3
Through the car, I heard Mason’s muffled voice. “Take your sister and leave.”
Someone snorted. “Who’s in the car?”
“Leave.”
“Tsk, tsk, Mason. Your little bro is showing his cards. He must care for her as much as you do.” The voice grew louder as if he’d stepped closer. “Come on, just between you and me. Your little bro loves her, too, doesn’t he? At least, that’s what I’ve heard.”
Then there was silence. I had stopped breathing and clung to the car’s upholstery. My fingers dug into the seat, and I couldn’t move. It was like a nightmare coming to life. Then I heard a scream. That was it. Flinging open the door, I rushed out. Jeff caught me in the air. “Come on, Sam.”
I heard another scream followed by a car’s brakes and then a thud. Someone was on the ground. I knew it. “Let me go.” I dug my nails into his arm.
“No.” He cursed, flinching as I drew blood. “They left me to watch you. Stop it.”
I dug harder, hard enough that he cried out in pain, and I was dropped. Scrambling up, I burst around Logan’s car. Then I heaved to a stop. Mason and Logan were a united front, but Nate was there, too. All three stood next to each other, another human wall.
Someone was on the ground, and the girl cried out again, “Pick him up, Brett! You’re so damn slow.”
“Shut up, Shannon. Open the door.”
The body was hoisted from the ground, but I couldn’t see who it was anymore. A car door was slammed shut, then two more followed it. The car reversed and sped off as dirt kicked up from the tires. There was five seconds of silence before Logan threw his head back and howled in laughter. He clapped Nate on the shoulder. “I can’t believe you did that.”
Nate’s shoulder tensed under his hand, but he shrugged. “Trying to make up. I’ve recently learned that I’ve been a dick lately.”
“You have.” Logan kept chuckling, turning to see me. “You missed it, Sam. Nate clipped Budd Broudou with his car.”
Mason’s eyes narrowed at Nate. “What were you going to do? You hopped out of your car like you were going to take a bat to him.”
Nate shrugged again. A brief glimmer of regret crossed his face, but it was gone instantly. “I needed to make sure he stayed down … and to make sure that I won’t get sued.”
“He’s down now. Don’t worry, you just clipped him. Budd’s a cockroach. They think a lawsuit is a pansy way to deal with a fight.” Logan’s hand was still on him, and he used it to push up from the ground in a semi-skip. His eyes sparked from giddiness. Before I knew what he was doing, he had rushed over to me, and I was thrown over his shoulder. “That was awesome, Sam. I can’t believe you missed that. Shit. I’m horny.”
“On that note.” An arm slid underneath my waist and I was lifted from him. Mason slid me down his body and kept his arms around me. I wasn’t inclined to leave his shelter. He spoke near my ear, a deep chuckle in his voice, “I’ll be taking Sam with me to school.”
“Whatever.” Logan’s grin widened. “I’m off then. Got something to do.” He darted to his Escalade, stopping once to punch Jeff in the arm before he climbed in and took off.
“Ow! That hurt. Oh, Sam. Hey …”
I knew what he was going to ask and started to answer, but Mason beat me to it. “We’ll give you a ride.”
Jeff flashed a bright smile quickly before the stoic mask of coolness slid back into place. I shook my head. This would be interesting. Mason didn’t wait around. He got into the front and I climbed into the passenger seat. Jeff got into the back. No one said a word as he turned onto the road leading to Fallen Crest Academy.
The irony didn’t escape me—my boyfriend was driving my ex-boyfriend to my old school. A lot had changed in such a short amount of time.
“So, um,” Jeff started, leaning forward, “how much does one of these cost, Mason?”
I turned to him. “Don’t even start.”
He frowned. “Just trying to be friendly.”
“Not now.”
“Oh.” He remained quiet until Mason pulled into the Academy’s parking lot. Just like when I went to school here, everyone looked up and saw whose black Escalade was there. They all watched like hungry vultures. It’d been a while since Mason Kade had graced my old school. I remembered their reactions then. The reaction now wasn’t a surprise to me. When Jeff got out, everyone’s mouths dropped open. When he hid a quick grin, I knew he loved the attention. He lifted a hand in the air. “Thanks, Mason!”
Mason ignored him and pulled away from the curb. “Why is your ex-boyfriend acting all buddy-buddy with me?”
“Because he wants to be cool.”
“Is he trying to get you back?”
I snorted. That’d never happen, not even if I developed amnesia, but when he turned onto the road and drove past the front of the school, the comment died in my throat. Standing on the lush green lawn with two gym bags full of equipment at his feet was my father. Or no. David. He stared back at me, but I couldn’t see his expression. Reflective sunglasses hid his eyes and his arms moved to cross over his chest. He was wearing a Fallen Crest Academy polo. I had seen him wear the same coach’s wardrobe for years, but he looked different. He had bulked up. Gone was the healthy weight he kept while he’d been married to Analise and the twenty pounds he lost when she left him. The weight was back and more so.
Mason saw it, too. “Your dad looks ripped. Not bad for a guy his age.”
I slunk down in my seat, ripping my eyes from David. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter to me anymore.”
It didn’t. I wouldn’t let it, but I was thankful for Mason’s silence all the way to my new school.
When he wheeled into the lot, he headed to the back corner and parked in the slot beside Logan’s vehicle. Strauss was rounding the back end of a rusted brown truck that was parked on the other side of Logan’s, a book bag over his shoulder, where he met up with another guy. Both went over to the back of Logan’s Escalade, where the others were already waiting.
