Fallen Crest Alternative Version

“Yeah.” I dropped my hand. The water was warm enough.

“You’re going to some event for nerd girl’s brother because you’re not supporting her enough?” He lifted an eyebrow. “What part of that statement confirms that Adam is manipulating you and is still a douchebag?” He didn’t wait. “The entire statement, Sam.”

I grinned and stepped inside the shower. The door was left open. Mason sat on the counter across from me, but he threw a towel on the floor to catch the water. I ducked under the water and replied when I lifted my head clear. “I know. I’m not defending him, but he made a point. Becky’s not a great friend, but she’s a friend. She’s a cheerleader now. She’s got new friends now.” I sighed and felt the water for a second. For some reason, I always needed that cleansing feel from it. Then I continued, “And I’m going tonight for her. I don’t want her to feel like I’ve forgotten about her.”

He grunted and cursed. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah.” After I shampooed my hair and cleaned my face, I turned it off and stood before him for a moment.

His eyes skimmed me up and down, slowly. A slight smirk adorned his face and met my gaze with a dark promise in them. “Are you sure you have to start this tonight?”

“Why don’t you come with me?” I wiggled my eyebrows at him. “I’m sure Adam would love that.”

He scowled. “Is he going to be there?”

“He said he was this morning.”

Then he pushed himself off the counter and brushed past me into the shower. The water was turned on and I reached for a towel when I felt his finger skim down my spine. It ended on the curve of my butt and he cupped one of the cheeks. He pulled me back into the water and kissed underneath my jaw. “I think we might be a bit late.”

And we were, but it was worth it.

Even though he slept over quite a bit, it wasn’t the same. I lived in Garrett’s house now. Mason lived with his father, not to mention that I hadn’t seen Logan in a long time as well.

As we were getting into his Escalade, I asked, “What’s Logan doing tonight?”

Mason snorted and pulled out into the street. “Not going to this event.” He shrugged. “I haven’t heard from him so I assumed he was doing the same thing as we were today.”

“Screwing?”

He shared my grin. “And lots of it.”

And then my grin turned serious. We hadn’t talked about it, but I knew I needed to know. “What happened at the game last night?”

He glanced over and measured me for a moment. Then he turned back. His tone wasn’t masked, but it was flat. “Those guys from Roussou showed up. They’re pissed because the cops are pressing charges against a few of them. Their whole camera editing stunt backfired on them. They wanted me to take the fall. Didn’t happen.”

My chest tightened. “What happened to those guys at the game?”

“Cops knew they might show up. There are some people in their camp who don’t feel they should be going after us anymore. I guess they tipped the cops off, or that’s what they explained to us. I don’t care. Those guys got arrested last night. They violated their restraining order. The school has one against them now too.” His hand clenched on the steering wheel as his jaw tightened at the same time. “I don’t think we’ll be able to play them anymore this season.”

“Really?”

“Or if we do, there’s going to be a ton of cops at that game.”

I watched how his jaw seemed to be made of stone now. “Are you guys planning retaliation?”

His eyes slid to mine. There was a dark intensity in them. “What do you think?”

I released the breath I’d been holding. My hands jerked from the release. “I think…I don’t want you to get hurt.” My own jaw hardened and I looked straight ahead. “Or caught.”

I felt him grin, though I didn’t look.

And then he pulled into the parking lot, parking beside the golf course. Thirty cars filled the lot, and when we entered the foyer, two big guys were dressed in black suits and white ties. They were stone-faced as they looked us both over. One held a clipboard up. “Name?”

“Samantha Strattan.”

He glanced down, but a frown appeared.

“I don’t think we’re invited to this event, but—”

“Are you Mason Kade?” The other guy interjected. He seemed enraptured by him. I saw a flicker of admiration.

“Yeah.”

The clipboard went down right away. Both of them nodded. “Go ahead.”

I couldn’t make a snide comment. I already knew he was a celebrity within the town. He was more since the YouTube clip.

When we stepped into the main room, it was full of clinking glasses, raised conversations, and children that dashed around the tables and between the adult’s legs. I skimmed the room for Becky, but she saw me first. I heard my name from across the room and saw her in a back corner. Her eyes were wide and she stood on her tiptoe. Her hand waved back and forth and her chest was puffed out.

I signaled her with a small wave, but she never stopped. Her hand moved faster back and forth.

When we got closer, I saw she stood with her family. Her mother was in a conversation with Malinda Decraw, who had a hand on her elbow. A large smile was on both of their faces and then they erupted in giggles.

One of Becky’s brothers ran past us, but Becky grabbed him and captured him. “Hey, squirt.” He ripped himself free, snarled at her, and disappeared around a group of strangers. ns class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">