Fallen Crest University
Page 58
“Yes.” I clipped my head up and down. “Not no. Yes. Your brother tried to get Mason and hit Marissa instead, his stalker. Sebastian paid her off, and she transferred colleges. He and his friends jumped Mason last year too.” An easy wave rolled over me. “Did you…” I was scared to ask. The thought sickened me. “Did he ask you to spy on me?”
“Uh-huh. But no, I wouldn’t do that.”
My eyes narrowed. She’d answered that too quickly.
“What did he ask?”
“No, Sam. I told you. I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“But he did ask?”
“Sam…” Her voice broke.
I had her, and she looked away. Her jaw was starting to tremble.
I grew quiet. “What did he ask, Summer? I have to know.”
“He asked about your family—your mom and dad. He wanted to know about your stepbrother. That was it.” Her eyes swept down and to the side. The corner of her mouth twitched.
There was more. “Summer?”
“He came over one night.”
He’d been in the room. I was trying to tell myself that was logical. She was his sister, but my entire body clenched. An ice storm blasted in my veins. He’d been near my desk, my bed, my clothes. I’d leave my purse in the room sometimes.
Beads of cold sweat formed on my forehead, but I had to ask, “Was he alone in the room?”
“No.” She shook her head, but her gaze was still turned downward. “I might’ve gone to the restroom.”
“Summer!”
“He wouldn’t do anything,” she argued.
I shot back, “He already has.”
She flinched, letting out a deep groan. “I’m so sorry, Samantha. I really am. I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you’d freak, and I liked you. I didn’t want you to move out, not until you got to know me.”
“It’s too late.” The fight started to lesson. I had to move out. An ironic laugh bubbled up my throat. “It’s funny. The very guy who I need to be kept safe from is the only other guy besides Mason who has a key to our place.” I fixed her with a look. “Sebastian does have a key, doesn’t he?”
She didn’t respond but nodded, jerking her head up and down. “I’m so sor—”
I waved her off. “I got it. You said it, but the damage is done. I don’t trust you. First, Garrett, and now, your brother. How am I supposed to live with you after this?”
“I—” She tipped her head back, and a muffled scream came out. Her hands grabbed the sides of her head, and her fingers sank in, taking hold of her hair.
“My god, I want to murder my brother. He put me in this spot. He changed my roommate assignment, but I like you. I’d met the other girl, and I would’ve hated her. I thought he was helping me, and I was grateful to him. He manipulated me. I’m going to rip his balls off.” Another guttural scream burst out, and she followed it with a litany of swear words that Logan would’ve written down. “Trust me, Sam. I get it. I do, and I’m raking my mind, trying to think of ways to make it up to you. I can’t think of one thing—”
“Tell me his secrets.”
“What?” She eyed me, one corner of her mouth sinking down.
“Tell me his secrets. Tell me everything.”
“But isn’t that the same thing? Instead of getting information through me about you, I’m passing information about him to you?”
My eyes closed until they were slits. “You said you wanted to make it up to me. Tell me everything about him, all the gory details.”
She remained quiet but didn’t look away and didn’t walk away. Then, her head slowly lowered back down.
I had her.
Sebastian wanted to use me to his advantage. Maybe I could use his sister to my advantage instead.
I never told Mason and Logan about Summer.
I should have, but my friendship with her would’ve been done immediately. They would’ve labeled her a traitor, and would never trust her again. She’d lied to me, but she hadn’t betrayed me, at least I hoped she hadn’t. So a part of me didn’t want to move out, not yet anyway. The other part of me was trying to be Mason-like, all cold and ruthless. I wasn’t on his mastermind level, but I felt I wasn’t hurting too much.
Summer wasn’t sure what would be helpful, so the next couple of weeks were filled with random information. If she thought of something, she would tell me. If I thought of something, I would ask. She’d answer everything with no hesitation, and she never broke eye contact.
“What are you going to do when Mason and Logan find out about me?” she asked me one night.
“Tell them the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” It would be game over. I was in a stall-and-evade battlefront right now. I asked her, “What did you tell Sebastian?”
Her jaw hardened. “Nothing. He doesn’t deserve to know a damn thing.”
That sounded good to me, and there’d been no sightings or even a phone call from him since I left their parents’ house, but I knew my luck would run out at some point.
When I got home from my class one day, that day came.
I opened the door, and there he was. Park Sebastian was standing inside our dorm room, looking at something on my desk. His hand reached out, and he turned a piece of paper over.
“Get out.” The door was about to slam shut behind me. I stuck a foot out, stopping it, and folded my arms over my chest. “Now.”
A slow grin was his response. “Long time no see, Samantha.”
“Step away from the desk.”
He laughed but did as I’d asked. I pulled a shoe out to keep the door propped open, and I went to see whatever he’d been spying on. It was a note Summer left.
Sam,
Went to eat with my mom. Be back tonight.
Summer
P.S. I called campus security. They’re going to change the locks.
I looked up at Sebastian, whose smile turned smug.
I read the rest of the note.
My brother won’t have a key anymore.
XOXO
“Give me the key.” I held my hand out.
Crumpling the note up, I tossed it in the garbage as Sebastian made a show of leaning forward and inspecting my hand.
