I frowned and looked up at him. "Are you trying to intimidate me? Are you really this hurt because I didn't tell you I knew the Kades?"
He bit out, "You played me for a fool."
Becky stepped around him and laid a hand on his arm. "He's just protecting me."
"From who?" I looked around. "Me? Because I didn't want people to know my parents are getting a divorce?"
Adam laughed and shook his head. "Yeah, right."
"You knew it was happening. You were there when I was in my dad's office. You helped tape my hands."
Becky looked at him. "Is that true?"
"Yeah, but I didn't know about the Kades."
My jaw hardened. "I know them, I'm not screwing them."
He didn't say anything.
And Becky looked at me. "You're not with Mason Kade? Lydia said you got in his car and…"
I rolled my eyes. "Oh, for god's sake. If Lydia said it, it must be true, right? I can't believe this. You're listening to my old best friend who knew my other best friend and boyfriend were sleeping together behind my back for two years. I'm sure she's the best source in the world to listen to."
She hesitated. "She said you seemed close."
"I saw you get in his car," Adam said in an accusing manner.
"I did, you're right. So, of course, that means I'm having sex with him. I've gotten in your car twice. Have I spread 'em for you too?"
He looked away. "It's not the same thing."
"Yes, it is. And, by the way, why do I have to explain anything to you? You've been my friend for what? Two weeks? You asked me out a couple times and I'm supposed to open my closet for you? How many dirty skeletons do you have that I don't know about?"
His mouth shut.
"Exactly." I swung towards Becky. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I knew the Kades, but it's not something I want to talk about. It has to do with my parent's divorce, another thing I don't want spread around the school."
Both of them looked away.
I sighed. "Can I ask you both to keep this quiet?"
The girl who'd been on Adam's lap lifted her hand. "I won't say anything."
I snorted. "Thanks for that. Who are you?"
She gave me a bright smile and flicked her bleach blonde hair over her shoulder. "I'm Tanya. I know Logan so I definitely won't say anything."
I couldn't believe this girl. "You know Logan?"
"We went out last night."
Of all ironies. I glanced at Adam. "You got a keeper there."
He sighed and rolled his eyes. "I was pissed."
Then Becky reached out and squeezed my hand. "You know the Kades?" The excitement in her eyes made me pause. Then I grinned and shook my head. Becky never stayed down for long.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
It was five in the morning and I was drunk. Becky had passed out next to me on the pontoon while Adam took his pepgirl home long ago. I lifted my red cup and tried to sip from it, but there wasn't anything in it. I tipped it over and not a drop fell out.
When had that happened?
"I was told Tanya was down here."
A leggy blonde stepped onto the pontoon and bent down to get a better look under the canopy. Becky snored and rolled over.
I squinted against the moonlight at this new stranger. She had long hair, slightly curled, that hung almost to her waist and she wore a classy v-neck sleeveless shirt over tight jeans. The high heels caught my attention. Their silver color matched her top perfectly.
I sighed. This girl was sober. I could tell. I was usually sober. Not tonight.
"So…is she here?" she asked further.
"Huh?"
"Tanya. Is she here? Was she here?" She rubbed at her arms as if she were cold.
I lifted my glass to her. "You could drink some beer and get warm."
"No thanks." She eyed my glass as her lip curled up. I was sure it was in disgust. "I don't drink."
"I don't either, but Logan didn't care about that tonight."
"Logan?" She tilted her head to the side. "Are you the new sister?"
"I'm not."
And I wasn't. I didn't think I'd ever consider myself in that role.
"Oh. Sorry. You said Logan before."
I narrowed my eyes at this girl again. She didn't say his name in the usual hopeful manner of most others. She said it as if she knew him, and knew him well. Still, I held my tongue. He'd already done enough damage for me to add more to it.
"A guy took her home."
She sighed and looked away. "I can't believe her. Another guy."
I frowned. "His name's Adam. He's a good guy."
"Doesn't matter at this point," she snapped and started to leave.
"You said Logan."
She stopped.
"Did you mean Logan Kade?"
"You said Logan's name before."
I nodded. "Do you know him?"
"Well enough." She yawned and glanced up at the house. "I should get going."
"How well?" I started to stand and climbed down from the pontoon.
She stopped a foot away on the dock and studied me. "Why?"
I shrugged.
"Look." She gave me a forced polite smile. "A lot of girls want to know Logan and a lot of girls have known Logan. If you're looking for a hookup, he's the guy for you, but if you're looking for a rich boyfriend—I'd look elsewhere. Logan's not that type, for anyone."
"You sound like you know him pretty well."
"I do." And she rolled her eyes. "I know him a little too well. We dated for two years, broke up a year ago."
"Really?" I surged forward a step, but held myself back. I didn't want to appear too eager. "What happened?"
"What else?" She laughed, but it sounded hollow. "He liked my friends and I…and I liked his brother."
My eyes went wide at that. Mason? "Did you date Mason too?"
She snorted and shook her head. "God, no. Like Mason Kade would ever be nice to any girl who wasn't his precious Marissa?"
Marissa?
"I can't believe I said any of this. I'm sorry. Thanks for telling me about Tanya and this Adam guy. You don't have his number, do you?"
