"Really?"

Jeff shifted beside me on the couch. "I'm going to get something to drink. Sam?"

I held out my cup, but he left without it.

As I frowned after him, Lydia took his seat. "She's not playing with just him, but a bunch of others. I'm sure he doesn't even notice her, but maybe. Maybe they'll start to date. Could you imagine that? Being Logan Kade's girlfriend?"

"He's not that great, Lydia."

She frowned. Some of the drunken haze tried to clear up. "What do you mean? Have you talked to him?" Then she nodded to herself. "That'd make sense. You were out there. You saw the whole thing. Did they threaten you? You've never said a word about the car bombs. People don't know that you witnessed the whole thing. I bet they told you to shut up about it, didn't they?"

I gripped her arm tight.

She kept on, "Can you imagine being threatened by them? I'd have a hard time trying not to jump in their arms. Mason's so dreamy…"

Some people near us started to pay attention to the conversation. I saw their glances and as she rambled on, I felt more and more attention. My hand squeezed harder. "Lydia."

"Huh?" She tried again to focus on me.

"Shut up." I had a death grip on her now.

She gave me a silly smile. "Or did you get it on with them? I wouldn't blame you, especially with Jeff. Who cares about him, right?"

I snapped and stood up. "Would you give it a rest? They're not that great and my lovelife, if it is one or not, isn't your business."

When I whirled to stalk out of the room, I stopped short. Logan stood in the doorway with a cup in hand and a pool stick in the other. Some of his friends were around, but Jessica had a hand on his arm. She frowned when she saw me, but glanced up to Logan with a small smile on her lips.

Logan narrowed his eyes with his mouth in a firm line. I watched how his hands gripped the cup tighter. And then I stormed out. I didn't care if I pissed him off or not. Hell, I would've enjoyed that.

I tried to head for the front door, but there were so many people. I kept getting lost and so I headed up a stairs. It was empty and it was somewhere I could gather my sanity again. However, as I pushed into an empty bedroom, I hadn't expected to find Jeff in the bed with another girl.

He glanced over his shoulder with a scowl, but his eyes went wide. The girl twisted out from underneath him and tried to pull down her black tube top. Lipstick was smeared over both of their faces.

I gutted out in a laugh, "Are you kidding me?"

"Sam, wait." He scrambled off the bed. I turned to bolt, but he caught my arm in the hallway. "Wait. Please."

"I'm not even surprised." I spoke in a calm voice. My heart was racing. I knew my face must've been red because I felt my blood boiling. My arms, legs, knees, everything trembled and shook, but my voice sounded like I had asked if it was raining.

He paused and watched me.

"Isn't this the cliché ending to us?"

"Ending?" His Adam's apple moved up and down.

"Yeah," I laughed outright now and swept a hand towards the bedroom. "You were making out with another girl."

He narrowed his eyes and pulled up his pants.

A door opened behind him. It was quiet, so quiet that if I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have sensed his presence. Mason came out with a skinny blonde on his arm. She looked unable to stand, but I saw his hand grip underneath her legs and he lifted her against him. She hung on around his neck and leaned a head against his chest with a contented smile on her face. He narrowed his eyes when he saw me.

Then Jeff broke the spell. "I know it looks bad."

"Looks bad?" I spat out. "Are you dense?"

"Yeah, well, you had me going so hard all night." He gestured at me. "Look at you, Sam. You're hot, hella hot. And I get nothing. I've been your boyfriend for three years. It's taken me a damn year and half to see your tits."

My eyes turned to a glare.

He ran a hand through his haphazard hair. "I'll change, Sam. I've gotta. I love you."

"You don't love me." I said it quietly.

"Three years. That's gotta mean something. Please, Sam."

"You don't love me."

He looked ready to argue, then something flashed over his face, and a snarl came out instead. "Why don't you get off your high horse? Fine, we're done. I'm not even going to kiss your ass. It hasn't done me a damn thing in the three years we've been dating or the two it took me to get you. I can be half the nice guy I am to you and I've got no problem getting panties to drop."

I geared myself.

He spat out, "You're just some high class bitch that ain't high class, Sam."

Mason lifted his head. His eyes remained narrowed to slits, but no other reaction came from him. His face was a blank mask.

I tore my eyes from his and found my soon to be ex boyfriend's in a glower. "Don't you want to know who I've been with? You don't have any inkling?"

"I know that you've been cheating on me. Even my mother knew."

"That makes you look like a fool." A cruel smirk came to him. He stuck his hands in his pants and a prideful look came over him.

"Maybe. Or maybe I didn't give a crap."

He grew quiet. "Yeah, you're screwed up, Sam. I've never known another girl who'd stay with a guy if he cheated the whole time."

My heart skipped a beat. The whole time?

He laughed again. The sound sent shivers up my spine. "You've got no clue who with, do you? You've got piss poor taste in friends."

"Friends?" I wrung out. My eyes gleamed with an ugly feeling.

He was so smug. "Jess has been giving it to me for two years now."

"Jess."

"And Lydia knew. She's known the whole time. She's helped us cover it up too."

"Lydia knew?" I parroted like a fool.

