Fallen Crest Home(100)

“So what are you going to do?”

She shrugged again. “Stay away from Adam until the end of summer. Try to figure out what I want to do. I went to that college because he went there. I think I need to decide if I want to stay there or transfer, and then go from there. Anyway…” She gestured to the flash drive, which I’d put into my pocket. “I hope that helps get Mason free. He might deserve to be in there for something else, but not this.” She paused, then took a breath. She tried smiling, but it faltered. It didn’t quite meet her eyes. “Goodbye, Sam.”

I nodded. This was my second goodbye in the last two hours. And this one really was a goodbye. I knew I’d still see my mom at some point, but I honestly didn’t know if I’d see Becky again.

“I missed you,” I said. And I meant it, thinking back over the years. “I missed our friendship, and I was happy when I thought I’d gotten it back this summer. I’m sorry things turned out the way they did.”

“Yeah.” She sighed. “That’s just how it is, huh?”

“Yeah. I guess.”

She began backing away and held up a hand. “Bye, Sam.”

I waved back, but I waited until she’d gotten in her car and left. Then I said, so quietly, “Bye, friend.”





Mason was released Monday morning, no charges pending.

The flash drive did what Becky said it would do: It absolved Mason of guilt. It showed Caldron about to hit me, and it wasn’t alone. Logan ended up going with Mark when he went to see Keifer, and they got him to release the carnival’s video recording. Garrett had been right. Apparently, they had security cameras set up, and the footage helped back up what the first video showed. The cops were now looking into pressing charges against Adam instead, but Garrett wasn’t sure if that’d happen. He told us that afternoon, after Mason got out, that any charges against Adam were none of our business. We shouldn’t go looking to start trouble because we had enough already.

I agreed with him.

I was just thankful Mason was out, and nothing had come of his stint in jail.

“So everyone’s all good, Jeeves?” Logan asked.

He received a round of weird looks in return.

Seeing our reaction, he jerked a shoulder up. “What? I like the name. Sue me.”

“Uh, yeah.” Garrett narrowed his eyes just briefly. “Everything’s good, Jeeves.”

Logan grinned. “Sam, I think I like this dad more than the other one.”

“Thanks.” I frowned. “I won’t tell David.”

Logan shrugged again. “Tell him if you want. He knows Malinda holds my heart in their twosome fearsome.”

“You’re starting with that stuff again?” Mason asked.

“We need a new name since Nate is more in the fold. Are we back to the foursome fearsome?”

“Stop thinking about it.”

“Why?” Logan asked his brother.

“Because I can tell it’s upsetting you.” Mason’s hand settled more firmly on my hip, slipping under my shirt. Logan made a sound, but Mason ignored him. “Thank you, Garrett, for coming down and helping us.”

The two shook hands.

Garrett’s gaze fell on me. “You know I’d do anything to help you guys.”

A warmth trickled through me, and I felt my throat choking up. “Thanks, Garrett.”

Mason and Logan stepped back, so it was just my biological father and me. He turned to face me, his arms out at his sides, and I stepped into them. “Can you start calling me Dad?” he asked.

I nodded, my head moving against his chest. And when we let go, I felt some wetness on my face. “Yeah, I mean, I wouldn’t want to confuse Sabrina,” I teased, wiping the tears away.

“Ah, little Seb.” His fondness was evident. “She’s so busy. I always wonder if you were like that, too. She looks like you.”

“Except for the blond hair that’s almost white.” I brushed some of my black hair off my shoulder.

“Yes, but her personality is like yours.”

As much as a two year old’s could be. But I grinned.

He gave Mason and Logan a wave and headed to his Audi.

As he left, Logan clapped his hands together, jumping up on the curb. “And now it’s just the threesome fearsome again.”

Mason’s gaze was hooded. I didn’t look, but I felt him studying me as he said to Logan, “I told you to stop worrying about that. It’s the three of us. Nate’s close, but he’s not you or Sam.”

Logan let out a breath of air, jumping back down. “Yeah, okay. I should go. Taylor talked about going back to see her friends. They called last night; something happened up there.”