Fallen Crest Family

  pale, but when I gasped, he visibly relaxed. He didn't move from my lap, his head fell low to my chest and his hands clasped my waist. His thumbs rubbed back and forth, a fresh set of tingles went through me. As he pressed a kiss to the dip between my breasts, his shoulders shook.

  I lifted my hands there. Was he laughing?

  No. As I bit my lip, confused at what had happened, he lifted his head again. His concern was evident as he lifted a hand to run his finger over my lip and cheek. Then he cupped my face again and breathed out, "Where did you go? I almost crapped my pants, Sam."

  I let go of a long breath. As it rushed past my lips, my insides clenched together. The horror from that night was back. I couldn't get it out of me. I had forgotten it, pushed it down, and numbed myself, but it was back.

  "Hey, hey," Mason soothed in a quiet tone. He pressed his soft lips to my forehead. "What's wrong? What's happening?"

  I couldn't tell him. I hadn't told anyone, not even David. He should've been told long ago.

  "Sam!"

  I cried out, still held prisoner by those memories, but then I shook my head. My hands were trembling.

  "What's wrong? Tell me. Please."

  Everything was quaking in me, my legs jerked against his; I couldn't lift my arms because they were shaking so much. I knew my voice was going to break so I kept quiet and laid my head against his chest. I couldn't do anything. I waited, hoping he would let it go. I couldn't tell him, and after awhile his arms swept around me again. He lifted me above the sheets and curled me into his lap.

  It was going to be okay. He was going to push that nightmare aside, he always did.

  He murmured, "I have no idea what just happened, but you scared the shit out of me. You're going to have to tell me, Sam. Sometime, you're going to have to tell me."

  But not today, not yet.

  I closed my eyes and I burrowed even further against his chest. I wanted to curl into a ball and disappear.

  "Sam, do you hear me?"

  I nodded as I clung to him.

  Then he relaxed, slowly, as he sank down into the bed. The memory was still with me, I felt its dirtiness on me as if I were actually back in that bathroom again so I tried to concentrate as I told myself I wasn't there. Her blood wasn't all over me and I was with Mason, I was safe. After awhile, a long while, my heart slowed to a regular pace, and then exhaustion kicked in. Mason he pulled the blankets back over us.

  The sound of the party still sounded, but in his arms, as his warmth sheltered me, I didn't really hear anyone else. It was just him and me.

  It was early in the morning when I woke, but it didn't matter. The security cameras were up, the code had been keyed in. I was screwed. Analise would know where I'd been since she knew I would never spend the night with Adam Quinn.

  Adam.

  I sighed. Crap. What was I going to do about him?

  Mason shifted in the bed. His arm lifted as he reached for me, but instead of letting him pull me back down, I sat up on the edge of the bed. Everything seemed harsh as I slipped away from the warmth of the blankets. The morning seemed brighter than normal, and it was damn cold.

  I didn't slide back under the covers. I couldn't close my eyes and burrow into him anymore. When he rolled back over and continued sleeping, I decided that this was the day everything either went to shit or everything went fine.

  With my mother, everything was probably going to go to shit.

  I ducked inside the shower before I dressed and headed out. I hoped to find someone still awake downstairs that could give me a ride back home, but if not then I would wake Mason. I just didn't want to. If he took me home, he would come inside and the confrontation would be worse.

  My hair was wet and I had Heather's clothes in a bag, grateful that Mason took some of my clothes with him to Nate's earlier. I thought his foresight had been ludicrous, but he hadn't. He was convinced I would be there sooner rather than later—he'd been right on two occasions already.

  When I slipped from the room, I didn't look at Mason. I couldn't or I would've crawled back with him.

  People were everywhere. Some had fallen asleep near the stairs, a few at the bottom of the stairs. As I circled around the set of couches on one side of the house, I saw a lot of people I didn't recognize. When I crossed over the center area and bypassed the square set of couches there, there were a few from my school. Then I smelled the coffee and a big smile came over me.

  That smell would pull me anywhere, but then I turned around. "Oh."

  Adam gave me a sheepish wave. "Hey."

  My stomach dropped. "Morning."

  He gestured to the coffee pot and slid his hands into his front pockets. The green polo and pants were wrinkled.

  When I glanced around to see who else was awake, Adam misunderstood. "It's six in the morning."

  "You stayed here last night?"

  Of course, he had. I flushed at the stupid question.

  He hesitated before he surged forward a step. Uncertainty was all over him as he cleared his throat, "Hey, uh, they're wrong, you know. I don't like them. I almost hate them, but not you. I don't want to hurt you. And I really meant it when I said I want to be friends. I…I told you about my dad, Sam."

