FALLEN FOURTH DOWN (Fallen Crest #4)

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO

Three weeks later

It’d been almost a month since we took Mason to school. He had to go early for football, and since being back, I’d been on an emotional lockdown. I worked at Manny’s. I went running, and I avoided Logan, but earlier today he cornered me at work to make sure I was going to his party. I had gone to a few over the summer, but when I said, ‘a few’ I really meant a few. I think there’d been three that I’d been coerced into attending and two of those were before Mason left for college.

Heather had promised to come later, but she needed to run to Channing’s for a little bit. Lovely. Without Mason and with Logan lip-locked to his girlfriend, I flashed back to the first month of my junior year. Alone. A little hesitant. The need to run was climbing high inside me. As I crossed the street, I watched as a car stopped and a bunch of people hurried out of it, running towards Logan’s house. I had to laugh at the irony. It was Becky, the one person who had been my friend the beginning of junior year. The laugh stopped abruptly as I recognized the rest of the car’s occupants.

It was the Elite. When the hell had Becky started hanging out with them?

They were at the front door now, and I paused behind them, stepping onto the curb outside Logan’s house. For now, they were clueless of my presence. Becky glanced back and froze. Her eyes got big, and her mouth fell open slightly.

She looked different. She had lost weight. Her frizzy red hair was now a dark auburn and sleek. Her face had been clear of make-up when we were friends, but I saw a tiny bit there now. It suited her. Her eyes were more captivating. Her lips looked cute and adorable. The rest of her matched that description. Adorable. She was almost petite now. She wore a short skirt with ruffles on the bottom. A black camisole was peeking out from underneath her jean jacket. I couldn’t remember what kind of shoes she had worn before, but it hadn’t been the glitzy sandals she had on now. They were pretty and pink.

“Your friend’s undergone a makeover,” Cass said from behind me. She had stopped beside me, playing with the car keys in her hand.

I groaned inwardly right away. Another lovely change. I glanced over and saw the smug hostility in her gaze. She flicked her blonde hair back and gave me a cocky smirk. She added, “Hurts, doesn’t it. To know that your friend—sorry—someone who used to be your friend is now in the enemy’s camp.”

“That’s what we are? Enemies?”

“We’re not friends. Since I’m dating Mark, and you got me banned from my own boyfriend’s house, I wouldn’t say we’re acquaintances.”

Becky’s eyes remained wide as she watched us. Fear darkened them.

Cass waved her hand and plastered a fake smile on her face. “Things are fine, Becks. Go in. We’re cool.”

I rolled my eyes. We were not cool.

When the door shut and it was just the two of us, Cass started forward. She turned around and sauntered backwards, as if mocking me. I glared right back at her and followed, pushing her to go faster and faster. Cass didn’t seem to mind. The other side of her mouth lifted up, and her cocky smirk transformed into a smug, triumphant smile. As we drew closer to the door, she taunted, “I took your friend, Strattan. I wonder what else I can take from you?”

“You’re this pissed because Malinda banned you from the house? What did you expect? She’s Mark’s mom, and she’s going to marry my dad. You threw wine on me one night. You’ve known Malinda most your life. Did you really think she wouldn’t react to that?” I shook my head. “You’re stupid. I’m going to be her stepdaughter. She’s going to take my side.”

“Yeah, well,” her eyes narrowed, “we’ll see. Since most of the old crew graduated, I’m the leader now. It’s me, Amelia, Adam, and Mark. We had a spot open and Adam vouched for Becky. I figured, what the hell? Anything to piss you off, especially after that night.”

“Newsflash, b***h. Becky and I haven’t been friends for a while.” I stepped closer, purposely invading her space. This wasn’t a Tommy Princess. I wasn’t worried a knife would be drawn by this one. No, Cass was Fallen Crest Academy through and through. She thought she was more than she was, and I had already taken them on—and won—once. I smirked at her. Mason was gone. Things with Logan were uncomfortable, so that meant I had a whole host of bad s**t rolling around inside me. She thought she could target me? Oh no. I had found the perfect target. As my smirk grew, hers faded. I leaned in closer. She was now pressed against the door, all that bravado gone. I asked, “You want to take me on? Do it. I’m going to enjoy this because, honey, I need a distraction from the real turmoil going on in my life.”

She swallowed.

I tilted my head to the side, scanning every inch of her to make her even more uncomfortable. “I should thank you for volunteering. After taking on the Tommy Princesses from FCP, you’re going to be a treat. For real.”

She froze, and I rolled my eyes. I shoved her away from the door and headed inside. That game could start later on. It was my senior year. Even if Mason was gone, I should enjoy some of it. I headed for the kitchen. Maybe it was time I tried drinking. Everyone else seemed to enjoy it.

“Hey, Sam.” A guy passed me, but I didn’t recognize him. As I drew closer to the kitchen, more and more people said their hellos. The hostility wasn’t there from the girls, and the guys weren’t tense around me anymore.

“It’s because of us.”

