Fallen Crest Home (Fallen Crest High #6)

“Oh!” She held it up by the hanger.

It was a simple dress, but it was beautiful. It had small straps that would circle around my arms and attach underneath them. There was a side pocket, and the dress fell to the floor. I shouldn’t wear it, but I wanted to.

As if sensing my torn feelings, Malinda said softly, “Would you like to put it on?”

I nodded, and when I did, even I was taken aback by how I looked.

Malinda stepped behind me, resting her chin on one of my shoulders. She smiled, and I saw tears in her eyes. “Amazing. Absolutely amazing.”

I couldn’t speak, not for a moment. Emotion choked my throat, but I didn’t want to identify what kind of emotions they were. I swallowed them down.

“If I wear this, then what?” I asked. “Is this a peace offering to her? Am I saying she can be in my life again?”

“No, sweetheart.” She moved my hair to my other shoulder, still smiling almost sadly at me. “It just means you accepted her gift. That’s all, and she knows it. The rest is when you decide to go to her. She knows that. She’s waiting, for whenever you want.”

My eyes fell on that necklace. Malinda had placed it on the bed, and I could see it in the mirror.

I missed my mom.

That was what these emotions were.

I missed her, but I was so goddamn angry at her.

I closed my eyes, feeling the tears there. I didn’t want to cry for her.

Malinda kissed my bare shoulder, and whispered, “What are you feeling, honey? What are you thinking?”

Analise had two other women standing up as her bridesmaids. I’d noticed them last night, but I hadn’t asked who they were. I couldn’t keep the words in today. “Who are those women? The ones standing up for her today.”

“They were patients with her at the treatment facility. They helped her through some rough times, and I guess she did the same for them.”

“So she has friends? From that place, I mean.”

Malinda nodded, holding my gaze in the mirror. “She does. Yes.”

That was good.

My mom had friends.

I looked back down to my hands and murmured, “She never did before.” And if she did, she’d lost them because she flirted with their husbands, or worse.

“They seem like real friends. Good friends.”

“That’s good.” I looked down again. I didn’t want to keep looking at that dandelion.

“Samantha? What’s going on? Tell me what you’re thinking.”

I shook my head. Malinda meant well. Maybe letting myself feel these emotions was smart, but I didn’t want to. Not now. There was a mountain of repressed shit, and all of it was beginning to swirl inside of me.

I cleared my throat, pushing the tears aside. “I’ll be fine. Give me a moment and I’ll be ready.”

“I booked a hairstylist. If you come over, you and Taylor could both get your hair done.”

“Really?”

She nodded and kissed my shoulder again. “I’ll be in the living room. The wedding isn’t till this afternoon. You have plenty of time to decide on the dress, so look at the others, too. They’re just as gorgeous.” She went to the door. “The stylist will be at my house in ten minutes. You and Taylor head over about fifteen after that. She doesn’t take long to do my hair.”

She slipped through the door, but I called out, “Malinda?”

“Yeah?” She leaned back in.

“Thank you.”

I wasn’t sure what I was thanking her for, but I knew there was a lot.

“Of course, honey. I love you; you know that.”

I nodded. It’d been a long journey, but I didn’t fight those words. I embraced them. I clung to them even, the way a real daughter would.





MASON


“You ready for this?”

Logan sidled up next to me at the front of the church. The pastor had come out, so the music was going to change soon. My dad was to my left, and Logan to my right. All eyes had been on us, but now people began shifting in their seats. Analise was about to come down the aisle.

I grunted. “I just want to get this fucking over with.”

He chuckled, folding his hands in front of him. “I hate tuxes. I hate weddings. Only good thing about weddings is the booze.” He winked. “And having Taylor here. Have I told you lately how much I love my girlfriend?”

“You’re becoming annoying.”

“Good.” He snorted. “It’s payback for all of your and Sam’s lovey-dovey shit.”

“Lovey-dovey shit?” We weren’t known for our public displays of affection.

He shrugged. “You know what I mean. All the sexing you guys do. I remember when we moved into Nate’s parents’ house. We heard moaning and groaning at all hours of the day.” He leaned closer and hissed in a whisper, “Sickening, I tell you. Sickening.”

“Didn’t stop you from hitting on her every chance you could.”

He paused. “She’s my stepsister. That’s gross, Mason. It’s called joking.”

I rolled my eyes. “She’s your stepsister after today. That was three years ago.”

“Was it three years? I thought it was four? Like this wedding—it’s taking for-fucking-ever.”

James shot us a look. “Shut up. Both of you.”

Logan leaned around me. “Fine. I’ll just go back to ogling my girlfriend.”

“All eyes are supposed to be on the bride.”

I gave our dad an incredulous look. Did he realize the door he just opened for Logan?

Not even a second later, he added, “Don’t respond to that.”

Logan groaned. “You give me that opening and then take it away? On this day? Analise Manning Day? Come on, Dad.”

“Logan, just…” James sighed, turning back and smiling as the first bridesmaid came to the front. “Be nice for today. Please? I’ll owe you.”

“What’ll you owe me?”

“Are you kidding me?!”

I shook my head. “You know better, Dad.”

“Fine,” he hissed out of the side of his mouth. “What do you want?”

“I want to use your private plane.”

“Done.”

“For a month,” Logan added.

Our dad shot him a look. “Are you joking?”

“One full month, or I can be a complete ass to your new wife without blinking an eye. It’ll be my pleasure.”

James gave me pleading eyes as if to ask for me to step in. No way. I shook my head and moved back slightly so I wasn’t right in the middle. This wasn’t my fight.

“Fine,” our dad bit out.

Logan added one more item. “And you’ll cover all the expenses that go with it.”

A low growl sounded before the fight left our dad. He refolded his hands in front of him. “Fine, and I swear, Logan, that’s the last thing you get to demand. If you’re not nice to Analise, I will rescind everything. There’ll be no deal.”

I could almost feel Logan’s happiness. “I’ll be so nice, she’ll think she adopted me. Don’t worry, Dad. Perfect charmer here. That’s me as of right now.”

The second bridesmaid arrived, and then the music changed. Everyone else stood with us, and it wasn’t long before Analise started down the aisle.