Fallen Crest Forever (Fallen Crest High #7)

Everyone tensed. This had become something between Logan and Nate. I looked at Taylor and saw her frowning right along with me. I wondered if she knew the cause for this friction.

Then Nate just said it. “Don’t get pissed at me because I’m the one here, and you’re not. I’m not the one who chose to get a girlfr—”

“Shut up, Nate.” Logan growled.

He didn’t. “A girlfriend who continues to choose to sleep at her place, and not here. If you’re missing being around Mason and Sam, that’s on you. Not me. I’m getting real sick of you putting your shit on me. I’ve never done anything to you, Logan.”

“Shut up!”

Nate added, unperturbed, “Unlike you.”

Logan stood completely still, the unnatural and dangerous way. A shiver went down my spine, and I swallowed over a lump. Nate had just gone dirty in a way that wasn’t dirty at all.

“Are you serious?” Logan’s eyes were narrowed to slits, everything about him tensed. This was Logan right before a full attack. Whether it was words or fists, it was coming. And he was going to do some damage.

Mason suddenly lifted me to the side and stood up. “Stop. Both of you guys.”

“No.” Nate shook his head, still glaring at Logan. “I’m sick of it. Any time Logan starts feeling pissy about something, he takes it out on me.”

Mason moved to stand between them.

Nate leaned forward, looking at Logan around Mason. “Guess what? I’ve done nothing to you. I left when I was a kid because my parents moved away. They didn’t want me to be around Mason. When I came back, you’d replaced me. It wasn’t the other way around. You pushed me out, Logan. And I did nothing. I let it happen.” A cutting laugh came from him. “And that wasn’t even the biggest change. Sam was in our lives. I went from being number two to being number four, if that spot was even included in shit. How do you think that made me feel? And I put up with it,” he spat, his eyes blazing. “I thought we were good too.”

“STOP!” Mason shoved him, then turned to make sure Logan was still holding back. Satisfied that he was, Mason sighed. “This is all bullshit. We’re all family by this point.” He looked at Matteo. “You too, even though we don’t show it all the time.”

Matteo perked up. “Thanks. I appreciate that.” His tone was cheerful.

I laughed softly to myself. No one except Nate and Logan seemed too upset about their fight. Matteo must’ve gotten used to us by now. Fights flared up, but they always blew over. We all loved each other. That’s how we were. That, in itself, was comforting.

Then I looked over. “Where’s Taylor?” Her spot on the couch was empty.

Logan cursed.

She was gone.





CHAPTER 16


Logan took off to find her, then backtracked for Mason’s Escalade. Taylor had taken his.

Fighting back a smirk, Mason dug for his keys.

Logan’s head hung low. “Don’t start.” He held out his hand.

Mason didn’t drop the keys, prompting Logan to look up at him.

“Just tell her the truth. She’ll understand,” he said.

“Yeah.” Logan nodded and took the keys. “I’m hoping I get the chance.”

“You’ll be fine. She loves you. You love her.” Mason patted him on the shoulder, but he was looking at me. “Check the ego, be vulnerable, and anything’s possible.”

Warmth spread inside of me. I knew he was talking about us—about my fear of marriage and his need to protect me without me even knowing. He was right, though. Everything would be fine. I believed that.

“Thanks.” Logan glanced back at me. “Don’t know what’s going on with you two, but take it easy on him. Whatever it is, Mase is trying. He’s a lot less bossy than normal.”

Mason laughed. “Okay. Leave now. Go fix your own relationship.”

Logan nodded and was out the door in the next instant. Nate and Matteo declared that they didn’t have girlfriends, and that was reason enough to go drinking, so the two took off. Since Matteo and Mason had practice the next day, I was surprised they weren’t back when we went to bed around eleven that night. They’d left in one vehicle.

“Nah. Matteo will take a cab home if he’s had too much,” Mason said when I shared my concern. He’d been changing in the walk-in closet and came back out in lounge pants. They were deliciously low on his hips, showing off all those lovely stomach muscles and the V that cut down into his pants. I pulled the covers back as my mouth began watering.

Four years and I still had this reaction to him. I felt the flutters in my stomach, and as I climbed onto the bed, I hugged my knees to my chest and hoped this feeling would never leave me.

“What?” He noticed my reaction.

I just grinned at him. “I am completely head over heels for you. That’s all.”

A soft grin lingered on his face, then slid away as his eyes sharpened. “Are you worried about this Faith girl?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know.” I hugged my knees tighter to me. “We’ve dealt with worse. I don’t know why Faith Shaw would top that list. I think we’ll be fine.”

“Then why aren’t you looking at me?”

The lump I’d felt when Logan and Nate were fighting came back. “It’s nothing.” I didn’t know why I couldn’t meet his eyes.

“Sam.”

The bed dipped under his weight as he sat next to me, resting a hand on my knee. “What’s going on?”

I shook my head. I felt so stupid. It was the night I’d left the house all over again. “Really, Mason.” My voice grew hoarse. The lump pressed on the bottom of my throat. “I’m fine.”

“Hey.”

That word was so soft, so tender. It was my undoing, and I felt the tears start. Making a frustrated sound, I used my palms to clear my face. “This is so annoying.”

He leaned closer, and his hand replaced both of mine. He began wiping the tears away. “Do you know why you’re crying?”

“No!” I cried, looking at him through a haze of tears. I pointed at them. “I hate this. I have no idea what’s going on with me. Taylor says I’m going through something, but this is what crazy girls do. They cry at the drop of a hat. I don’t do that. I have issues, and sometimes they come up and make me cry, but I don’t even feel sad. I’m just crying, and I have no fucking idea why.”

He laughed softly, sitting closer on the bed. Tugging on my arm, he pulled me over to sit on his lap. His arms came around me, like they always did, and I curled into him.

I sighed.

This feeling, being like this with him as he sheltered me was one of the most wonderful things about Mason Kade. No other girl could understand this feeling, no matter how many wished they could. It was me, all me. I tipped my head back, my eyes closed as his hand brushed down my hair and back.

“You really are wonderful,” I murmured, feeling my tears start to subside.

“Hey.” He tapped gently under my eye. “Can you look at me?”

I did. The tears were there, but I could see him.