Fallen Fourth Down
Page 45
“Logan,” Derek spoke up behind us.
Logan nodded. “Derek’s throwing a party. You guys can come.”
Adam stiffened. His eyes jerked back to mine, and I knew he was thinking about the past. He had steered clear of me for so long, and there was still tension between us; it filled the air. I saw Jackson looking from Adam to me. His eyes fell to the hand Logan had placed on my side. I hadn’t realized he was touching me, but I let it go. There was so much bad blood between Logan and Adam. A thought occurred to me: Was that the real reason Kris wasn’t there? Because Logan had stolen Kris from Adam?
Adam never replied to Logan’s invitation.
Logan laughed. “She won’t be there, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
His hand tightened on my side, and Adam saw that motion too. The problem wasn’t Kris. It was me. Adam had stopped pursuing me, and I had ended our friendship long ago. That history needed to be left alone, but this was Logan. He was protecting me. Still.
“You’re such an ass, Kade.” Adam’s words were quiet, but they were clearly spoken.
“I’m the ass? You think I don’t know about your phone calls and text messages?”
Oh. Not me. This was all about Kris. Relief flooded me, and my shoulder sagged from the sudden release of tension. A small grin appeared on Jackson’s face as he noticed it. A warm feeling went through me, and I remembered why I used to like him so much. He’d been kind when I needed it.
Adam scoffed, distracting me. “Kris and I are still friends. You need to deal with that.”
“Right. Friends. That’s what you said you wanted from Sam too.”
No, no, no. I didn’t want to get pulled into this.
Adam glanced at me, but clenched his jaw again. “Sam and I are no longer friends, thanks to you and your brother.”
Oh shit. I closed my eyes. Logan was going to blast him, and I shot Mark a pointed look. He could step in. Anytime now.
Seeing my look, Mark narrowed his eyes, and I gestured between Logan and Adam. His eyes got big as understanding dawned. He cleared his throat. “Uh, hey guys. The party sounds awesome. We’ll spread the word. Derek, you’re on 54th, right?”
“Yeah. Two blocks from your house.”
“Sounds good.” Mark grabbed Adam and turned him towards the parking lot. He began pushing him forward and waved at us over his shoulder. “We’ll see you guys there.”
Derek said, “Bring beer. I don’t know if I can score a keg tonight.”
“Will do.” Mark kept directing Adam ahead. Cass trailed behind them, but she paused, turned half way back to us, and narrowed her eyes at me.
What’d I do?
Then she glanced at Jackson, and a cold feeling spread through me. She must’ve caught our shared look. Oh hell. I had no doubt that she’d twist that somehow, but I rolled my eyes. She could try. The only person who needed to know about Jackson was Mason. I’d have to tell him as soon as possible.
“Cass doesn’t like you much, huh?”
I bit down on my lip, hearing Jackson’s question.
Logan turned to him. “You’re the new kid?”
“Yeah. We didn’t formally meet.” Jackson held his hand out. “Jackson Sallaway.”
Logan glanced at me. “Sallaway?”
“He’s Jeff’s cousin.”
“Your ex?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
He gestured between Jackson and myself. “So you two know each other?”
Jackson glanced at me, and I braced myself. Logan couldn’t know. I wasn’t ready to tell him who Jackson was and, as if he could read my thoughts, Jackson said, “Just a tiny bit. My cousin brought her to a game a long time ago.” He nodded to me. “It was nice meeting you. I don’t know if I ever told you that. I thought you were a good person for putting up with my cousin.”
He had covered for me. I snorted, my knees suddenly shaky. “Yeah. Jeff’s a good friend, but a horrible boyfriend.”
Jackson grinned, laughing. The sound was so genuine.
Logan’s eyes narrowed at him and asked, “Are you coming to the party tonight?”
His laughter stopped, and his eyes flicked to mine. “Um…” He looked towards the parking lot. “Everyone left, huh? I’m not a big partier. Who usually shows up to those?”
“Everyone.”
I stepped back as Derek moved forward.
Jackson lifted a hand, rested it against the side of his face, and shrugged. “Sure.” His finger indicated Logan, Derek, and their other friend. “You three are your team’s captains?”
Derek started to answer him, but Logan urged me forward. Apparently, we were leaving. As we did, Logan tossed over his shoulder, “We’ll see you guys there. I have to try and sneak my girlfriend out of the house.”
Derek laughed. “Quinn’s going to love that.”
Logan ignored him, his hand still on my side, as he directed me to the car and to the passenger door. I frowned as he opened it for me, and when I got inside, I waited until he went to his door. When he opened it and got into his seat, I asked, “What’s going on with you?” I jerked my hand back and pointed to the door. “Since when do you open doors for me, and two, I thought you said Kris wasn’t going?”
He lifted a shoulder. His shoulders were so rigid. “I don’t know, Sam. Okay? I was trying to be nice. I won’t, if that’s your deal.”
Taken aback, I didn’t comment. Holy shit. Where did this side of Logan come from?
He cursed. His hand dropped from the steering wheel and his car remained idle. “I’m sorry. I’m being an ass to you, and you don’t deserve that. Quinn started texting Kris a bunch, and she’s been responding. It’s pissing me off.”
“Oh.”
“She’s my girlfriend. She shouldn’t be talking to him. She knows how I feel about him, but she won’t stop. She keeps saying they’re just friends.” He grunted. “Fuck friends, that’s what Quinn wants.” He glanced to me, seemingly hesitant. “I haven’t said anything to you. I know you’ve got your own stuff, with Mason gone and your dad here again. Again, I’m sorry for being an ass.”
He hadn’t picked up anything about Jackson. I felt like I had just bypassed a bomb exploding. “It’s no problem. You and Kris are you and Kris. For what it’s worth, I don’t think she’d ever cheat on you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Logan nodded. “Derek’s throwing a party. You guys can come.”
