Fallen Crest Alternative Version (24 page)

“Oh yeah, you’re a big time athlete, aren’t you?” His head bobbed again. “Cool, cool. Hey, I hope your brother bangs my sister again. She’s a lot easier to handle.”

“He probably won’t.”

Rex lifted a relaxed shoulder. “Yeah, I understand that. She’s a bitch. All my buds want to bang her, but she’s a bitch. I wish she’d let ‘em, you know. She’d always be in a good mood, but she thinks she’s too good for my buds. I understand that too.”

“So, Rex.” I cleared my throat, though it came out strained. “Where are you taking Becky on your date?”

He shrugged. “I was thinking whatever party’s going on.” He twisted to Becky. “That cool with you?”

She giggled some more and her head jerked up and down in a spastic fashion.

Another lazy smile spread over his face.

Mason met my gaze. He couldn’t hold back his amusement. “Ethan’s doing a small party tonight.”

“Hey, you think we could go there?”

“Yeah, pretty sure.” His lip twitched and he choked back another burst of laughter.

I clamped onto Becky’s arm. “She can ride with us.”

“Ah no, dudette Sam. It’s our first date and all. I want to be the honorable guy and drive.”

I narrowed my eyes. “We’re not under the influence. She’s going with us.”

“Oh, ah!” He threw his head back and laughed. The hair fell away and his shiny blue eyes were crinkled at the ends. “Ah, no. I always look like this. My mom said it goes back to when I was a baby. I was a crack baby or something. Nah, I haven’t smoked anything since last night. I’m good to go and I wouldn’t do anything to hurt Becky. She’s my golden Labradoodle.”

“She’s your dog?”

“Nah, my best friend. They’re all full of unconditional love and shit.”

Becky couldn’t stop giggling and Rex seemed infatuated with the sound of it. He moved beside her and took her hand in his. Then he lifted two fingers towards us. “We’ll see you there. I want some alone time with my girl here.”

Another blush lit up from her neck and she waved at me before she was in the car and the station wagon left the parking lot.

We were quiet for a second. I didn’t know what to say and then Mason burst out laughing. He bent over with a hand still on my back as his shoulders continued to shake. I couldn’t hold back my own laughter and soon I had tears in my eyes. As I wiped them away and tried to contain myself, I shook my head. “I can’t believe that happened.”

“I like him.” His shoulders still shook from his silent amusement.

I opened my mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. My shoulders sagged dramatically and I threw my hands up. “I have no idea what to say.”

“He doesn’t care about me. I say he’s good to go.”

“This isn’t about you. He’s a pothead. Becky can’t date a pothead.”

He shrugged and started towards the car. “She’ll be fine. He’ll probably be good for her, help pull her away from your quarterback’s snare.”

That was true.

As I got in the Escalade, I leaned back. Mason pulled out of the parking lot and I glanced over. He seemed intent on the road with a relaxed hold on the steering wheel. His arm stretched out and the side of his face took my breath away. Was that what Becky saw when she looked at Rex?

“What is it?” He didn’t look at me.

I grinned. He never had to.

“Sam?” He looked now.

And I was breathless again. The green in his eyes seemed brighter. As another car’s headlights skimmed over him, it highlighted his angular cheekbones, his full lips, the masculine curve of his jaw, and the crew cut of his hair. He had dressed in a fitted black long sleeve shirt, tucked inside of trendy faded jeans.

I took a breath and fanned myself. Would it ever get less intense?

“Sam?” he prompted again, but the knowing smirk on his face gave him away.

“Shut up.”

He grinned back. “Were you thinking of Rex Thursto just now? Did he make you wet for him?”

I groaned.

He laughed again as he glanced back to the street. “Do you want to leave me and take your best friend down for him? Did the Rexster do it for you?”

My shoulder stated to shake. “Stop, Mason.”

