Fallen Crest Home(27)

I followed him back to the front. “Where do you think I’ll be put?”

“You’re a townie. He’ll put you somewhere he wants your local friends to come visit you.” A waiting customer stood at the base of the rope ladder, and Petey scooped up the offered money. He gestured for him to start, and a second later, the customer was cursing. He’d already been flipped backward.

The man’s friends cheered him on, making fun of him at the same time.

Petey leaned back in his seat, watching the whole thing. “You got a boyfriend?” he asked me.

“What?” How was that his business? “Yes, I do.”

“Does he get into fights?”

“Why?”

“Because Keifer will want to know. If he doesn’t, you’ll go to the beer garden. Keifer will want all your friends to come in and get drunk. If your boy does fight, you’ll be put in the swim tank.”

Swim tank? I looked across the carnival. A large tank in the middle had a crowd of guys in front. They took turns throwing baseballs at the target, and each time one hit the bullseye, a girl in a bikini dropped into the water. I watched as she fell in and noticed how cold she looked. She trembled as she climbed back out.

My hands grew clammy and icy. I tucked them into my pockets.

“No, not there.” Petey pointed farther down. “It’s in the main. You’d just be swimming in there. It’s a big pool-like place. People can pay for their kids to go swimming, or you might get some of the drunks in there, too.”

My hands weren’t as cold now. “Mark mentioned—”

“Sam?”

A female voice cut me off, and I looked up to see Becky, Adam, Cass, and another girl standing there. Becky held a polar bear to her chest, and Cass and the other girl each had a beer. Adam’s eyebrows were raised.

“What are you doing here?” Becky asked.

I ignored her, asking Adam instead, “You’re done working today?”

He nodded, his eyebrows still arched. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m working.” I threw them a dark look before pulling out my phone. I held the phone up to Petey. If Mason was done with work, he could come and visit. “I need to text someone.”

He nodded, pointing to the side. “Go to the back.”

I slipped out and was texting Mason when Becky came around to the rear of the tent. “What are you doing?” I asked her.

“I could be asking you the same thing.” She looked over her shoulder to the carnival. “What are you doing here, Samantha? Mark said you guys got jobs, but I didn’t know it was at this place.”

My phone buzzed a second later.

Okay. I’ll get Matteo. We’ll come and walk around for a bit.

I frowned. I wanted him here, but… I shook off the hesitation. I wanted him here. Only seeing him in the evenings was nice, but I still had to share him with Matteo, and Nate was coming at the end of next week. We never had gotten that living alone time. Logan would be here the week after that, and I assumed Taylor would come with him.

I’m at the rope ladder booth. Love you. I typed.

Love you.

I put my phone into my pocket and turned back to the booth. Becky was still standing there, holding that bear. She was biting her lip and I sighed. I crossed my arms over my chest. “What do you want, Becky? I mean, why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“This.” I pointed at her. “Standing back here. Pretending like you’re scared or nervous, or whatever you’re doing.”

“I can’t do all of that?”

“You’re acting like we’re friends.”

“I…” She closed her mouth, moving back a step. “I didn’t realize you were still like this.”

“What? No.” She was getting this wrong. “No, Becky. This is not me being a bitch. This is me reminding you how things have been for the past three and a half years. We haven’t been friends, and it’s awkward to find myself the guest of honor at your engagement. I mean, that’s just weird.”

“I didn’t do that.” Her neck grew red. Her cheeks would soon be matching. Her hands formed fists around that polar bear. “You can’t get mad at me because Adam thought about all of that, but I’m glad he did.”

A headache was forming. I gritted my teeth, knowing it’d be blinding me within an hour. “Look,” I gentled my tone. “It was nice finding out that you wanted me at your engagement. That was…” I didn’t have the words. I wasn’t sure. There was still a tickle in my chest every time I thought about it. “But we’re not friends. I hugged you. I congratulated you, but you’re acting like we’re friends again. I don’t remember saying I was okay being friends with you again.”