"We can't do much about that." Mason shot me a brief look and I saw the apology in his eyes. "Mom's coming."
Logan shot up straight. "How do you know?"
"I texted her."
"Why? Dad can handle this."
"Yeah, but what if he can't. She's got better connections."
Logan expelled another breath and shook his head. "Oh man, you're playing with fire. Dad, Analise, and mom in the same room."
I lifted a hand. "And David…with my real dad maybe coming someday?"
"What are you talking about?" Logan shot Mason a look. "What is she talking about?"
He lifted a shoulder. "Her mom called her real dad. He might be coming."
"What? No. She's with us." Logan looked at me. "You're with us. You can't leave."
One of my eyebrows went up. "Uh…I wasn't planning on leaving. I don't even know who he is."
His shoulders relaxed. "Oh, good. I like having a sister that's banging my brother."
"And shut it with those references." Mason reached out and pushed him back a step. "I'm getting sick of it."
Logan's smile slipped and he shoved his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, sure. No problem."
No sooner had he uttered those words when the door opened again. We expected Ethan, but I sat up straight when David walked in. James and Analise came in behind him, but they rounded to the other side of the room while my dad stopped inside of the door.
James shared a look with Mason, but Analise kept fidgeting with her hands in front of her. She'd glance up every now and then and I followed her gaze the last time and my own widened as I sat up. Malinda Decraw had come inside and stood beside David. She touched his hand for a brief moment before he took a breath and stepped towards us. She remained behind him, but I couldn't get that touch out of my head. It was a sensual caress, one for comfort? Why was it so sensual? Why was she here?
David cleared his throat and tugged his shirt out an inch. "I—uh—a decision's been made." His eyes found Mason's and they hardened.
Mason lifted his chin, but that was his only reaction.
David narrowed his. "When Adam woke up, he wouldn't tell us what the fight was about." His eyes skirted to me with a dark question in them. "But he admitted that he was the initial aggressor. He said you were trying to leave, but he wouldn't let you. Then when you got out of your vehicle, he harassed you and threatened you. Fallen Crest Academy does not take Adam's actions lightly, but since you charged him and knocked him out, we've decided on a punishment. Adam's parents do not wish to pursue criminal charges against you. Instead, they have agreed with the following discipline in three parts."
Mason's mouth hardened, but he was stone face otherwise.
David glanced at me again. An unreadable emotion flashed in them, but he slipped back into his professional mode. "Since you are not a student at Fallen Crest Academy, they are unable to seek expulsion or suspension in any form. However, we've already sent word to your school's officials and we highly recommend that you be suspended from them—"
Logan surged forward. "No way, he'd be out of the game on Friday. We need him against Roussou."
"Son." James clasped a hand on his shoulder. "Let Coach Strattan finish."
Logan quieted, but glared at my dad.
David continued, "As I was saying, we are seeking a suspension for you, but it will be up to your school if they follow through with that recommendation. Now, after four hours of deliberations we've decided that you will volunteer at our school's alumni festival this Saturday."
"What does that mean?" Mason had leaned back against the table where I sat, but he stood now. His arm brushed against my leg.
I glanced down at the contact. A shiver went through me, but my heart pounded. He had said three parts, those were only two…
"You will help with the set up, you will do whatever I tell you to do throughout the day to help out, and you will help with the clean up. There is a dinner that night for the volunteer and staff. I will determine if you will be invited to that or not."
"Oh." Mason leaned back beside me again. His arm was loose again. "That's fair."
David frowned at him.
"You said three parts," I spoke up. David turned towards me and pinned me with his gaze. He was trying to search inside of me. His eyes narrowed and they glanced back and forth from Mason and me.
"Sam," my mom hissed.
David held a hand up. "No, that's fine, Analise. I did say three parts and the third part's already been taken care of. Your father has made a generous donation to the school."
Logan snorted. "Dad, you bought his way out—"
James turned on him. "You will keep your mouth shut, Logan."
His eyes widened and his mouth jerked in reaction, but Logan shrunk against the counter he sat on. His eyes took on an angry leer.
James' eyes were lidded, but he turned towards my father and jerked his head down in a nod. "As you were saying, David…"
My dad cleared his throat once more.
Malinda moved forward a step and touched the small of his back.
My heart snapped and I jumped to my feet. "What are you doing in here?"
"Samantha!"
I ignored my dad and walked to her. "You're Mark's mother. You have no connection to anyone in here. Why are you here?"
Her mouth formed a small oval, but she looked to David.
He stepped between us and spoke in a quiet voice, "She is here for me. She's become a good friend to me, Samantha."
I fell back, reeling, and looked at my mother. She had grown pale with a hand pressed against her chest. Her other hand clung to one of James'. It was hidden from eyesight, but I still saw it. When she realized that I saw it, she gasped and retracted her hand to her side.
Why was she pale? And why did she need comfort from James…then I understood. My heart sank and my stomach had dropped to the floor. It was really over with them. My mom had moved on with James, David was starting to move on as well… My head fell forward and I hugged myself.
A hand touched my side gently. Mason tugged me back by the belt loop on my jeans. He tucked me behind him and moved forward a step. "I heard that festival is for two days?"
