by Tijan
She muttered, “I was just hoping to hang out. None of that crap.”
I began to look around, but Kate was gone. No. I saw her. She was grinding against a different guy. When she saw me looking, she gave me a smug smirk, but I didn’t care. She could do whatever she wanted and thanks to this girl’s appearance, I was in a certain mood now. Feeling the old restlessness and anger in me, it was all boiling together. I needed to get laid or I’d end up getting in a fight. As if sensing my mood, Logan lifted his head from Tate’s neck and frowned at me. I narrowed my eyes at him, but turned away when he began to lift his girlfriend off of his lap.
As he approached us, he looked her up and down, throwing an arm around my shoulder. “Who’s this, brother?”
I shrugged his arm off. “Sarah Cast.”
“Hey guys.”
I tensed when Tate came over to the group. Her tone was friendly, but she was trying to dissect the girl with her eyes. Logan cast me a questionable look. He had felt me stiffen next to him, but he didn’t say anything.
Logan frowned, leaning back against the counter beside me. Tate laughed softly. “What’s going on?”
I said to Tate, “Why’d you come over here? We were fine.” Tate had been doing that shit a lot lately. If a girl was talking to me, she came over. The only time she didn’t was if it was Kate. Those two had started to pretend they were friends. They weren’t. They only thought they were fooling the other.
“Mason.”
Tate’s head reared back. “Fuck, Mason. Do you always have to be an asshole?”
“Yes. Why do you always have to poke your nose where it’s not needed?”
“My boyfriend is over here.” She gestured to Logan. “Excuse me if I wanted to know what was going on. He left me over there for you.”
“Yeah,” I shot back at her. “He left you over there for a reason. He didn’t bring you with him.” Then I remembered the girl was still there and said to her, “Go. None of it’s going to happen, even if you’re interested. I’m not anymore.”
She hurried off. Then Tate started, “Mason.”
I rounded on her. “You’re not wanted here.”
She looked at Logan. “That’s your brother.”
He started to say something and didn’t. Instead, he lifted his shoulders up and let them fall. “You’re butting in, Tate.”
“You always butt in. Butt out.” I glared at her. “Go away.”
“Logan.” She pointed at me. “Are you going to let him talk to me like that? Really?”
He started again, but I cut him off this time. “I didn’t come to you. You came to me. Go. Away.”
“Unfuckingbelievable,” she hissed out, and left, shoving through the crowd. They scattered at the sight of Tate, her jaw clenched, her eyes enraged, as she passed through without hitting anyone. Like a flock of birds, they moved back together in her wake and turned back to watch us.
I looked at Logan. “Your girlfriend’s pissed.”
“Uh yeah. With good reason.” He shook his head, but he didn’t seem too concerned. “Why do you talk to her like that? It’s been getting worse lately.”
Because she’d been more of a whore lately. I hadn’t told him about the times when I was in the gym at home and she would come in to use the treadmill. The speed was so low, she barely moved. She just watched me, but there were others. She would come in my room when he was sleeping; there were times when she would ask if I would make food for her; or if I was in the pool, she would come out to race laps. My friendliness waned the more frequent those occasions happened and it had turned into hostility when I saw her outside my bedroom door the other night. She waited, listened through the door, and lifted her hand to turn the knob. I watched from down the hallway when I was coming back from the kitchen. Kate was in my room, and when she said something on the phone, Tate hurried away. She went back to Logan’s room and shut the door, but her whole demeanor had been guilty. Her shoulders tightened. She never looked around. She fled.
She was a migraine waiting to happen. I had no idea how to stop it from coming. Logan wouldn’t believe me, not unless I had proof. He loved her.
“She’s not my girlfriend. She doesn’t have to involve herself when I’m around,” I said
Logan let out a short laugh. “Are you kidding? She practically lives with us.”
That was the problem. Tate wanted something. I was starting to think every chick wanted something. Glancing over, my gaze lingered on Sarah. She was with her friends. She paused, watching me back and then tilted her head to the side and grinned at me. It was an invitation for more. My stomach clenched from anger. Even now, even after I laid it out how her mother wanted to use her, the girl was actually interested.