Adam stiffened. His eyes jerked back to mine, and I knew he was thinking about the past. He had steered clear of me for so long, and there was still tension between us; it filled the air. I saw Jackson looking from Adam to me. His eyes fell to the hand Logan had placed on my side. I hadn’t realized he was touching me, but I let it go. There was so much bad blood between Logan and Adam. A thought occurred to me: Was that the real reason Kris wasn’t there? Because Logan had stolen Kris from Adam?
Adam never replied to Logan’s invitation.
Logan laughed. “She won’t be there, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
His hand tightened on my side, and Adam saw that motion too. The problem wasn’t Kris. It was me. Adam had stopped pursuing me, and I had ended our friendship long ago. That history needed to be left alone, but this was Logan. He was protecting me. Still.
“You’re such an ass, Kade.” Adam’s words were quiet, but they were clearly spoken.
“I’m the ass? You think I don’t know about your phone calls and text messages?”
Oh. Not me. This was all about Kris. Relief flooded me, and my shoulder sagged from the sudden release of tension. A small grin appeared on Jackson’s face as he noticed it. A warm feeling went through me, and I remembered why I used to like him so much. He’d been kind when I needed it.
Adam scoffed, distracting me. “Kris and I are still friends. You need to deal with that.”
“Right. Friends. That’s what you said you wanted from Sam too.”
No, no, no. I didn’t want to get pulled into this.
Adam glanced at me, but clenched his jaw again. “Sam and I are no longer friends, thanks to you and your brother.”
Oh shit. I closed my eyes. Logan was going to blast him, and I shot Mark a pointed look. He could step in. Anytime now.
Seeing my look, Mark narrowed his eyes, and I gestured between Logan and Adam. His eyes got big as understanding dawned. He cleared his throat. “Uh, hey guys. The party sounds awesome. We’ll spread the word. Derek, you’re on 54th, right?”
“Yeah. Two blocks from your house.”
“Sounds good.” Mark grabbed Adam and turned him towards the parking lot. He began pushing him forward and waved at us over his shoulder. “We’ll see you guys there.”
Derek said, “Bring beer. I don’t know if I can score a keg tonight.”
“Will do.” Mark kept directing Adam ahead. Cass trailed behind them, but she paused, turned half way back to us, and narrowed her eyes at me.
What’d I do?
Then she glanced at Jackson, and a cold feeling spread through me. She must’ve caught our shared look. Oh hell. I had no doubt that she’d twist that somehow, but I rolled my eyes. She could try. The only person who needed to know about Jackson was Mason. I’d have to tell him as soon as possible.
“Cass doesn’t like you much, huh?”
I bit down on my lip, hearing Jackson’s question.
Logan turned to him. “You’re the new kid?”
“Yeah. We didn’t formally meet.” Jackson held his hand out. “Jackson Sallaway.”
Logan glanced at me. “Sallaway?”
“He’s Jeff’s cousin.”
“Your ex?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
He gestured between Jackson and myself. “So you two know each other?”
Jackson glanced at me, and I braced myself. Logan couldn’t know. I wasn’t ready to tell him who Jackson was and, as if he could read my thoughts, Jackson said, “Just a tiny bit. My cousin brought her to a game a long time ago.” He nodded to me. “It was nice meeting you. I don’t know if I ever told you that. I thought you were a good person for putting up with my cousin.”
He had covered for me. I snorted, my knees suddenly shaky. “Yeah. Jeff’s a good friend, but a horrible boyfriend.”
Jackson grinned, laughing. The sound was so genuine.
Logan’s eyes narrowed at him and asked, “Are you coming to the party tonight?”
His laughter stopped, and his eyes flicked to mine. “Um…” He looked towards the parking lot. “Everyone left, huh? I’m not a big partier. Who usually shows up to those?”
“Everyone.”
I stepped back as Derek moved forward.
Jackson lifted a hand, rested it against the side of his face, and shrugged. “Sure.” His finger indicated Logan, Derek, and their other friend. “You three are your team’s captains?”
Derek started to answer him, but Logan urged me forward. Apparently, we were leaving. As we did, Logan tossed over his shoulder, “We’ll see you guys there. I have to try and sneak my girlfriend out of the house.”
Derek laughed. “Quinn’s going to love that.”
Logan ignored him, his hand still on my side, as he directed me to the car and to the passenger door. I frowned as he opened it for me, and when I got inside, I waited until he went to his door. When he opened it and got into his seat, I asked, “What’s going on with you?” I jerked my hand back and pointed to the door. “Since when do you open doors for me, and two, I thought you said Kris wasn’t going?”
He lifted a shoulder. His shoulders were so rigid. “I don’t know, Sam. Okay? I was trying to be nice. I won’t, if that’s your deal.”
Taken aback, I didn’t comment. Holy shit. Where did this side of Logan come from?
He cursed. His hand dropped from the steering wheel and his car remained idle. “I’m sorry. I’m being an ass to you, and you don’t deserve that. Quinn started texting Kris a bunch, and she’s been responding. It’s pissing me off.”
“Oh.”
“She’s my girlfriend. She shouldn’t be talking to him. She knows how I feel about him, but she won’t stop. She keeps saying they’re just friends.” He grunted. “Fuck friends, that’s what Quinn wants.” He glanced to me, seemingly hesitant. “I haven’t said anything to you. I know you’ve got your own stuff, with Mason gone and your dad here again. Again, I’m sorry for being an ass.”
He hadn’t picked up anything about Jackson. I felt like I had just bypassed a bomb exploding. “It’s no problem. You and Kris are you and Kris. For what it’s worth, I don’t think she’d ever cheat on you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
