Fallen Crest Forever (Fallen Crest High #7)

I was keeping a healthy skepticism, but it looked more and more like Raelynn was telling me the truth. Her words hadn’t been part of an elaborate plan of manipulation.

As I ran, I continued to stay hyper-aware of my surroundings. I usually liked to tune everything out and just go, but I couldn’t do that with Faith behind me. It wasn’t that she was breathing down my neck. She was a good half-mile or more away, but I still couldn’t relax. The moment I did, I worried she might pounce—or have someone pounce for her. Coach Langdon was happy with my times, but I knew staying watchful had cost me some of my speed. Once I could tune the world out again, he’d be even happier.

And I soared over the finish line once again.

Coach Langdon clocked it and called out, “Another fast time.”

I felt more in me. Today was an “easy day,” and Coach wanted us to lift weights too. Instead of pushing for another go-around like I wanted to, I slowed to a walk and waited until Taylor crossed the finish line. Courtney came next, then Grace, followed by another prediction of Raelynn’s that had come true. As Courtney and Grace headed my way, their third friend went to Faith’s side. Nettie had replaced Raelynn as Faith’s go-to, right-hand girl.

Nettie crossed paths with Courtney and Grace, and she didn’t spare them a look. It was as if they were complete strangers.

Taylor shook her head. “That’s sad.”

“Yeah.” I agreed.

Courtney’s jaw seemed clenched, and Grace looked over her shoulder at Nettie, who talked excitedly to Faith. Her hands were all over in the air, yet Faith seemed to be mostly ignoring her, only glancing up every now and then

“Raelynn’s coming back next summer,” Grace said. “What does Nettie think is going to happen then?”

We stopped walking and found a spot on the grass to stretch. Grace pulled one leg over the other and leaned toward it

“I have a hard time imagining Faith won’t want her best buddy back,” she added.

“Unless she’s not as fast as Nettie,” Courtney said.

Taylor started laughing. “Sorry. I was remembering the first night we met you guys.”

Courtney grinned. “True. Nettie’s fast in that way too.”

“Hit the weights this afternoon, ladies,” Coach Langdon barked before he headed back to his office.

We wouldn’t see him again until tomorrow morning when we had an easier run scheduled, then our first meet of the year this weekend. I’d run races in high school, but I knew college was more. The mileage was double what it had been in high school, and everyone was more intense. I didn’t know what to expect, but I thought I’d be okay. I just had to beat Faith. That was my main goal.

“The football team is in there today,” Courtney mumbled.

“What?” I looked over at her as she frowned off into the distance.

As if everyone heard her, the rest of the team looked over in time to see the football team walking down the sidewalk toward the doors that led to the weight room. Coach said we might run with them, but it looked like we’d be lifting weights instead.

Some of the girls wore eager grins, some groaned.

“Great,” Courtney grumbled. She reached to grab the bottom of her feet. “Now we either have to use the shitty weight room, or we have to wait in line for the machines. Coach should reserve the weight room for us.”

“You’d think, right? That’d be the smart thing to do.” Grace switched into a different stretch, and for the next few moments everyone was quiet until we finished. Then we began walking across the lawn toward those doors. Courtney and Grace fell in step behind Taylor and me. This was the first time we were going, and as we went inside, I heard all the noise from the weight room and wondered if it might be worth it to get a gym membership somewhere else.

I stopped just outside the door.

Massively built guys were everywhere.

I recognized a few, but this was different territory. We used the room too, but there was something primal about the way these guys were claiming the weights as theirs.

“This can’t be as terrifying for you guys as it is for us,” Courtney said from behind me.

I looked back at her. “Yeah, you’d think, right?”

Taylor clapped her hands together, beaming. “Follow me, ladies. I’ll show you how to throw your weight around.” She started forward. Courtney and Grace followed, and I brought up the rear.

My plan was to find Mason. I knew he’d be nice, regardless of how the rest of these guys were. As I was looking, Taylor stopped at one of the leg machines.

“Do you know who my dad is?” she asked.

The guy grumbled, but he got up and walked away.

Taylor laughed as she climbed on.

And that was how we lifted weights. Taylor would approach and ask her question. By the third machine, the guys saw her coming. They always got off, and the rest of us would use it after she did. We were half done with our regimen when an arm snaked around my waist.

Mason nuzzled my ear. “What are you doing?”

Gasping from the instant tingles, I laughed and pointed at Taylor. The only problem was the guy using the machine we wanted this time was Matteo.

“It’s entertaining to watch all the guys want to refuse Taylor, then realize who she is and slink away with their tail between their legs,” I told Mason.

His hand slid down to grasp my hip. He kept me anchored in front of him. “Nah. The tail between the legs is because they want to hit on her, then remember she’s Broozer’s daughter and Logan’s girlfriend.” He looked down at me. “I didn’t know you’d be in here at this time. I was going over some new plays with Coach. If I’d known, I could’ve done that later.”

I tipped my head up, resting against his chest. “I didn’t know myself until we finished an hour ago.”

His eyes were warm as he looked down at me. “If you do weights during your season, we could do them together.”

“Matteo!” Taylor yelled. “Let us use the machine.”

He snorted, adjusting the weight and sitting back down. “You don’t scare me, Bruce. I know all the same people you do, and you and your line of ducklings can wait for me to finish my rep. That’s the right way to work these machines. You get in line and wait your turn.” He leaned down and began pumping his legs.

Taylor’s hands found her hips, and she glared down at him. “You take twice as long as we do with this machine. We’re runners. We don’t have to bulk up. We’re just toning.”

“Not my problem. I refuse to give in to favoritism.” He motioned behind him with his head. “Get in line, Broozer Jr.”

I started laughing as Mason tugged me to a different machine. “Have you used this one already?”

I hadn’t, and after that, I followed Mason around for the rest of my weights.

Taylor came over at one point, her eyes blazing in frustration. “I’m going to do something to Matteo. I don’t know what, but I am.”