Fallen Crest University
Page 6

“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 shit. 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 shit, 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 fucking 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 fucking 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 fucking replacing the two of you.”