FALLEN CREST UNIVERSITY (Fallen Crest #5)

Chapter 5

Standing at the front of the church, as Malinda and my dad, David, made their vows to each other, I couldn’t help but look at Mason. We were watching each other during most of the ceremony. It was a good feeling, being here, being a part of David’s wedding, knowing he would get a good wife now, and also having Mason and Logan standing as groomsmen. It was like we really were a family now, like Malinda adopted all of us.

When it was my turn to walk down the aisle, after the minister proclaimed David and Malinda husband and wife, Mason tucked my hand over his arm. He leaned close, brushing his lips over my forehead.

The fairy-tale sensation took root, digging deep in me. As we walked together, the yearning to find the minister and make it official between Mason and myself was powerful. My fingers sank into Mason’s arm, taking hold as if I were clinging to him so that I really wouldn’t go and find the reverend.

A lot of Mark’s friends were in the pews, and as Mason and I moved past them, Cass leveled me with a glare. I moved Mason to the side, and my bouquet narrowly missed her head. She drew in a breath, and I heard a curse from her, but we were moving beyond the others, like Miranda Stewart. Peter was her date. That was interesting. And there was Adam. Beside him were Becky and Lydia. I glanced to Lydia’s side, but no Jessica. That was a shock. Jeff was there, too, and he lifted a hand to wave. Mason laughed under his breath, but Jeff just kept waving.

Jeff called out, “Looking good, Logan!”

Laughter pealed out over the visitors. Some girls giggled and whispered together, like they always did with Logan, but I knew others were still captivated by Mason. He’d been the prize when he was in high school. Mason was always the one they never got to grab. A part of me wondered if they were going to try tonight. There’d be dancing, music, booze, and probably some drugs. I wouldn’t partake, but I knew others would. The old feeling of wanting to drag Mason away and keep him all to myself was filling me up again.

When we got to where Malinda and David were waiting to greet everyone, Malinda pulled me in for a hug, her hand rubbing over my back. “Hi, honey.”

She squeezed me once more before letting David hug me. Mason hugged Malinda behind me, but when it was time to let me go, David didn’t let me go. He whispered, his words choked up, “I love you so much, Samantha. You have no idea how much, and I am so blessed to have you in my life. I want you to know that.”

More emotions were swimming in me, and tears were sliding down my cheeks. My god. I pulled back and saw the same wetness on his cheeks. We’d been through so much. I wanted to say that to him, but all I could say was, “Thank you for coming back for me.”

I looked at Malinda, who was watching our exchange. She smiled at me, tears in her eyes, too. Her hand rested on her throat. “Oh!” Malinda threw her arms around us and hugged both of us. A second later, she motioned behind me. “Marcus, Logan, Mason—all of you, get in here. Family hug, everyone.”

Mason hugged me from behind. Logan was beside him, and Mark brought up the rear, right behind his mother. All of them held us in one strong hug before we heard clapping from around us.

I stiffened. This was always the time when a taunt was thrown our way, but for once, none came.

Malinda pulled back and pressed her hand over her hair, making sure it was in place, before she waved her hand to the group that formed. “Come on,” she said. “I’ve got a hug for each of you guys. Let’s get it going, one big hug train here.”

I asked David, “Do you need us to stay and greet people?”

He patted my shoulder. “Go ahead and have fun. Pictures are done. You guys are free to relax and enjoy. Just come to the reception in two hours.”

“Wait, wait.” Logan jostled, pressing up against my elbow so he could hear better, “We got two hours, you say?”

The easy grin slipped from my dad’s face, and he tugged at his tuxedo collar. “Uh, you be there, and you be sober, Logan.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Logan slid his arm over my shoulder and bobbed his head up and down. Excitement seemed to be radiating from him, and he was barely containing it. “I don’t want to piss off Mama Malinda. We’ll be back, and we’ll be sober…or we will appear to be sober.”

“Logan.”

He put his fingers to his forehead and saluted my father. “See ya later, Señor Strattan.”

“Mason,” my father spoke over Logan. “I want my daughter back, and she has to be sober. The chief of police will be at our reception.”

Mason stepped up to my side. He removed Logan’s arm from my shoulders and patted it as he guided it back to Logan’s side, making a show of the gesture. He nodded to my father. “She will be. Logan’s got a bee up his ass today, but don’t worry.”

Mason interlaced our fingers, tugging me to his side. He spoke over my head, “She’ll be fine. Won’t she, Logan?”

Logan rolled his eyes and jerked a hand over his shoulder. “Let’s head out before the crowd gets here.” As soon as we were outside, he made a beeline for Mason’s Escalade.

He started to head for the driver’s seat, but Mason called out, “Hell no. Back, buddy.”

There was no argument.

Logan slid into the backseat but waved for us to hurry. “Come on. Hashtag Logan’s thirsty, get a move on it.”

“Oh god.” Mason’s hand released my elbow.

I went around to the front passenger seat.

