Fallen Crest Alternative Version
Page 18
Logan’s voice dipped low. It was almost kind. “Because he’s not going to be your boyfriend.”
“Why not?” She struggled to push herself up but staggered away from Adam and crossed her arms over her chest. “What do you know about it?”
“Because I’m the reason he’s never going to date you.”
Pain flared before she masked it. A tear trickled down, and she never brushed it away. Her chin trembled as she lifted it. “You don’t know that. You don’t know what he said to me.”
“I do know.” Logan stepped towards her. “Because he was laying the groundwork before. He was doing all the right things. He was taking you places. He had you hang out with his friends, but I stepped in. I got you. He never did and what he’s doing right now is a typical guy move.”
She brushed a tear away. “What are you talking about?”
“He wants to screw you and then he wants to be the one who walks away. Not you. He’s playing you, Tanya. That’s all this is.”
As she looked around, searching for something, Adam had turned away. I expected anger. There was only irritation, and I choked out my own shock. I couldn’t believe it, but… I should’ve.
“Sam?” Logan was the one who heard me.
I couldn’t take it. “This is because of your ego?”
All eyes turned to Adam, who seemed reluctant to meet my gaze. When he did, the acknowledgment was there, along with the shame.
“I can’t believe you.”
“Of all people, you should.” The corner of his lip curved up in a sneer. There was a mocking tone to him. “You’ve been after me since the beginning to leave her alone. You know, out of everyone, why I would do this. Yes, I want to screw her. Yes, I want to humiliate her. She humiliated me. Your boy there humiliated me, but I can’t touch him. No one can touch the Kades. They’re goddamn protected by everyone.”
“Adam,” Becky whimpered as her lip quivered. “Stop it.”
He closed his eyes with a snap and turned to her. “I’m sorry, Becky. I am.”
She gulped for air. “You—you don’t know what you’re saying right now. This makes you seem…”
“What?” He taunted her. “Like a jerk? I am one. I’m a first class ass**le, and I’ve made everyone think I’m prince charming. I’m not your prince charming, Becky. Let it go. I’ve been an ass to you time and time again. You keep coming back. Stop it. It’s pathetic.”
“Adam—”
He turned to me and threw his arms wide. “This is what you wanted, Sam.”
“Sam?”
I gritted my teeth. “I wanted you to stop playing with her emotions, not—”
“He is stopping.”
I faltered in my step. Surprise flared in me. “Logan?”
He nodded and took a beer from Mark. He was calm as he took a drink. “He’s being himself. He’s not lying about what he’s doing. He’s being honest. Give him a break. He’s not playing with your friend. This is who he is. He’s showing her. It’s all up front and in her face.”
“Sam?”
My heart broke. Becky was a little girl again. I reached for her and hugged her close. “It’s okay.”
She clung to me and buried her head in my arms. “He’s never going to like me, is he? He’s never—I’m not good enough for him.”
I patted the back of her head as Adam and Logan watched. Tanya had teetered off somewhere and Mark yawned before he held a cup of beer to his girl. She curled in his lap, and he stroked her back. Everyone was waiting.
I sighed. “I’m taking her home. Adam, give me your keys.”
“What?” His mouth fell open. “I have no ride.”
“Logan will give you a ride.”
“I’ll what?”
I glared at him. “You will. You’ll give Mark a ride home too—”
“Nah. I’m good. I’m going with my girl here.”
“You’ll give Adam a ride home, and you won’t punch each other.”
Logan rolled his eyes but a cruel grin appeared. “I can’t promise about Mason.”
I sighed as I stared at him. Becky jerked on a sob, and I knew I could only make one decision. I swiped the keys from Adam and led my friend away. Whatever the guys did, I hoped it wouldn’t end in the hospital or jail.
“What do I tell Mason?” Logan hollered at my back.
I didn’t answer, but I heard Adam respond, “Becky’s drunk. This is ridiculous.”
Someone patted him on the back. “Never care about a chick, man. Never. Look where it’s got me. I’m giving you a ride home because of it.”
I rolled my eyes, but Mark snickered and then I couldn’t hear anything else. It was quiet as we wandered around the cars. A few moans were heard, followed with a slap and a giggle. When someone swooned in a car near us, I wanted to reach out and smack them. It made Becky cry harder and then I spotted Adam’s car. He had parked farther away than I remembered, and as we got closer, my heart sank. He was boxed in between a tree and three other cars.
“Sam?”
We weren’t going anywhere.
I dropped my arms and groaned. “I’m sorry, Becky.”
“What’s wrong?”
“We can’t move his car. We’re blocked off.”
“What?” Her voice rose, nearing panic. “Why? Why not?”
She was glancing around and hugging herself. A crooked grin came to me. “The boogie monster’s not going to jump out and scare us. We’re at a party, you know. A public party.”
Becky wiped some of her tears away and gave me a shaky grin—tried to give me a shaky grin. “You never know. I heard public girls are scary.”
I shuddered. “They are.”
“He’s not going to ever date me, is he?” A sob hitched in her throat.
I took a deep breath. Adam was right. He was making her face the reality. I gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “No, he’s not, Becky. I’m sorry.”
She sat on the car closest and pulled her legs up on the trunk. Then her head dipped down. “I’m so stupid, aren’t I?” She wiped at her face some more. “Of course he’s not going to date me. Who am I? He’s interested in girls like Tanya and Jill and…” She peeked up at me but looked back down. “I’ve been such a moron.”