I was beginning to believe no girl was trustworthy.
8
CAUGHT
I could hear Logan and Tate in the hallway. She was giggling, then she shrieked, and his door shut a second later. His room was down the hall, but when his music switched on, I grinned. He was getting it on.
My phone buzzed. It was a text from Kate. Want me to come over?
I leaned back from my desk. I’d been trying to do homework. Fischer had a party tonight, but I opted out. Coach wanted me to come in for extra training in the morning so I chose to stay in and be responsible.
Where are you?
Horny. That’s where I am.
I grinned, but typed back, I’m good. Talk to you tomorrow. Then I waited. Kate hated being rejected and I’d been rejecting her a lot lately. It was a while before my phone buzzed again. F U. Yep. I laughed. She was pissed. Logan kept telling me to hook up with other girls; that it would put Kate back in her place. To be honest, I didn’t mind other girls, but I wasn’t a whore and Kate was good in bed. She knew me. I knew her. It was comfortable and easy. The clingy shit was getting old though. I debated my next move. I could text back a smart-ass comment or leave it alone.
I sighed and tossed my phone in my drawer. I left it alone. Sometimes it was fun to see how pissed I could make her, but I didn’t want to deal with her anymore. She’d find another guy tonight and think I would care. I hoped she wouldn’t bring it up because I wouldn’t care. If another guy was dealing with her, good for him. She hated being reminded how little I gave a shit.
I had other things to deal with. With a plan set in my mind, I went downstairs for a quick mile sprint in the gym. When I came back, the hallway was dark and the music in Logan’s room had been turned off. When I passed his door, I didn’t hear a sound, so I figured they had passed out. Because of that, I didn’t lock my door. I had started to when Tate was around. She liked trying to spend time in my room. One time she brought her textbook and spread out on the couch before I even realized what she was doing. I had been about to kick her out, but Logan came in and lifted her feet so he could sit on the other end of the couch.
I hadn’t liked it and asked Logan the next day why he had his girlfriend hanging out in my room. He was startled and responded with, “Why not? I’m in there all the time anyway.”
I wanted to tell him his girlfriend was a skank, but I kept quiet. She hadn’t done anything wrong. My gut told me she would. It was only a matter of time. When I mentioned to him about seeing her outside of my room one night when Kate was inside, he laughed. He said, “Oh yeah. She told me about that. She wanted to talk to you about my birthday, but didn’t want to deal with Kate. Can you blame her?”
That told me two things: one, she was smart and she covered her bases; and two, he wouldn’t have believed me. He wouldn’t want to hear what my gut said about her; he was in love with her. So since that night, I kept my door locked. Logan questioned me about it and I told him the truth, “I don’t want to deal with the skanks in this house.” He assumed I meant our dad’s women. I let him. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to tackle a fight with him. It would’ve been because of a girl, and I didn’t like letting a girl have that power over my relationship with my brother.
When I went to take a shower and came back out, I
saw that fight had come to me instead. I was glad that I pulled my boxers on inside the bathroom. Tate was sitting on my couch. The room was dark, but I wasn’t an idiot. I knew what was going to happen so I grabbed my phone and pressed two on my speed dial for Logan without hesitation. This was her move, and she was doing it even though I never gave her any encouragement. Fine. So be it. I was going to record her. I silenced the phone so she wouldn’t hear and kept it hidden in my hand. Then I went and flipped the light on.
“Man, that’s bright.”
Ignoring her, I went to my desk and hit the webcam button. When it came up on screen, I hit record then hid the window right away. As I did, I turned it around so it was on Tate. Then I asked, “What are you doing here?”
She blinked, startled by my harsh tone, but smoothed it over with a grin. “Logan passed out. We were having sex.”
“I’m aware.”
