“Logan!” Nate glared at him. “Shut the fuck up.” He said to Mason, “Marissa’s your friend. I thought she’d be welcomed. You going to let him bully her?”
Mason was quiet. I felt his attention more on me, but I refused to look at him.
Logan was, though. He laughed. “I’m serious, Nate. Are you two dating? That’d make more sense as to why she’s here. If so, I’ll shut my trap, but if you’re not, what are you thinking? No offense, Marissa,” he warned, which meant he was about to offend her, “but you’re a psycho. Mason told you to take a hike last year, and you’re still emailing him. If you’re a student here, I don’t believe for a second that’s a coincidence. I know you’re tight with Tate. She did the whole redemption tour when she left Fallen Crest. She knew. She would’ve told you.”
“Logan.” Mason shifted forward. At his movement, Logan quieted and everyone waited. “Stop.” He said to Nate next, “This is a little awkward. You know that.”
Nate rolled his eyes. “Like insulting one of my fraternity brothers and friends? That’s awkward too.”
Oh—what? I reared back; everyone jerked at that. Logan let out a surprised sound. “That’s a better twist. Let’s duke this shit out.” He leaned forward, his elbows rested on the table, and he swung his head, looking from one end of the table to the other. Mason and Nate were involved in a heated stare.
Mason’s eyes narrowed. “That’s what this is about?” His tone was soft, too soft. A shiver went down my back.
“Yeah.”
Nate wasn’t backing down. Mason shook his head and gestured to her. “This wasn’t the right move for that.”
“Why?” Nate clipped out, jerking his hand at me. “Because you haven’t told Sam about Marissa? Because you should’ve by now, you know. You afraid your moment of dishonesty will affect your precious twosome?”
Logan held up a hand. “I’d like to interject.” He gestured from Mason, me, and himself. “We’re better known as the Threesome Fearsome.”
“Logan,” Mason said, shooting him a look.
Logan moved his finger in a circling motion, going down, whistling as he made the motion. He grinned. “That’s the sound of the Fearsome Foursome going down the drain.”
“Logan!”
He held his hands up. “I’m done,” he said to Mason. “Carry on, my brotha.”
A cry came from Marissa and she turned, trying to shove out of the booth, but Nate was blocking her. He didn’t register what she wanted, he was still glaring across the table, so another whimper left her and she began pounding on his arm harder.
Logan cleared his throat. Nate looked over and Logan pointed to Marissa. “Heads-up.”
“Oh.” He stood up and Marissa shot out of the booth. She took off. She didn’t wave or say anything. She didn’t look at anyone, even Mason. Pressing a sleeved hand to her face, she ran, and we watched as she went through the doors and down the sidewalk.
“That was a good exit. I haven’t seen one like that in a while.”
“Logan.”
“What?” He lifted his shoulders. He said to Mason, “I was speaking the truth. I don’t like her. I’ve never liked her.”
Nate made an exasperated sound. “You guys don’t change. Nothing changes.”
Logan’s eyebrows raised. “What are you talking about? That was a douche move on your end and you know it. You should think about what you’re actually mad about. You’re mad at Mason because he doesn’t like someone you like? When’s that a rule for us? We don’t like people all the time, and we’ve never forced anyone down someone else’s throat. And this is Mason. You know how he is. Don’t twist that stick up your ass and name it Mason when it should be named Sebastian Dickstick.”
Nate had quieted, but he sighed. “You didn’t have to be so aggressive with her.”
“Maybe.” Logan rolled his eyes. “I’ll give that to you, but maybe not. She’s still weird, Nate. You can’t deny that. She always had some weird fascination with Mason, and it’s still there. It took me two seconds to see it, but why haven’t you? Or you don’t give a fuck? That’s a better question. Who are you friends with because you’re not acting like ours.”
Nate had no response. He stood there as his shoulders drooped down.
Mason asked, “You done?”
Logan held his hands up. “I’m done. For real.” He gestured to Nate. “He’s all yours.”
“Mason,” Nate started, but he stopped.
Mason nudged my leg and I stood. He stood behind me and like that, Logan and Kris did the same. Those two started for the door. As they went by, Logan said, “We’ll be in the parking lot on the left.”
I nodded and held back. Mason waited until they were out of earshot. Nate looked ready to fight, but he didn’t. Growling, he opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, and closed it once more. Lifting a fisted hand, he pressed it against his cheek, softly, before shaking his head. He turned to Mason. “I’m sorry. Fuck. Logan’s right. I’m sorry, Mase.”
“Yeah.” His hand came to rest on my back again. “We can talk later.”
It was time to go, and it was time for my own fireworks show. Walking in front of Mason, I glanced up over my shoulder at him. He met my look, but didn’t say anything. Neither did I, but I was going to. I wasn’t the only one with a secret.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“Sam, stop.”
I was headed to the parking lot, but Mason tapped my arm and gestured to the coat room. It was abandoned and after I passed him, going in first, he shut the door behind us. He didn’t say anything for a while.
I shook my head. I didn’t know what I felt. I wasn’t the jealous type, but he hadn’t told me about Marissa. He should’ve, and when he continued to frown at me, I figured he knew that as well.
A headache was forming, so I lifted a hand to rub my forehead. “Are you going to talk?”
“I have no idea what to say.”
“Point taken.” I started past him again, but he caught my arm and swung me back around.
“Sam, wait.” He touched the other side of my hip, gently, and continued to hold me in front of him. His eyes rolled upwards and I wanted to snort. He was looking for what to say. He said, “I should’ve told you.”
