Fallen Fourth Down (Fallen Crest #4)

by Tijan

  Fuck. She tasted good.

  Her hands lifted and bunched my shirt collar in her fists. When I started to lift up again, she pulled me back down, taking command. It wasn’t long before my hand was inside her shirt, nudging underneath her bra. I was two seconds from opening her jeans and shoving mine down when I remembered these rooms had cameras.

  FUCK!

  Ripping my mouth from hers, I rested my forehead against hers. I wanted to be between her legs, feel her body underneath mine, writhing as I moved inside her, slow and steady and harder, as we both forgot where one began and one ended.

  She whispered, panting, “Can we please take a separate car from them?” Her hand went to my pants and began kneading the bulge there.

  I laughed, turning into her neck. Kissing her, I murmured, “I think we’ll have to. God, I’ve missed you.” I couldn’t stop myself. I lifted her in my arms again, hoisting her high so her legs wrapped back around my waist, so she could look down at me. Her eyes were dark with lust, glazed over from it, and she let out one of those small sighs of frustration.

  Her hand lifted, and she ran her fingers through my hair, cupping my cheek. She smiled down at me. I saw the love and warmth, but I paused as I saw more. There was misery and pure agony. Something was wrong and I didn’t think it was just from our separation. I bit my tongue. I wanted to question her, push her buttons so she spilled what was wrong, but that wouldn’t work anymore for us. Sam needed to tell me on her own.

  My own pain sliced through me. There was distance between us, physical and emotional. My hand lifted and I rubbed a thumb over her lips, lingering over the bottom. I murmured, “I know something’s wrong.”

  She stilled.

  I never looked away from her. “I can’t push you to talk anymore, Sam. You have to tell me on your own. This won’t work otherwise.”

  A tear formed and, biting her lip, she jerked her head in a nod. Some of her hair fell forward to block her face, and I tucked it behind her ear, my hand lingering there. I began to make circles on her cheek with my thumb. It was a loving gesture, and my god, I loved this girl. Feeling a surge of that emotion go through me, it pushed the pain away. We’d be fine. We’d have to be.

  I let her back down to the floor, but kept her in my arms. Resting my chin on the top of her head, her arms slid around my chest, and she burrowed into me again. I asked, “Will you tell me what’s wrong?”

  I felt her nodding against my shoulder.

  This was important. The urgency of it coursed through, me and I tipped her head back up. Our eyes collided and held. “I mean it, Sam. You have to tell me. This shit is work. We both have to put into it. No running.”

  “I won’t.” A small grin tugged at the corner of her mouth, and she cupped my face in her hands. “I promise. I won’t.”

  “What’s wrong?” Because I knew there was something going on. “Is this about your dad?” No… That didn’t feel right. It was something else.

  She hesitated.

  “Sam.”

  She shook her head. “You know me and my family. Terrifying. But no, I just…” She faded and glanced away.

  I bit back my words. I wanted to make her tell me, but Matteo’s words stayed with me. His woman smacked him back into place when he faltered. Sam didn’t do that for me. It hurt to acknowledge that. We needed to have that. I hadn’t known how bothered I had been when he said those words, but it did. Sam rarely put me in my place.

  “Sam,” I whispered.

  “I know. There is something, but I’m not ready to talk about it.” She held my gaze, and I saw she meant what she was saying. She added, “I will tell you, but not yet.”

  “You will?”

  She nodded. A small tear slipped out and trailed down her cheek. She ignored it. “I love you so much.”

  I nodded, then pulled her back to me. Her head tipped back and her lips raised for mine. I brushed mine against them. I wanted to make love to her that night. I wanted to show her that everything would be fine, that she could tell me anything, but I also just wanted to hold her and not let go. Feeling all that, I applied more pressure to the kiss, and she sighed from contentment.

  It was later, much later, when we finally left that room and headed down to the parking lot. I was grateful Logan gave us that moment of privacy. It was needed. When Sam was gone, there wasn’t just literal distance between us. It was like we were on the same page, but there was a tear between us. Seeing her again helped to mend that tear. We were on the same page again. She felt like home again.

  My hand tightened around hers. She squeezed back.

