Fallen Crest University
Page 20
“Yep.” He grinned at me, moving an arm to hug me to his side. “Like you would be for me.”
He was right. I would. “Still.”
He squeezed me to him. “I like her.”
Of course, he did. “I’m not surprised.”
“She’s got balls.” He grinned, laughing to himself. “She’s kinda like Heather, but Heather’s tougher. That make sense? And she’s got a football boner for Mason. I can tell. Every time Nate and I talked about football stats, her eyes would light up. She was listening to every word.”
I frowned. “You were talking about football stats?” What had I been paying attention to? Oh, right—all the girls who were starting to watch him like adoring fans. I was looking out for future Logan Kade stalkers. “Never mind.”
“Hey.” His voice dropped.
A tingle of awareness ran down my spine. The serious side of Logan was coming out. I sat up.
“I’m kinda glad you’re here tonight.”
“You are?”
“Yeah.” He frowned at me. “You didn’t let Mason know?”
I shook my head.
He shrugged. “Listen, don’t feel bad about that.”
For real?
He saw my look and grinned. “I mean it. Mason wants you to have a normal college experience, and yes, that means going to parties. Why do you think I’m here? He knows you’re smart, and you can take care of yourself—”
“Do you?” I cut in. “Because I wasn’t getting that sense when you were being an ass to my roommate.”
“Sam.” His eyebrows pinched together. “You don’t even know her. Why are you defending her?”
He was right. She wasn’t my best friend, but I was trying to make myself believe she was. “I’m sorry. Thank you. You were right to do what you did.”
“She’s not Heather,” he said softly.
I shot him a look. “Speaking of which…”
He leaned back, hearing the suspicion in my voice.
I asked, “You’re not going to fuck up my friendship with Heather, are you?”
“What are you talking about?” He glanced away.
I saw the guilt in that one movement. Logan completely knew what I was talking about.
I poked him in the leg. “I know you two slept together.”
He cursed under his breath, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “Mason told?”
“Mason knew?”
“Uh.” He looked back, alarmed now. “I mean—”
I waved that off. It didn’t matter. “I’m not an idiot. You two were slow dancing half the night, and you both disappeared at the end. I texted you guys, but neither of you answered. I’m not dumb. She and Channing are on a break anyway, and you two always had chemistry.”
He leaned forward, dipping his head, and he raked his hand through his hair before letting it drop back to his leg. “I’m sorry, Sam. I didn’t mean for you to know that.”
“I’d be a shitty family member and friend if I hadn’t put two and two together.”
He groaned. “Mason chewed us both out. He didn’t want you to know. He didn’t want either of us to take away from your night—you know, from you finally getting a family. I’m sorry.”
Mason did that? An emotion swept through me, warming me up. A stupid smile came over me, and I couldn’t wipe it off right away.
Logan saw it and snorted. “You’re going to crawl into bed with him tonight, aren’t you?”
I sighed happily. “Probably. That was sweet of him.”
A dark look flashed in his eyes, but his mouth straightened.
I waited, knowing there was more. He was holding back. Figuring it had to do with something more sinister, probably Park Sebastian, I didn’t push for answers.
Instead, I gestured to the house. “Can you not be a dick to Summer anymore?”
“I won’t.” His fist lightly tapped under my chin. “I wanted her to know not to mess with us.”
“You thought she would?”
He lifted a shoulder. “She’s a model, Sam. She’s got an ego. I can tell. Girls like that think they can walk all over anyone and get away with it just because they can. I wanted to let her know that, yeah, she’s hot, but she ain’t the only hot chick around. Enough about her.” His voice dropped again, back to that seriousness from earlier. “I was going to come find you tomorrow anyway, but we’re here. I know Mason wants you to call him if you see Sebastian, but I want you to call me instead.”
“Why?”
“Because Mason’s hands are tied behind his back.”
My eyes narrowed.
“He can’t do anything—at least, not in public. It could hurt his football career. As much as Mase hates to admit it, he’s like a freaking politician now. He’s gotta watch everything he does and says. Nothing can blow back on him.”
A shiver was winding its way down my spine. The consequences Logan was talking about became even more real to me. Fear started in my gut, building with urgency. I had to make sure nothing happened to Mason.
I nodded, feeling Logan’s gaze on me. He was waiting for my acknowledgment.
I gave it to him. “Yeah. Okay.”
“I mean it. Don’t call him. Call me. I can get kicked out of school. That’s no problem for me. I can go to the college across town. Whatever. It’s not a D League, but it’s still a good school. I can handle the blowback. I need to, for Mason. Nothing can happen to him. I can fight. He can’t. He has to be really careful, especially with this dickwad. He’s not a normal dickwad. He’s got some brains.”
I nodded, forcing my head to move up and down, as my neck muscles seemed paralyzed.
The serious moment was done. Logan added, his voice more carefree, “It’s like he’s a dick who has serious sperm in his wad, if you know what I mean.” His knee nudged mine. “Hey. Hey? You know what I mean? It’s like he’s extra fertilized, but we have to keep him from spraying all over us—”
I shoved back at his knee and hopped off the table. “We’re going back to the party, and I’m going to drink. You,” I pointed at him as he was trying to hold his laughter in, “stop talking to me about dicks, wads, and who’s fertile or not. Call Heather if you want to have that conversation. I’m sure she’s got her own theories for that stuff but not me. That’s gross.”