She paused. I was cold to her, but she’d been trying to get close for months now, she was used to my attitude. She wasn’t going to stop. I saw the determination flash in her eyes. She gave me a seductive smile, turned her head so it was slanted, and said softly, “I didn’t cum with him, you know.”
“How’s that my problem?”
Her head went down. Then her hand went to her waist. She was only wearing a long t-shirt. It was obvious she wasn’t wearing a bra and I doubted she had on anything else. She stood and her hand slid down to the edge of her shirt and she touched between her legs. “I was hoping you would help me out.” Her voice went low and throaty. She started to walk towards me. One slow step at a time. Her mouth curved up at one side and she licked her lips, holding my gaze. “I’ve been hoping for a long time, Mason.”
“Stay by the couch.”
I didn’t want her near me. She mistook it as a different command. Her eyes lit up and her mouth fell open. She was panting. “I think about you, when he’s in me.”
I closed my eyes. Shit. He was going to hear that.
“I love Logan. I do, but he’s not you. I think about touching you all the time. I think about being with you.” As she talked, her finger slid inside her. Her hand moved and I knew she was going in and out in rhythm with her words. Her voice dropped to a whisper, “I get so jealous when Kate’s with you.” She grimaced, a flash of pain came over her face, and she groaned a little. “When I hear her voice in here, it takes everything in me not to come in and drag her out.” Her hand began moving again, harder this time. “Mason, come over here.”
Disgust rolled over me in waves. She was a spectacle for me to watch and knowing how this would hurt Logan stripped any normal response a guy would have watching a girl finger herself. It left me angry and the need to make sure she paid for this. She was trying to come between us. She wouldn’t.
“Mason?” A small note of confusion intermingled with her lust. Her other hand reached up and she grasped onto her hair, pulling at it until she let her hand drop to her throat, then to her chest. Her hand lingered between her breasts. They were erect against her shirt. As she held my gaze, a small smirk formed, although I’m sure she meant for it to be teasing and alluring. Her hand slid over and covered her breast. Her thumb moved in circles over the tip. She was doing this for me. She wanted to see that I wanted her, that I was enjoying this.
I cleared my throat, unsure how far to take this. This was enough. It would tear Logan up. She moaned. “Mason.” Her head went back, exposing her throat and she reached for her shirt. She pulled it off and let it fall to the floor. Her hand was going faster now, her breasts were moving in rhythm, her breathing was speeding up. “Please,” she whimpered. Her hand went back to her breast, now touching it without a barrier. She wasn’t even looking at me anymore. “Please, Mason. Come touch me. I want you in me instead of my hand.”
I glanced down at my phone. The call had been picked up; Logan was still listening. The door swung open silently. His phone was pressed to his ear as he came inside. She had no idea he was there. When he looked at me, there was no emotion. I shook my head and gestured to my computer.
Logan frowned, but soon realized. I was pointing to the webcam. His phone dropped from his hand, landing with a thud on the floor.
Tate’s head snapped back and she saw him. She gasped, and she scrambled for her shirt. “Logan!”
He was seething. There was rage in his eyes and his hands were in fists. He jerked forward a step. “Get. Out.”
“Logan.” She glanced at me.
I held my phone up. “I called him.”
He ground out, “I heard everything.”
“Oh.” She paled. “Oh my god.” Pulling her shirt on, she wavered on her feet like she was going to fall down. Her hand pressed to her stomach. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Welcome to the fucking club.” Logan never looked away from her. The rage was there, but it was held in control. Barely.
I stood from my chair. Casting a concerned gaze over my brother, I said to her, “Get out. Now.”
“Mason—” She started walking toward to me.
“STOP!”
She jumped back, her eyes large and horrified as she watched Logan with caution now. Her jaw started trembling. “Logan,” she whispered, “please—”
“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!”
She choked out, “Oh my god.” Then she fled. When she turned to go to his room, he went after her.
“Logan.” I caught him and held him back.
“GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE! NOW!”
She froze, then a strangled gasp ripped from her. “My clothes.”
“Fuck your clothes. I tossed ‘em.”