I took in the crowds that were watching them. There were so many cliques. Each looked different, but they all looked the same. They were all students, but those guys were at the top. Cheerleaders. Preppies. Others dressed all in black, even black hair. A few guys lingered around a picnic table in the corner with sleeveless shirts, spiked hair, tattoos and chains.
I kept scanning the back end of the school, and saw a few girls giggling together, whispering and pointing at the books they were holding.
This wasn’t Fallen Crest Academy where everyone wore the same uniforms, and the only thing that separated their image was how short the skirts were cropped or how tight the shirts were tied. The top of the food chain had been the Academy Elite, but they wouldn’t have made it a day at this school.
Mason glanced over, shut his car off and leaned back. “What is it?”
“Nothing.”
“Sam.”
“What?”
“Look at me.”
“This is my first day here.” I hadn’t been nervous before. I was now.
“You’ll be fine.”
“No.” I turned to him, but I could see that all the girls had smoothed their hair back and sucked in their stomachs. If that was their response to Logan and the rest, what would it be when Mason stepped outside of his car? Or when they saw me beside him? “I was nothing before.”
“Sam.”
I looked away. I didn’t want to see his green eyes darkened with pity. “Things aren’t the same, Mason. People didn’t know for the longest time that we were together, and that was only last semester. Analise and I moved in with you guys, and now I’ve moved out with you and Logan. Even David looks different, like he’s a freaking bodybuilder or something. This isn’t normal. Is it?”
I’d been a social outcast last semester. I had a feeling I’d be one here too.
I turned now to face him and held my breath. The green was sparkling at me, so clear and warm. One corner of his mouth curved up, and he leaned his head against the headrest. “Everything will be fine. At this school. At home. We’re family, whether you like it or not. I thought you’d be used to it by now.”
Looking through the window at how everyone was riveted by his friends, I knew I’d never get used to it. I shook my head and reached for my bag. “I’m afraid that when I get used to it, you and Logan will go away.”
“We’re not going away. You’re not going away.”
“I can’t go back.”
It was then a red Mazda parked close to the guys and the door was thrown open. A long tanned leg came out, followed by another. It was like in all the high school movies. The beautiful golden-blonde emerging in slow motion like a goddess from her cliché red sports car, wearing a white shirt that flowed over her, hugging all the right curves, and falling an inch over the top of her grey skirt.
Tate had arrived.
The guys stopped talking. When she turned towards Logan, I sat upright in my seat. He narrowed his eyes and leaned back against his car as he stood in the middle of their friends.
“Did you see that?” I asked Mason.
There hadn’t been much of a reaction, but I could sense the power she still had over Logan. I waited for a response, but there was none.
He was gone. His seat was empty, and his door shut just as I glanced over.
Scrambling after him, I headed for the rear of the Escalade. Then I heard the chill in his tone. “I hoped that you would’ve transferred after my warning.”
Wariness came over her, but her eyes sought Logan again. Tate pressed her lips together as her shoulders lifted for a breath. “I’m just walking to class, Mason. I’m not here to cause problems.”
He stepped close. His voice lowered as he said something to her, and her entire body went rigid a second later. The blood drained from her face, and her lips parted as her gaze was glued to him, like she couldn’t turn away for the life of her. The spell was broken as soon as he stepped away, and she fled.
“Was that necessary?” Logan had come to stand beside me.
Mason turned to his brother. “Yes.”
“Come on, Mason. She wasn’t even doing anything.”
“Why are you defending her?”
“Because you’ve made her life hell for two years. She’s here for one semester.”
Mason’s green eyes switched to mine, searching if I agreed with him, but I stepped away from Logan. I didn’t agree. Tate set off alarms in me. Both of them realized where I stood, and Logan snorted in disgust before he headed back to their friends, brushing past his brother who was standing in his way.
“Not to side with him, but Tate doesn’t seem like too much of a threat anymore,” Nate murmured lightly, breaking apart from the guys.
“Now you decide to be on his side?” Mason narrowed his eyes at him.
“You informed me how much of a dick I’ve been lately.”
“You have been.”
Nate grinned. “And I’m trying to make up for it.” Then he swiveled to me. “Right, Sam?”
I lifted my hands in the air. The strap of my bag slipped down to my elbow as I shook my head. “Oh no. I’m not getting involved.”
“Sam!”
Heather was waving her hands from the door. She yelled again, “Get your ass in here. You’re going to be late on your first day. Stay away from her, Mason. I get her for the day.”
Grinning, I went up to him and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
His eyes darkened again for a different reason this time. “You alright with what happened this morning?”
“Which thing are you talking about? Your comment? The Broudous at the gas station? Seeing my ex? Or just now, with whatever you said to Logan’s ex-girlfriend?” I shook my head at the morning we had. “We are not normal.”
“I guess all of it, but I was referring to your dad. I know that bothered you, seeing that he changed.”
I shook my head. “Again. Not normal.”
Hearing Heather call my name again, I was held back from answering her. Mason hooked a finger through one of my belt loops and pulled me close. “Are you okay?”
I knew he was asking about David, but I couldn’t answer. I didn’t know myself so I just shrugged. It was all I could do.
He nodded, getting the message and then his lips came down on mine, and I melted. Home. He was home. Logan was home. No matter all the changes, no matter where he was going, I was home for now.