“Why not?” She struggled to push herself up but staggered away from Adam and crossed her arms over her chest. “What do you know about it?”
“Because I’m the reason he’s never going to date you.”
Pain flared before she masked it. A tear trickled down, and she never brushed it away. Her chin trembled as she lifted it. “You don’t know that. You don’t know what he said to me.”
“I do know.” Logan stepped towards her. “Because he was laying the groundwork before. He was doing all the right things. He was taking you places. He had you hang out with his friends, but I stepped in. I got you. He never did and what he’s doing right now is a typical guy move.”
She brushed a tear away. “What are you talking about?”
“He wants to screw you and then he wants to be the one who walks away. Not you. He’s playing you, Tanya. That’s all this is.”
As she looked around, searching for something, Adam had turned away. I expected anger. There was only irritation, and I choked out my own shock. I couldn’t believe it, but… I should’ve.
“Sam?” Logan was the one who heard me.
I couldn’t take it. “This is because of your ego?”
All eyes turned to Adam, who seemed reluctant to meet my gaze. When he did, the acknowledgment was there, along with the shame.
“I can’t believe you.”
“Of all people, you should.” The corner of his lip curved up in a sneer. There was a mocking tone to him. “You’ve been after me since the beginning to leave her alone. You know, out of everyone, why I would do this. Yes, I want to screw her. Yes, I want to humiliate her. She humiliated me. Your boy there humiliated me, but I can’t touch him. No one can touch the Kades. They’re goddamn protected by everyone.”
“Adam,” Becky whimpered as her lip quivered. “Stop it.”
He closed his eyes with a snap and turned to her. “I’m sorry, Becky. I am.”
She gulped for air. “You—you don’t know what you’re saying right now. This makes you seem…”
“What?” He taunted her. “Like a jerk? I am one. I’m a first class ass**le, and I’ve made everyone think I’m prince charming. I’m not your prince charming, Becky. Let it go. I’ve been an ass to you time and time again. You keep coming back. Stop it. It’s pathetic.”
“Adam—”
He turned to me and threw his arms wide. “This is what you wanted, Sam.”
“Sam?”
I gritted my teeth. “I wanted you to stop playing with her emotions, not—”
“He is stopping.”
I faltered in my step. Surprise flared in me. “Logan?”
He nodded and took a beer from Mark. He was calm as he took a drink. “He’s being himself. He’s not lying about what he’s doing. He’s being honest. Give him a break. He’s not playing with your friend. This is who he is. He’s showing her. It’s all up front and in her face.”
“Sam?”
My heart broke. Becky was a little girl again. I reached for her and hugged her close. “It’s okay.”
She clung to me and buried her head in my arms. “He’s never going to like me, is he? He’s never—I’m not good enough for him.”
I patted the back of her head as Adam and Logan watched. Tanya had teetered off somewhere and Mark yawned before he held a cup of beer to his girl. She curled in his lap, and he stroked her back. Everyone was waiting.
I sighed. “I’m taking her home. Adam, give me your keys.”
“What?” His mouth fell open. “I have no ride.”
“Logan will give you a ride.”
“I’ll what?”
I glared at him. “You will. You’ll give Mark a ride home too—”
“Nah. I’m good. I’m going with my girl here.”
“You’ll give Adam a ride home, and you won’t punch each other.”
Logan rolled his eyes but a cruel grin appeared. “I can’t promise about Mason.”
I sighed as I stared at him. Becky jerked on a sob, and I knew I could only make one decision. I swiped the keys from Adam and led my friend away. Whatever the guys did, I hoped it wouldn’t end in the hospital or jail.
“What do I tell Mason?” Logan hollered at my back.
I didn’t answer, but I heard Adam respond, “Becky’s drunk. This is ridiculous.”
Someone patted him on the back. “Never care about a chick, man. Never. Look where it’s got me. I’m giving you a ride home because of it.”
I rolled my eyes, but Mark snickered and then I couldn’t hear anything else. It was quiet as we wandered around the cars. A few moans were heard, followed with a slap and a giggle. When someone swooned in a car near us, I wanted to reach out and smack them. It made Becky cry harder and then I spotted Adam’s car. He had parked farther away than I remembered, and as we got closer, my heart sank. He was boxed in between a tree and three other cars.
“Sam?”
We weren’t going anywhere.
I dropped my arms and groaned. “I’m sorry, Becky.”
“What’s wrong?”
“We can’t move his car. We’re blocked off.”
“What?” Her voice rose, nearing panic. “Why? Why not?”
She was glancing around and hugging herself. A crooked grin came to me. “The boogie monster’s not going to jump out and scare us. We’re at a party, you know. A public party.”
Becky wiped some of her tears away and gave me a shaky grin—tried to give me a shaky grin. “You never know. I heard public girls are scary.”
I shuddered. “They are.”
“He’s not going to ever date me, is he?” A sob hitched in her throat.
I took a deep breath. Adam was right. He was making her face the reality. I gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “No, he’s not, Becky. I’m sorry.”
She sat on the car closest and pulled her legs up on the trunk. Then her head dipped down. “I’m so stupid, aren’t I?” She wiped at her face some more. “Of course he’s not going to date me. Who am I? He’s interested in girls like Tanya and Jill and…” She peeked up at me but looked back down. “I’ve been such a moron.”