  I didn't move. I didn't say a thing, but I waited. He had something to say so I would listen…I also needed a ride home…

  "I apologized for what I did and I came clean to Becky long ago." He jerked a tight shoulder up in a shrug. "She hasn't come to you, even though I told her that I came clean to you. That's on her; I'm more worried about my friendship with you. I do care about you and yeah, it might not be in the strictly platonic way, but I'm above that…or I'm trying to be above that. I'd never hurt you and I know hurting him would be hurting you too. I'd never sue. I don't want Mason and Logan to get between our friendship. I really do want to be your friend."

  He sounded sincere. He looked sincere, and I sighed. I hoped he was sincere because I needed a favor. "Can you give me a ride home?"

  He paused. Then he rapidly blinked in surprise. "That's it?"

  I shrugged. "What do you want? We already had our heart to heart."

  "Oh." He fell back against the counter. He seemed dumbstruck.

  I waited. I wasn't going to pour my heart to Adam. I had cared about him before and he'd been a friend at times, but I was desperate. Mason would be pissed that I snuck out, but I really needed to get home before he got there. Everything could be destroyed if I didn't get there first.

  "Look," I cleared my throat. This was going to sound awkward, but here went my best shot. "I—uh—as far as you and me, I figure we're good." As his shock deepened, I expanded, "I mean, I get it. You don't like Mason and Logan. You don't have to, but I knew that you wouldn't sue."

  Well, he might've, but that wasn't the situation at that time. My situation was at my house, where I needed to get. Now.

  My hands lifted in the air in a rolling motion. I needed this to hurry along. "So can you do me a favor?"

  "Ugh." A beat passed as he struggled to comprehend the sudden turn of events, but then he shot up from the counter. "Yeah, I uh, yeah." He raked a hand through his hair and looked around, then felt his pockets. "My keys…"

  He lost his keys in this house? With this amount of people? Panic started to rise up again…

  "Oh, wait!" He patted his back pockets and pulled them out. He gestured to the door. "Lead the way."

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  When he pulled into the driveway, I couldn't move. I had convinced myself that Adam could lie for me again. He would say that I fell asleep at his friend's house, where there were only Academy students at. But I couldn't bring myself to ask him to do that. I couldn't owe him any more, not after Mason almost beat him up.

  But the problem would still exist.

  Mason said there was a seven year limit. She could file charges within the next seven years and have that over our heads long into our adulthood. Then I remembered his other words—she didn't want to lose me. When an
image of the blood flashed in my head, I pushed it away. I couldn't keep going forward if I remained in the past. This wasn't then. This was now. Things were different.

  And, not really feeling the bravery that I was trying to convince myself I was, I thanked Adam for the ride.

  I felt like I was going to throw up.

  He frowned. "You okay?"

  No. "Yes."

  His frown deepened. "Are you sure?"

  No. "Yes."

  "Oookay. Uh." He was at a loss for words. "Well, I guess I'll see you later? What are you doing tonight?"

  I jerked back in my seat as I saw the front door open. My mom poked her head out as she lifted a hand to shade her eyes. I knew the exact second she saw me in the car and when she saw who was with me. Her shoulders visibly dropped two inches, and then she gave me a small wave before she went back inside.

  I let out the breath I'd been holding.

  "Sam." Adam touched my arm. He had turned to face me completely. "Are you sure everything's alright? You said things weren't good with your mom and your relationship with Mason. Is there more to it? Things seemed heated in the room last night. I don't think I'm overstepping my role as your friend by being worried here." He stopped, then slumped back in his seat. "I'd really just like to help."

  "No, I'm sorry." I tried to give him a reassuring smile. "I've gotta take care of something right now, but hey, I'm working at Manny's now if you ever want to come for food or something."

  "That bar I picked you up from last night? You work there?"

  I nodded, but shrunk back. I hadn't explained that to Mason yet either. He still thought I'd been alone at a bar before. Ugh. A headache was threatening to come, but I pressed my hands to my temples. It couldn't, not now.

  "I'll see you later, Adam." As I shut the door, I gave him a small wave.

  I didn't wait for him to leave; I turned around and regarded the mansion. It was as intimidating as it had been the first day we moved in, but this time it was from my family inside, not the Kades. When I went inside, I saw the green light on the security system and figured Analise had turned it off for the day. It'd been red when I headed out for the second run/two hour walk.

  "Hi, honey."

