Fallen Crest Alternative Version
Page 15
It was silent for one second. Mark and Adam burst out in laughter.
Cassandra screamed. It was bloodcurdling, and when she couldn’t climb back to her feet, she let out another one.
“Cass, shut up. My ears.”
She was thumped herself.
“Ow! Bitch.” Amelia tried to roll away, but the branches stopped her. They continued to be contained where they had landed. “Mark, help me!”
He snorted and stepped back. “Make me.”
Then I glanced at Becky, who had retreated behind me. She had both of her hands pressed to her mouth. Her shoulders were shaking and she was taking deep breaths. When a chuckle slipped out, she shook her head and turned away.
And then I didn’t hold back my own amusement. It felt right to smile at that moment.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Adam pulled the car down a long gravel driveway. Trees surrounded us and he peered around. “You sure this is where Mason said?”
Mark poked his head between the seat divider. “The party’s at an abandoned barn. Are you expecting pools and chandeliers?”
Becky snorted.
I said, “One of their friends’ dad owns this acreage. I guess they have a winery close to it, but yeah—this is the place. That’s all Mason said.” And the car turned a last bend. A large barn stood in front of us. Lights streamed out of it as well as people. When we found a parking spot in a field behind the barn, music blared out, mixing with shouts and laughter.
The barn had two wide open doors, one in the front and one in the back. We approached from the back, but three kegs were set up inside the doorway. As a girl raced past us giggling with only a bra on, Becky’s mouth dropped. Mark and Adam swiveled as one. A guy followed in hot pursuit. They disappeared past a group of trees. When the girl shrieked, both the guys had wicked grins on their faces.
Mark bobbed his head in approval. “My kind of party.”
Adam barked out a laugh and thumped him on the shoulder.
Becky’s eyes were wide. “So this is what the real public parties are like?”
They all looked at me. I shrugged. “I guess. I don’t go that much.”
Adam frowned a bit. “Mason comes without you?”
My eyes narrowed. “If you’re insinuating what I think you’re insinuating, you better stop right now.”
His frown deepened, but he turned away.
Becky touched my hand lightly. “It’s no fun to go to a party with only your boyfriend. I understand.”
The knot that had grown in my chest unraveled a bit. I hadn’t known the knot was there in the first place. “I have my friends with me now.”
“And why didn’t Mason drive you?”
We turned and glared.
He held his hands up. “I’m just saying—”
“I told them to go without me. I thought I’d be wiped from the dinner.”
Mark bobbed his head as he appeared with a tray. “Hey, I got you all beer. Drink up, everyone.”
As he pushed a plastic cup into my hand, I shook my head for a moment. No one noticed his disappearance. Mark didn’t seem to mind as he couldn’t wipe his smile off his face. “Man, I love free booze. It never gets old.”
Adam murmured, “Your grandfather created one of the most widely-sold whiskeys in the world.”
Mark grunted as he drank half a glass in one gulp. “You think my mom lets me touch that stuff? I have to sneak the crap just like everyone else. Which is why I love getting free beer!” He lifted his glass in a salute.
Adam shook his head but bumped his glass with Mark’s; both finished their first glass together. As they went for refills, Becky nudged my side. “Did you text Mason? Does he know we’re here?”
I lifted a shoulder. “I’ll find him. It’s okay.”
“Yeah, but don’t you—”
I was cut off by someone scooping me over his shoulder. He raced through the barn as he patted my butt. I groaned. I didn’t need to even look. His hyena laugh sounded out in a victorious call as he bounced me around the barn and out to some bonfires. “I got her! She’s mine, Mason. You can’t have your woman tonight. I’m claiming my sister, and that’s final!”
“Logan.” I hit the back of his head. “Put me down.”
He continued to race around with his free hand in the air. Beer spilled from it, but he didn’t care. He hooted and laughed as everyone cheered him on.
“You’re mine, Sam. You’re mine.” His legs pumped higher and he raced back to the barn. Everyone stood and hollered in laughter as he returned to my friends. I took a breath and expected to be placed back on my feet. Nope. Logan circled around them. His head was thrown back, and he ran the same routine as before.
When he turned back for the barn, someone grabbed the back of my jeans. I was hoisted off his shoulders and held suspended in the air. Mason grumbled as he lowered me to my feet, “Sam’s not a prize to be paraded around.”
I bent forward and took gaping breaths of air. His shoulder had been hitting my sternum.
He smoothed his hand over my back. “I’m surprised she didn’t vomit on your ass. You would’ve deserved it.”
Logan tipped his head back. A smile was spread from ear to ear and he pumped his knees in front of him again. He took off once more with the same hyena laugh sounding out.
I couldn’t stop a chuckle. “How drunk is he?”
A girl screeched, and Logan’s laugh doubled. Mason rolled his eyes as he turned me into him. He held me close. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” And I was. I touched the side of his face for a kiss. “I’ve missed him too.”
The corner of his lip curved up. He dropped his chin on my shoulder and kissed the side of my neck. “He’s pretty drunk tonight. Pretty sure he’s already gotten laid twice.” He glanced back when the same shriek was heard, followed by high-pitched giggling. “That’ll be the third time.”
“Same girl?” Did I really want to know?
Mason grimaced. I had my answer.
A girl snorted behind us. “What’s he so amped about?”
Mason turned us to the group, who was spread around a bonfire. The girl who spoke lifted her hand in a lazy wave. She gave me a polite smile. “Hi, Sam.”
My insides tightened. “Kate.”
She swung her legs wide and leaned forward to brace her elbows on top of her tight jeans. She brushed some loose strands of golden blonde hair back and sighed. “Logan’s in rare form tonight, Mason.”
