Fallen Crest Forever (Fallen Crest High #7)

“Not tonight.” Thirty minutes of sleep, an adrenaline-packed day, and twenty miles later, the exhaustion was going to hit me any moment. I was just waiting for it.

He ran a hand down my back. “We could handle this without you. Are your parents still in town?”

I shook my head. Malinda had texted Sunday morning to say they were heading home, and Garrett told me at the game they were leaving last night. I knew both were gone. “Just your mom.”

“You don’t have to deal with her, you know. Logan and I can go.”

“I want to.” I needed to. Everyone else was done and dealt with. There was no one else to handle in the family. I even had closure with Analise. Helen was the last one.

“Okay.” He ran a hand down my back again before standing up again. “Have you eaten yet?”

I gave him a rueful look. He already knew the answer to that.

“I’m taking that as a no.” He grinned at me and grabbed his phone. “Let me call Helen and move dinner to tomorrow night, then I’ll make some food.”

Helen argued, but accepted the dinner date delay. We were supposed to go to her hotel suite, and she was having it catered in. As soon as I heard that, my stomach dropped. If Helen was pursuing a private venue like that, it meant she wanted to talk about real business. I wasn’t looking forward to it.

After that, Mason opened the fridge and found it was almost empty. There was nothing to cook. My stomach was growling and so was his, so he suggested going to get food instead. I went with him, and fifteen minutes later, he pulled into the bar where Taylor used to work.

“They do pick-up here?”

“Nate texted when we were leaving. He said to stop in. He’s picking up a late shift.”

“I’m going to get sleepy soon.”

He took my hand in his. “I’ll carry you home.”

I gazed at him a moment.

He was dangerous at times. He was loving all the time. And he was all mine.

He was literally my other half.

“I love you,” I breathed.

His eyes grew warm, and the faintest grin back was my reward. “I love you, too.”

When we got out, he took my hand in his and we walked into the little pub. It wasn’t long before people realized Mason Kade was in their presence. More and more attention came our way. I leaned into him as he waved to Nate behind the bar.

“Hey, guys.” Nate came to our booth in the corner a moment later and slid in next to me. He leaned his elbows on the table. “Change of plans. I told you the sister wouldn’t respond to me. Well, she’s here.”

“Here?” Alarm sliced through me. I turned to look around, but only saw half the pub watching us back. “Is she in the back?”

“She’s with Matteo in the back.” He glanced to Mason. “I have that girl I’m interested in, so he took point. He’s going to flirt with her, see if she tells him anything.”

“He slept with Grace.” And as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I was wondering why I cared. Sleeping with multiple girls wasn’t rare for these guys, at least until they committed like Mason and Logan had. “Never mind. I don’t know why I said that.”

Nate laughed, standing up. “I don’t think he’s going to sleep with her. He’s just hanging out to see if the liquor loosens her tongue.” He seemed to think about that for a moment. “And not in the usual way we’d use that term. Okay. I gotta go back to work. You guys need anything?”

“Some food?”

Nate nodded to Mason. “You want a beer?”

“Just water.”

“I’ll get you the nice stuff, the stuff that doesn’t come out of the tap. Don’t tell the other customers.” Nate winked, grinning, before he headed back behind the bar.

Mason got out and came around to my side of the booth.

“I like that Nate works here,” I said.

“Yeah?” He sat next to me, resting his legs on the seat he’d just vacated.

We could see everyone else in the room and at the bar too, but if we pressed back into the booth, only a few tables could see us. It gave us a modicum of privacy, and I had no doubt that someone would end up joining us. I’d be curled in the corner sleeping soon.

I nodded. “Yeah. It’s like we have our own hangout—that’s not our living room.”

He ran a hand down my back. “You okay?”

“Just the stuff about Faith.”

“You sure?” He grasped my hand, our fingers sliding together.

I nodded.

He shifted back so we were sitting side by side again. I laid my head on his shoulder.

Nate brought our food over a few minutes later, and by the time we were done, a couple football players had come over. I sat with Mason, holding his hand under the table as he talked and laughed with his teammates. I saw the envious looks from some girls, and a few even came over to flirt with the other guys, but if a girl tried with Mason, he ignored her. He didn’t shoot her down in an embarrassing way, but the girls stopped trying after he ignored them on their second or third attempt.

I started to fall asleep around midnight, my head still resting against Mason’s shoulder. His arm was around me now, holding me in place, his hand heavy and warm on my leg. It was an anchor I savored.

At one point I woke to see a group of girls leaving the bar. Matteo had his arm around one as he walked out with them, but he came back in and pulled up a chair next to Mason. I registered his laughter, hearing that it was a little more carefree than normal. Either he was buzzed or he just got laid.

I struggled to remember why that mattered to me, but then my eyelids shut once again.



I woke sometime later, hearing laughter.

Nate was saying, “Last call. Do you guys want anything?”

I was curled in a ball next to Mason. His hand was on my hip, holding me in place. Something soft was under my head.

I was out again.



I lifted my head from Mason’s shoulder; he was carrying me. The back door of the car opened, and he laid me down.

“Mason?” I caught his hand as he started to back away. “What’s going on?”

“Go back to sleep. We’re going home.”

Then the door shut, and I heard Matteo climb into the front passenger seat.

Mason asked him, “What’d you find out from the sister?”

“That she thinks her little sister is a spoiled bitch.”

Mason sighed. “She didn’t go into specifics?”

“No, but she was wasted. And I got the feeling the two aren’t close. You want me to keep pushing her?”

“No. I think I’ll just ask James to find something. If we owe him, then . . .”

I started to fall asleep again, but not before I heard Matteo ask, his voice sounding clearer like he’d looked back at me, “Maybe we shouldn’t have stayed as long as we did?”

“If she wanted to leave, she would’ve asked. Besides, she sleeps best next to me anyway. It doesn’t matter where we are.” Mason started the engine.

I felt myself smile. He was right. Wherever he was, I wanted to be.

I fell asleep again.



Mason put me in bed and took my clothes off. He started to put my little sleeping shorts on me, but I sat up and draped my arms around his neck.

“No.”