Logan shot up straight. "How do you know?"
"I texted her."
"Why? Dad can handle this."
"Yeah, but what if he can't. She's got better connections."
Logan expelled another breath and shook his head. "Oh man, you're playing with fire. Dad, Analise, and mom in the same room."
I lifted a hand. "And David…with my real dad maybe coming someday?"
"What are you talking about?" Logan shot Mason a look. "What is she talking about?"
He lifted a shoulder. "Her mom called her real dad. He might be coming."
"What? No. She's with us." Logan looked at me. "You're with us. You can't leave."
One of my eyebrows went up. "Uh…I wasn't planning on leaving. I don't even know who he is."
His shoulders relaxed. "Oh, good. I like having a sister that's banging my brother."
"And shut it with those references." Mason reached out and pushed him back a step. "I'm getting sick of it."
Logan's smile slipped and he shoved his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, sure. No problem."
No sooner had he uttered those words when the door opened again. We expected Ethan, but I sat up straight when David walked in. James and Analise came in behind him, but they rounded to the other side of the room while my dad stopped inside of the door.
James shared a look with Mason, but Analise kept fidgeting with her hands in front of her. She'd glance up every now and then and I followed her gaze the last time and my own widened as I sat up. Malinda Decraw had come inside and stood beside David. She touched his hand for a brief moment before he took a breath and stepped towards us. She remained behind him, but I couldn't get that touch out of my head. It was a sensual caress, one for comfort? Why was it so sensual? Why was she here?
David cleared his throat and tugged his shirt out an inch. "I—uh—a decision's been made." His eyes found Mason's and they hardened.
Mason lifted his chin, but that was his only reaction.
David narrowed his. "When Adam woke up, he wouldn't tell us what the fight was about." His eyes skirted to me with a dark question in them. "But he admitted that he was the initial aggressor. He said you were trying to leave, but he wouldn't let you. Then when you got out of your vehicle, he harassed you and threatened you. Fallen Crest Academy does not take Adam's actions lightly, but since you charged him and knocked him out, we've decided on a punishment. Adam's parents do not wish to pursue criminal charges against you. Instead, they have agreed with the following discipline in three parts."
Mason's mouth hardened, but he was stone face otherwise.
David glanced at me again. An unreadable emotion flashed in them, but he slipped back into his professional mode. "Since you are not a student at Fallen Crest Academy, they are unable to seek expulsion or suspension in any form. However, we've already sent word to your school's officials and we highly recommend that you be suspended from them—"
Logan surged forward. "No way, he'd be out of the game on Friday. We need him against Roussou."
"Son." James clasped a hand on his shoulder. "Let Coach Strattan finish."
Logan quieted, but glared at my dad.
David continued, "As I was saying, we are seeking a suspension for you, but it will be up to your school if they follow through with that recommendation. Now, after four hours of deliberations we've decided that you will volunteer at our school's alumni festival this Saturday."
"What does that mean?" Mason had leaned back against the table where I sat, but he stood now. His arm brushed against my leg.
I glanced down at the contact. A shiver went through me, but my heart pounded. He had said three parts, those were only two…
"You will help with the set up, you will do whatever I tell you to do throughout the day to help out, and you will help with the clean up. There is a dinner that night for the volunteer and staff. I will determine if you will be invited to that or not."
"Oh." Mason leaned back beside me again. His arm was loose again. "That's fair."
David frowned at him.
"You said three parts," I spoke up. David turned towards me and pinned me with his gaze. He was trying to search inside of me. His eyes narrowed and they glanced back and forth from Mason and me.
"Sam," my mom hissed.
David held a hand up. "No, that's fine, Analise. I did say three parts and the third part's already been taken care of. Your father has made a generous donation to the school."
Logan snorted. "Dad, you bought his way out—"
James turned on him. "You will keep your mouth shut, Logan."
His eyes widened and his mouth jerked in reaction, but Logan shrunk against the counter he sat on. His eyes took on an angry leer.
James' eyes were lidded, but he turned towards my father and jerked his head down in a nod. "As you were saying, David…"
My dad cleared his throat once more.
Malinda moved forward a step and touched the small of his back.
My heart snapped and I jumped to my feet. "What are you doing in here?"
"Samantha!"
I ignored my dad and walked to her. "You're Mark's mother. You have no connection to anyone in here. Why are you here?"
Her mouth formed a small oval, but she looked to David.
He stepped between us and spoke in a quiet voice, "She is here for me. She's become a good friend to me, Samantha."
I fell back, reeling, and looked at my mother. She had grown pale with a hand pressed against her chest. Her other hand clung to one of James'. It was hidden from eyesight, but I still saw it. When she realized that I saw it, she gasped and retracted her hand to her side.
Why was she pale? And why did she need comfort from James…then I understood. My heart sank and my stomach had dropped to the floor. It was really over with them. My mom had moved on with James, David was starting to move on as well… My head fell forward and I hugged myself.
A hand touched my side gently. Mason tugged me back by the belt loop on my jeans. He tucked me behind him and moved forward a step. "I heard that festival is for two days?"
