Page 10
Adam nodded. "Yeah, I don't know who with, but I trust him. Peter doesn't say much and if he said it, then it's worse than he let on. "
I grew silent and turned to watch for Becky. She'd been gone awhile, but I couldn't squash an inklin of jealousy. He had a friend who looked out for him and that friend wasn't the one to sleep with his girlfriend. My mouth clamped shut and my chest grew tight as something burned inside of me.
But then Mason and Logan's friend walked towards us from the beach. He had gone past at some point and he was now going back to the other bonfire. A couple of beers were in his hands and as he started to bypass us, he stopped, backed up, and frowned at us.
Adam lifted a hand. "Hey, man. "
The friend shot him a look and glanced at my hands. The gauze I had used to wrap my fingers was gone. I scowled up at him, waiting for what he was going to say, but then he held out a beer to me.
"Thanks. " The word felt awkward on my lips.
He rolled his eyes and kept going.
Adam twisted around to watch him. "Do you know him?"
I shrugged.
"That was…odd. Do you know who that was?"
Again, I shrugged.
"That was Nate Monson. He's best friends with Mason Kade. He moved away last year, but I guess he comes back to visit. " Adam continued to look at me strangely. "I have never seen him do something like that. That was weird. "
"Do something like what?"
His eyes seemed to be inspecting me. "Be nice to a random girl that he or his buddies aren't sleeping with. "
I shifted in my seat. "I'm not sleeping with anybody, if that's what you're getting at. "
His hands shot in the air in surrender. "I didn't mean that. I've just—do you know him?"
I sneered at him. "His name's Nate?"
"Yeah. " Adam leaned forward and rested his elbows on his legs. "He's bad news, like really bad news. I heard him and Kade are not a good team together. "
I snorted, "Which Kade?"
"Mason. " He frowned at me. "What'd you mean by that?"
I fought the urge to roll my eyes and popped open the beer. "I just meant that the Kade brothers seem close, it'd made sense if he was friends with both. "
"Oh. " Adam leaned back again and stretched out his legs. "I don't know about that, but I heard when he and Mason Kade get together, it's not good. "
"You're scared of them?"
"No, but they played football together against me last year. I'm happy that I only get sacked by Kade this year and not both. Anyway, whatever. I'm sounding stupid, aren't I?" He gave me a grin.
I sipped the beer, but it tasted flat.
"Maybe I should go find Becky and get something to drink?" His blues sparked in good humor and another knot in my stomach unraveled.
When he left, I watched him go. My hands were curled into my chair and I jerked a hand up to finish my beer. Another was handed to me and I looked up. This one was from Logan. He had a sober look on his face, but he wasn't watching me. I shifted and saw that he was staring in the direction Adam had just gone.
When I took the cold can from him, it slipped from my hold. He caught it and sat in Adam's seat as he held it to me again.
I held my breath, but I didn't say a word. Something in me wouldn't allow it, but I opened the beer and put it in the chair's cup holder.
He stretched out his legs and lounged back for a moment.
Then he sighed.
I heard the small sound escape his lips and was confused. It was a sound that I'd make.
Laughter rang clear not far from us. I realized that Adam and I had picked seats farther away from the party. I didn't know if it for privacy or because of the loud music, but I was suddenly aware of the looks we were getting now. Had Adam and I gotten the same interest?
"They went to the city this weekend. " Logan's voice sounded rough.
I glanced over and he lifted his head up.
"Mase went to go see our mom tonight. "
We had both been watching the crowd and when two figures separated themselves from the rest and were headed towards us, he grimaced before he stood.
He didn't look at me. I didn't look at him, but he held out a second beer. I took it and then he sauntered away. The party-boy air was back with him when Logan neared the crowd. Some girls eyed him with sultry poses and his friends made way for his arrival.
When Adam and Becky stopped by the chairs, neither sat nor said a word.
Then Becky said in a rush, "Was that Logan Kade?"
I gripped the beer tighter and kept my voice neutral. "I wanted to ask about Jessica, if he was going to date her or not. "
Something flashed in her eyes and she clipped out, "I heard that he told her to get lost. She's back to rubbing herself all over my cousin again. I just walked past them. "
My hand gripped the can tight and I chugged the rest of it.
Adam shot her a look.
Becky's mouth opened and hung there. "I mean…she's not good enough for Kade. That's what I think. And my cousin's a loser, a first class loser. "
Adam grunted.
She bit her lip and pulled a chair over. "Are you okay, Sam?"
I finished the beer and put it away. It was the last bit of alcohol that I'd consume that night or heaven help me, I would do something I'd regret later. I almost hit my mom once, I wouldn't be held back a second time with Jessica.
CHAPTER NINE
The party went late, but not late enough. Becky was stumbling drunk by the time Adam parked his car outside the two houses. He had to help get her inside and then asked if I needed a ride home. After he asked, he gave me a rueful grin. "Sorry, you're sober, aren't you?"
