Fallen Crest Home (Fallen Crest High #6)

Her eyebrows pinched together, and she glanced quickly to me before nodding. “Yeah. He is.”


“So the two of you have to stick around here? He’s not going to law school yet?”

“Uh. Yeah. I mean, he is, but not right away.”

“When?”

I frowned. Why did Logan want to know?

“I don’t know. I think he’ll wait a year.”

“He’s still going to graduate this year, right? So he’ll be going in three years?”

“I guess.” She shook her head. “Why?”

He ignored her. “What school is he going to?”

“He got into to Harvard Law.”

“Good.” Logan clipped his head in a nod.

“Why?” she asked again.

A cold look came over his face. “Because where he goes, I’m going. That fuck sent Caldron after my brother and Sam. I’m going to make his life miserable from here on out.”

Her mouth fell open and stayed that way. She didn’t seem capable of closing it.

Nate shot Mason a look, but Mason only shook his head. Adam Quinn hadn’t sent Caldron after us. That was his father, and Logan knew that. Whatever he was saying, he had a reason.

Becky looked at me imploringly, but she wouldn’t see any sympathy from me. “Did you still want to talk to me?” I asked.

“I…” She closed her mouth, swallowing. “Maybe not now.” She turned back to her car, took a couple steps, then pivoted back to us. “We’re never going to be friends again, are we?”

Remorse swept through me, but I couldn’t let that show either. There might’ve been a fight between the fathers, and I didn’t know how things were between Mason and Adam, but it didn’t matter. Logan just threw a gauntlet down. Becky would be the messenger for it. Adam would know within the next five minutes that Logan Kade was his enemy now. That meant we all were.

All I could say was, “I think it’s best if we’re not.”

I saw her swallow again. Pure frustration pulled on her features, and she looked down to the ground for a moment. When she looked back up, she just seemed defeated.

“I guess so.” She headed to her car and swiped at something by her eye.

I couldn’t help but wonder if it’d been a tear.

Once she left the parking lot, I rounded on Logan. “Did you do that on purpose?”

“What?” But there was a guarded mask on his face. He knew exactly what he’d just done.

“You said that to her on purpose because she’ll be the one to tell him, and that’ll make her have to take his side.”

Logan shrugged. “So what?”

“So that means I can’t be friends with her,” I snapped.

“Like you would’ve been able to anyway,” he shot back. His eyes were heated as they flicked to Mason’s before coming back to me. He softened his tone. “I just did what you couldn’t. If you tried to be friends with her, you would’ve betrayed her again eventually. You know it. I just did it so Mason didn’t have to. Lines are drawn, Sam. The Quinns are our enemies, no matter who holds that name.”

Becky Sullivan would eventually be Becky Quinn.

He was right.

But it still hurt.





My mother was getting married today, and I stared at myself in the mirror with no clue what to wear. But it wasn’t even the clothes. I had no idea what to feel, which is why I’d been standing here for the last hour.

There was a slight flutter in my chest, but that didn’t make sense. Why would I be nervous? There was no reason for that.

A soft knock sounded on my door, and Taylor called from the other side. “Sam? You have a visitor.”

I frowned. Who would that be? “Let ’em in.”

The door opened, and my stepmother popped her head in first. “Sam? Oh good.” She pushed her way inside, shutting the door behind her. She held a garment bag in her arms and hung it up on the closet door. “I wasn’t sure if you had a dress for the wedding, so I brought a few over. Unless you do have one picked out?”

“Malinda.” I frowned. “What are you doing here?”

“I knew Mason and Logan were probably already at the church to take pictures, and I wasn’t sure if you needed a ride or not.”

I felt faint as I answered. “I was going to ride with Nate and Taylor.”

“That’s right. I forgot Logan’s girlfriend came back. I didn’t realize Nate was going, but of course he’d go. Where you guys go, he goes, too.”

There was a small bead of perspiration over her top lip, and she looked flushed.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Huh?” Her eyes darted around, and her lip trembled. She had to blink a few times before she could focus on me. “Oh. Yeah. I’m fine.” She patted my arm. “You have nothing to worry about with me, honey. Let’s focus on you this morning. Now.” She stepped back and scanned me up and down, frowning. “Have you lost weight, Samantha?”

I had, but I’d stopped running as much. I smoothed a hand down my tank top and pajama pants. They were soft, baggy, and heavenly. “I was running a lot earlier this summer.” I made sure to hold her gaze as I answered. “I’m fine now.” I wanted her to know I was telling the truth. She didn’t have to worry about me.

Her hand ran down my arm, resting on my wrist. “I know you are.” She pulled me in for a hug. “You are one of the strongest people I know,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

I hid a grin. “You brought some dresses for me?”

“Oh, yes!” She snapped back to attention, and her eyes lit up. “Your mother’s colors are teal and aqua. Such a pretty palette, and so rarely used if I do say so. Sooo…” She pulled out one of the dresses. “I brought you a teal dress, and I brought you an aqua dress. Your mother called me earlier in the week. She wanted to relay that if you wanted to wear white, you could. Mother and daughter kind of thing, you know. So I brought a white one, too. But you don’t have to; not if you don’t want to.”

My mouth dried.

Analise wanted me to match her? It was a wedding. No one else would be wearing white. It’d only be her and me.

Seeing my indecision, Malinda reached inside her purse. She pulled out a small box. “She also said you could wear this, if you wanted. She has a matching one, and people will know you’re not wearing white to disrespect her.” She held out a sparkling teal-colored pendant with a dandelion on it. “I don’t want to push you, but I also want to give you the option. It’s completely up to you, Sam.”

I took the pendant and held it up. “She has a matching one?”

“She does.” Malinda reached for the necklace around her own neck. She pulled it out, and I saw it was identical to mine, but larger. “She wanted me to wear it, too. It was a gift since I helped her plan the wedding. And again, I’ll take mine off if you don’t wear yours. I’m with you, whatever you decide.”

I…

I had no thought. No reaction.

Then I frowned. Suddenly, I wanted to wear it, but I didn’t know why. “Let me see the dress again.” I asked hoarsely.