Fallen Crest Alternative Version

  “I do, but they’re so mean. I did it so that you wouldn’t leave me behind.”

  I gaped at her. “Are you nuts? What friends do I have?”

  She looked over my shoulder but flushed again and looked away.

  “I have Mason and Logan. You.”

  Her eyes were brimming with tears as she looked up again. “Really?” Her bottom lip trembled.

  “Yes.” Then I sighed. “Now tell me about this Rex guy.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Since Becky seemed happy at my attendance, we didn’t stay for the entire event. We stayed long enough to hear that Rex was skinny. He had shiny blue eyes and his hair was sandy brown. It was messy the previous night, but Becky preferred it that way. He looked adorable when he smiled.

  I gave her a polite smile as she chatted away about her dreamboat, but I knew I wasn’t going anywhere until I met this pothead. When Becky convinced her parents to let her leave, she called him to pick her up. It took ten minutes before she told him he could come over. She kept giggling. He would say something. She’d giggle some more.

  By the time she ended the phone call, my nerves were stretched to their limits. I was glad Adam hadn’t shown his face. I would’ve taken out my irritation on him.

  Mason remained quiet the entire evening. He always had a hand to my elbow or my hip. When he guided me somewhere, his hand lingered on the small of my back. But when Becky hung up with Romeo, he let loose a deep sigh and I tried to make myself relax beside him as well. Then it wasn’t long before a station wagon roared up to the front door. Becky received a text. She giggled some more and then skipped out to meet him. We followed at a more sedate pace, but it wouldn’t have mattered. Becky rushed inside the station wagon and the two had their lips locked.

  Mason choked out a laugh. I elbowed him, but my lip twitched from the humor as well.

  And then Becky let out a moan and they were onto the tongues. Already.

  “Oh.” I shifted back, but Mason was behind me.

  His hand was splayed out on the small of my back and he bent forward when it curved around my waist instead. His chuckle was low and smooth. Even though I flinched at the scene before me, another delicious tingle rushed through me. His hand held me tight against him and he nipped at my earlobe. “Think those two are horny?”

  “Were we like that?”

  His thumb started to rub under my shirt. “We are like that.”

  Images of us from the day flashed in my mind. Another tingle rushed through me.

  And then Becky popped out of the car. Her cheeks were red and she smoothed her dress down with frenzied hands. “Hey, I—um—” She looked over when the driver’s door creaked open. She was right. Rex was a lanky guy with crystal clear blue eyes. As he strolled around the car in tapered jeans, a white tee shirt underneath a ripped flannel, and a leather strap necklace that fell to his crotch, he gave us a lazy grin. A hand rose to push back some of his hair that fell over his eyes. He brushed it back and then ruffled the rest of his hair. Some of it stuck straight up, others went to the left, right, flattened, and a few more ends curled. A nest could’ve been in there, but Becky sighed as she watched him.

  “Heya.” He held his hand out to Mason. “Rex.”

  Becky’s finger jerked up. “No, she’s my friend.”

  He moved the hand from Mason to me. “Heya. Rex.”

  I gave him a polite smile and shook his hand. “Hi.” His hand was soft and clammy. I held back a cringe at what he’d been doing with it. I didn’t want to know. I shook my head. Becky had landed a pretty boy stoner. He had feminine features with soft pink lips, but she’d been right when she said his eyes were glazed over. They still were.

  He flicked his hair back again and looked over to Becky. “I thought you said your friend was a dude.”

  “I said her name was Sam.”

  “That’s a dude’s name.” He looked at me and curled his lip up in a smooth smile. “No offense.”

  Mason chuckled again in my ear. I gritted my teeth when I replied, “None taken, Rex Thursto.”

  “Oh.” He laughed. “Yeah, my mom named me after their hamster. He died the day I was born. She still has him in our freezer.”

  Mason barked out a laugh but covered it right away. I felt him pull back from me and knew he had stepped away from our group. I understood. I really did.

  “So.” Becky danced up to us. She had her hands clasped together in front of her. Her eyes flashed back and forth as if she were watching a movie. “What do you think, Sam? I’m so happy that you’re the first to meet him.”

  “Adam didn’t meet him?”

  “Oh no. Adam already took off. He was helping some girl home because she drank too much. He’s such a nice guy.” She sighed on a dreamy note.

  I looked at Rex to see his reaction, but his eyes were trained on Mason, who was now lounging against a post as he waited for us. Then Rex asked him, “You go to Public?”

  A slight smirk hovered over his lips. “Yeah.”

  Rex pointed a finger at him, but he nodded in approval. “Hey, yeah. You’re the YouTube guy. You’re awesome. You took that bat to those mofos like Rambo style. My buds and I watched it a bunch that night.”

