Fallen Crest Public
Page 39
“Why the hell would you say that?”
“Don’t talk to her like that,” Heather pulled me from him.
I placed a calming hand on her arm. I could handle Logan just fine. “Because you’re not acting normal. Hooking up with someone else shouldn’t bother you, but I can tell it does.”
“That’s not—” But he stopped and left.
Mason was coming towards us with Ethan and Strauss. Logan brushed through them, shouldering the last two out of his way. Both paused, frowning at him until Mason was close enough to ask, “What was that about?”
Heather opened her mouth, but I grabbed her arm. I answered first, “Nothing. Some test that he took.”
Mason swung his head so he was only focused on me. When he didn’t comment, I felt a swift kick to my gut. It was another lie, but I couldn’t take it back. I wasn’t even sure why I lied, but I managed a calm smile. “He’ll get over it.”
“Sure.”
“Test, my ass,” Ethan griped. His face was scrunched together in a snarl. He raked a hand through his wavy sandy hair before letting it fall to his side. He was shorter than Mason, but just as muscular. He wasn’t happy. “Logan doesn’t get worked up about tests. I bet it’s because of Tate. She could always wind him up like that. Why haven’t you stopped that yet?”
“Right,” Mason bit out, “because my brother always does what I want him to do.”
“He has many times,” Strauss added. “It’s already started. He lost his head over her before. He’s doing it again.”
“And speak of the devil,” Heather murmured, her gaze trained on someone down the hall. The group followed her gaze as one. Tate was standing at a locker, laughing with another guy. He wasn’t one of their friends, and I didn’t recognize him from any classes. He was built like an athlete. His brown hair was cut short and was spiked. When she flicked her hair over her shoulder, his gaze fell to her shirt. He moved an inch taller and a satisfied grin came over him. I had no doubt he’d gotten a good view of cle**age. Then her hand found his chest and rested there for a moment before she moved it down his stomach. As we watched, she leaned closer, and he sucked in his breath. His chest bulged out, and his stomach flattened as her fingers ran all the way down to grasp the waistband of his jeans.
Ethan grunted. “Whore. Always was, always will be.” He left the group, and as he passed the flirting couple, his gaze locked with the guy’s. Whatever unspoken message was relayed in his stare worked. The guy straightened away from Tate and moved her back. Before she could say anything, he grabbed his bag and hurried away.
Strauss chuckled. “Well if Tate didn’t know she was getting inside Logan’s head, she knows now.”
And sure enough, Tate was standing in the hallway with her arms crossed over her chest, staring at us. Correction. She was studying us.
Strauss flicked her off before walking after his friend. When he drew abreast Tate, his gaze locked with hers. He smirked and we saw him say something to her before he moved past. There wasn’t much of a reaction from her, but she cast condemning eyes back to us.
Mason laughed. “He said the same thing, but to her face.”
Heather shook her head. “Tate’s always been good at messing with a guy’s head.”
“You think that’s what she’s doing?”
“No.” I was surprised at Heather’s blunt response. Then she added, “For Logan’s sake, I hope not.” She glanced to Mason, but said to me, “I wouldn’t want him to get hurt.”
I had an eerie feeling something unspoken passed between the two of them, but then she changed the topic. A bright smile was forced out, and she asked me, “Your shift is this Thursday, but could you pick up a few more? I haven’t filled Anne and Lily’s positions yet.”
“Sure. Yeah. When do you need me?”
“Tonight, tomorrow, and Thursday. We’ve got the weekend covered so far.”
“Uh. Yeah. That’s fine.”
“It’s only the five to nine shift.” She rolled her eyes at me. I understood. Five to whenever was what it really was. The nine o’clock person rarely left at nine. I nodded. It was still fine with me.
“I’ll go running right after school. See you in a few hours.”
“See you.” She waved at both of us before she headed to the parking lot.
Growing tired, I went with my gut. “Is there something going on I don’t know about?”
Mason’s eyes got wide. That was his only reaction before he masked it. “What?”
I knew there was, and I was tired of being in the dark. “Just tell me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m getting sick of the looks and the silent vibes. What’s going on? My guess is that it has something to do with Logan. What is it?”
“Sam,” he sighed, stepping closer to me.
I took a breath. Here it was. He was about to say that Logan had fallen in love with Tate again. I prepared myself for the news, but he said instead, “I have no idea what’s going on. I don’t. Honestly.” When I pinned him with an accusing look, he held his hands in the air as if surrendering. “I mean it.”
“Then what the hell is going on?”
He shrugged. One of his hands fell to my hip, and he pulled me against him. “My guess is that Logan’s dealing with something. He does that sometimes. When he decides to come clean, he will.”
“It’s not Tate?”
“I don’t know, but he seemed pretty insistent that he doesn’t have feelings for her again.”
It didn’t feel right. None of it did, but I let my forehead drop against his chest. His hand swept up and brushed some of my hair back. I closed my eyes, savoring that little tender touch from him. The slightest touch from him sent me buzzing. I let myself breathe him in, filling my lungs, as I remained in his arms. Then I moved back. Mason gave me a reassuring smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
I spoke before I thought about it. “So that’s what it looks like.”
“Like what?” He grew guarded.
“A lie. That’s what it looks like from you.” And then, even though I loved him so much, I turned and walked away. Mason lied to me. I knew it. He knew it. I had lost count how many there were between us now. We were headed down a bad path, and I had no idea how to stop it.