  I stiffened in the doorway, but went further towards the kitchen. Her tone was cheery, too cheery. When I rounded the corner there was a pile of mail in front of her. She was sorting through it as the coffee was brewing behind her.

  What the hell?

  My mom was the epitome of the perfect housewife, make-up all done, hair sprayed into place, and a sexy white robe that showed off the lacy nightgown underneath. There was a good hello peek at her cleavage.

  I narrowed my eyes. Then I realized that she thought I had been with Adam all night. Anger rushed through me. Adam was okay, but Mason wasn't? Why was that? But I kept it from boiling out as I asked, in a controlled voice, "What are you doing?"

  "Oh, nothing. You want some coffee?" She turned for the cups.

  "No."

  Nothing. She didn't pause. She only grabbed one for herself and then added some creamer to it.

  I waited as she rested on one of the stools, and then went back to looking through the mail. A big fat envelope was plopped on the table. She pushed it towards me.

  "What's that?"

  She shrugged. Drops of the sun could've dripped from her voice. "Oh, nothing. I think that's a college application."

  "What?"

  It said Columbia University, with a New York address in the top corner. What the hell? "I never requested an application from them."

  "Maybe I did."

  Her head came up now and there was an underlying message there. Our gazes caught and held. I found myself unable to breathe as I tried to sort through what she was doing. Then it clicked. And I couldn't believe it.

  My voice was soft, so soft, "You're going to pay for my college tuition there?"

  She picked up the coffee mug, smooth and smug now. "Maybe." Then she took a sip. Her eyes never wavered.

  Bitch.

  I drew in another breath. I couldn't believe this was happening. "You're bribing me?"

  Her eyes narrowed to slits. Her hand tightened on the handle, but she didn't stutter. "Yes."

  "Because?"

  My heart started to pound now. The thumping sounded closer together, harder against my chest.

  "I know where you were last night, Samantha. Do you think I'm an idiot?"

  A choked laugh ripped from me. "Things would be a lot easier if you were."

  She drew in a soft breath. Her knuckles were now white as she gripped the mug. It started to shake from her hold. "Are you fucking with me?"

  Something shifted in her gaze and the wall fell down. Malice and meanness shone through and that was the mom I remembered six years ago. She was the one I heard as she destroyed our entire house. My gut shifted at the reminder.

  "It's your fault!" she screeched with wild eyes before she lunged at me. Her finger had pointed at me, but then it turned into a fist. I closed my eyes as I braced for the impact—

  I spat out now, "You heard me."

  The mug shattered on the floor. She never moved, not an inch, as her eyes were glued to mine. Outrage poured in them, but then the fury gurgled up. A strangled scream started from the base of her throat—

  "Honey?" James appeared from around the corner.

  The scream stopped short and she blanched. She fell back two steps as everything was stuffed back into place. The warm and sunny façade she had when I got home was back in full force. She was sugary sweet again. "Honey! Good morning."

  I felt punched in the stomach. I stumbled backwards.

  "Sam?" James sent me a frown. "Are you okay?"

  With a hand over me, as if she really had kicked me, I couldn't look away. I was disgusted. This was my mother. This was the woman that gave birth to me, tried to use me to keep Garrett, and then found another man to raise me as his own. Had she ever loved David?

  I saw her now with James and I thought she really loved him. I thought that was why she left David for him, but now I wondered. Did she even love James? She couldn't have, not if she was going to turn Mason in for statutory rape. She had to know that he would be irate with her. She would've ruined Mason's life. That was his son. I didn't know James that well, but I knew he loved Mason and Logan. I knew he would do what was right, what he thought was right. That was why he supported her and sent his sons away. He thought he was doing the right thing for her relationship with her daughter, because he understood from his own point of view of being a father.

  My mouth fell open as I studied her.

  She frowned at me, behind James.

  Oh god.

  I gasped and I knew what she'd been planning on doing. It couldn't wait, not when he was there. I had to do what I could to foil her plan. I blurted out, "She's going to press charges against Mason!"

  A fierce frown flared over James. He turned, slightly to Analise, who paled at my words.

  I pointed a finger at her. My voice rose because I was so sure of it now. "You were going to press charges against him and then you were going to try and take it back, weren't you? When he found out, you knew he would've been furious so you would pretend that you hadn't thought." I could hear it now. She would cry, acting desperate and so despondent. My voice hardened, "You would've told him that you hadn't thought it through, that you were so desperate to keep me from him. You were, weren't you? That was your plan. And you were going to go and try to drop the charges, but you know they can't do that. I bet that once you make a claim like that, they can't drop it. They have to pursue it and you wouldn't be blamed for it at all."