As we got inside, Mason added, “Not the damn hashtags. I can’t take them today.”

Logan ignored him and began tapping on the ceiling. “Whatever. Let’s go. I’m in the mood, the mood for booze.”

As Mason started the engine, I saw Mark hurrying from the church. “Stop. Mark’s coming, too.”

Logan groaned. “Come on.”

Those two words sent a new feeling in the air. Mason and I shared a look. Something was going on with Logan, more than the need for drinking, getting laid, and fighting. This was Mark, who was adopted into the group because he was my now stepbrother. The core was still us three, but those words were going to exile Mark.

He was almost to the vehicle.

I murmured, “Mason.”

He nodded, already turning around and lowering his window. “I got it.” He called out to Mark as he began to go around the vehicle, “Hey, can you give us a minute?”

Mark braked, and he frowned. “Uh, sure…”

He looked at me through the windshield, and I held a finger up, indicating one moment. His eyebrows furrowed together, but he leaned back and shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. I didn’t like keeping him out, but this was our family business.

Mason twisted around in his seat. “What is your problem?”

“Nothing. I want to drink.” Logan continued to tap on the vehicle’s ceiling. “Let’s head out.”

“And Mark can’t come?”

He jerked up a shoulder. “He can come. I was wrong to say that.”

I was dumbfounded. Logan hadn’t been this back and forth in a while, but he was pissy earlier when he and Mark got back from whatever they did. That made me wonder. “Did something happen with your prank earlier?”

“Nah. Malinda wanted a bunch of doves to be set loose during the reception. We talked the guy into a few white pigeons, too—ones that will drop some water balloons on people.” He laughed to himself, but the sound came out sharp, edgy, and abrupt. “We thought some of the doves could do that, but he said pigeons would be better. They can be trained for that stuff.”

“Who’s getting the water balloons?” Mason asked.

Logan shrugged again. “Some b***h-ass people.” He stopped tapping the roof and met Mason’s gaze. “Quinn.”

Mason flashed him a grin.

Logan looked to me. “Miranda Stewart.”

That was fine with me.

He added, “I wanted one to be dropped on Cass, but Mark refused. Said it would mess up his chances of getting it in tonight.”

“If nothing’s wrong with Mark because of the prank, what then? What’s going on with you?” I asked.

“Nothing. Like I said, I was wrong to say that.” He let out a soft curse and opened his door. “Come on, man. The interrogation’s over.”

Mark was hesitant when he got in.

Mason glanced at him in the rearview mirror. “Sorry. Logan was being an ass. We wanted to hash it out quickly.”

Mark waved his hand in the air in a dismissive motion. “No problem. I get it.” He snuck a look over his shoulder. “But, um…can we get going? I’m pretty sure my girlfriend is going to be looking for me soon.”

I groaned. “Punch it, Mason.”

I looked too, and as Mason pulled out of the church’s parking lot, Cass came out from the front doors, squinting with a hand shielding the sun from her eyes as she looked all around the lot. Miranda, Peter, and the whole Academy Elite group were right behind her, and they began scanning, too.

I faced forward in my seat again. Yeah, no. I did not want to hang out with that group again. Dealing with Cass being Mark’s girlfriend was bad enough. Now, I needed a drink and when we got to the Kade mansion, Logan went behind the bar in the basement. I was heading for the bathroom, when he held up a shot he had poured. “Sam, get over here.”

“I’m going to the bathroom.”

He shook his head. His eyes darkened, and he held the cup higher in the air. “You can piss later. Let’s drink first.”

I glanced at Mason, and saw that he was fed up. He moved to stand in front of me, saying, “Okay, that’s enough. What the f**k is up your ass?”

“Nothing.”

Mason reached for the cup, but Logan moved it out of the way. He extended it to me again. “Sam, come on. Team player here.”

My chin lifted. That was a direct burn against me. Logan didn’t do that s**t. He didn’t take his anger out on me—others, yes, but not me.

Mason took the cup from Logan’s hand. “You want to explain that little dig right now?”

Mark moved farther into the background. He was glancing between all of us, and I didn’t blame him. Mark was family, but he wasn’t in the core three. All our disagreements were normally held until we were behind closed doors. He was getting a front-row seat now. Logan and Mason were scary when they stood against others, but they were downright dangerous when dealing with each other. There was love and a fierce loyalty between them, but they wouldn’t hold back either. This was one of those moments.

I moved forward so I was standing beside Mason. My hand grazed against the back of his, just enough so he knew I was there. He reciprocated by turning his hand to the side. His pinkie wrapped around mine and he squeezed it before letting it go again. “I mean it, Logan. You can take shots against others but not us. What is going on with you?”

“Nothing.” He drank the shot that was intended for me and downed the shots poured for Mason and Mark. “Just nothing.”

“Maybe I should go—” Mark started to say as he began heading for the stairs.

