Fallen Crest University
Page 44
She studied me, narrowed her eyes a little, and nudged me with her elbow. “They’re not going to drug him or something. Besides, Mason is one dude who will not be coerced. You don’t have to worry about him with other girls.”
My head moved up and down. I was nodding. I was agreeing to everything she said, but her voice sounded from a distance. Football, money, looks—that was the world that Mason and Logan ruled, and I had been brought into their world. A shiver racked through me. I didn’t even want to imagine how I would’ve been if those two hadn’t welcomed me into their twosome family or if Mason and I hadn’t fallen in love.
“You okay?” Summer was still watching me, now concerned.
“Yeah,” I rasped out, coughing to clear my throat. “Yeah, I’m good.”
“You sure?”
“Oh, yeah. I’m good.” I forced another grin. “Peachy.”
We were halfway through the game when Summer asked to use my phone. She forgot hers. I didn’t think anything of it until the game was over. We won. Everyone was in good spirits, and I was proud of Mason.
My whole chest was full of it, but I’d forgotten that along with his fame came the thirst from others. They wanted him. They wanted what I had. They would plot, scheme, and deceive. They’d do what it took. I already knew it would end in failure, but they didn’t. They’d go the gamut to try to destroy my heart.
“Hey.”
We were following the girls through the parking lot, but I was looking for Mason’s car. I was going to text him and say that I would wait for him by it. Summer caught my elbow as I started to veer for his Escalade.
She asked, “Where are you going?”
“I—” I was about to tell her when I stopped.
Logan hadn’t come to sit with us, but I hadn’t thought about it. I’d figured he wanted to steer clear of Kitty and Nina. I would if I were him. But now, I saw him standing a few yards from us. He wasn’t looking at me. He was looking past me, and the expression on his face was like an invisible hand pressing down on my chest. But that wasn’t the only thing. A large and nasty-looking bruise was on the side of his jaw. I looked over his other injuries—a cut lip, a bandage on the corner of his eye, and another bruise on his forehead.
He was focused beyond me, and it hit me. Logan was staring with hatred at whoever was behind me. The loathing wasn’t hidden. It was there. It was in the open, and there was no hiding it.
A shiver trailed up my spine.
I knew who was behind me, but I turned, and everything went into slow motion.
Sebastian was staring right back at Logan. Sebastian’s face was bruised. One of his cheeks was swollen. More bruises were on his neck. Through a small opening in the crowd, I saw his hand resting on his side. His knuckles were cracked open, all black and blue, too. The crowd covered his hand up, and I couldn’t see him anymore.
Neither of them looked like they were going to approach the other.
I was almost invisible to them, but a second tingle shot up my back. A sixth sense had me looking, even before I’d realized it, and behind Logan was Mason. He had just come out of the doors.
He was standing there. His hair was wet, and I figured he’d showered. He was wearing a Cain U shirt that clung to parts of his chest that were still wet. His athletic pants only accentuated his trim waist and athletic build. He stayed there, holding a bag, as he looked at me. Concern and heavy wariness was there before he masked them and looked at his brother. He lingered, watching his brother, as his eyebrows jerked forward a split second. They smoothed back out, and his gaze moved past to Sebastian.
I couldn’t look away from Mason. A dark ominous sensation took root in my gut. This was a standoff. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, but I couldn’t move.
Summer was talking to me. Her voice came in and out. It was as if I were submerged in deep water, and she was above me, calling my name, while I was fighting to break the surface.
Something bad was going to happen.
Someone else was saying my name, and I frowned. That person…
I tore my gaze from Mason and turned.
Heather was right there. She was right in front of me, and she was waving a hand over my face.
I broke the surface.
I could hear her plain as day.
She said, “She goes into these freaky trances. Don’t worry. She’ll break free. Usually, it just means she needs to jump Mason’s bones—”
I didn’t let her finish. Launching myself at her, I tightly wrapped my arms around her. I hadn’t realized how much I missed my best friend until that minute.
“Are you going to tell me what was up with the weird stare-offs earlier?”
Heather was outside the house party, lounging in the backyard with me. She wanted a smoke, and I wanted some peace and quiet. My head had been full with too many thoughts.
After an awkward dinner with Mason, Logan, and Summer, they’d dropped us off at the dorm. The plan had been to grab some clothes for me, so we could sleep back at the house. It was more comfortable there, but those plans went awry as soon as we stepped foot on the floor. Kitty and Nina were going into Ruby’s room, but they went wild when they saw us. Ruby’s friend, Blaze, was throwing another party, and we were supposed to be the guests of honor. Ruby informed me later that Blaze now considered himself a badass, and he had near idol-worship for Logan. He became a man and wanted to repay Logan in beer and pussy.
Ruby cringed as she said the word pussy, but it was a direct quote from Blaze himself. She added, “Though, I have to be honest, I’m pretty sure Logan’s being used to bring the pussy part. Blaze told me that where Logan Kade goes, pussy follows.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry, but can you guys come?”
“Uh…” I’d glanced at Heather and Summer, the latter had been unnaturally quiet during dinner.
Both gave me blank faces back.
I’d made the decision. “Why not?” The evening couldn’t get more awkward, could it?
When we informed Mason of the change of plans, he planned to drop us off and pick us up later. That hadn’t lasted long. Logan got on the phone, and within five minutes, Mason’s phone was ringing. Drew and half the football team wanted to go to the party, too. Mason’s hand was forced, but I knew he was fine with that. Going to a party with Logan was like old times. The only reason Mason hadn’t originally wanted to go was because he’d thought I’d want my girl time.
