Fallen Crest Alternative Version (9 page)

“The woods.” I laughed at his eagerness. “A girl named Parker.”

“Oh.” He slumped back down. His shoulders dropped with him. “Figures.”

I patted him on the back. “I’m pretty sure he likes you better.”

He grunted a laugh and nudged me with his knee. “Shut up.”

“Hey, Logan!” Mark bellowed out as he waved from across the lawn. He tugged a girl with him as he hurried to us. A bright smile was lit on his face as he plopped down on a log across from us. He pulled the girl to his lap. “Hey, man. How’s it going? I was thinking we wouldn’t get to see you, except for the Sam-over-the-shoulder thing.” He gestured to me with his beer.

“Yeah. Hey, man.” Logan returned his easy grin. “Shells.”

The girl plastered herself against Mark but gave him a sloppy smile. “Hey, Logan. Saw you with Macey.”

He gave her a small nod. “I was excited.”

“Hey, so, I heard you guys got something planned against Roussou tomorrow night.” Mark leaned forward in eager anticipation. “Could I help? I’d love to help.”

Logan stared at him a moment. “Why?”

“Because.” He glanced around with a frown. “Because…I don’t know. I’d love to help.”

“Remember, Logan.” I tapped his leg softly. “I am a member of the Academy Elite now.”

Logan cursed out of the corner of his mouth. “Yeah. Mason told me that. That’s the stupidest piece of crap I’ve heard all week—”

“But it’s done anyway, and you like Mark.”

He shook my hand off and scowled. “Doesn’t mean I’m going to let him come with us. I don’t even want you there.”

I scowled back at him. “Didn’t stop me the last time.”

He rolled his eyes. “You shouldn’t have been there and you know it. But, whatever, it’s done.” His eyes shot to Mark. “You can’t help. Sorry. My friends only.”

Mark’s smile never slipped. He bobbed his head some more. “Yeah, man. That’s cool. But if you ever need help, I’m more than willing.”

Logan sighed.

I couldn’t hold back my smile. He was starting to like Mark. He already liked him from before, but I could tell he was starting to like him more. Oh, the dilemmas of being a Kade. They were taught only to like those that proved worthy enough. Mark hadn’t proved himself at all, but Logan still liked him.

When some curse words left him, I wasn’t surprised.

“Hey!” Another shout came from behind us.

There was a smile on Adam’s face, but when Logan turned, it vanished. He stopped in his tracks and the girl who came with him bumped into his back from the abrupt halt. She mumbled out an apology and stepped around.
Logan burst out laughing.

Tanya blinked in confusion. She swooned against Adam. He caught her before she fell and she gurgled out, “Toodrunk.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

“Tanya.” Logan stood and shook his head.

“Whad?” She fell against Adam again.

The laughter had vanished and a seriousness took over him. “Don’t do this.”

“Huh?” Her head popped up. “Do what?”

“Don’t screw him.”

Adam twisted around. “Hey!”

“Why?”

Logan’s voice dipped low. It was almost kind. “Because he’s not going to be your boyfriend.”

“Why not?” She struggled to push herself up but staggered away from Adam and crossed her arms over her chest. “What do you know about it?”

“Because I’m the reason he’s never going to date you.”

Pain flared before she masked it. A tear trickled down, and she never brushed it away. Her chin trembled as she lifted it. “You don’t know that. You don’t know what he said to me.”

“I do know.” Logan stepped towards her. “Because he was laying the groundwork before. He was doing all the right things. He was taking you places. He had you hang out with his friends, but I stepped in. I got you. He never did and what he’s doing right now is a typical guy move.”

She brushed a tear away. “What are you talking about?”

“He wants to screw you and then he wants to be the one who walks away. Not you. He’s playing you, Tanya. That’s all this is.”

As she looked around, searching for something, Adam had turned away. I expected anger. There was only irritation, and I choked out my own shock. I couldn’t believe it, but… I should’ve.

“Sam?” Logan was the one who heard me.