Her eyes got even bigger. “What?”
A bitter laugh came from him; it was harsh and ugly sounding. “Why do you think it took me so long to get here? Your clothes are gone, bitch. Get the fuck out of this house. Now!” He jerked forward against my arm again, but I felt the control in him. He was still holding it back. She just didn’t know it.
She stumbled back a step. “I have to go out like this—”
“GET THE FUCK OUT!”
A hallway light switched on from the third floor. I cursed. Our dad was up. Then I snapped at her, “Get the fuck out of here or I’m calling the cops.”
“But—”
“NOW!”
“What the hell is going on down here?” Our dad was coming down the stairs. As he got to the last step, he tightened his robe and gazed around the group. He frowned. “Why doesn’t this girl have pants on? Why don’t you have a shirt on, Mason? Logan? What is going on?”
I stepped forward. Logan was close to snapping so I pushed him inside.
He resisted. “No.”
“I’ll take care of it,” I told him. “You’re going to lose it soon.”
He bit out another harsh-sounding laugh, but leaned around me. “He recorded you.”
“Oh no.” Her mouth fell open again, and she fell against the wall. “Oh god no.”
“Every fucking thing. He recorded it from the beginning and he called me. I heard the entire thing, not part of it, not a little bit of it. The whole fucking thing. You’re done, Tate. You’re goddamn done. No one will want to be your friend.”
“Go.” I shoved him inside and pulled the door shut. Logan tried to open it again, but I held it firm and waited until he let go.
He continued to yell through the door, “You want to fuck my brother? You think you can play us? You have got another think coming, Tate! I know you. I know all your goddamn secrets. I know how to make you suffe—” He cut himself off and a sick laugh came next. “FUCK! You went after my brother, that’s my family. He’s my blood, and if you’d—you bitch!”
She started whimpering. “What am I going to do?”
I whipped around and got in her face. She backed up, a startled gasp in her throat, and slammed against the wall. I leaned close, keeping only an inch between us. I’d been holding it back. I wanted her to show her real self and she had. All of my contempt and my own anger had been kept in check. It
was about Logan then, but not anymore. Logan was in my room. He wasn’t coming out. It was her and me, so I let my mask fall. When she saw my loathing, the near hatred I had for her, she began crying. Large tears gathered in her eyes and they fell. She didn’t stop them. She gasped for air instead, but kept quiet, watching me as if her life depended on it.
“You will leave this house. You will leave my brother alone. You won’t email him, Facebook him, text him, tweet him, you won’t do anything except wait until he chooses to talk to you again. If he’s walking down a hallway, you leave. If he enters a room, you leave the room or you stay in the farthest corner away from him that you can. Now,” I paused, “I won’t say it again. Leave this house.”
James beckoned for her. “Come on. I’ll call a driver for you.”
When she edged away from me and went to him, I shook my head. “You’ll call a cab. Not a driver.”
He took hold of her arm and frowned at her. “Does she have clothes?”
She was sobbing, but said around them, “Logan did something to them.”
He sighed. “Of course.” Then he said to me, “I am not going to call for a cab. If she’s hurt somehow on her way home, she could sue us. I won’t have her damaging this family any more than she has.” He pointed to my room. “And whatever you have recorded, you will delete it immediately. She could sue for that as well.”
“Dad—”
“Delete it, Mason.” His eyes flashed a warning. “You’re thinking short-term. I’m thinking long-term. I have no doubt she will hurt within her social groups. I know both of you have power among your friends at school, but those are both items that tread into a different system, one that you could get hurt from. I might be an asshole father, but I’m still a father and that’s what I’m doing right now. Delete it. Now.”
He didn’t wait for a response. He went forward and led a sobbing Tate with him. It wasn’t long before the front door opened and they were outside. In some way, I was happy that she didn’t wait for a car inside. Then I went back to my room. Logan was sitting in front of my computer. The video was up and I saw that he had watched it. He was pale, calm, and there were tears sliding down his face.