“Oh, no, Mark.” Logan stopped him. There was a savage bite to his tone. “Why would you leave? You’re actually family to Sam now.” He poured another shot and waved it between himself and Mason. “Not like us. We were supposed to be, remember?” His gaze settled on me, and a burning anger was there. “Back in the day when your mom was faking it. She was supposed to marry our dad, and seriously,” a bitter laugh came from him, “I hated your mom. I know Mason did, too. We wanted nothing to do with her. Here you came, right alongside her, and there went all that hatred out the window.”

He stopped and closed his eyes. His head hung down before rearing back up. He downed that shot before continuing, “She brought us you, Sam, but we’re not your family. We’re not your stepbrothers. That’s him now.”

Mark cleared his throat.

Mason let out a soft sigh. “Logan.”

“Just stop, okay?” Logan bit out. “Mark’s her family. You’re going to be her husband one day. Maybe then I’ll officially be family to Sam.”

I narrowed my eyes. Logan was family. This was bullshit. I didn’t believe him for a second, and I didn’t hold back. “You’re such a liar, Logan.” I felt the tension in the air double at my words, but I didn’t care. I knew he was full of s**t, and I jerked forward, my chin lifting in a challenge. “What’s really going on?”

“I think I just spelled it ou—”

“You are family,” I cut him off. “You know it. Mason knows it. Everyone in Fallen Crest knows it, so drop the bullshit. What is this really about? My mother?” Wait… “No, your dad. She didn’t marry your dad, not yet, but she took him away.”

And Logan would be off to college after this weekend—when his dad wasn’t here and hadn’t been for an entire year.

I said softly, “That’s what this is about, isn’t it? Your dad.”

Logan’s eyes darkened to a dangerous level. He wanted me to shut up, but he couldn’t say those words to me. I read him when almost no one could read Logan Kade.

I shook my head. “Logan, your dad—”

He bit out, “Is a f*****g asshole, but he’s not here, is he? And, yes, Sam, your mom took him away. He’s been at her side for a year now. He’s not here, not for his son’s last year, but I shouldn’t be surprised. He’s never been around. Always gone. Always screwing some woman. Of course, he’d fall in love and actually be the good guy to a psychotic evil woman like Analise Strattan.”

“Logan—” Mason started.

“Don’t even start, Mason. You were so pissed at him and for longer than I was. You’re the one who wanted to beat his ass all the time, not me. Give me this one time when I’m just fed up and spewing some anger out. I mean, why shouldn’t I?” He gestured to Mark, who was plastered against the wall now. “We’re celebrating his mom’s marriage to Sam’s dad. His mom, who is awesome and loving and a better mother in one day than Analise will be in her entire lifetime. I mean, this is great news for Sam. She’s getting a family who will love and support her. Finally, right? Finally. While you and I—we’re stuck with our f*****g father.” Logan leveled his brother with a hard look. “You and I, Mase—we’re on the outs. That hug just proved it. Mama Malinda is great, but Sam’s real family is them now, not us.”

That wasn’t true. I started to shake my head, but I was reeling inside. I couldn’t believe he was actually thinking this. “No, Logan.”

He snorted and poured more shots. This time, Mason took one, and he handed one to Mark.

When Mark hesitated, Logan gave him a half grin. “Sorry. None of this was meant as a personal attack. I’m just,” he raked Mark up and down, and his half grin fell slightly, “jealous, I guess. Not an emotion I’m used to feeling.”

Logan nudged the last poured shot my way. “Forget my ramblings. I’ll get over it. What do you say, Sam? It’s your time to celebrate. You got the family you wanted. Finally.”

I glanced at Mason and saw he was torn as well. Logan was jealous, like he’d said. They came from money, but that was the only benefit from their family. It was a broken home. Their dad abandoned them on more than one occasion. It was enough that Mason wasn’t saying a word right now, and I knew it was because he understood his brother’s pain. That hurt so much more, that both of them shared in their abandonment. And they felt I was abandoning them, too, even though they rationally knew I wasn’t.

I squared my shoulders back and grew firm inside. I took the shot and held it up, but I said to Logan, “You.” I looked at Mason. “You.” I skirted between both of them. “You two are my family. My mom left me. My dad left me. You two stuck around and held me up. You are the definition of family to me. No one else can even come close, and this stuff you’re talking about, how I finally have a loving family, is bullshit. You two were it for me for years. You two are it for me, no matter what. Drop the pity act, Logan, and enjoy the fact that Mama Malinda will start buying you Christmas gifts now because that’s the only thing changing. You both are in the family with me. They aren’t accepting only me. They’re accepting you two, too.” I leaned closer, making sure they were watching my eyes and could see the promise I held in there. “Deal with it. No one’s f*****g replacing the two of you.”

A look of pride came over Mason as Logan was fighting to hold back a grin, and Mark sighed in relief beside me. I held my glass up, and they raised theirs.

I said, “To f*****g family!”

Each of us downed our shots.

Logan grinned as he wagged a finger between Mason and me. He remarked, “In the literal sense for you two.”

No one commented.

The old Logan was back.