“Don’t talk to her like that,” Heather pulled me from him.
I placed a calming hand on her arm. I could handle Logan just fine. “Because you’re not acting normal. Hooking up with someone else shouldn’t bother you, but I can tell it does.”
“That’s not—” But he stopped and left.
Mason was coming towards us with Ethan and Strauss. Logan brushed through them, shouldering the last two out of his way. Both paused, frowning at him until Mason was close enough to ask, “What was that about?”
Heather opened her mouth, but I grabbed her arm. I answered first, “Nothing. Some test that he took.”
Mason swung his head so he was only focused on me. When he didn’t comment, I felt a swift kick to my gut. It was another lie, but I couldn’t take it back. I wasn’t even sure why I lied, but I managed a calm smile. “He’ll get over it.”
“Sure.”
“Test, my ass,” Ethan griped. His face was scrunched together in a snarl. He raked a hand through his wavy sandy hair before letting it fall to his side. He was shorter than Mason, but just as muscular. He wasn’t happy. “Logan doesn’t get worked up about tests. I bet it’s because of Tate. She could always wind him up like that. Why haven’t you stopped that yet?”
“Right,” Mason bit out, “because my brother always does what I want him to do.”
“He has many times,” Strauss added. “It’s already started. He lost his head over her before. He’s doing it again.”
“And speak of the devil,” Heather murmured, her gaze trained on someone down the hall. The group followed her gaze as one. Tate was standing at a locker, laughing with another guy. He wasn’t one of their friends, and I didn’t recognize him from any classes. He was built like an athlete. His brown hair was cut short and was spiked. When she flicked her hair over her shoulder, his gaze fell to her shirt. He moved an inch taller and a satisfied grin came over him. I had no doubt he’d gotten a good view of cle**age. Then her hand found his chest and rested there for a moment before she moved it down his stomach. As we watched, she leaned closer, and he sucked in his breath. His chest bulged out, and his stomach flattened as her fingers ran all the way down to grasp the waistband of his jeans.
Ethan grunted. “Whore. Always was, always will be.” He left the group, and as he passed the flirting couple, his gaze locked with the guy’s. Whatever unspoken message was relayed in his stare worked. The guy straightened away from Tate and moved her back. Before she could say anything, he grabbed his bag and hurried away.
Strauss chuckled. “Well if Tate didn’t know she was getting inside Logan’s head, she knows now.”
And sure enough, Tate was standing in the hallway with her arms crossed over her chest, staring at us. Correction. She was studying us.
Strauss flicked her off before walking after his friend. When he drew abreast Tate, his gaze locked with hers. He smirked and we saw him say something to her before he moved past. There wasn’t much of a reaction from her, but she cast condemning eyes back to us.
Mason laughed. “He said the same thing, but to her face.”
Heather shook her head. “Tate’s always been good at messing with a guy’s head.”
“You think that’s what she’s doing?”
“No.” I was surprised at Heather’s blunt response. Then she added, “For Logan’s sake, I hope not.” She glanced to Mason, but said to me, “I wouldn’t want him to get hurt.”
I had an eerie feeling something unspoken passed between the two of them, but then she changed the topic. A bright smile was forced out, and she asked me, “Your shift is this Thursday, but could you pick up a few more? I haven’t filled Anne and Lily’s positions yet.”
“Sure. Yeah. When do you need me?”
“Tonight, tomorrow, and Thursday. We’ve got the weekend covered so far.”
“Uh. Yeah. That’s fine.”
“It’s only the five to nine shift.” She rolled her eyes at me. I understood. Five to whenever was what it really was. The nine o’clock person rarely left at nine. I nodded. It was still fine with me.
“I’ll go running right after school. See you in a few hours.”
“See you.” She waved at both of us before she headed to the parking lot.
Growing tired, I went with my gut. “Is there something going on I don’t know about?”
Mason’s eyes got wide. That was his only reaction before he masked it. “What?”
I knew there was, and I was tired of being in the dark. “Just tell me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m getting sick of the looks and the silent vibes. What’s going on? My guess is that it has something to do with Logan. What is it?”
“Sam,” he sighed, stepping closer to me.
I took a breath. Here it was. He was about to say that Logan had fallen in love with Tate again. I prepared myself for the news, but he said instead, “I have no idea what’s going on. I don’t. Honestly.” When I pinned him with an accusing look, he held his hands in the air as if surrendering. “I mean it.”
“Then what the hell is going on?”
He shrugged. One of his hands fell to my hip, and he pulled me against him. “My guess is that Logan’s dealing with something. He does that sometimes. When he decides to come clean, he will.”
“It’s not Tate?”
“I don’t know, but he seemed pretty insistent that he doesn’t have feelings for her again.”
It didn’t feel right. None of it did, but I let my forehead drop against his chest. His hand swept up and brushed some of my hair back. I closed my eyes, savoring that little tender touch from him. The slightest touch from him sent me buzzing. I let myself breathe him in, filling my lungs, as I remained in his arms. Then I moved back. Mason gave me a reassuring smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
I spoke before I thought about it. “So that’s what it looks like.”
“Like what?” He grew guarded.
“A lie. That’s what it looks like from you.” And then, even though I loved him so much, I turned and walked away. Mason lied to me. I knew it. He knew it. I had lost count how many there were between us now. We were headed down a bad path, and I had no idea how to stop it.
