Fallen Fourth Down (Fallen Crest #4) (8 page)

“He’s got a man boner for you. Big time.”

I sighed. I had hoped not to make enemies so soon, but that time was coming faster than I thought. I shrugged. I’d have to deal with him sooner than later.

SAMANTHA

The next morning, I headed across the street with my backpack on and a big paper cup filled with coffee. Malinda had it ready for me when I came up from the basement. She gestured to it on the counter and said, “I know your night sucked.” A wave of thanks rolled over me and I grinned at her, heading to grab the coffee, but she intercepted me. “Hold up there, honey.” She wrapped her arms around me and rocked back and forth. As she did, she murmured against my ear, “I am so sorry about last night. You must’ve felt ambushed.” Giving me another tight squeeze, she pulled back, but gazed at me as she kept her hands on my shoulders. “Your father doesn’t think and when he does, he’s got Analise still in his mind, chirping away, and he freezes sometimes. It’s not an excuse. He should’ve dealt with Garrett way before last night. I’m sorry you went through that.”

Her embrace had been warm and welcoming. As she continued to hold me, a tear came to her eye. This was going into the territory of loving motherhood. It was foreign to me. I gave her a small smile. “I’ll be fine. I have to deal.” I eased out of her hold and grabbed the coffee. Lifting it, I added, “Thanks for this.”

She nodded, heading back to the sink where she’d been doing dishes. “You go and have a good time. I know you’ve been missing Mason like crazy.”

I had turned, headed for the front door, but glanced back at her words. She gave me a small wave, looking over her shoulder at me. “Have fun, Samantha.” It was said softly, but she meant it. There was something else in her tone. Sadness? It sent alarms off in me. I was uncomfortable. She was sad for me. I nodded again at her. I felt stupid. What was I supposed to say here?

“SAM!”

Hearing Logan yell from the street, I laughed. Some of the awkwardness left me. “I’ll call you later?”

At the warmth that surged in her eyes, I assumed that’d been the right thing to say. Another tear slipped from her and she brushed it aside. “You do that.”

“SAM! You butt-munch, get out here.”

I started to laugh, but Malinda rolled her eyes and yelled back at him, “BUTT-MUNCH? YOU YELL AT MY DAUGHTER AGAIN, I’LL SHOW YOU A REAL BUTT-MUNCH! I’ll take one big-ass bite out of
your
ass, and it won’t be the feel-good type of bite, you hear me?”

My eyes went wide and there was a beat of silence before we heard Logan laughing. “Oh god. I have nothing to come back with.” He raised his voice, “You WON, Malinda. You hear that? This one time. The butt-munching mother has won.”

She grumbled, but she was still grinning. She said, “Go, Sam. I’m good. And yes, please call tonight.”

I nodded. When I went outside, Mark had slowed his car next to Logan’s. Cass was next to him, a smug, satisfied smirk on her lips. The sight of her should’ve made my smile dim, but it didn’t.
Malinda’s daughter
. Hearing her call me her daughter hadn’t sent panic racing through me. I had liked it, a lot.

Mark was closest to me. Cass had her window rolled up, but as I rounded their car to Logan’s, Mark stuck his head out of his window. “I forgot you were going to see Mason this weekend.”

“Yeah.” Tossing my bag into the backseat, I went to the passenger door and opened it, but I didn’t get in. I rested my arms on the top of his car. “Where are you going?”

Mark pointed to the house. “Mom said she was cooking breakfast.” He cursed. “Your dad’s at a football conference today. Now you’re gone. She planned this thing.”

“Planned what?”

He grimaced, glanced at Cass, but turned before she caught his look. “Mom asked me to bring
her
.”

Logan pealed with laughter.

“What are you…” It clicked. Malinda wanted to see Cass with only Mark around. I laughed. “Sucks to be you.”

He glowered. “Crap. I should turn around before she sees me. I can make up some excuse—”

“Mark.” Malinda had opened the front door. A towel was in her hand and she waved it at him. “I see you. No running away. Get your butt in here.” When Cass looked at her, Malinda’s smile turned sweet. “You too, Cassandra.”

