt kicked in the stomach, and the fight left me.

Becky had been a good friend, in her way. She’d never stabbed me in the back. It was time I moved past it. I came out from behind the counter. “Becky—” I started.

Her eyes widened while Cass’ narrowed. “Stop right there,” Cass said. “You’ve done enough damage. Thank you.”

Ignoring her, I asked Becky, “Can we talk? Please.”

Her head jerked in a nod, and she wiped the tears from her face.

I headed for a far table. It was empty, and I didn’t know anyone sitting at the neighboring tables. Becky sat across from me, her movements cautious and slow. I noticed and wrung my hands together on my lap.

She folded her hands, laying them on the table in front of her. Her shoulders seemed to shrink in size. “What else is there to say?”

“Your timing sucks.”

A harsh laugh came from her. “Don’t hold back, Sam. Please.”

“My mom is back in town. Did you know that?”

Her head had been lowered. She raised it now, her eyes finding mine. I tried not to wince at the compassion that flooded her gaze. Tried. Guilt coated my insides, and I failed.

“She came back last year, but I’ve been avoiding her since then.”

“That’s why you stayed at Cain last summer?”

I nodded. “And why I’ve barely been here for holidays. All of it was because of her.”

“But you’re here for the entire summer now?”

I nodded again. “And so is she.”

“Has she said anything to you?”

“No.” Maybe the joke was on me? “That’s the funny part. I saw her SUV and knew she was in it, but that’s been all. Every day I’m waiting for her to show, like she’s going to pounce on me or something.” I raked a hand over my face. “I’m wound up tight, and you’re the one who got it. I’m sorry for that.”

“For that?” A soft frown marred her features. “But not…”

“But not for the rest. You can’t trick someone into being friends with you, especially if there’s bad blood. I suddenly found myself at your engagement, but I didn’t ask to be there. I was put on the spot to congratulate you, and I did mean it, but now you guys are here, and you’re coming at me like we’ve been friends this whole time. If you really want to be friends again—”

She leaned forward. “I do. I really do.”

“—then you need to ask if we can. And you need to respect my answer, whatever it is.”

“Oh.” Her gaze fell to the table again.

“It’s not that I don’t want to.”

“Yeah?” She looked up again, hope in her eyes. She began to smile.

“It’s that I need time.”

“Oh.” The smile fell away.

She began to get up, so I covered her hands with mine. “I was stabbed in the back by so many people in high school, it caused some damage inside me. I’ve only been able to trust Mason, Logan, and Heather for the last few years.” I squeezed her hands gently. “But more people have shown me I could trust them, and that doesn’t mean I can’t make some room for you, too.”

Ice ran through my veins. The more I talked, the more fear spread through me.

“I just need time. That’s all.”

She nodded, and her tears fell on our hands. “I can give that to you. Thank you, Samantha.”

She left, and a moment later, Mason and Heather came and sat with me.

“Did I just make a mistake?” I asked.

Mason didn’t reply. He just held my hand under the table.

Heather shrugged. “Fuck if I know. She was your friend in school.”

I sighed and over my shoulder I heard, “Uh…is this a bad time to announce my awesome arrival?”