He was right. I would. “Still.”
He squeezed me to him. “I like her.”
Of course, he did. “I’m not surprised.”
“She’s got balls.” He grinned, laughing to himself. “She’s kinda like Heather, but Heather’s tougher. That make sense? And she’s got a football boner for Mason. I can tell. Every time Nate and I talked about football stats, her eyes would light up. She was listening to every word.”
I frowned. “You were talking about football stats?” What had I been paying attention to? Oh, right—all the girls who were starting to watch him like adoring fans. I was looking out for future Logan Kade stalkers. “Never mind.”
“Hey.” His voice dropped.
A tingle of awareness ran down my spine. The serious side of Logan was coming out. I sat up.
“I’m kinda glad you’re here tonight.”
“You are?”
“Yeah.” He frowned at me. “You didn’t let Mason know?”
I shook my head.
He shrugged. “Listen, don’t feel bad about that.”
For real?
He saw my look and grinned. “I mean it. Mason wants you to have a normal college experience, and yes, that means going to parties. Why do you think I’m here? He knows you’re smart, and you can take care of yourself—”
“Do you?” I cut in. “Because I wasn’t getting that sense when you were being an ass to my roommate.”
“Sam.” His eyebrows pinched together. “You don’t even know her. Why are you defending her?”
He was right. She wasn’t my best friend, but I was trying to make myself believe she was. “I’m sorry. Thank you. You were right to do what you did.”
“She’s not Heather,” he said softly.
I shot him a look. “Speaking of which…”
He leaned back, hearing the suspicion in my voice.
I asked, “You’re not going to fuck up my friendship with Heather, are you?”
“What are you talking about?” He glanced away.
I saw the guilt in that one movement. Logan completely knew what I was talking about.
I poked him in the leg. “I know you two slept together.”
He cursed under his breath, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “Mason told?”
“Mason knew?”
“Uh.” He looked back, alarmed now. “I mean—”
I waved that off. It didn’t matter. “I’m not an idiot. You two were slow dancing half the night, and you both disappeared at the end. I texted you guys, but neither of you answered. I’m not dumb. She and Channing are on a break anyway, and you two always had chemistry.”
He leaned forward, dipping his head, and he raked his hand through his hair before letting it drop back to his leg. “I’m sorry, Sam. I didn’t mean for you to know that.”
“I’d be a shitty family member and friend if I hadn’t put two and two together.”
He groaned. “Mason chewed us both out. He didn’t want you to know. He didn’t want either of us to take away from your night—you know, from you finally getting a family. I’m sorry.”
Mason did that? An emotion swept through me, warming me up. A stupid smile came over me, and I couldn’t wipe it off right away.
Logan saw it and snorted. “You’re going to crawl into bed with him tonight, aren’t you?”
I sighed happily. “Probably. That was sweet of him.”
A dark look flashed in his eyes, but his mouth straightened.
I waited, knowing there was more. He was holding back. Figuring it had to do with something more sinister, probably Park Sebastian, I didn’t push for answers.
Instead, I gestured to the house. “Can you not be a dick to Summer anymore?”
“I won’t.” His fist lightly tapped under my chin. “I wanted her to know not to mess with us.”
“You thought she would?”
He lifted a shoulder. “She’s a model, Sam. She’s got an ego. I can tell. Girls like that think they can walk all over anyone and get away with it just because they can. I wanted to let her know that, yeah, she’s hot, but she ain’t the only hot chick around. Enough about her.” His voice dropped again, back to that seriousness from earlier. “I was going to come find you tomorrow anyway, but we’re here. I know Mason wants you to call him if you see Sebastian, but I want you to call me instead.”
“Why?”
“Because Mason’s hands are tied behind his back.”
My eyes narrowed.
“He can’t do anything—at least, not in public. It could hurt his football career. As much as Mase hates to admit it, he’s like a freaking politician now. He’s gotta watch everything he does and says. Nothing can blow back on him.”
A shiver was winding its way down my spine. The consequences Logan was talking about became even more real to me. Fear started in my gut, building with urgency. I had to make sure nothing happened to Mason.
I nodded, feeling Logan’s gaze on me. He was waiting for my acknowledgment.
I gave it to him. “Yeah. Okay.”
“I mean it. Don’t call him. Call me. I can get kicked out of school. That’s no problem for me. I can go to the college across town. Whatever. It’s not a D League, but it’s still a good school. I can handle the blowback. I need to, for Mason. Nothing can happen to him. I can fight. He can’t. He has to be really careful, especially with this dickwad. He’s not a normal dickwad. He’s got some brains.”
I nodded, forcing my head to move up and down, as my neck muscles seemed paralyzed.
The serious moment was done. Logan added, his voice more carefree, “It’s like he’s a dick who has serious sperm in his wad, if you know what I mean.” His knee nudged mine. “Hey. Hey? You know what I mean? It’s like he’s extra fertilized, but we have to keep him from spraying all over us—”
I shoved back at his knee and hopped off the table. “We’re going back to the party, and I’m going to drink. You,” I pointed at him as he was trying to hold his laughter in, “stop talking to me about dicks, wads, and who’s fertile or not. Call Heather if you want to have that conversation. I’m sure she’s got her own theories for that stuff but not me. That’s gross.”
