Fallen Crest Home(101)

Mason focused more fully on his brother. I could feel the tightness in my chest lighten as he did. “Are you going with her?” he asked.

“I might,” Logan admitted. “No offense, but I’ve got a feeling the two of you are going to do the ‘couple’ thing the rest of your time here. Unless you guys want to go back, too?” His eyes lit up. “Yeah! You should. Mase, your internship’s done. Dad’s not opening the hotel while you’re here anymore, and Sam, you don’t have a job. Come on. Let’s all go back.”

The reason he wanted to go was obvious. Taylor was there. And the reason we’d come to Fallen Crest was Mason’s internship. He needed that credit.

“Your dad will fill out all your internship paperwork, right?” I asked.

“He already did. The only thing I need from him is a grade.”

Logan barked out a laugh. “God, our dad sucks. You’re going to have to go in and kiss his ass.”

“I know. I’ll apologize for the speeches, too.”

“Fuck that. He knew what he was doing when he tried to force us to give him nice ones.”

I remembered what Analise had said to me. I hadn’t told either of them about that conversation. They knew about Becky, but I’d kept quiet about the reason Becky had found me at the hotel in the first place. I’d tell them when things quieted down.

“I think he’ll do the right thing and give you an A,” I told him.

Logan gave me an incredulous look, and Mason just pressed his lips together.

Their doubt was obvious.

“Okay. Right, Sam.” Logan shook his head.

I shrugged. “I got a feeling.”

“You okay?”

Mason’s question came out of nowhere. I turned to look at him, momentarily speechless. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because Mason was in jail for almost forty-eight hours,” Logan offered.

Mason frowned at his brother. “We’ve done longer.”

“Hey.” Logan cocked his head to the side. “You said you were going to see your mom. Did you?”

Here it was. This was my opening to tell them she was officially letting me go. I opened my mouth, ready to share the joyous news…and nothing. No words came out.

“I did, but nothing happened,” I said instead.

Mason’s eyes narrowed.

“It doesn’t matter. That flash drive Sullivan gave you and the video Keifer added was all we needed.” He clapped Mason on the shoulder. “You’re out, and I think we’ve learned a valuable lesson.”

Both of us waited.

“We should always have our own camera guy around. You never know what lengths some piece of shit might go to the next time we’re busting heads.”

Mason shook his head. “Or we could try to stop getting into physical fights. If any of that video gets leaked to the NFL, I could be out before I was even in.”

“Nah.” Logan brushed that off. “You’re good. Everything’s all good.” He snapped his fingers, pointing at us. “And on that note, I’ve been thinking about Taylor since I told you guys she wanted to head back. Now I’m hard.” He glanced down. “You guys are my ride, so can we go? I’d like to spend some time with her before we hit the road tonight.”

“We didn’t need to know some of those details.” Mason went to the driver’s door as Logan reached for the back door handle. I went around to the passenger side.

As we all settled inside, Mason asked, “You guys are leaving tonight, then?”

Logan was looking at his phone. “Yeah, and she just texted. Something went down with Jason. He got jumped.”

“Logan.” Mason’s tone held a warning. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Like jump the guys who jumped him?” Logan finished sending a text and slid his phone back in his pocket. “No. You’re right. I’d never defend that little piece of shit, but the problem is that he’s Taylor’s family, and you know we are about family. Totally don’t do shit to help each other out. That’s us. That’s the Kade motto: don’t do shit.”

Mason pulled out of the parking lot. “You can tone down the sarcasm. I’m not saying don’t help. I’m saying don’t physically fight. Get it done a different way.”

“I know. I know, but it’s so damn satisfying when the other guy is on the ground because of you, you know?”

“I know.”

I looked over. Mason’s voice had quieted.

“We got off track this summer,” he continued in a more normal voice. “We tried going right before. We need to get back to it. You have a future, too, you know.”