Cassandra screamed. It was bloodcurdling, and when she couldn’t climb back to her feet, she let out another one.
“Cass, shut up. My ears.”
She was thumped herself.
“Ow! Bitch.” Amelia tried to roll away, but the branches stopped her. They continued to be contained where they had landed. “Mark, help me!”
He snorted and stepped back. “Make me.”
Then I glanced at Becky, who had retreated behind me. She had both of her hands pressed to her mouth. Her shoulders were shaking and she was taking deep breaths. When a chuckle slipped out, she shook her head and turned away.
And then I didn’t hold back my own amusement. It felt right to smile at that moment.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Adam pulled the car down a long gravel driveway. Trees surrounded us and he peered around. “You sure this is where Mason said?”
Mark poked his head between the seat divider. “The party’s at an abandoned barn. Are you expecting pools and chandeliers?”
Becky snorted.
I said, “One of their friends’ dad owns this acreage. I guess they have a winery close to it, but yeah—this is the place. That’s all Mason said.” And the car turned a last bend. A large barn stood in front of us. Lights streamed out of it as well as people. When we found a parking spot in a field behind the barn, music blared out, mixing with shouts and laughter.
The barn had two wide open doors, one in the front and one in the back. We approached from the back, but three kegs were set up inside the doorway. As a girl raced past us giggling with only a bra on, Becky’s mouth dropped. Mark and Adam swiveled as one. A guy followed in hot pursuit. They disappeared past a group of trees. When the girl shrieked, both the guys had wicked grins on their faces.
Mark bobbed his head in approval. “My kind of party.”
Adam barked out a laugh and thumped him on the shoulder.
Becky’s eyes were wide. “So this is what the real public parties are like?”
They all looked at me. I shrugged. “I guess. I don’t go that much.”
Adam frowned a bit. “Mason comes without you?”
My eyes narrowed. “If you’re insinuating what I think you’re insinuating, you better stop right now.”
His frown deepened, but he turned away.
Becky touched my hand lightly. “It’s no fun to go to a party with only your boyfriend. I understand.”
The knot that had grown in my chest unraveled a bit. I hadn’t known the knot was there in the first place. “I have my friends with me now.”
“And why didn’t Mason drive you?”
We turned and glared.
He held his hands up. “I’m just saying—”
“I told them to go without me. I thought I’d be wiped from the dinner.”
Mark bobbed his head as he appeared with a tray. “Hey, I got you all beer. Drink up, everyone.”
As he pushed a plastic cup into my hand, I shook my head for a moment. No one noticed his disappearance. Mark didn’t seem to mind as he couldn’t wipe his smile off his face. “Man, I love free booze. It never gets old.”
Adam murmured, “Your grandfather created one of the most widely-sold whiskeys in the world.”
Mark grunted as he drank half a glass in one gulp. “You think my mom lets me touch that stuff? I have to sneak the crap just like everyone else. Which is why I love getting free beer!” He lifted his glass in a salute.
Adam shook his head but bumped his glass with Mark’s; both finished their first glass together. As they went for refills, Becky nudged my side. “Did you text Mason? Does he know we’re here?”
I lifted a shoulder. “I’ll find him. It’s okay.”
“Yeah, but don’t you—”
I was cut off by someone scooping me over his shoulder. He raced through the barn as he patted my butt. I groaned. I didn’t need to even look. His hyena laugh sounded out in a victorious call as he bounced me around the barn and out to some bonfires. “I got her! She’s mine, Mason. You can’t have your woman tonight. I’m claiming my sister, and that’s final!”
“Logan.” I hit the back of his head. “Put me down.”
He continued to race around with his free hand in the air. Beer spilled from it, but he didn’t care. He hooted and laughed as everyone cheered him on.
“You’re mine, Sam. You’re mine.” His legs pumped higher and he raced back to the barn. Everyone stood and hollered in laughter as he returned to my friends. I took a breath and expected to be placed back on my feet. Nope. Logan circled around them. His head was thrown back, and he ran the same routine as before.
When he turned back for the barn, someone grabbed the back of my jeans. I was hoisted off his shoulders and held suspended in the air. Mason grumbled as he lowered me to my feet, “Sam’s not a prize to be paraded around.”
I bent forward and took gaping breaths of air. His shoulder had been hitting my sternum.
He smoothed his hand over my back. “I’m surprised she didn’t vomit on your ass. You would’ve deserved it.”
Logan tipped his head back. A smile was spread from ear to ear and he pumped his knees in front of him again. He took off once more with the same hyena laugh sounding out.
I couldn’t stop a chuckle. “How drunk is he?”
A girl screeched, and Logan’s laugh doubled. Mason rolled his eyes as he turned me into him. He held me close. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” And I was. I touched the side of his face for a kiss. “I’ve missed him too.”
The corner of his lip curved up. He dropped his chin on my shoulder and kissed the side of my neck. “He’s pretty drunk tonight. Pretty sure he’s already gotten laid twice.” He glanced back when the same shriek was heard, followed by high-pitched giggling. “That’ll be the third time.”
“Same girl?” Did I really want to know?
Mason grimaced. I had my answer.
A girl snorted behind us. “What’s he so amped about?”
Mason turned us to the group, who was spread around a bonfire. The girl who spoke lifted her hand in a lazy wave. She gave me a polite smile. “Hi, Sam.”
My insides tightened. “Kate.”
She swung her legs wide and leaned forward to brace her elbows on top of her tight jeans. She brushed some loose strands of golden blonde hair back and sighed. “Logan’s in rare form tonight, Mason.”