Another irritating chuckle came from him. “My sister forgot that I have the same connections she does. She should remember to use a different key guy the next time she wants to pull a fast one on me.”
“Uh-huh. But no, I wouldn’t do that.”
My eyes narrowed. She’d answered that too quickly.
“What did he ask?”
“No, Sam. I told you. I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“But he did ask?”
“Sam…” Her voice broke.
I had her, and she looked away. Her jaw was starting to tremble.
I grew quiet. “What did he ask, Summer? I have to know.”
“He asked about your family—your mom and dad. He wanted to know about your stepbrother. That was it.” Her eyes swept down and to the side. The corner of her mouth twitched.
There was more. “Summer?”
“He came over one night.”
He’d been in the room. I was trying to tell myself that was logical. She was his sister, but my entire body clenched. An ice storm blasted in my veins. He’d been near my desk, my bed, my clothes. I’d leave my purse in the room sometimes.
Beads of cold sweat formed on my forehead, but I had to ask, “Was he alone in the room?”
“No.” She shook her head, but her gaze was still turned downward. “I might’ve gone to the restroom.”
“Summer!”
“He wouldn’t do anything,” she argued.
I shot back, “He already has.”
She flinched, letting out a deep groan. “I’m so sorry, Samantha. I really am. I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you’d freak, and I liked you. I didn’t want you to move out, not until you got to know me.”
“It’s too late.” The fight started to lesson. I had to move out. An ironic laugh bubbled up my throat. “It’s funny. The very guy who I need to be kept safe from is the only other guy besides Mason who has a key to our place.” I fixed her with a look. “Sebastian does have a key, doesn’t he?”
She didn’t respond but nodded, jerking her head up and down. “I’m so sor—”
I waved her off. “I got it. You said it, but the damage is done. I don’t trust you. First, Garrett, and now, your brother. How am I supposed to live with you after this?”
“I—” She tipped her head back, and a muffled scream came out. Her hands grabbed the sides of her head, and her fingers sank in, taking hold of her hair.
“My god, I want to murder my brother. He put me in this spot. He changed my roommate assignment, but I like you. I’d met the other girl, and I would’ve hated her. I thought he was helping me, and I was grateful to him. He manipulated me. I’m going to rip his balls off.” Another guttural scream burst out, and she followed it with a litany of swear words that Logan would’ve written down. “Trust me, Sam. I get it. I do, and I’m raking my mind, trying to think of ways to make it up to you. I can’t think of one thing—”
“Tell me his secrets.”
“What?” She eyed me, one corner of her mouth sinking down.
“Tell me his secrets. Tell me everything.”
“But isn’t that the same thing? Instead of getting information through me about you, I’m passing information about him to you?”
My eyes closed until they were slits. “You said you wanted to make it up to me. Tell me everything about him, all the gory details.”
She remained quiet but didn’t look away and didn’t walk away. Then, her head slowly lowered back down.
I had her.
Sebastian wanted to use me to his advantage. Maybe I could use his sister to my advantage instead.
I never told Mason and Logan about Summer.
I should have, but my friendship with her would’ve been done immediately. They would’ve labeled her a traitor, and would never trust her again. She’d lied to me, but she hadn’t betrayed me, at least I hoped she hadn’t. So a part of me didn’t want to move out, not yet anyway. The other part of me was trying to be Mason-like, all cold and ruthless. I wasn’t on his mastermind level, but I felt I wasn’t hurting too much.
Summer wasn’t sure what would be helpful, so the next couple of weeks were filled with random information. If she thought of something, she would tell me. If I thought of something, I would ask. She’d answer everything with no hesitation, and she never broke eye contact.
“What are you going to do when Mason and Logan find out about me?” she asked me one night.
“Tell them the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” It would be game over. I was in a stall-and-evade battlefront right now. I asked her, “What did you tell Sebastian?”
Her jaw hardened. “Nothing. He doesn’t deserve to know a damn thing.”
That sounded good to me, and there’d been no sightings or even a phone call from him since I left their parents’ house, but I knew my luck would run out at some point.
When I got home from my class one day, that day came.
I opened the door, and there he was. Park Sebastian was standing inside our dorm room, looking at something on my desk. His hand reached out, and he turned a piece of paper over.
“Get out.” The door was about to slam shut behind me. I stuck a foot out, stopping it, and folded my arms over my chest. “Now.”
A slow grin was his response. “Long time no see, Samantha.”
“Step away from the desk.”
He laughed but did as I’d asked. I pulled a shoe out to keep the door propped open, and I went to see whatever he’d been spying on. It was a note Summer left.
Sam,
Went to eat with my mom. Be back tonight.
Summer
P.S. I called campus security. They’re going to change the locks.
I looked up at Sebastian, whose smile turned smug.
I read the rest of the note.
My brother won’t have a key anymore.
XOXO
“Give me the key.” I held my hand out.
Crumpling the note up, I tossed it in the garbage as Sebastian made a show of leaning forward and inspecting my hand.
Another irritating chuckle came from him. “My sister forgot that I have the same connections she does. She should remember to use a different key guy the next time she wants to pull a fast one on me.”
