Fallen Crest High

chapter TWENTY





"Sam." David moved back a step when I stopped near him. I felt Adam come up behind my elbow, but he remained quiet.

"Dad." And I waited. Would he correct me?

He gave me a tight smile and I knew he wouldn't. Instead he gestured towards the woman and Adam's father. "Have you met my daughter? This is Samantha."

The woman held out her arm and tried to melt me with her smile. "Hello, you're so precious, so beautiful. Penelope."

Adam's father moved away from the woman and nodded. "Steven. I think we've met once."

Adam spoke up, "No, dad. You didn't formally meet her. We left the house early that day."

"Oh yes, that's right." Then he turned to David. "David, what do you have planned for next week's game? You think we're going to pull out a win against Leers?"

David cleared his throat. "We're going to try, that's for certain."

"Dad, don't you guys have your annual football dinner tonight?"

He opened his mouth and stared at me. "Uh…"

"That's right." Penelope's laugh rang out. "I was just talking to your father about that. He said he's going to be alone tonight. Heavens, we can't have that, can we?"

"Certainly not." My jaw ached from how tight it was.

"Dad, you're going with me, right?" Adam brushed against my elbow when he moved forward. He stood close to me and I feel his tension.

"Well, this sounds perfect. Father and son." Penelope placed her hand on David's arm this time. "Father and daughter. It's almost romantic."

I tilted my head to the side and removed for her hand. "And no sluts…"

There was a choked silence for a second.

And then David rasped out, "Samantha!"

Adam barked out a laugh.

His father jerked back a step.

"What?" I turned towards David with wide eyes, innocent eyes.

"Apologize."

"For what?" I eyed her up and down. "I call it how it is."

She bristled, but kept her mouth shut.

I narrowed my eyes and waited. The anger was mounting in her. Her hands clenched. Her shoulders grew tight. Her cheeks inflamed and her eyes closed till they were almost slits.

I counted down in my head. 3…2…1…and…

"What a little bitch you have, David." She leaned forward until her face was a few inches from mine.

I smirked and held steady. The Kades had taught me a few things.

She sucked in her breath and I knew her fury leapt higher. "I feel sorry for you, David, real sorry for you."

"Hey, now." He moved between us.

I sidestepped and never broke eye contact with her. "Are you bored with married men? Football coaches don't make that much money, you know."

She laughed harshly. "Private school coaches do."

"Penelope." Adam's father took hold of her elbow.

Adam's voice came out shrilly. "Hey dad, where's mom? Didn't you come with her?"

There was another brief moment of silence.

"Are you insinuating something, Adam?"

He laughed next to me and I found myself grinning along with it. "You're a smart man. What do you think?"

"Penelope."

Her head swiveled to me.

I gave her a cheeky grin. "When'd you pick up the trade?"

"The trade?"

"You know, having affairs, sleeping with married men, being a hooker?"

"That's enough, Samantha!" David clamped down on my arm and dragged me away. I twisted around and gave her a wave. "Stop it. Now."

I waited until he had taken me to the parking lot and then yanked my arm free. I rubbed where he had held onto. "That's the thanks I get from saving you from her?"

He drew upright and hissed out, "You did not save me from her. You made a fool of yourself."

"That's doubtful."

He started to pace in front of me with his hands on his hips. His tie flapped behind him as he turned and went the other way. I couldn't stop myself from smiling as I leaned against a car behind me.

He noticed and snapped, "What?"

"That's what you do when you're frustrated with the opposing team." I'd seen enough of those times when his football team wasn't playing as well as he wanted them to.

He stopped and then let out a small laugh as he reached behind his head to scratch. "I'd forgotten how smart you are."

"That woman was a filthy whore and you know it." I cooled my smile. "Just because you're lonely and had your heart broken by my mother doesn't mean you should get yourself mixed up with her."

"Samantha."

"She's bad news."

He held his arms out in surrender. "I wasn't going to get mixed up with her. I wasn't. I'm aware what kind of a woman she is, but you called her out for having an affair with Steven Quinn. He knows now that I know. She knows. His son knows. That spells trouble for a lot of people."

I shrugged. "Adam's known for a long time."

He stopped pacing. "Really?"

I nodded.

"Well, I guess that's a little better then."

"So can I still come for that dinner tonight? I know families are supposed to come."

He eyed me warily. "Does your mom know about this?"

I shrugged. "Like I care and yes, she does. She said I could go."

He opened his mouth.

I added, "And she said that in front of Mason and Logan Kade so she has to follow through with it."

His mouth closed, but I caught a flare of pride in his eyes. My chest swelled up and I looked away when a sudden burst of tears came to my eyes. I wiped them away quickly and glanced back. He'd been watching me with a sad smile. It vanished immediately.

"Are you okay?"

I was jolted at the sincerity of his voice. "What do you mean?"

"With all this, the changes, the truth coming out. Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you're a teenager." He said it so simply. "Because your mother can be one vicious and selfish woman. Because you got your life taken away from you." His voice gentled even more. "Remember that I know about Jeff and your friends. I know what they did to you. And because," his mouth twisted in a crooked smile, "you set my car on fire, remember?"

"Oh yeah!" I burst out in laughter and wiped more tears away. I didn't know why they were coming.

He took a small breath. "Are you okay, Samantha? Are you still running?"

I nodded.

"How long do you go for?"

I couldn't talk. My throat was so tight, it was blocked.

He sounded sad. "That long, huh?" And he took another deep breath. "I'm sorry, Sam. I really am."

I looked away. I couldn't see how haunted he sounded. Something would've broken inside of me and I was holding on tight. I was holding on so tight right now.