I couldn’t take it. “This is because of your ego?”

All eyes turned to Adam, who seemed reluctant to meet my gaze. When he did, the acknowledgment was there, along with the shame.

“I can’t believe you.”

“Of all people, you should.” The corner of his lip curved up in a sneer. There was a mocking tone to him. “You’ve been after me since the beginning to leave her alone. You know, out of everyone, why I would do this.  Yes, I want to screw her. Yes, I want to humiliate her. She humiliated me. Your boy there humiliated me, but I can’t touch him. No one can touch the
Kades. They’re goddamn protected by everyone.”

“Adam,” Becky whimpered as her lip quivered. “Stop it.”

He closed his eyes with a snap and turned to her. “I’m sorry, Becky. I am.”

She gulped for air. “You—you don’t know what you’re saying right now. This makes you seem…”

“What?” He taunted her. “Like a jerk? I am one. I’m a first class asshole, and I’ve made everyone think I’m prince charming. I’m not your prince charming, Becky. Let it go. I’ve been an ass to you time and time again. You keep coming back. Stop it. It’s pathetic.”

“Adam—”

He turned to me and threw his arms wide. “This is what you wanted, Sam.”

“Sam?”

I gritted my teeth. “I wanted you to stop playing with her emotions, not—”

“He is stopping.”

I faltered in my step. Surprise flared in me. “Logan?”

He nodded and took a beer from Mark. He was calm as he took a drink. “He’s being himself. He’s not lying about what he’s doing. He’s being honest. Give him a break. He’s not playing with your friend. This is who he is. He’s showing her. It’s all up front and in her face.”

“Sam?”

My heart broke. Becky was a little girl again. I reached for her and hugged her close. “It’s okay.”

She clung to me and buried her head in my arms. “He’s never going to like me, is he? He’s never—I’m not good enough for him.”

I patted the back of her head as Adam and Logan watched. Tanya had teetered off somewhere and Mark yawned before he held a cup of beer to his girl. She curled in his lap, and he stroked her back. Everyone was waiting.

I sighed. “I’m taking her home. Adam, give me your keys.”

“What?” His mouth fell open. “I have no ride.”

“Logan will give you a ride.”

“I’ll what?”

I glared at him. “You will. You’ll give Mark a ride home too—”

“Nah. I’m good. I’m going with my girl here.”

“You’ll give Adam a ride home, and you won’t punch each other.”

Logan rolled his eyes but a cruel grin appeared. “I can’t promise about Mason.”

I sighed as I stared at him. Becky jerked on a sob, and I knew I could only make one decision. I swiped the keys from Adam and led my friend away. Whatever the guys did, I hoped it wouldn’t end in the hospital or jail.

“What do I tell Mason?” Logan hollered at my back.

I didn’t answer, but I heard Adam respond, “Becky’s drunk. This is ridiculous.”

Someone patted him on the back. “Never care about a chick, man. Never. Look where it’s got me. I’m giving you a ride home because of it.”

I rolled my eyes, but Mark snickered and then I couldn’t hear anything else. It was quiet as we wandered around the cars. A few moans were heard, followed with a slap and a giggle. When someone swooned in a car near us, I wanted to reach out and smack them. It made Becky cry harder and then I spotted Adam’s car. He had parked farther away than I remembered, and as we got closer, my heart sank. He was boxed in between a tree and three other cars.

“Sam?”

We weren’t going anywhere.

I dropped my arms and groaned. “I’m sorry, Becky.”

“What’s wrong?”

“We can’t move his car. We’re blocked off.”

“What?” Her voice rose, nearing panic. “Why? Why not?”

She was glancing around and hugging herself. A crooked grin came to me. “The boogie monster’s not going to jump out and scare us. We’re at a party, you know. A public party.”

Becky wiped some of her tears away and gave me a shaky grin—tried to give me a shaky grin. “You never know. I heard public girls are scary.”

I shuddered. “They are.”

“He’s not going to ever date me, is he?” A sob hitched in her throat.

