A couple of girls came around the corner from the same direction the drunk and half-naked couple had come. Both were my height and slim. One had dark hair, and the other had curly, light-blond hair and a fairer complexion. The first girl seemed to be their leader. Her square jaw held a tight frown, and her hair was pulled back into a fierce braid. The lighter complexioned girl had more of a bounce to her walk, and probably a bit more pep in her personality. She also had a smile tugging at her lips, but when they both paused, seeing the two making out, the smile disappeared behind her hand. Her eyes widened in mortification.
The fierce braid girl turned to her friend. “What the fuck are we going to do? She’s unhinged.”
The second friend’s shoulders shook as she tried to keep in her laugh. She couldn’t. She doubled over, and her laughter rang out. “She’s going to regret that,” she managed with a snort. “So bad. It’s so bad.”
The first rolled her eyes. “Morons. That’s who I’m friends with.”
Taylor and I glanced at each other.
The second girl crumpled to the ground now, still laughing, with tears running down her face.
Fierce Braid just shook her head. Her hands found her hips, and she looked from the making-out friend to the one on the ground. “What the hell am I going to do?”
Taylor was holding back a laugh.
“You want a drink?” I called to the girl.
She looked over and blushed. “Tell me you didn’t hear that.”
I shrugged. “Sorry.”
She glanced around, and I knew why she’d assumed no one could hear her—because no one cared to overhear. The music still blared, and except for the two guys recording the making out, everyone else was absorbed with their own group of friends. Logan and Matteo were still playing horseshoes. I didn’t think Mason and the guys at the bonfire even knew about the half-naked couple, and there were a few other groups of girls, but they were watching the guys.
She shook her head and went back over to tap her still-laughing friend on the shoulder. “Grace, come on.”
The girl staggered to her feet and then half-collapsed onto a stool two over from Taylor’s. “Sorry. I’m—” Snort. “—Grace, and I’m completely—” Another laugh, followed with a hiccup. “—useless right now.” She turned wide eyes to her friend. “Sorry, Court. I suck.”
Court eyed the two guys with the phones. “I have to stop that. All of it. Nettie’s going to be mortified.”
“No, no.” Taylor slid off her stool. “I’ll get someone to deal with it. Trust me, he’ll enjoy it.”
Court and Grace, who was mostly hiccupping now, watched as Taylor headed through the crowd toward Logan. Their eyes widened.
“Is that Logan Kade?” one of them asked.
I looked over, but neither paid me any attention. The hiccups seemed to be gone, and Grace’s mouth hung slightly open.
Taylor touched Logan’s arm, and he bent his head toward her. A loving smile bloomed on his face, but then vanished as Taylor kept talking. His eyes narrowed, and he lifted his head toward us at the bar. I pointed to the couple, and he moved over so he could see them. He said something to Taylor, who started back to us as Logan then said something to Matteo.
Matteo passed along the message to Mason, gesturing to the recording guys. Mason stood, along with Nate, and the rest of the guys at the bonfire turned to watch.
Logan veered toward the bar, stepping behind it next to me.
He bent down, fitting the hose to the water supply and turning it on. I followed the hose to its end. Water streamed out where it lay next to the house—about five feet from the couple.
“You’re going to hose ’em?” I asked.
He winked at me. “It’ll be my pleasure.”
As Logan walked over to pick up the end of the hose, Mason stepped in front of the two guys recording with their phones. Matteo and Nate joined him to block their view. They protested and started to move—until they looked up and saw who was standing in front of them. Both snapped to attention then, trying to turn off their phones.
Mason said something I couldn’t hear and snatched their phones. The guys started to protest again, but soon realized half the football team was there and moving in. They’d back up Mason if they needed to.
Realizing they had no way to fight back, the two guys waited as Mason deleted the video from one phone. He’d handed the other to Nate, who seemed to be doing the same thing.
Logan now had the end of the hose in his hands, and he positioned himself with his feet set apart, holding the hose like a fireman might’ve. He jerked the end of the hose, pressed his thumb over the end, and blasted the porno couple.
The girl shrieked, and the guy yelled, his face twisted in anger. He whirled to find Logan with the hose and everyone else watching. The girl cowered against the house, her hands covering her breasts, and her bottom lip starting to tremble.
“Shit,” Court mumbled as she moved toward her friend.
Grace remained behind, one eyebrow raised as she watched everything unfold. A serene calmness had settled over her features, and she seemed content to remain in place, watching the scene like it was a movie.
As Court put her arms around Nettie, hugging her and helping to shield her, the guy she’d been making out with started to walk away. Logan wasn’t having it. He continued to spray him, laughing until anger darkened the guy’s face. He shot a hand out, but Logan just aimed the hose there, and the water splashed up, soaking the guy’s face.
I looked over. Mason was heading my way, the two phones in his hands. The phones’ owners were escorted away by some of Mason’s teammates.
“Are those two guys going to be a problem?” I asked.
Mason slid the phones over to me, ignoring the way Grace’s mouth hung open again. “I told ’em to come back tomorrow to get their phones. I want to make sure they didn’t upload that video somewhere.”
I checked the screens. Only one was password protected, and I held it up. “Did you get the password?”
He nodded, glancing over at Logan, who was still hosing down the now-yelling guy. “You know that girl?”
I shook my head and gestured to Grace. “But she does.”
He turned to her, his face unreadable. “Is that your friend?”
She lifted a hand to her chin and closed her mouth, then smiled at him. “Yep.”
He studied her. “You’re drunk?”
“Yep.” She continued to beam at him. “You’re Mason Kade.”
He looked back toward the house. Court was bringing her half-naked friend over. “Do you have a staff shirt or anything behind that bar?” she called.
“Staff shirt?”
She frowned at me. “Yeah, you’re working this party, aren’t you?”
She thought I was the help.
Taylor joined us again, motioning toward Logan. “He’s done fooling with the guy. They got his name and number, so if something happens, at least we know who he is.”
Court looked at her gratefully. “Thank you for that. So much.”
“She asked for a shirt,” I told Taylor. “Want to—”
I was going to ask if she’d stand behind the bar so I could grab a shirt from my room, but Taylor held a hand up.
“I’m on it,” she said. “Half my wardrobe’s here anyway. Be right back.”
“Oh, good.” Court’s shoulders dropped, visibly relieved. She nodded to me. “Thank you for helping, you and your friend.” She grinned ruefully. “Who knew your friend would know Logan Kade personally.”
An awkward silence settled over us.
I waited for her to realize Mason was here. Then again, maybe she didn’t know who he was. After a few beats of silence, Court looked at Grace. Grace pointed at Mason, and only then did Court realize someone else stood with us at the bar. Her eyes widened as she looked up at him. The blood drained from her face, and her lips formed a small O.
This reaction wasn’t that uncommon, but the surprised looks on people’s faces when they realized who Mason was usually happened from a distance. He would be with his classmates, Logan, or me when people would notice his presence. The whispering came first, followed by a mix of reactions. Either people would respect his privacy and remain at a distance or they would come over to stare. Sometimes people would rush up for an autograph or to give him their number. It was usually girls who did the latter.