My head moved up and down. I was nodding. I was agreeing to everything she said, but her voice sounded from a distance. Football, money, looks—that was the world that Mason and Logan ruled, and I had been brought into their world. A shiver racked through me. I didn’t even want to imagine how I would’ve been if those two hadn’t welcomed me into their twosome family or if Mason and I hadn’t fallen in love.
“You okay?” Summer was still watching me, now concerned.
“Yeah,” I rasped out, coughing to clear my throat. “Yeah, I’m good.”
“You sure?”
“Oh, yeah. I’m good.” I forced another grin. “Peachy.”
We were halfway through the game when Summer asked to use my phone. She forgot hers. I didn’t think anything of it until the game was over. We won. Everyone was in good spirits, and I was proud of Mason.
My whole chest was full of it, but I’d forgotten that along with his fame came the thirst from others. They wanted him. They wanted what I had. They would plot, scheme, and deceive. They’d do what it took. I already knew it would end in failure, but they didn’t. They’d go the gamut to try to destroy my heart.
“Hey.”
We were following the girls through the parking lot, but I was looking for Mason’s car. I was going to text him and say that I would wait for him by it. Summer caught my elbow as I started to veer for his Escalade.
She asked, “Where are you going?”
“I—” I was about to tell her when I stopped.
Logan hadn’t come to sit with us, but I hadn’t thought about it. I’d figured he wanted to steer clear of Kitty and Nina. I would if I were him. But now, I saw him standing a few yards from us. He wasn’t looking at me. He was looking past me, and the expression on his face was like an invisible hand pressing down on my chest. But that wasn’t the only thing. A large and nasty-looking bruise was on the side of his jaw. I looked over his other injuries—a cut lip, a bandage on the corner of his eye, and another bruise on his forehead.
He was focused beyond me, and it hit me. Logan was staring with hatred at whoever was behind me. The loathing wasn’t hidden. It was there. It was in the open, and there was no hiding it.
A shiver trailed up my spine.
I knew who was behind me, but I turned, and everything went into slow motion.
Sebastian was staring right back at Logan. Sebastian’s face was bruised. One of his cheeks was swollen. More bruises were on his neck. Through a small opening in the crowd, I saw his hand resting on his side. His knuckles were cracked open, all black and blue, too. The crowd covered his hand up, and I couldn’t see him anymore.
Neither of them looked like they were going to approach the other.
I was almost invisible to them, but a second tingle shot up my back. A sixth sense had me looking, even before I’d realized it, and behind Logan was Mason. He had just come out of the doors.
He was standing there. His hair was wet, and I figured he’d showered. He was wearing a Cain U shirt that clung to parts of his chest that were still wet. His athletic pants only accentuated his trim waist and athletic build. He stayed there, holding a bag, as he looked at me. Concern and heavy wariness was there before he masked them and looked at his brother. He lingered, watching his brother, as his eyebrows jerked forward a split second. They smoothed back out, and his gaze moved past to Sebastian.
I couldn’t look away from Mason. A dark ominous sensation took root in my gut. This was a standoff. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, but I couldn’t move.
Summer was talking to me. Her voice came in and out. It was as if I were submerged in deep water, and she was above me, calling my name, while I was fighting to break the surface.
Something bad was going to happen.
Someone else was saying my name, and I frowned. That person…
I tore my gaze from Mason and turned.
Heather was right there. She was right in front of me, and she was waving a hand over my face.
I broke the surface.
I could hear her plain as day.
She said, “She goes into these freaky trances. Don’t worry. She’ll break free. Usually, it just means she needs to jump Mason’s bones—”
I didn’t let her finish. Launching myself at her, I tightly wrapped my arms around her. I hadn’t realized how much I missed my best friend until that minute.
“Are you going to tell me what was up with the weird stare-offs earlier?”
Heather was outside the house party, lounging in the backyard with me. She wanted a smoke, and I wanted some peace and quiet. My head had been full with too many thoughts.
After an awkward dinner with Mason, Logan, and Summer, they’d dropped us off at the dorm. The plan had been to grab some clothes for me, so we could sleep back at the house. It was more comfortable there, but those plans went awry as soon as we stepped foot on the floor. Kitty and Nina were going into Ruby’s room, but they went wild when they saw us. Ruby’s friend, Blaze, was throwing another party, and we were supposed to be the guests of honor. Ruby informed me later that Blaze now considered himself a badass, and he had near idol-worship for Logan. He became a man and wanted to repay Logan in beer and pussy.
Ruby cringed as she said the word pussy, but it was a direct quote from Blaze himself. She added, “Though, I have to be honest, I’m pretty sure Logan’s being used to bring the pussy part. Blaze told me that where Logan Kade goes, pussy follows.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry, but can you guys come?”
“Uh…” I’d glanced at Heather and Summer, the latter had been unnaturally quiet during dinner.
Both gave me blank faces back.
I’d made the decision. “Why not?” The evening couldn’t get more awkward, could it?
When we informed Mason of the change of plans, he planned to drop us off and pick us up later. That hadn’t lasted long. Logan got on the phone, and within five minutes, Mason’s phone was ringing. Drew and half the football team wanted to go to the party, too. Mason’s hand was forced, but I knew he was fine with that. Going to a party with Logan was like old times. The only reason Mason hadn’t originally wanted to go was because he’d thought I’d want my girl time.
