Fallen Fourth Down
Page 23
“Yeah.” Her thin shoulders lifted up and down. “We’ve been official for two months, but we hooked up a month before that.” She paused as she began biting the inside of her cheek. “When did Mason tell you?”
My eyes got even bigger. I didn’t talk about Mason. I barely talked about him to Logan and Heather. “Um.” What did I say? Kris was pretty with wheat-blonde hair and striking green eyes, but she was nice. She was genuinely nice, which is why I knew so many guys had been after her. “We…um…”
She let out a hurt sigh. “He should’ve said it by now. That’s what you’re saying, isn’t it?”
“No, not at all.”
She shook her head. “No, I got it. I bet you and Mason knew right away. Logan hasn’t said a word like that. He hasn’t even said he likes me. Since the beginning, it’s been about needing me, wanting me, having me. I know he feels lust for me.” She pretended to shiver. “The chemistry was amazing, but it’s died down over the last few weeks.”
She continued, “He’s amazing. I’ve heard all the girls talking, you know. They all want him, and I know I’ve been so lucky. I was talking to some of the girls from the team. They said Logan’s never had a girlfriend, except for that one girl. Candy said Tate was trash anyway. He only had one-night stands, but they think he loves me.” She paused and added, “Jessica and Lydia said the same thing too.”
“Jessica and Lydia?” I hadn’t known she was friends with my two ex-best friends.
“Yeah. I went to Cass’ party last week. I talked with them for a bit. I’ve heard nasty things about Jessica, but she’s been nice to me.”
“You went with Logan?”
How had I not known about this? If Logan had gone to an Elite party, especially hers, I would’ve heard about it.
“No.” She grinned. “Not at all. I didn’t even bring it up to him, but I heard he dated Miranda too.”
“That was only for a month.”
“I thought Cass would be jealous of me, but she seems happy with your brother.”
My eyes got big and I stiffened. My brother? A low growl started in the bottom of my throat. Mark wasn’t my brother, not yet.
“Those two were meant for each other.” She sighed, sounding wistful. “Sometimes I think I might have that with Logan. He can be so loving and thoughtful at times, but at other times, it’s like I’m not even in the room.”
I pressed my hands to my forehead. A headache was forming, and I could tell it wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon.
She sighed again. “I just don’t know what to do. I feel like I’m losing him. Hearing all the stories about him, I guess I should’ve been prepared for this. Cass told me—”
“Who aren’t you friends with?” I snapped.
She stopped as her eyes got big. “Uh, we’re not super tight. I mean, Adam’s friends with her and we hung out a bunch last year so…”
I saw the fear in her eyes and reined myself in. She was listing off so many ghosts from my past. Transferring to Fallen Crest Public should’ve put a stop to her connections to them, but I realized that it hadn’t. They were friends with Mark, and they were friends with her. I wanted to groan. They were still so close to me.
“Should I not be friends with her?”
It took me another moment to comprehend who Kris was talking about. Cass. “No, no. I’m sorry for reacting. I don’t have good memories from that place.”
“Oh.” She frowned. “I’m sorry.”
“It doesn’t matter.” I gave her a smile. “Really. I’m sorry how I reacted.”
She went back to twisting her hands together. “No one talks about you over there.”
Really?
She added in a rush, as if she were confessing something, “I was really confused when I saw you at the party last year. I was with Jeff and he told me that you guys dated, but I had no idea that Adam Quinn wanted to date you, and I had been hanging out with him too. I found out you were close to Mason and Logan Kade. I mean, I heard about them my first day at FCA, but no one mentioned you.” She lifted her head up and down as she said that word, “I found out your dad was the football coach at FCA aaaand you’re living with Mark Decraw.” A nervous giggle slipped from her. “For someone that I had never heard about, you’re connected to a ton of people.” She snuck a timid look at me. “I’ve been scared to talk to you about that. I’m glad I did.”
I wanted to curse. “You’re saying that Miranda and her friends never talked about me?”
“Well,” she hesitated, “they have said some things, but nothing good and I didn’t put two and two together until Adam and I went to Mark’s and all of you guys were there too. I don’t really listen to the bad stuff. That’s been done to me at my old school. A lot of the girls were jealous because some of the guys liked me.”
“Give it time. I’m sure the same thing will happen at Fallen Crest Public too.”
She flinched as if I slapped her.
I grimaced. “Sorry. You’re friendly. Maybe it won’t happen to you.”
A relieved look came over her, and her shoulders dropped. “I’m very careful, especially since dating Logan. I’ve noticed a big difference. People are more cautious around me and some of them are fake. Some kiss my ass. You can just tell, you know?”
She was giving me a look as if we were friends, as if we were allies.
It was then that I saw why Adam, Jeff, and Logan liked her, and why even Jessica and Lydia were being nice to her. She was new. She hadn’t been stabbed in the back by anyone—yet—and she didn’t know how vicious people could be.
She was refreshing, for them. Not me. I glanced around. Was Logan coming back?
“It’s fourth and fifty-seven,” the announcer said over the stadium.
Glancing at the field, I saw Mason on the sidelines. He was ready to go back in for the next play and I waited. The team was setting up to punt, and he was flagged in. I looked at the scoreboard; it was the fourth quarter, and there were two minutes left in the game. The score was twenty-eight to three, a sure win for the Wolves.
“Where did you say Logan went?”