He continued, "If I had known what your mother wanted or what she needed, I would've tried to adopt you. I would've gone for something with the courts so that she couldn't have taken you away. I had no idea. I really didn't, but there was no way I could've been the man she wanted. I was the man she used to get her through her hard times."

"I'm sorry." My voice cracked. More tears flooded me. "I'm sorry for what she did to you."

He shook his head. "I can handle it. I have a good job. I'm still somewhat young and in shape. I'll be fine."

I took a deep breath.

"Are you going to be fine?"

I shook my head. I couldn't answer him, not then.

"I hear the gossip, you know. I heard the Kade brothers have taken you under their wing." He frowned. "I'm not sure if that's a good thing. Those boys can be cruel, but they do seem to back each other up. Are you okay with them?"

"They help…with her…"

Enough said. He nodded in understanding. "Well, I suppose I'll see you tonight then. Six o'clock. Back here."

"Okay."

He gave a small wave before he went back inside. I turned to my car, but Adam called my name and I paused and looked back. He grimaced as he approached. "Sorry about my dad and that woman."

I chuckled. "I thought I would've been the one apologizing to you."

"Nah. I liked it. You're tough."

"I didn't want her involved with David."

He nodded. "I can see that, but thanks. It's out now. My dad has to deal with it. He knows I know."

"I'm not apologizing to your dad."

He held his hands up. "Not asking you to."

I glanced back over my shoulder. "What about Becky and Tanya?"

"I'll take them both home." He gave me another tight smile and shoved his hands in his front pockets. It gave him a lean look, which emphasized his slender waist and broad shoulders.

"About Tanya…"

He shook his head. "Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

"I like her. I actually do."

"And it doesn't hurt Becky to see that…?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "I just know that I was playing a game with her before because of you. You liked Becky. I liked you. So I didn't do the right thing before, but I'm trying. I really am right now."

I nodded.

"What about you? Are you and Kade, you know?"

I shook my head. "It's about my parent's stuff and I don't want to talk about that."

"Really? No?"

"Nope."

"Oh." He ran a hand over his face. "I wouldn't have guessed that."

"Why not?" My voice cooled. "I told you that I know them, I'm not screwing them."

"No, no I know, but there was something there."

"What do you mean?"

He lifted both his shoulders up. "Does it matter?"

"Maybe. Maybe not."

He laughed again. "You're tough, Sam, tougher than I would've thought."

"Yeah…" I frowned. I was getting tired of hearing that from him. What did he think of me before? Then I rolled my eyes, like I really cared about that now. "Don't break Becky's heart, okay?"

He saluted me.

"Are you really going to start dating Tanya?"

"I think so."

I sighed. "Have fun with that, then."

He smirked. "I plan to."

And I laughed. This one was genuine, but then I waved goodbye and headed home. I had two hours before I needed to be back at the club for the football's annual dinner. I hurried through the house, but stopped short when I saw Mason in his room. Normally I would've taken the south stairs and I wouldn't have to go past his room, but I took the north stairs this time. When I breezed past, his door was open and he sat at his desk shirtless.

I braked and reversed.

He glanced up. "Hey."

"Hey." I went inside and sat on the edge of his bed.

He didn't turn around and kept his back to me as he looked at his computer's screen. "You seem in a rush?"

"I'm going to my dad's dinner tonight."

"Your dad?"

I cursed. I'd forgotten he knew, they all knew.

"My old dad's thing."

He grinned as he turned in his chair. "I understand. He's still your dad. Raised you, didn't he?"

I nodded and hugged myself. For some reason, a chill swept over me. I frowned. The windows weren't open in the room.

"Our folks are in the cities for the weekend. Again."

He didn't sound as if he cared. I frowned. "Are you pissed about that?"

Mason swung his hypnotic eyes back to me and narrowed them. I felt him searching inside of me, measuring whatever I had inside for what he might've needed. I always felt him probing me deep.

Then he said, "Does it matter? He's there. With her."

I frowned. "You say that like my mom's the other woman. Was she?" Wasn't he the other man for her?

He shrugged and stood to go in his bathroom. I waited a second, but took a deep breath and followed. As I stepped in the doorway, Mason let loose his shorts and turned on the shower.

I was struck by his nudity. He didn't care. Most guys might've done it for shock value, but he didn't care. This was Mason. Then he looked up and grinned. "Wanna join?"

I took a step inside.

His grin turned to something else.

I stepped closer and tilted my head up. He looked down and we stood close, close enough to touch. His hand brushed against my hipbone and I closed my eyes. His hand started to caress me there. A flooding filled me and a need started to throb between my legs. I held my breath and my head started to hang down. It rested against his chest.

Then I felt his lips against my forehead. He skimmed them lightly.

My hand reached up and curled onto his arm. It hung there.

When he bent forward and I felt his arm start to wrap around, I pulled back, breathless. My heart was pounding in my ears and I could only look at him, stricken. He gazed down at me and his lips moved. I knew he was saying something, but I couldn't hear over my heartbeat. I shook my head and tried to explain that to him, but I couldn't. My throat didn't work. My tongue didn't work. Nothing worked anymore except my feet. They pulled me away and I was soon hurrying to my room.

The door shut behind me, but it wasn't enough. I turned the lock and backed up three steps. I stared down and watched the handle. I waited for it to turn, but it never did. Nothing happened. He never came.

I kept backing up until I felt my bed behind my legs and sat abruptly. My arms were still wrapped around me. I sat there and waited for my heartbeat to settle, until I could hear things again. Everything was so deafening.