He bit out, "You played me for a fool."
Becky stepped around him and laid a hand on his arm. "He's just protecting me."
"From who?" I looked around. "Me? Because I didn't want people to know my parents are getting a divorce?"
Adam laughed and shook his head. "Yeah, right."
"You knew it was happening. You were there when I was in my dad's office. You helped tape my hands."
Becky looked at him. "Is that true?"
"Yeah, but I didn't know about the Kades."
My jaw hardened. "I know them, I'm not screwing them."
He didn't say anything.
And Becky looked at me. "You're not with Mason Kade? Lydia said you got in his car and…"
I rolled my eyes. "Oh, for god's sake. If Lydia said it, it must be true, right? I can't believe this. You're listening to my old best friend who knew my other best friend and boyfriend were sleeping together behind my back for two years. I'm sure she's the best source in the world to listen to."
She hesitated. "She said you seemed close."
"I saw you get in his car," Adam said in an accusing manner.
"I did, you're right. So, of course, that means I'm having sex with him. I've gotten in your car twice. Have I spread 'em for you too?"
He looked away. "It's not the same thing."
"Yes, it is. And, by the way, why do I have to explain anything to you? You've been my friend for what? Two weeks? You asked me out a couple times and I'm supposed to open my closet for you? How many dirty skeletons do you have that I don't know about?"
His mouth shut.
"Exactly." I swung towards Becky. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I knew the Kades, but it's not something I want to talk about. It has to do with my parent's divorce, another thing I don't want spread around the school."
Both of them looked away.
I sighed. "Can I ask you both to keep this quiet?"
The girl who'd been on Adam's lap lifted her hand. "I won't say anything."
I snorted. "Thanks for that. Who are you?"
She gave me a bright smile and flicked her bleach blonde hair over her shoulder. "I'm Tanya. I know Logan so I definitely won't say anything."
I couldn't believe this girl. "You know Logan?"
"We went out last night."
Of all ironies. I glanced at Adam. "You got a keeper there."
He sighed and rolled his eyes. "I was pissed."
Then Becky reached out and squeezed my hand. "You know the Kades?" The excitement in her eyes made me pause. Then I grinned and shook my head. Becky never stayed down for long.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
It was five in the morning and I was drunk. Becky had passed out next to me on the pontoon while Adam took his pepgirl home long ago. I lifted my red cup and tried to sip from it, but there wasn't anything in it. I tipped it over and not a drop fell out.
When had that happened?
"I was told Tanya was down here."
A leggy blonde stepped onto the pontoon and bent down to get a better look under the canopy. Becky snored and rolled over.
I squinted against the moonlight at this new stranger. She had long hair, slightly curled, that hung almost to her waist and she wore a classy v-neck sleeveless shirt over tight jeans. The high heels caught my attention. Their silver color matched her top perfectly.
I sighed. This girl was sober. I could tell. I was usually sober. Not tonight.
"So…is she here?" she asked further.
"Huh?"
"Tanya. Is she here? Was she here?" She rubbed at her arms as if she were cold.
I lifted my glass to her. "You could drink some beer and get warm."
"No thanks." She eyed my glass as her lip curled up. I was sure it was in disgust. "I don't drink."
"I don't either, but Logan didn't care about that tonight."
"Logan?" She tilted her head to the side. "Are you the new sister?"
"I'm not."
And I wasn't. I didn't think I'd ever consider myself in that role.
"Oh. Sorry. You said Logan before."
I narrowed my eyes at this girl again. She didn't say his name in the usual hopeful manner of most others. She said it as if she knew him, and knew him well. Still, I held my tongue. He'd already done enough damage for me to add more to it.
"A guy took her home."
She sighed and looked away. "I can't believe her. Another guy."
I frowned. "His name's Adam. He's a good guy."
"Doesn't matter at this point," she snapped and started to leave.
"You said Logan."
She stopped.
"Did you mean Logan Kade?"
"You said Logan's name before."
I nodded. "Do you know him?"
"Well enough." She yawned and glanced up at the house. "I should get going."
"How well?" I started to stand and climbed down from the pontoon.
She stopped a foot away on the dock and studied me. "Why?"
I shrugged.
"Look." She gave me a forced polite smile. "A lot of girls want to know Logan and a lot of girls have known Logan. If you're looking for a hookup, he's the guy for you, but if you're looking for a rich boyfriend—I'd look elsewhere. Logan's not that type, for anyone."
"You sound like you know him pretty well."
"I do." And she rolled her eyes. "I know him a little too well. We dated for two years, broke up a year ago."
"Really?" I surged forward a step, but held myself back. I didn't want to appear too eager. "What happened?"
"What else?" She laughed, but it sounded hollow. "He liked my friends and I…and I liked his brother."
My eyes went wide at that. Mason? "Did you date Mason too?"
She snorted and shook her head. "God, no. Like Mason Kade would ever be nice to any girl who wasn't his precious Marissa?"
Marissa?
"I can't believe I said any of this. I'm sorry. Thanks for telling me about Tanya and this Adam guy. You don't have his number, do you?"