  Mason walked over to us again. “You’re with the stoners.”

  “Yep.”

  There was no shame.

  And Mason nodded at him.

  Then Rex snapped his fingers again at him. “You’re a Kade. Your brother was at my house today. He banged my sister all day.”

  My mouth started to fall open, but I locked my jaw quickly. A weird gurgling sound came out.

  Mason narrowed his eyes. Nothing else was said and Rex bobbed his head up and down again. “Yeah. I like your brother. My sister was in a good mood all day. Mostly, she’s a bitch. I think he’s still at my house. We could all go over there. I’ve got a bowl we could share.”

  Becky giggled behind her hands. Rex’s eyes lit up and his lips spread in a slow grin.

  Then Mason’s phone beeped and he snorted as he read it. “Logan at Ethan’s now. I don’t think he’s at your house.”

  “Oh, yeah. That makes sense.” But Rex didn’t care. His eyes were fixated on Becky and he gestured at her. “She’s knocker, huh?” He jostled his shoulder towards Mason and thumped his chest. “I love ‘em when they’ve got rolls to hold onto, you know.”

  Mason glanced at me, but I saw him fighting back his laughter. His shoulders started to shake.

  Rex continued. His hair fell back over his eyes, but he never moved it back. He slid his hands in his jeans’ pockets and it slipped down an inch on his waist. His black boxers were now visibly showing. “Yeah, man, and her laugh. It’s like bugs bunny came to life for me. Smooth sailing with the buzz, you know.”

  He looked up for approval from Mason, who coughed and shook his head. “I don’t do drugs.”

  “Really?” He seemed amazed.

  “Nah. I don’t like ‘em.”

  “Oh yeah, you’re a big time athlete, aren’t you?” His head bobbed again. “Cool, cool. Hey, I hope your brother bangs my sister again. She’s a lot easier to handle.”

  “He probably won’t.”

  Rex lifted a relaxed shoulder. “Yeah, I understand that. She’s a bitch. All my buds want to bang her, but she’s a bitch. I wish she’d let ‘em, you know. She’d always be in a good mood, but she thinks she’s too good for my buds. I understand that too.”

  “So, Rex.” I cleared my throat, though it came out strained. “Where are you taking Becky on your date?”

  He shrugged. “I was thinking whatever party’s going on.” He twisted to Becky. “That cool with you?”

  She giggled some more and her head jerked up and down in a spastic fashion.

  Another lazy smile spread over his face.

  Mason met my gaze. He couldn’t hold back his amusement. “Ethan’s doing a small party tonight.”

  “Hey, you think we could go there?”

  “Yeah, pretty sure.” Hi
s lip twitched and he choked back another burst of laughter.

  I clamped onto Becky’s arm. “She can ride with us.”

  “Ah no, dudette Sam. It’s our first date and all. I want to be the honorable guy and drive.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “We’re not under the influence. She’s going with us.”

  “Oh, ah!” He threw his head back and laughed. The hair fell away and his shiny blue eyes were crinkled at the ends. “Ah, no. I always look like this. My mom said it goes back to when I was a baby. I was a crack baby or something. Nah, I haven’t smoked anything since last night. I’m good to go and I wouldn’t do anything to hurt Becky. She’s my golden Labradoodle.”

  “She’s your dog?”

  “Nah, my best friend. They’re all full of unconditional love and shit.”

  Becky couldn’t stop giggling and Rex seemed infatuated with the sound of it. He moved beside her and took her hand in his. Then he lifted two fingers towards us. “We’ll see you there. I want some alone time with my girl here.”

  Another blush lit up from her neck and she waved at me before she was in the car and the station wagon left the parking lot.

  We were quiet for a second. I didn’t know what to say and then Mason burst out laughing. He bent over with a hand still on my back as his shoulders continued to shake. I couldn’t hold back my own laughter and soon I had tears in my eyes. As I wiped them away and tried to contain myself, I shook my head. “I can’t believe that happened.”

  “I like him.” His shoulders still shook from his silent amusement.

  I opened my mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. My shoulders sagged dramatically and I threw my hands up. “I have no idea what to say.”

  “He doesn’t care about me. I say he’s good to go.”

  “This isn’t about you. He’s a pothead. Becky can’t date a pothead.”

  He shrugged and started towards the car. “She’ll be fine. He’ll probably be good for her, help pull her away from your quarterback’s snare.”

  That was true.

  As I got in the Escalade, I leaned back. Mason pulled out of the parking lot and I glanced over. He seemed intent on the road with a relaxed hold on the steering wheel. His arm stretched out and the side of his face took my breath away. Was that what Becky saw when she looked at Rex?