I drew back as Natalie, one of the remaining two Tommy Princesses at FCP, stood beside me. She was leaning against a counter with a beer in her hand and a scowl on her face. Her black hair was tucked behind her ears, and her eyes were heavily made up with mascara. With a black corset top, her breasts almost popping out, and tight jeans that were ripped near the crotch area, she looked scary.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

She gestured around the house. “It’s because of us. We’re not in force anymore. Kate and Parker graduated. It’s just me and Jaz. You and the Kades took care of our threat so the girls are going to be nice to your face, since you’re still close to Logan Kade, but don’t be fooled. The guys will all wonder who’s going to bang you now that Mason is gone.”

“I’m still with Mason.”

“Not here.” She took a sip and rolled her eyes. Her hostility matched Cass’, but her attitude was darker. I knew from experience she wasn’t afraid to follow up with a threat. She added, “No one stays with their high school sweetheart.” She glanced to where Logan was, as he had Kris trapped in a corner, nuzzling her neck. “Half the people are wondering if Logan’s your next conquest or if you’ll give it up to another guy. s**t. There’s already bets on who’s going to be in your pants by homecoming.”

“I don’t believe you.”

She laughed and finished her beer in one gulp. She tossed the can into a barrel in the corner and held her hand out. Another beer came down the line, handed from person to person, until it was put in her hand. Sick enjoyment lit up her face as she opened the can. “You might’ve been accepted, since you got Logan and Jax circling around you in protection, but don’t fool yourself. You’re not wanted there. You found that out last year because of us. We were up front about it. These hoes,” she gestured around the room, “they’ll come at you from behind and stab you in the back. Just wait. I’ll be standing by, eating popcorn when that happens.”

The anger that had been smoldering in my gut since my encounter with Cass erupted in flames. Feeling a hand from behind, I was shoved forward. A brief thought flashed in my mind. I might as well use this chance, so I didn’t fight the shove. I let myself fall forward and my fist clipped Natalie on the chin. Oops. As she gasped, I tipped her beer on her. I looked back, saw it had been Cass on her way into the kitchen, and reached for her hair. Grabbing a good fistful of it, I yanked her back and shoved her at Natalie. I showed her off, my hand moving up and down as if revealing a prize. I said to Natalie, “Don’t blame me. It was this Academite sweetheart.”

Cass’ eyes rounded, and she struggled against my hold. “I was shoving you, not her.”

“You shoved her into me.” Natalie set her beer on the counter and pushed from the counter. The crowd around her felt the tension. Eyes turned towards us and a hush fell over the crowd.

“I didn’t. I’m sorry. It was her.”

“I don’t give a shit.” Natalie sneered at me. Her gaze locked with mine, and I knew she was aware that I had stepped into her all on my own, but she just shook her head.

I grinned. We weren’t done. I’d only given her a new toy to chew on for the meantime.

Becky and Amelia were there, staring at Natalie like she was a hyena circling them on a safari.

Good. My jaw firmed at that thought and I started for the kitchen. There was one last crush of people in front of me, but a hand reached through, grabbed my arm, and I was pulled through the crowd. No one stood in the way; they melted to the side. Logan was glaring at me on the other end, Kris tucked behind him. He asked, “What was that about?”

I shrugged. “Same problems. Different day.”

Kris didn’t pay attention to me, but I was okay with that. I’d met her last year when she had dated Adam and Jeff was sniffing around her, but it seemed that Adam won out. He brought her to the house one night to watch movies, wanting to spend time with Mark, but Logan and Mason had been there too. I couldn’t say it was love at first sight since Logan took one look at her and announced that he f****d her, so it was more like love at second sight. Hell. Even with that, I wasn’t sure. All I knew is that Logan started dating Kris after that night, and he enjoyed rubbing it in Adam’s face that he stole another girl from him. Since then, Adam had been absent from Mark’s house—my house too (I was still getting use to calling it that.) Cass mentioned Adam earlier, but if he was here, I was certain he’d stay hidden in the background.

“Same problems? What are you talking about?”

We heard a girl screech. Recognizing it as Cass, I grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and leaned against the counter beside Kris. Logan scowled at the crowd, but turned to me. His eyes were dark and stormy. Kris had been running her hand through his hair, so the curls were gone. He trimmed it short so little ends stuck up instead. As he continued to glare at me, Kris pressed against his chest. Her hand started roaming over it and lifted his shirt. His stomach muscles rippled from her touch, and he sucked in his breath.

I smiled at him.

He expelled a frustrated sigh. “What did you just do?”

“Nothing.”

“Logan,” Kris murmured, pressing kisses to his neck and around to his mouth.

He moved out of the way and tucked her to the side. His hand was splayed out on her hip, but she was already reaching for him again. A closer look at her revealed she was beyond drunk. She was obliterated. As she tried pawing for his shirt, he shook his head to clear the lust. His scowl appeared again. “Did Natalie do something?”

“Relax, Logan.”

His scowl deepened. “No.”

I laughed. “I can handle this now. It’s not like before with four against one. I know the game. I know the rules of your school. I can take care of myself now.”

His head moved back a fraction of an inch. “Really?”

