Fallen Crest Alternative Version
Page 65
Adam was dangerous. I saw it in that moment. Chills went down my spine because he was angry with me, but I wondered who he was going to take it out on. I looked at Becky. The blood had drained from her face, and she had both of her hands pressed to her lips. Her eyes were fearful as she turned to me. “Sam.”
I wrapped both arms around and hugged her.
She clung to me. Her head pressed into my shoulder. “I love him. I know it’s stupid. I don’t know why I still do, but I do.”
I smoothed her hair down and swept a hand down her back. There were no words I could give her. If Mason turned his back on me, I wasn’t sure how I would handle it either. I made soothing sounds as I continued to hug her. “It’ll be okay, Becky. One day at a time. Think of Rex. You like him, right?”
She pulled back, but tears streaked down her face. It messed up her make-up, and she tried to smooth it away as she hiccupped. “I know. I do. I do really like him, but…” Then she drew in a ragged breath and dropped her voice down. “He’s not Adam. No one’s Adam. Ugh. I can’t get over him. Every time I think I can, he’s so sweet to me and I’m back where I was. I’m in love with him, Sam. Can someone fall out of love?”
I looked up at that moment at the stairway. Mason was coming down. He had two rolls of plastic cups in his hands. Logan carried the rest behind them and both held their own drinks. I sighed. I didn’t know if I could ever fall out of love with Mason.
“I have no idea, Becky.”
Her face fell at my words.
“But you can try.” My words were more insistent now. “You’ll have to try. Adam doesn’t love you back. You have to try.”
She sniffled and hiccupped again. Then she groaned. “There’s Rex.”
The stoner was bobbing his head in rhythm with the bass. His baggy jeans were low on his hips, and he had both hands pushed into his pockets, which made them slip another inch lower. Everyone had on tee shirts or tight tops for the girls, but Rex wore a sweatshirt with the hood pulled up. There were holes and rips all over the sweatshirt, but it made the pretty boy stoner look rough.
Becky sighed beside me. “He’s so hot.”
Something told me Becky was going to be fine. Whether or not Adam cared, he was going to lose her heart. My own swelled up in pride. It was about time Becky got her own happiness so I patted her shoulder and pushed her towards Rex. “Go on. Have fun with your beau.”
Her nose wrinkled. “I thought you didn’t like him. He’s a pothead?”
“Mason was right. I think Rex is what you need right now.”
Her eyes lit up. “Mason said that? About me?”
Rex stopped beside us now. His head never stopped bobbing, and his eyes never left Becky. His lips were curved up in a soft smile. It was the same smile that he always had whenever Becky was with him, which were the only times I saw him.
I leaned closer and yelled over the crowd, “If you hurt her, I will set your car on fire.”
The soft smile transformed into a full one. It blasted me. “I wouldn’t expect anything else. Kudos to you, Dudette Sam!” He winked before he curved an arm around Becky’s shoulders and pulled her away with him.
She glanced over her shoulder and waved at me.
There went my friend, with her first boyfriend. If Rex could pull Becky away from Adam’s hold, even if he did break her heart, I wasn’t sure if I could set his car on fire. I was starting to realize that I didn’t have that old anger in me anymore.
“Hi, Sam.”
I readied myself and squared my shoulders back. I turned and saw Cass. She wore a slinky white dress that showed off her cle**age. The rest of the Elite stood with her. Mark and Peter were to the side. While Mark had a smile plastered on his face as he scanned the crowd before him, Peter wore a sullen frown. His arms were crossed over his chest. When Miranda passed in front of him, the frown sunk lower. He now looked like he was pouting, but his ex-girlfriend sailed towards us with a gracious smile on her face. She wore a white dress as well. It clung to her shape in a sophisticated manner. It made Cass look slutty, which was probably Miranda’s intent.
Cass glowered at her but moved aside for her.
Emily gave me a friendly wave and Amelia was eyeing Mark like he was candy. She licked her lips when his eyes met hers, but he stiffened and turned away.
I sighed. “Hi, Cass.”
She linked her elbow with mine and drew me closer. “Thanks so much for asking Bella to cater Peter’s birthday tomorrow night.”
I stiffened. “It was the least I could do.”
Miranda never stepped closer to hear, but her eyes were alert.
“And thanks for charging me triple the rate.”
My smile froze. Oops.
Cass’s eyes grew heated in anger. “I’m not a dumbass, Sam. I know the rate. I thought you were a friend.”
“Since when are we friends?”
“You’re in the group. You’re a part of the Elite.”
“I don’t want to be. I never have.” Not to mention, I didn’t want to foot the bill for whatever lunch was going to be my turn. These people ate like queens and kings. I couldn’t afford that, even if I got a job.
Cass unlatched her arm from mine and looked down her nose at me. “You weren’t complaining when we’ve had your back. I know there’s been a few of those times.”
I sent a withering glare at her. “If that’s the one benefit I get, then forget it. I’ll have my own back from now on.”
“Yeah.” She laughed. “You and nerd girl. Quite an army.”
Miranda stepped closer. It seemed to glide with that same gracious smile. Her tone was so warm it made me nauseous from how fake she sounded. “Oh, come now, Cass. You’re forgetting about Logan and Mason.”
Cass went still at her words but then rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. What are those two going to do to me?”
“That’s what I thought six months ago.” Miranda’s tone was quiet but effective. Her eyes held a warning in them.
Cass sucked in her breath before pushing away with an irritated growl. Emily and Amelia followed behind her. Mark had already left, but Peter watched us. He made no move to follow his current girlfriend. He seemed transfixed by Miranda.