Jeff chuckled and shook his head. "I'd be up here with her now if she wasn't so obsessed with Kade. Ever since the car bombing, it's all either of them talk about. I told her to get straight. The Kade brothers are going down. They set fire to those cars. The cops have to know—"

Mason started to step forward.

I cried out, "Shut up. You don't know a thing about it!"

Jeff frowned.

"I was there. I was outside and you don't know anything. Jessica and Lydia were inside. They didn't see a thing. They were wasted that night."

Mason moved back a step. The girl on his arm looked up with concern, but settled back against his chest a moment later.

"It don't matter. They'll get what's coming to them." His mouth curled up in an ugly smile.

I slapped him. When it was done, his head snapped back and he stared at me, his eyes wide. The air had grown thick, tense. I found it hard to breathe. Then I turned and left. This time I found the front door and I drove off. The hand I slapped him with shook even after I got home and crawled in bed. I tucked it under me and tried to go to sleep.

I never fell asleep that night.

CHAPTER FIVE

When the morning came, I rolled out of bed and went for a run. I didn't last long, four or five miles, but I slowed to a walk and I didn't return home till noon. When I did, I was surprised to find a bunch of cars parked in the driveway and on the road. Then I rounded to the back patio and saw a ton of people by the pool area. The door in the divider wall was open and more people were on the beach.

The Kades were having a party. Joy.

Then I checked my phone after I had showered and ate a few crackers. Lydia and Jessica both wanted to know where I'd gone from the party and why I hadn't said goodbye. I turned my phone back off. There was no one else I cared about who would call.

As I headed to the kitchen, Mousteff was there in his chef's white apron and he wore a hat too. He brandished a cutting knife and gestured to the table in front of him.

"Sit," he grunted.

I sat.

He sliced up some meat and put it between two pieces of homemade bread. A parsley and tomato were placed on the side before he set the plate in front of me. A knife and fork were plunked beside it, along with a glass of water.

"Eat," he grunted again.

An apple was cut up next. He put the bowl beside me, turned his back, and left. I didn't see him for the rest of the day.

Later in the afternoon, I headed back to the kitchen for some water. When I went past the patio, I peeked out again and saw the group hadn't left. A bonfire had been lit on the beach and most of the people were around that now. Loud bass blared through the windows. It got louder when a door opened and closed.

I didn't glance up, but Mason stepped next to me. He reached around me and pulled out a pitcher. When he moved back to pull out a glass, I let out my breath. I hadn't known I'd been holding it.

I didn't turn around. No way.

Suddenly the door flew open again. Logan's voice carried through as he howled and ran through the house. Then a car door was slammed shut in the front of the house. When I looked over I saw Mason watching through the kitchen window. A small smile was on his face. He looked softer, just a bit.

My stomach kicked a notch.

I spread a hand against it and frowned. What the hell was I doing?

Then the front door was thrown open and we heard Logan holler, "Finally! Dude!"

Male laughter responded. When Mason left the kitchen window, I took his place and saw Logan trying to dry hump some guy. I didn't recognize him, but they had so many friends. He was tall, over six feet and his jet black hair matched with Mason's. The two almost looked like twins. While he went out to greet the new arrival, both gave each other a hug with a smile on their faces. It was so genuine, that I clenched my hands around my glass and turned away.

I didn't come out of my room for the rest of the day. When I did, it was past ten in the evening. The party was still full force outside by the beach. No one was beside the pool and I was surprised by that. Then I checked my phone and regretted it. Lydia sent me a test, 'Jeff said you guys broke up. CALL ME!'

I turned it off and put on a movie.

My body was tired so I did nothing on Sunday, except for the little homework I already had. I heard my mom's voice once when I ventured downstairs, but Mousteff told me, "Mr. and Other are gone for day. Cooking in cities is better than cooking at home. No one cares. You eat." And he dumped a bowl of soup in front of me with some crackers on the side. When he went back to the kitchen I heard him muttering to himself.

It was late when I heard Mason and Logan in the hallway. A third male's voice was with them so I assumed that it was the guy from before.

"Nah, man. That's her room. You're parked in the east wing." Logan's voice carried down the hall.

Two doors shut after that and it was silent for the rest of the night.

When I left for school, Mousteff stuck his hand out as I passed by. He held a brown bag to me and barked, "Eat. Lunch."

I took it and there was more muttering as I left. I couldn't hold back a small grin, but it was gone when Lydia and Jessica caught me at my locker.

"What happened with Jeff?" Lydia sounded breathless.

Jessica frowned and readjusted her hold on her books. "You never reply to my calls anymore. You're not a very good friend."

I slammed my locker shut. "Get away from me you whores."

Lydia gasped, "Me?"

Jessica got red in the face and hurried away.

I watched her go, but when Lydia stayed I snapped, "You covered for them. A disloyal bitch is the same as any other disloyal bitch. Shove off, Lydia. I don't want anything to do with you."

She hung her head, but glanced up quickly. Her feet shuffled in place and she said in a hush before she scampered away, "Adam Quinn is going to ask you out. Everybody's talking about it."