  When we got to Logan’s car, Logan threw his arms around us, separating us again. I shot her a grin when she stepped back. I clasped my arms around him. “Hey, man.”

  Logan pounded me twice on the back before letting go. A wide grin stretched over his face. “I feel hornier than a dog who almost got his balls snipped off. Shit, man. Your face is gorgeous. Have you always been this fine specimen?”

  I laughed, shoving him away. “Hump your woman, not your brother.”

  It felt good to have him there. It felt good to have them both there. Logan threw his head back, grabbing for his woman’s hand again. He continued smirking at me. “Dinner? I know I’m starving.”

  And then a party and booze. I knew that was where Logan was going, but I shook my head as I grabbed for Sam’s hand again. “Change of plans. Let’s hit the frat place first, and briefly.” I paused. Logan narrowed his eyes and a spark flashed for a second. There was a story there, but he slid his eyes to his girlfriend and gave me a small shake of his head. Message received. I’d ask later, so I added, “And my roommate wants to meet you guys.”

  “Matt?”

  “Matteo. It’s his birthday this weekend. We had a dinner last night, but he was tame.” He sat on my bed later in the evening for a ‘serious’ talk about Park Sebastian. The talk never started. Matteo declared that he was hot and started taking his clothes off. I went to the bathroom and when I came back, he was spread eagle on my bed, naked. Too much sake had him snoring loud enough to wake the two rooms on both sides of us. I corrected myself, “I think he was tame last night. I’ve got a feeling tonight will be a night to remember with him.”

  “Where’s he at?”

  “They’re at Cliché.”

  Logan’s girlfriend jerked forward, clinging to my brother’s arm with both hands.

  “What?”

  “Did you say Cliché?”

  “Yeah.”

  Logan glanced to her. “What?”

  “That’s the hottest club here. Oh my god. We’re going there?”

  Sam sighed beside me.

  Logan prodded, “Have you been there?”

  Her lips pressed tight and she shook her head, but a squeal left her.

  “All right,” I continued. She’d been annoying this summer, but as she started bobbing up and down and more squeals left her, I held back the usual blast I might’ve given someone in the past. Logan liked her. I had to deal with it.

  “Sorry.” Her cheeks were red. “We used to live not far from here, and I know it’s the place to go. Charlie used to go there a ton, but she’s forbidden me to ever step foot inside.” She started clapping. “I’m so excited.”

  Logan was grinning at her. “And this is why your sister hates me.”

  “I don’t care.” She began waving her hands instead. “I’m so excited. You guys have no idea. This place is epic.”

  “Well, whatever.” Her hands fell down at my abrupt tone. I ignored how she jumped back a step, and said to Logan, “The birthday party’s there. I figured we’d go. Nate can show off his house to you guys, and we can head there after?”

  “Sounds good to me.” Logan’s tone turned predator-like. He shared a look with Sam, who didn’t say a word. When she saw that I caught the brief exchange, she gave me a slight nod and slanted her eyes towards Logan’s girlfriend.

  I got the message so I said, “Give me a ride to my car? We can hea
d to your hotel, switch it up, and take one car?”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  We piled into the car and left for where my car was parked, clear on the other side of the stadium. On the drive to Logan and his girlfriend’s hotel, Sam told me what had happened between Logan, Park, and also Nate. I wasn’t surprised. The guy was a dick, but I also knew that I might need to watch Logan a little more than I had planned.

  I waited in the parking lot as Logan and his girlfriend went to check in. They took their bags up to the room, and Sam put her bags in my car. She was standing next to me when Logan came back out. Seeing that he was alone, I didn’t waste time.

  “Sam told me what happened with Park.”

  Logan sneered. “That guy’s a dick.”

  “I know.”

  “He needs to be brought down.”

  “Not by you and not tonight.”

  Logan’s head reared back an inch. “Say what? He’s a fight waiting to happen. The guy’s a creep about you.”

  “I know, but I’m going to handle it, and I’m going to do it on my timetable.” Logan snorted. He began to turn away, but I caught his arm. He looked back, reassessing me. I told him, “I mean it. You get to leave. I don’t. This is my world, and I’ll handle him when I have to. Right now, I don’t have to. All he’s doing is kissing ass.”