She gazed after her friends and then sighed. “If only she were smart.”
“Then what?”
I wrapped both arms around and hugged her.
She clung to me. Her head pressed into my shoulder. “I love him. I know it’s stupid. I don’t know why I still do, but I do.”
I smoothed her hair down and swept a hand down her back. There were no words I could give her. If Mason turned his back on me, I wasn’t sure how I would handle it either. I made soothing sounds as I continued to hug her. “It’ll be okay, Becky. One day at a time. Think of Rex. You like him, right?”
She pulled back, but tears streaked down her face. It messed up her make-up, and she tried to smooth it away as she hiccupped. “I know. I do. I do really like him, but…” Then she drew in a ragged breath and dropped her voice down. “He’s not Adam. No one’s Adam. Ugh. I can’t get over him. Every time I think I can, he’s so sweet to me and I’m back where I was. I’m in love with him, Sam. Can someone fall out of love?”
I looked up at that moment at the stairway. Mason was coming down. He had two rolls of plastic cups in his hands. Logan carried the rest behind them and both held their own drinks. I sighed. I didn’t know if I could ever fall out of love with Mason.
“I have no idea, Becky.”
Her face fell at my words.
“But you can try.” My words were more insistent now. “You’ll have to try. Adam doesn’t love you back. You have to try.”
She sniffled and hiccupped again. Then she groaned. “There’s Rex.”
The stoner was bobbing his head in rhythm with the bass. His baggy jeans were low on his hips, and he had both hands pushed into his pockets, which made them slip another inch lower. Everyone had on tee shirts or tight tops for the girls, but Rex wore a sweatshirt with the hood pulled up. There were holes and rips all over the sweatshirt, but it made the pretty boy stoner look rough.
Becky sighed beside me. “He’s so hot.”
Something told me Becky was going to be fine. Whether or not Adam cared, he was going to lose her heart. My own swelled up in pride. It was about time Becky got her own happiness so I patted her shoulder and pushed her towards Rex. “Go on. Have fun with your beau.”
Her nose wrinkled. “I thought you didn’t like him. He’s a pothead?”
“Mason was right. I think Rex is what you need right now.”
Her eyes lit up. “Mason said that? About me?”
Rex stopped beside us now. His head never stopped bobbing, and his eyes never left Becky. His lips were curved up in a soft smile. It was the same smile that he always had whenever Becky was with him, which were the only times I saw him.
I leaned closer and yelled over the crowd, “If you hurt her, I will set your car on fire.”
The soft smile transformed into a full one. It blasted me. “I wouldn’t expect anything else. Kudos to you, Dudette Sam!” He winked before he curved an arm around Becky’s shoulders and pulled her away with him.
She glanced over her shoulder and waved at me.
There went my friend, with her first boyfriend. If Rex could pull Becky away from Adam’s hold, even if he did break her heart, I wasn’t sure if I could set his car on fire. I was starting to realize that I didn’t have that old anger in me anymore.
“Hi, Sam.”
I readied myself and squared my shoulders back. I turned and saw Cass. She wore a slinky white dress that showed off her cle**age. The rest of the Elite stood with her. Mark and Peter were to the side. While Mark had a smile plastered on his face as he scanned the crowd before him, Peter wore a sullen frown. His arms were crossed over his chest. When Miranda passed in front of him, the frown sunk lower. He now looked like he was pouting, but his ex-girlfriend sailed towards us with a gracious smile on her face. She wore a white dress as well. It clung to her shape in a sophisticated manner. It made Cass look slutty, which was probably Miranda’s intent.
Cass glowered at her but moved aside for her.
Emily gave me a friendly wave and Amelia was eyeing Mark like he was candy. She licked her lips when his eyes met hers, but he stiffened and turned away.
I sighed. “Hi, Cass.”
She linked her elbow with mine and drew me closer. “Thanks so much for asking Bella to cater Peter’s birthday tomorrow night.”
I stiffened. “It was the least I could do.”
Miranda never stepped closer to hear, but her eyes were alert.
“And thanks for charging me triple the rate.”
My smile froze. Oops.
Cass’s eyes grew heated in anger. “I’m not a dumbass, Sam. I know the rate. I thought you were a friend.”
“Since when are we friends?”
“You’re in the group. You’re a part of the Elite.”
“I don’t want to be. I never have.” Not to mention, I didn’t want to foot the bill for whatever lunch was going to be my turn. These people ate like queens and kings. I couldn’t afford that, even if I got a job.
Cass unlatched her arm from mine and looked down her nose at me. “You weren’t complaining when we’ve had your back. I know there’s been a few of those times.”
I sent a withering glare at her. “If that’s the one benefit I get, then forget it. I’ll have my own back from now on.”
“Yeah.” She laughed. “You and nerd girl. Quite an army.”
Miranda stepped closer. It seemed to glide with that same gracious smile. Her tone was so warm it made me nauseous from how fake she sounded. “Oh, come now, Cass. You’re forgetting about Logan and Mason.”
Cass went still at her words but then rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. What are those two going to do to me?”
“That’s what I thought six months ago.” Miranda’s tone was quiet but effective. Her eyes held a warning in them.
Cass sucked in her breath before pushing away with an irritated growl. Emily and Amelia followed behind her. Mark had already left, but Peter watched us. He made no move to follow his current girlfriend. He seemed transfixed by Miranda.
She gazed after her friends and then sighed. “If only she were smart.”
“Then what?”