She shrugged. “I think he went to find Nate. I guess he sent him a text or something, saying he was in the stands somewhere. He’ll be back before the game is over. So, can I ask you a question?”
My eyes got even bigger. I didn’t talk about Mason. I barely talked about him to Logan and Heather. “Um.” What did I say? Kris was pretty with wheat-blonde hair and striking green eyes, but she was nice. She was genuinely nice, which is why I knew so many guys had been after her. “We…um…”
She let out a hurt sigh. “He should’ve said it by now. That’s what you’re saying, isn’t it?”
“No, not at all.”
She shook her head. “No, I got it. I bet you and Mason knew right away. Logan hasn’t said a word like that. He hasn’t even said he likes me. Since the beginning, it’s been about needing me, wanting me, having me. I know he feels lust for me.” She pretended to shiver. “The chemistry was amazing, but it’s died down over the last few weeks.”
She continued, “He’s amazing. I’ve heard all the girls talking, you know. They all want him, and I know I’ve been so lucky. I was talking to some of the girls from the team. They said Logan’s never had a girlfriend, except for that one girl. Candy said Tate was trash anyway. He only had one-night stands, but they think he loves me.” She paused and added, “Jessica and Lydia said the same thing too.”
“Jessica and Lydia?” I hadn’t known she was friends with my two ex-best friends.
“Yeah. I went to Cass’ party last week. I talked with them for a bit. I’ve heard nasty things about Jessica, but she’s been nice to me.”
“You went with Logan?”
How had I not known about this? If Logan had gone to an Elite party, especially hers, I would’ve heard about it.
“No.” She grinned. “Not at all. I didn’t even bring it up to him, but I heard he dated Miranda too.”
“That was only for a month.”
“I thought Cass would be jealous of me, but she seems happy with your brother.”
My eyes got big and I stiffened. My brother? A low growl started in the bottom of my throat. Mark wasn’t my brother, not yet.
“Those two were meant for each other.” She sighed, sounding wistful. “Sometimes I think I might have that with Logan. He can be so loving and thoughtful at times, but at other times, it’s like I’m not even in the room.”
I pressed my hands to my forehead. A headache was forming, and I could tell it wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon.
She sighed again. “I just don’t know what to do. I feel like I’m losing him. Hearing all the stories about him, I guess I should’ve been prepared for this. Cass told me—”
“Who aren’t you friends with?” I snapped.
She stopped as her eyes got big. “Uh, we’re not super tight. I mean, Adam’s friends with her and we hung out a bunch last year so…”
I saw the fear in her eyes and reined myself in. She was listing off so many ghosts from my past. Transferring to Fallen Crest Public should’ve put a stop to her connections to them, but I realized that it hadn’t. They were friends with Mark, and they were friends with her. I wanted to groan. They were still so close to me.
“Should I not be friends with her?”
It took me another moment to comprehend who Kris was talking about. Cass. “No, no. I’m sorry for reacting. I don’t have good memories from that place.”
“Oh.” She frowned. “I’m sorry.”
“It doesn’t matter.” I gave her a smile. “Really. I’m sorry how I reacted.”
She went back to twisting her hands together. “No one talks about you over there.”
Really?
She added in a rush, as if she were confessing something, “I was really confused when I saw you at the party last year. I was with Jeff and he told me that you guys dated, but I had no idea that Adam Quinn wanted to date you, and I had been hanging out with him too. I found out you were close to Mason and Logan Kade. I mean, I heard about them my first day at FCA, but no one mentioned you.” She lifted her head up and down as she said that word, “I found out your dad was the football coach at FCA aaaand you’re living with Mark Decraw.” A nervous giggle slipped from her. “For someone that I had never heard about, you’re connected to a ton of people.” She snuck a timid look at me. “I’ve been scared to talk to you about that. I’m glad I did.”
I wanted to curse. “You’re saying that Miranda and her friends never talked about me?”
“Well,” she hesitated, “they have said some things, but nothing good and I didn’t put two and two together until Adam and I went to Mark’s and all of you guys were there too. I don’t really listen to the bad stuff. That’s been done to me at my old school. A lot of the girls were jealous because some of the guys liked me.”
“Give it time. I’m sure the same thing will happen at Fallen Crest Public too.”
She flinched as if I slapped her.
I grimaced. “Sorry. You’re friendly. Maybe it won’t happen to you.”
A relieved look came over her, and her shoulders dropped. “I’m very careful, especially since dating Logan. I’ve noticed a big difference. People are more cautious around me and some of them are fake. Some kiss my ass. You can just tell, you know?”
She was giving me a look as if we were friends, as if we were allies.
It was then that I saw why Adam, Jeff, and Logan liked her, and why even Jessica and Lydia were being nice to her. She was new. She hadn’t been stabbed in the back by anyone—yet—and she didn’t know how vicious people could be.
She was refreshing, for them. Not me. I glanced around. Was Logan coming back?
“It’s fourth and fifty-seven,” the announcer said over the stadium.
Glancing at the field, I saw Mason on the sidelines. He was ready to go back in for the next play and I waited. The team was setting up to punt, and he was flagged in. I looked at the scoreboard; it was the fourth quarter, and there were two minutes left in the game. The score was twenty-eight to three, a sure win for the Wolves.
“Where did you say Logan went?”
She shrugged. “I think he went to find Nate. I guess he sent him a text or something, saying he was in the stands somewhere. He’ll be back before the game is over. So, can I ask you a question?”