  “Whatever. Yeah. Fine.”

  “I mean it, Logan.”

  “I know.” He gentled his tone. “I mean it. I know. I’ll bite my fucking, no-nonsense, butt-muncher tongue tonight. It’s your call. I’ll follow your lead.”

  I relaxed, slightly. “Butt-muncher?”

  He flashed me a grin, his eyes darted to Sam’s, and he shrugged. “You see. That’s what happens when you get all big and old and move away to a Division One school. You miss out on inside jokes, like what a butt-muncher is.”

  His girlfriend came out of the hotel and headed our way. I glanced at Sam. She rolled her eyes. “It’s really not that funny—”

  “Ah,” Logan cut her off. “But it’s our funny. It’s Fallen Crest funny.” He pretended to sneer at me. “And you’ll never know.”

  His girlfriend got to us, threw her arms around Logan’s neck, and the two kissed. I punched him in the arm and he broke it off to glare at me. “Yes?”

  “Keys, asshole.” I flashed him a grin. “You get backseat, bitch.”

  Handing the keys over, he pressed them into my hand harder than necessary. Yeah, he got my slight insult. My grin grew as I got behind the steering wheel. Sam sat next to me, and the two gropers slid into the back. I turned the car around and headed for Nate’s fraternity house.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  When we got to the fraternity house, Nate met us at the door. He gave me a slight frown. “I thought you were doing dinner first?”

  “Change of plans.”

  “Oh.” He continued to frown. “Okay.” A quick smile covered his face and he reached behind him. Tossing a beer to Logan, he said, “Help yourself. I figured you wanted to release some stress this weekend?” A second beer was handed to Logan’s girlfriend. She took it and her eyes lit up like Nate had given her a hundred dollars.

  The girl was weird.

  Logan laughed, throwing his arm around her shoulders. He jerked his chin up, saying to Nate, “Forget the bullshit about who you’re bunking with, you’re a good man to me.” He glanced sideways at me as he added, “I’m all about staying out of trouble, you know.”

  I grinned, but Nate narrowed his eyes. “Uh. Okay.” He turned to me. “Anything I should know about?”

  “We might not stay long.”

  “Yeah.” A knowing look came over him. “I figured.”

  Logan snorted, opened his beer, and took a swallow. As he finished, he gestured the beer to me. “Mase wants to put off the battles for as long as possible, but we all know his tolerance for ass kissers. He’s got none. Do him a favor, Nate, stop bringing your buddies around him.”

  “Oh god,” Sam groaned beside me.

  Logan’s girlfriend squeaked and moved an inch behind the group. Logan was riled up. He wanted to fight. Sam saw it too and we shared a look. It was going to happen.

  Nate just sighed.

  Catching Logan’s gaze, I looked pointedly at his girlfriend. I wanted to talk, but not in front of her. He rolled his eyes, but got the message. “Kris?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You said you wanted to go to the bathroom.” With a hand behind her back, he propelled her further inside the house. “Maybe Nate can show you where it is?”

  That was his signal. He didn’t want Nate to be a part of our talk. And Nate got it. His nostril’s flared, his jaw clenched, but he forced out a polite smile. “Of course. I’ll take you to my own bathroom. It’s clean and private.”

  “Oh good.”

  His hand replaced Logan’s on her back and he guided her forward, but shot Logan a dark look over his shoulder. Logan lifted his beer in a salute.

  I snorted.

  Sam began to move to the side of the patio, but I shook my head. “No.”

  Gesturing to the window right next to it, Logan added, “You have no idea what they can hear.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  I led the way off the patio, to a corner of the yard. A few people had gathered outside, but they weren’t paying any attention to us. I looked at my brother. “What’s got you worked up? Did you really hate Sebastian that much?” He was annoying, but damn, a bug could be squashed easily. Logan’s reaction didn’t make sense.

  He shook his head. “Whatever. I’ll be nice. No worries.”

  I glanced at Sam. “Something else happen that I don’t know about?”

  Logan snorted. “Like she’d answer that truthfully.”