"I only had those two beers. "
"Yeah. " He scratched his head and Becky's snores soon thundered down to where we stood in front of her door. He laughed and shook his head. "She's something else, isn't she?"
"She likes you. " I watched him carefully.
He stood still for a second and closed his eyes a fraction.
It was enough. I knew where he stood. "Stop being nice to her. You won't hurt her so much then. "
He nodded and ran a hand through his hair. "I know. I do. I like Becky, just not that way. "
I shrugged and started towards my car. "She's not Ashley DeCortts, but I think that's a good thing. "
"Hey. " He hurried to walk beside me. "Do you—would you want to meet for dinner tonight?"
I opened my car door and turned around to look where Becky's room was. "That's my only friend right now. "
"She's my friend too and I could be another friend. "
My laugh was genuine. "That's what you say now, but when I don't put out it's going to be a different story. " My eyes narrowed on his. "Because I won't, you know. I never had sex with Jeff and I'm not going to start again with you. My first and only time was a mistake I will never make again. "
"I know. That's okay. I respect you for that. "
Another one of those knots unraveled in my stomach again. Why did it happen with him? And at times when I felt he was being honest?
I tilted my head to the side and studied him. "Are you really this nice guy or is this an act?"
He grimaced. "I'm nice. I am, but I'm not being that nice to Becky. "
"No, you're not. "
"She's the only person that you talk to. I didn't know how else to approach you without looking like a complete loser. "
I rolled my eyes, but couldn't shake the slight smile. "Try not going through the friend that likes you next time. "
"Next time?" His hand caught my car door and held it open.
I looked at it, saw he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, and stared him straight in the eyes. "What do you want, Adam Quinn?"
His eyes widened an inch, but he didn't miss a beat. "Dinner. Just dinner. "
"And if I don't want dinner? If I want to bail? If I bring Becky with?"
His smile looked painful. "Then I think you're not being a good friend either. "
"Maybe. " I got inside and shut the car, but I rolled the window down. "Or maybe I don't believe in friends anymore. "
He leaned down. "For what it's worth, Becky's the best friend you could get. Those other two were jokes. "
I gave him a small wave and started home, but I muttered under my breath, "You don't say. "
When I pulled into the driveway, I had to key in the code for the gate. It wasn't usually closed, but I figured the party was still in full gear. After I made sure my car was in the garage and the front gate had been closed again, I headed inside and towards the kitchen.
A peak of sunlight was starting outside and I saw it was five in the morning. When I'd gone to all-night parties with Jessica and Lydia it was a tradition to go for breakfast in the morning and on cue, my stomach rumbled. However, as I opened the fridge, the bright light filled the room and I screamed.
Mason stood behind me, leaning against the kitchen counter with one foot crossed idly over the other. He looked relaxed and carefree, but everything in me went on alert. The hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up and I knew he was anything besides relaxed.
When he didn't say anything, my insides clenched even further. So this is how we were going to be? Fine. I reached inside and pulled out some slices of meat. I was determined to ignore him or, at least, not let him bother me anymore than he already had. My stomach wanted a sandwich and I wasn't leaving the kitchen until I got one.
An arm reached around me and I jumped. My heart doubled in pace and I bumped against his chest as Mason reached for the water pitcher. He caught me from moving back into him with one hand on my arm. I held my breath as he held me in place. When his arm moved clear of me, I sagged in relief. Then my fingers deftly plucked out the tomatoes and a head of lettuce.
When I pulled out a cutting board and a knife to start on the lettuce, Mason placed a glass of water into my hands.
I stood there, dumbfounded, as he nudged me over with his hip. Then he picked up the knife and I watched in almost sick fascination as he started to cut the lettuce and tomatoes. A moment later, he pulled out cheese and arranged all of them with the meat between two slices of bread.
He put the sandwich on a plate and pushed it into my other hand.
I stood there, water in my left and the sandwich in my right. My mouth was open. I knew I needed to close it, but I couldn't.
He reached into a corner cabinet and pulled out some rum. After he mixed himself a drink, he sat at the kitchen table and kicked out a chair for me. I sat, but I didn't remember doing it.
He leaned back and sipped his drink. It was early in the morning so the sunrise peaked into the room more. The bass from the music was muffled through the windows and then the air conditioner kicked in. We could barely hear the party still going strong outside.
He raked a hand over his face. "They're going to be out there all weekend. "
I didn't hide the grimace that came to my face.
"Logan said you went down there. "
I gulped down half of my water. "You went to see your mom?"
He jerked a shoulder up. "It's not her fault my dad's a prick. I'd want to know. "
"She didn't know?"
He gave me the first grin I'd ever received from him. It was a soft and I knew it had more to do with his mom than me. "They divorced last year and haven't talked since. James probably didn't feel she was worthy of this information. "
My eyes went wide. I couldn't stop them. When I realized I was staring, I shoved the sandwich in my mouth. Then chewed.
His eyes narrowed, a gleam of anger glittered in them. His mouth drew shut and his jaw tightened.