  “What is it?” He didn’t look at me.

  I grinned. He never had to.

  “Sam?” He looked now.

  And I was breathless again. The green in his eyes seemed brighter. As another car’s headlights skimmed over him, it highlighted his angular cheekbones, his full lips, the masculine curve of his jaw, and the crew cut of his hair. He had dressed in a fitted black long sleeve shirt, tucked inside of trendy faded jeans.

  I took a breath and fanned myself. Would it ever get less intense?

  “Sam?” he prompted again, but the knowing smirk on his face gave him away.

  “Shut up.”

  He grinned back. “Were you thinking of Rex Thursto just now? Did he make you wet for him?”

  I groaned.

  He laughed again as he glanced back to the street. “Do you want to leave me and take your best friend down for him? Did the Rexster do it for you?”

  My shoulder stated to shake. “Stop, Mason.”

  “No, really.” His teeth blinded me as he flashed another smile. The enjoyment sparkled in his eyes. “Was it his glazed eyes or the pretty boy features he’s got going on? I bet you go for the glazed look. Should I start sharing bowls with him? Maybe I could learn a thing or two.”

  I reached over and ran the tips of my fingers over his leg. He tensed and his leg jerked from underneath my hand. I grinned at my own power. “I think you’re doing just fine.”

  “Am I?” His hand caught mine and lifted it for a kiss.

  “You are.”

  “Good.” And his eyes held so much more promise than that word. But then we turned onto Ethan’s street and I sat forward at the sight of thirty cars on the street.

  “I thought you said this was supposed to be small?”

  Mason chuckled and shrugged before he slipped out of the car. As I rounded my side to his, he threw an arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. “That’s what Logan said.”

  I groaned when I spotted Cassandra’s red Fiat. There would be Academy students there. Great.

  Then we were inside and the crowds parted for him. They always parted for Mason. His arm withdrew from my shoulder, but not before he pulled close and pressed a kiss to my forehead. Then his hand slipped down and entwined with mine. He led me through the foyer and into the kitchen area. The action always started in the kitchen.

  Logan was in a corner, wrapped around a girl. She was tall, toned, and tan. With a white shirt rumpled and lifted to only cover her breasts, her jeans had been pulled down to show the beginning of her vagina. Logan looked like he was purring as she had her arms wrapped around him and her mouth on his.

  “Hey, Mase!” someone heralded.

  Logan ripped himself away from those puckered lips. A bright, drunken smile spread over his face. His shirt hung half off of him. One of the sleeves had been ripped, but the neckline held the other in place. He took two long steps towards us and lifted an arm. His other hand held his pants up as they started to slide down.

  “My favorite brother and sister! How’s the incestual relations?” He jerked me against him with the free arm, a beer in hand. He shook me against his chest and laughed in my ear. “Huh? Huh? I bet the sex was hot and steamy today. Am I right? I know I’m right.”

  I shoved against him, more to keep away from his beer breath. “Oh, you know it, Logan. Bang a brother. That’s my motto.”

  He paused for a second and then threw his head for another burst of laughter. He howled it.

  Mason punched him in the shoulder. “Hey, who were you with today?”

  “Today all day, or a few hours ago?”

  Mason and I shared a look.

  “Oh, wait.” Logan snapped his fingers at us. “Same girl. Lizzy Thursto. Why?”

  I didn’t need to look to know an excited grin was all over Mason’s face. Logan frowned at him for a moment and then shook his head. He ran a hand over it and rubbed his eyes. “Am I missing something? Do we like Lizzy Thursto now? She’s good in the bed, but damn, she’s got an attitude. I can’t handle that.”

  “We met her brother.”

  Then understanding dawned and Logan snapped his fingers at us again. “Right. Rex. He’s a cool kid.”

  Mason leaned closer in his excitement. “He’s nerd girl’s new boyfriend.”

  “Nerd girl?” Logan looked at me. “Nerd girl?”

  I sent Mason a quick glare. He couldn’t contain his grin and he pulled me against his side. His hand splayed over my stomach, under my shirt, but he leaned over my shoulder. “Her friend, Becky. She’s dating that pothead now.”

  “Oh, wait.” Logan looked at me for confirmation.

  I nodded. Why was this so funny?

  Then the delight was shared in the other Kade brother’s eyes. They lit up and his smile stretched from ear to ear again. His head bounced up and down. “Right on. Good for nerd girl.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I don’t get why this is so funny.”

  Logan frowned, but shook his head. “Don’t you get it, Sam? We can hang out with your friend now. We like her boyfriend. He’s awesome.” His eyes met Mason’s over my shoulder. “And it’s hilarious to watch him lip back at his sister. The dude’s got some great one-liners.”