  My alarms shot up and studying Sam, I caught the glare she sent his way. Her lips pressed tight, and she shook her head, turning away. She’d been present with me. I felt her. But Sam could slip away. Her mind would leave the room, thinking about other things, shutting her emotions off, but I knew it was because of Analise. Being raised by a monster like that would leave scars, deep scars, but I had felt her just now. She’d been present. She’d been real. She’d been raw.

  She was gone again. Her walls were back up. I touched her elbow, tugging her to me. “Hey. What’s going on?”

  She began to shake her head when Logan muttered, “Shocker.” She stopped, and her glare got colder.

  I looked between the two of them. “What the hell is going on?” They were involved in a heated stand-off.

  Sam crossed her arms over her chest, but one of her hands broke free. She gestured to Logan. “Ask him. We were fine this morning and now he’s ready to rip into the world. The guy was an ass, but Mason’s right. He wasn’t that bad.”

  Logan rolled his eyes. “Maybe I’m just sick of the bullshit and lies going on. Something is obviously going on with you, and you won’t say a word about it to me. This,” his finger moved in a circle between the three of us, “is a joke. I’m in Fallen Crest, but it’s like I’m a stranger to you. Coming here, and—” He stopped and cursed. “Whatever. I’m fine. I’m sorry.” He sent me an apologetic look. “Sam’s been distant as hell since you left. I have to fight with my girlfriend’s sister just so I can see her. We went five rounds today. That’s why we’re late. Seeing Nate with that douchebag. What the hell, man? It’s like he doesn’t even want to be friends with you anymore. That pisses me the fuck off. I just want to punch someone.”

  Sam wasn’t letting him in. I grunted in response. I could relate. There were times her wall was up to me and it hurt like hell to break through it, but I couldn’t do anything about it. As for the rest… “Nate wants to branch out and make new friends. I don’t blame him. My friends are going to be my teammates. I’m not too interested in making new friends up here.”

  “Still.” Logan cursed again, then downed the rest of his beer. When it was empty, he crushed it and left to toss it in a garbage can by the house. Nate and Logan’s girlfrien
d came back onto the patio. Both wore uncertain expressions and Logan’s whole demeanor changed. He’d been tense and wanted to rip into someone, but as she stepped outside, his shoulders went back, his head lifted, and I knew he stuffed all that down. As she laughed at something Nate said, she went to Logan and he wrapped his arms around her legs, lifting her in the air and whirling her in a circle. She laughed, hitting at his shoulder, but Logan moved her further away from everyone.

  That was on purpose. When he set her back down, he met my gaze. I knew he wanted to leave and turning, I caught the knowing look on Nate’s face again. He headed off the patio and approached us. He skimmed a look at where Logan remained, and said to me, “You’re going?”

  “It’s for the best.”

  “Logan’s in a mood?”

  I didn’t answer. I wasn’t going to throw Logan under the bus. Nate knew I wouldn’t and he didn’t wait for a reply. He said to Sam, “It was good seeing you for a little bit. I wanted to show you the alumni room. My dad’s picture is in there.” He nodded towards me. “So is his. It’s kinda cool to see all the history.”

  “Yeah.”

  I grinned. I couldn’t stop it. Sam had been silent most of the time, but that one word told us all how uncomfortable she was. As my hand touched the small of her back, I felt how tense she was. Maybe I needed to push more and find out what was wrong? I knew it was bothering Logan as well.

  Distracting me, Nate said, “Park wanted me to invite you to a dinner we’re doing at the end of the month. I promised him I would invite you. Some of the alumni are coming back, including my dad.”

  We both knew I wouldn’t go. I didn’t even respond. “I’m sure we’ll go out for breakfast or lunch tomorrow. Did you want to come?”

  “That sounds good,” Nate said.

  “Okay.”

  “Bye, Nate.”

  “See ya, Sam.”

  Logan had gone ahead for the car. When we got to the sidewalk and before we got to the car, I asked Sam, “You’ve been distant with Logan?”

  She stiffened again, then jerked her shoulder up in an abrupt shrug. “It’s nothing. I mean, it’s me doing my thing, but it’s nothing.”