I took a deep breath. Adam was right. He was making her face the reality. I gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “No, he’s not, Becky. I’m sorry.”

She sat on the car closest and pulled her legs up on the trunk. Then her head dipped down. “I’m so stupid, aren’t I?” She wiped at her face some more. “Of course he’s not going to date me. Who am I? He’s interested in girls like Tanya and Jill and…” She peeked up at me but looked back down. “I’ve been such a moron.”

“Becky. Come on.” I sat beside her.

“He wants you, Sam. I’ve always known that. I tried to push you two together before, but I still…” She whispered, “I still wanted it to be me. I wanted the fairytale.”

“I know.” I patted her leg. “And I wasn’t lying when I said I think you’ll get it.”

“Come on.” She choked on a sob and brushed at her face. “Stop making it worse.”

“I do think you’ll get the fairytale ending. I just don’t think it’ll happen in high school.”

She snorted as tears continued to slide down. “That’s right. You said Adam wasn’t mature enough for me.”

“He isn’t.” I threw an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “But he’s getting there. He stopped playing the charade tonight, you know.” I felt her shoulders droop and something folded inside of her. She seemed to crumble beside me. The arm I had around her shoulder sagged down an inch. “Becky?”

“He’s stopped for a while.”

I was struck. That sounded like a confession from her. “What are you talking about?”

She looked up with tears still on her cheeks. They were at the rim of her eyes and clung to the corner of her lips. She let them all remain as she held my gaze. There was a stricken look to her. “He’s been honest with me for a long time, Sam. I just never wanted to admit it, but tonight—I dunno. I couldn’t let it go anymore. Especially when Logan called him out. He wanted just to have sex with Tanya. I knew that. Adam told me that one night. He was really hurt and I think he was mad at you. He’s always mad at you, you know. But he’s slept with other girls before, in front of me.”

“When?”

Her shoulder jerked up. “When hasn’t he? He’s always had another girl with him. He never chooses me, Sam. He never will. I just didn’t want to accept that I was a loser. I am a loser. I’m never going to be good enough for him.”

A curse rushed from me as I pulled her close. “Don’t think that. Don’t ever think that.”

One of her hands clung to my arm. A sob wracked through her body as she trembled against me. “He doesn’t want me. He doesn’t want me…”

She cried, and I held her. We remained like that for a while. I didn’t keep track of the time so I had no clue how long we’d been gone, but when my phone kept buzzing in my pocket, I pulled it out. It was from Mason. ‘Logan said you left. Where at?’

‘Still here. Adam’s car is blocked in.’

‘Where?’

‘By the tree. Becky is crying.’

There was a pause for a minute and then my phone buzzed again. ‘Some of your chicks showed up. Dunno how. Come back?’

I sighed as I looked down. Becky was still crying, though they had subsided in the last few minutes. She wiped at her nose and asked, “Who is that?”

“It’s Mason. He said some of the girls from our school showed up.”

She hiccupped. “What does he want?”

“We have to go back.”

She paled and jerked her head. “I can’t, Sam. Adam saw…I was crying in front of him.”

“He thinks you were drunk. You’re not anymore.”

She groaned. “Can I be? That’d make it better.”

I hopped off the trunk and faced her. My chin was firm. I wish it wasn’t. This wasn’t something I wanted to do either, but I held my hand out. “Come on, bucko. We’ve got to go and face the music.”

“Can we get drunk?”

At first I said no. When we got closer to the barn and I saw who was there, my eyes went flat and I grabbed the first beer offered.

Becky squealed next to me and grabbed a cup as well.

Cassandra and Amelia glared at us.

“Oh, look. Bitch,” Cassandra clipped out. Her hand fell from her side and she started towards me, but Adam swung an arm around her waist and held her back. He stepped in between and held her back by her shoulders.

“What are you doing, Cass?”

“I’m going to teach her a lesson. Once and for all.” Her glare didn’t diminish as she looked around him. It intensified.