Logan choked on a laugh. “Run, Mark. Run for your lives. She just threatened to take a bite out of my ass, and she likes me.” He lifted an eyebrow, taunting him further, “Guess what she’ll do to her.” He leaned down, a smirk on his face. “And she doesn’t even like you, Cass.”

Cass scowled, but she caught herself before she said anything. Logan was Logan Fucking Kade. She knew better.

Logan’s smirk grew, and he stepped back from the car, leaned against his, and folded his arms over his chest. “Yeah. Malinda’s going to eat you alive.”

Mark looked worried. He cursed again and hit the steering wheel. “Whatever. Let’s get this over with.” He jerked his head to us. “Have fun guys. I am officially envious of your road trip.” He sighed. “All right. Here we go.”

As his car eased forward and turned into the driveway, Logan turned around and opened his door. He stopped, his gaze met mine, and we both stood for a moment. The cockiness fled and he gave me a tentative smile. “Her daughter, huh?”

I bobbed my head up and down with a giddy smile. “She said it.” I didn’t have to tell him I liked it. He could tell.

He murmured, “That’s good.”

We both got inside and I looked down at my lap. It was two words—her daughter—but those were two words that would’ve sent me running for hours six months ago. “She didn’t even think about it, Logan. She just said it.”

“She’s good for you.”

Yeah. For my father too.

We didn’t talk, even when Logan stopped at Quickie’s to get gas. He got out, filled the tank, and we both went inside. I wanted more coffee. Grabbing water and soda, Logan took my coffee from me to the register and paid for everything. I didn’t fight it. I’d pay the next time. Once we were back in the car, we went to pick up Kris.

When we got to Mason’s campus, there wasn’t enough time to find him before the game. When Logan headed inside to help Kris with her bags, I stayed in the car, but heard raised voices. A battle between Logan and her sister set us back four hours. Her sister didn’t want Kris to go. Logan did and he won, of course, but we were supposed to have been there before noon. Mason said the team ate and went to the locker room a couple hours before the game. As it was, we were late getting into the game. Cain University wasn’t a small college. Their stadium was massive and just getting to our seats was a workout. A lot of people stood in the aisles and in the stairways. We sat down just as the second quarter started. After the third touchdown by the Wolves, the crowd no longer sat in their seats. Everyone remained on their feet, and the adrenalin from the team swept through the stands.

The fans were invigorated.

Everyone’s voice was hoarse as they cheered on the team, but not mine. Since we arrived, I had barely paid attention to the game. I was riveted by the sight of Mason. Watching him jog back to the sidelines, my throat went dry. The need for him grew and an ache started between my legs.

I needed his touch. It had become like oxygen to me.

“You think Logan loves me?”

It was the question and nightmare that had been haunting me for three months. I closed my eyes. My glow from earlier had faded long ago. It wasn’t the time to think of this. Mason was within touching distance. This was about him. That question had been pushed to the back of my mind.

“Or is it too soon?”

“What?” I glanced over at Logan’s girlfriend. Kris. She had asked that question. It hadn’t been in my mind. Relief swept through me, but I realized her second question and looked to the seat on her other side. It was empty. “Where’d Logan go?”

She sighed and bit down on her bottom lip before her head jerked down. She was twisting her hands together. “He went to find Nate. I guess he finally texted him, but do you think he loves me?” Her head bounced back up. A hopeful look was in her gaze. “It’s too soon. I know it is. I’m stupid for asking.”

“Uh…” I had no idea what to say. “It’s been two months?”

“Yeah.” Her thin shoulders lifted up and down. “We’ve been official for two months, but we hooked up a month before that.” She paused as she began biting the inside of her cheek. “When did Mason tell you?”

My eyes got even bigger. I didn’t talk about Mason. I barely talked about him to Logan and Heather. “Um.” What did I say? Kris was pretty with wheat-blonde hair and striking green eyes, but she was nice. She was genuinely nice, which is why I knew so many guys had been after her. “We…um…”

She let out a hurt sigh. “He should’ve said it by now. That’s what you’re saying, isn’t it?”