Mason was quiet. I felt his attention more on me, but I refused to look at him.
Logan was, though. He laughed. “I’m serious, Nate. Are you two dating? That’d make more sense as to why she’s here. If so, I’ll shut my trap, but if you’re not, what are you thinking? No offense, Marissa,” he warned, which meant he was about to offend her, “but you’re a psycho. Mason told you to take a hike last year, and you’re still emailing him. If you’re a student here, I don’t believe for a second that’s a coincidence. I know you’re tight with Tate. She did the whole redemption tour when she left Fallen Crest. She knew. She would’ve told you.”
“Logan.” Mason shifted forward. At his movement, Logan quieted and everyone waited. “Stop.” He said to Nate next, “This is a little awkward. You know that.”
Nate rolled his eyes. “Like insulting one of my fraternity brothers and friends? That’s awkward too.”
Oh—what? I reared back; everyone jerked at that. Logan let out a surprised sound. “That’s a better twist. Let’s duke this shit out.” He leaned forward, his elbows rested on the table, and he swung his head, looking from one end of the table to the other. Mason and Nate were involved in a heated stare.
Mason’s eyes narrowed. “That’s what this is about?” His tone was soft, too soft. A shiver went down my back.
“Yeah.”
Nate wasn’t backing down. Mason shook his head and gestured to her. “This wasn’t the right move for that.”
“Why?” Nate clipped out, jerking his hand at me. “Because you haven’t told Sam about Marissa? Because you should’ve by now, you know. You afraid your moment of dishonesty will affect your precious twosome?”
Logan held up a hand. “I’d like to interject.” He gestured from Mason, me, and himself. “We’re better known as the Threesome Fearsome.”
“Logan,” Mason said, shooting him a look.
Logan moved his finger in a circling motion, going down, whistling as he made the motion. He grinned. “That’s the sound of the Fearsome Foursome going down the drain.”
“Logan!”
He held his hands up. “I’m done,” he said to Mason. “Carry on, my brotha.”
A cry came from Marissa and she turned, trying to shove out of the booth, but Nate was blocking her. He didn’t register what she wanted, he was still glaring across the table, so another whimper left her and she began pounding on his arm harder.
Logan cleared his throat. Nate looked over and Logan pointed to Marissa. “Heads-up.”
“Oh.” He stood up and Marissa shot out of the booth. She took off. She didn’t wave or say anything. She didn’t look at anyone, even Mason. Pressing a sleeved hand to her face, she ran, and we watched as she went through the doors and down the sidewalk.
“That was a good exit. I haven’t seen one like that in a while.”
“Logan.”
“What?” He lifted his shoulders. He said to Mason, “I was speaking the truth. I don’t like her. I’ve never liked her.”
Nate made an exasperated sound. “You guys don’t change. Nothing changes.”
Logan’s eyebrows raised. “What are you talking about? That was a douche move on your end and you know it. You should think about what you’re actually mad about. You’re mad at Mason because he doesn’t like someone you like? When’s that a rule for us? We don’t like people all the time, and we’ve never forced anyone down someone else’s throat. And this is Mason. You know how he is. Don’t twist that stick up your ass and name it Mason when it should be named Sebastian Dickstick.”
Nate had quieted, but he sighed. “You didn’t have to be so aggressive with her.”
“Maybe.” Logan rolled his eyes. “I’ll give that to you, but maybe not. She’s still weird, Nate. You can’t deny that. She always had some weird fascination with Mason, and it’s still there. It took me two seconds to see it, but why haven’t you? Or you don’t give a fuck? That’s a better question. Who are you friends with because you’re not acting like ours.”
Nate had no response. He stood there as his shoulders drooped down.
Mason asked, “You done?”
Logan held his hands up. “I’m done. For real.” He gestured to Nate. “He’s all yours.”
“Mason,” Nate started, but he stopped.
Mason nudged my leg and I stood. He stood behind me and like that, Logan and Kris did the same. Those two started for the door. As they went by, Logan said, “We’ll be in the parking lot on the left.”
I nodded and held back. Mason waited until they were out of earshot. Nate looked ready to fight, but he didn’t. Growling, he opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, and closed it once more. Lifting a fisted hand, he pressed it against his cheek, softly, before shaking his head. He turned to Mason. “I’m sorry. Fuck. Logan’s right. I’m sorry, Mase.”
“Yeah.” His hand came to rest on my back again. “We can talk later.”
It was time to go, and it was time for my own fireworks show. Walking in front of Mason, I glanced up over my shoulder at him. He met my look, but didn’t say anything. Neither did I, but I was going to. I wasn’t the only one with a secret.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“Sam, stop.”
I was headed to the parking lot, but Mason tapped my arm and gestured to the coat room. It was abandoned and after I passed him, going in first, he shut the door behind us. He didn’t say anything for a while.
I shook my head. I didn’t know what I felt. I wasn’t the jealous type, but he hadn’t told me about Marissa. He should’ve, and when he continued to frown at me, I figured he knew that as well.
A headache was forming, so I lifted a hand to rub my forehead. “Are you going to talk?”
“I have no idea what to say.”
“Point taken.” I started past him again, but he caught my arm and swung me back around.
“Sam, wait.” He touched the other side of my hip, gently, and continued to hold me in front of him. His eyes rolled upwards and I wanted to snort. He was looking for what to say. He said, “I should’ve told you.”