“No, really.” His teeth blinded me as he flashed another smile. The enjoyment sparkled in his eyes. “Was it his glazed eyes or the pretty boy features he’s got going on? I bet you go for the glazed look. Should I start sharing bowls with him? Maybe I could learn a thing or two.”

I reached over and ran the tips of my fingers over his leg. He tensed and his leg jerked from underneath my hand. I grinned at my own power. “I think you’re doing just fine.”

“Am I?” His hand caught mine and lifted it for a kiss.

“You are.”

“Good.” And his eyes held so much more promise than that word. But then we turned onto Ethan’s street and I sat forward at the sight of thirty cars on the street.

“I thought you said this was supposed to be small?”

Mason chuckled and shrugged before he slipped out of the car. As I rounded my side to his, he threw an arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. “That’s what Logan said.”

I groaned when I spotted Cassandra’s red Fiat. There would be Academy students there. Great.

Then we were inside and the crowds parted for him. They always parted for Mason. His arm withdrew from my shoulder, but not before he pulled close and pressed a kiss to my forehead. Then his hand slipped down and entwined with mine. He led me through the foyer and into the kitchen area. The action always started in the kitchen.

Logan was in a corner, wrapped around a girl. She was tall, toned, and tan. With a white shirt rumpled and lifted to only cover her breasts, her jeans had been pulled down to show the beginning of her vagina. Logan looked like he was purring as she had her arms wrapped around him and her mouth on his.

“Hey, Mase!” someone heralded.

Logan ripped himself away from those puckered lips. A bright, drunken smile spread over his face. His shirt hung half off of him. One of the sleeves had been ripped, but the neckline held the other in place. He took two long steps towards us and lifted an arm. His other hand held his pants up as they started to slide down.

“My favorite brother and sister! How’s the incestual relations?” He jerked me against him with the free arm, a beer in hand. He shook me against his chest and laughed in my ear. “Huh? Huh? I bet the sex was hot and steamy today. Am I right? I know I’m right.”

I shoved against him, more to keep away from his beer breath. “Oh, you know it, Logan. Bang a brother. That’s my motto.”

He paused for a second and then threw his head for another burst of laughter. He howled it.

Mason punched him in the shoulder. “Hey, who were you with today?”

“Today all day, or a few hours ago?”

Mason and I shared a look.

“Oh, wait.” Logan snapped his fingers at us. “Same girl. Lizzy Thursto. Why?”

I didn’t need to look to know an excited grin was all over Mason’s face. Logan frowned at him for a moment and then shook his head. He ran a hand over it and rubbed his eyes. “Am I missing something? Do we like Lizzy Thursto now? She’s good in the bed, but damn, she’s got an attitude. I can’t handle that.”

“We met her brother.”

Then understanding dawned and Logan snapped his fingers at us again. “Right. Rex. He’s a cool kid.”

Mason leaned closer in his excitement. “He’s nerd girl’s new boyfriend.”

“Nerd girl?” Logan looked at me. “Nerd girl?”

I sent Mason a quick glare. He couldn’t contain his grin and he pulled me against his side. His hand splayed over my stomach, under my shirt, but he leaned over my shoulder. “Her friend, Becky. She’s dating that pothead now.”

“Oh, wait.” Logan looked at me for confirmation.

I nodded. Why was this so funny?

Then the delight was shared in the other Kade brother’s eyes. They lit up and his smile stretched from ear to ear again. His head bounced up and down. “Right on. Good for nerd girl.”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t get why this is so funny.”

Logan frowned, but shook his head. “Don’t you get it, Sam? We can hang out with your friend now. We like her boyfriend. He’s awesome.” His eyes met Mason’s over my shoulder. “And it’s hilarious to watch him lip back at his sister. The dude’s got some great one-liners.”

“Logan, my brotha from another motha.”

All three of us turned as one.

Rex stood there with his hand in Becky’s. She peeked over his shoulder, biting her lip. Then he cocked his head up and sniffed the air. “Where’s a drink? I need a drink, stat.”