“No, not at all.”

She shook her head. “No, I got it. I bet you and Mason knew right away. Logan hasn’t said a word like that. He hasn’t even said he likes me. Since the beginning, it’s been about needing me, wanting me, having me. I know he feels lust for me.” She pretended to shiver. “The chemistry was amazing, but it’s died down over the last few weeks.”

She continued, “He’s amazing. I’ve heard all the girls talking, you know. They all want him, and I know I’ve been so lucky. I was talking to some of the girls from the team. They said Logan’s never had a girlfriend, except for that one girl. Candy said Tate was trash anyway. He only had one-night stands, but they think he loves me.” She paused and added, “Jessica and Lydia said the same thing too.”

“Jessica and Lydia?” I hadn’t known she was friends with my two ex-best friends.

“Yeah. I went to Cass’ party last week. I talked with them for a bit. I’ve heard nasty things about Jessica, but she’s been nice to me.”

“You went with Logan?”

How had I not known about this? If Logan had gone to an Elite party, especially hers, I would’ve heard about it.

“No.” She grinned. “Not at all. I didn’t even bring it up to him, but I heard he dated Miranda too.”

“That was only for a month.”

“I thought Cass would be jealous of me, but she seems happy with your brother.”

My eyes got big and I stiffened. My brother? A low growl started in the bottom of my throat. Mark wasn’t my brother, not yet.

“Those two were meant for each other.” She sighed, sounding wistful. “Sometimes I think I might have that with Logan. He can be so loving and thoughtful at times, but at other times, it’s like I’m not even in the room.”

I pressed my hands to my forehead. A headache was forming, and I could tell it wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon.

She sighed again. “I just don’t know what to do. I feel like I’m losing him. Hearing all the stories about him, I guess I should’ve been prepared for this. Cass told me—”

“Who aren’t you friends with?” I snapped.

She stopped as her eyes got big. “Uh, we’re not super tight. I mean, Adam’s friends with her and we hung out a bunch last year so…”

I saw the fear in her eyes and reined myself in. She was listing off so many ghosts from my past. Transferring to Fallen Crest Public should’ve put a stop to her connections to them, but I realized that it hadn’t. They were friends with Mark, and they were friends with her. I wanted to groan. They were still so close to me.

“Should I not be friends with her?”

It took me another moment to comprehend who Kris was talking about. Cass. “No, no. I’m sorry for reacting. I don’t have good memories from that place.”

“Oh.” She frowned. “I’m sorry.”

“It doesn’t matter.” I gave her a smile. “Really. I’m sorry how I reacted.”

She went back to twisting her hands together. “No one talks about you over there.”

Really?

She added in a rush, as if she were confessing something, “I was really confused when I saw you at the party last year. I was with Jeff and he told me that you guys dated, but I had no idea that Adam Quinn wanted to date you, and I had been hanging out with him too. I found out you were close to Mason and Logan Kade. I mean, I heard about them my first day at FCA, but no one mentioned you.” She lifted her head up and down as she said that word, “I found out your dad was the football coach at FCA aaaand you’re living with Mark Decraw.” A nervous giggle slipped from her. “For someone that I had never heard about, you’re connected to a ton of people.” She snuck a timid look at me. “I’ve been scared to talk to you about that. I’m glad I did.”

I wanted to curse. “You’re saying that Miranda and her friends never talked about me?”

“Well,” she hesitated, “they have said some things, but nothing good and I didn’t put two and two together until Adam and I went to Mark’s and all of you guys were there too. I don’t really listen to the bad stuff. That’s been done to me at my old school. A lot of the girls were jealous because some of the guys liked me.”

“Give it time. I’m sure the same thing will happen at Fallen Crest Public too.”

She flinched as if I slapped her.

I grimaced. “Sorry. You’re friendly. Maybe it won’t happen to you.”

A relieved look came over her, and her shoulders dropped. “I’m very careful, especially since dating Logan. I’ve noticed a big difference. People are more cautious around me and some of them are fake. Some kiss my ass. You can just tell, you know?”

She was giving me a look as if we were friends, as if we were allies.