I nodded and opened my beer. It tasted like copper. “Delicious.” I smiled anyway.

“Since when do you drink?”

I lifted a shoulder and let it drop. Since Mason was gone. That thought seared through me, but I banked it down. Instead, I said, “Since I’m a senior. Come on. I don’t have a meet this week. I can drink, for one night anyway.”

Kris managed to evade his hand and wrapped her arms around his waist. He continued to stare at me, studying me. The good-natured Logan was gone. This was the intense Logan, and to be honest, it was one that I hadn’t seen much of. When Mason was around, Logan didn’t have to worry as much, because Mason took care of things, but he was gone. This year was different, and now Logan had to take care of things.

“I’m here.” Heather landed next to us with a huff. Her eyebrows shot up as she inspected Kris, now trying to get her hand inside of Logan’s pants. He didn’t deter her wandering hands, and he didn’t look away from me. As Heather gestured to the crowd, I looked back at him. He was trying to get inside my head like Mason did. He was trying to figure out what was going on with me. Oblivious to our stare-off, she stated, “I’m here two seconds and a chick fight broke out. Talk about that nothing’s changed...” She trailed off as she focused us. “Oh.”

Logan’s jaw clenched.

He was pissed about something. As Kris lifted his shirt and started pressing kisses to his chest, he didn’t move. He never broke eye contact.

My jaw hardened, and I raised it. Two could play at this game. What was I doing? I was declaring that something was wrong. Logan wasn’t an i***t, nor was he a chicken s**t. He would find me later, and he would interrogate me until I confessed, or, I gulped, he’d tell Mason and Mason would get it out of me within seconds.

I dropped the anger, even though I wasn’t sure what I was so mad about, and tried to give him a small grin.

His eyes narrowed even more.

“Okay.” Heather waved a hand between us. “Not sure what’s going on, but I have to pee. Sam, since I’m sure you know this house and all the ways to sneak in and out, why don’t you show me to the nearest and most private bathroom we can find?”

I broke the spell and turned away. “Yeah, sure.”

“Great.” She took my hand and stepped forward, pushing me to the side, forcing Logan to move back a bit. She gave me the space I needed. What the hell was my problem? She stared at Logan, but said to me, “So, which way do we go?”

I tugged her backwards. Before we slipped past the refrigerator, she snaked her hand out and grabbed a case of beer. Tucking it against her chest, she turned and followed me, flashing me a smile. “I’m all set. Something tells me we’re in need of a girl chat.”

I sighed. I had evaded an interrogation from Logan, but I was going to get a different one. As I led her through the hallways and up the stairs, I took her to Mason’s room. When she saw the coded lock installed on the outside the door, her eyebrows shot up. I keyed in the code and let us in, saying, “He’s not dumb. He knew Logan would eventually have a party or his mom would snoop in here.” I gestured to his bathroom. “It’s all yours.”

“I’m not going to find anything gross and maybe personal in there, am I?”

“No. He mostly stayed with me.”

“Gotcha.” Putting the beer on his desk, she took a can with her and hollered from inside, “Help yourself. Something’s telling me you need to get lit tonight.”

I had already had one, but she was right. I took another.

Mason had a couch and love seat on one side of his room. His desk had been custom built into the wall, between two closet doors. His king-sized bed was set in the corner, on a slight pedestal.

I sunk down on one of the couches when Heather came out. She gazed around and whistled. “s**t. It boggles my mind that this is just one of his rooms. He’s got like eight hundred, right? His mom’s house. His dad’s. At college. Yours. Where else?” She pointed to me with her beer can. “That’s right, that one penthouse thing you told me he took you to. The lifestyle of the rich and dicks.”

“Mason’s not a dick.”

“Yes, he is.” She laughed as she sunk down on his desk chair, straddling it, facing me. “But he’s not to you or to anyone he loves, and that’s what makes him so damn hot.”

I fiddled with the tab on my beer can. I missed him. A wave of longing rolled over me, suffocating me. My throat swelled, and I forgot about Tate’s words for a moment. I could feel Mason’s arms around me. I could feel his hard chest as I rested my head on it. I could even feel the soft graze of his fingers as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, dropping a soft, delicate kiss to my forehead.

Feeling the threat of tears, I shook my head and cleared the yearning. f**k the three hours driving there, I was ready to throw my purse in the car and head there right now.

“Are you going to tell me, or are you going to make me force it out of you?”

Heather’s clear, sober voice was like a bucket of ice water.

“Sam.”

I jerked my head up. My fingers were still playing with beer can’s tab, and I cleared my throat. “Yeah?”

“Girl,” she leaned forward, intense scrutiny on her face, and stated, “you better start talking, or I’m going to drag Logan in here and make him start talking. Either way, I’m getting the truth.”

“Why?”

I cursed under my breath as her eyebrows shot up, and she leaned back. “So there is something? Holy s**t. What is it?”

I hung my head. Crap. My secret was out. She might as well know all of it before it ate me alive. I looked up, feeling all the fear, all the burden, all the potential destruction these words caused. I said, “Logan’s in love with me.”