Logan nodded and one was passed over. Then he turned to me and murmured from the side of his mouth, “This is going to piss off your quarterback.”

Mason tucked me tighter against him. He’d heard the statement and I felt him breathe his agreement. Then he kissed the side of my jaw. “But that’s a good thing, right?”

My heart fluttered. It was.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

Logan and I were dancing on the dining room floor. The table had been pushed back and a set of speakers were set up. I wasn’t sure when it happened, but I took one too many of those shots he handed over and we ended up bopping our shoulders and bobbing our heads in tune with the music. My hips swayed back and forth and he bounced around me.

It hadn’t taken much convincing to pull Becky on the dance floor with us. Rex was right behind her. When she tried to do her spins and fancy moves, he was right there. His hips thrust against her and he spent the night grinding against her leg. From the spark in her eyes and the rosiness in her cheeks, I knew she was enjoying every minute.

When Logan caught my hand and spun me around, I couldn’t hold back my laughter. I hadn’t had fun at a party for—never. When I stopped at the edge of the dance floor, I glanced up and saw Mason in the corner. He was on a couch with Ethan and some of their other friends. My hand was caught again and I didn’t have a chance to see who else was with him before Logan spun me back the other way.

I knew he would catch me, but before he did I bumped into another couple. “Oh, sorry,” I panted before I saw who it was.

Jeff looked up and blinked a few times. His eyes widened and he backed away from the girl.

I stopped short. Then it registered what I had seen. He was with a girl. He had been grinding with her and his lips were on her shoulder. The other had been under her shirt and her blonde hair was swept to the other side as he started to nibble towards her neck.

Blonde.

My eyes went wide when the girl turned in confusion. Jeff kept backing away and I knew he was going to try and sneak away. The girl he had been dancing with saw me standing there and she frowned. She had full pouty lips, dark eyes, and the dirty blonde hair I always knew he found attractive.

I cursed and pushed after him.

“Sam!” Logan shouted.

I yelled back, “I’ll be back.”

“Wha—” And then he stopped.

I glanced over my shoulder before I turned down a hallway and saw Logan shrug before he turned towards where Mason was. But then I was in another hallway and I saw Jeff’s shoe slip inside a room. I hurried my pace.

The door was about to shut, but I caught it and shoved it open.

“Oh, come on!” Jeff groaned when I slipped inside. He backed up and slumped down on the bed. Then he rested his elbows on his knees and slid his hands through his hair. The spiky brown ends stood up as he shook his hand through them and looked back up with bleak eyes. “What are you going to do, Sam?”

“You’re cheating on Jessica?”

“I was dancing.”

“You were going to do more! Or did you already do more?”

Guilt flashed over him and he collapsed back on the bed. “Please don’t say anything to Jessica. Please, Sam. Please. I can’t handle her attitude right now.”

I rolled my eyes. I was about to say something when the door opened again. Mason and Logan both came inside.

“Oh my god!” Jeff groaned again as he saw them. “Really. I could do without the triad.”

Mason’s eyes narrowed as he swept over me and lingered on Jeff. “What are you doing?”

A disgusted sound ripped from the bottom of my throat. “I have no idea. This idiot cheated on me and he’s cheating on that girl now.”

Jeff sat back up, but he watched them warily. “Oh, come on, Sam. Don’t tell me you’re not a little happy by this. She’s getting what she deserves, right?” He snorted.

I stopped whatever I’d been about to say. He was right. I was happy, but I wasn’t. I glowered at him. “Stop cheating on girls.” It took two steps and I swatted him on the back of his head.

“Ouch!” He rubbed at the spot and glowered back.

Logan started laughing while Mason’s shoulder relaxed. He slid his hands in his jean pockets and leaned against the door, but then someone knocked and he opened it. Becky stumbled in, her eyes wide as she took in the scene. Mason and Logan both stood close to the door, but then her eyes fell on the bed and they went flat. She glanced at me and sighed. “What’d he do now?”