We all grew silent when the girl touched his arm and opened her mouth. There it was. The pick-up line was coming, but then her mouth dropped in shock. Mason stood and threw some money on the counter. He tapped the counter and said something to Brandon before he looked for me. When he saw the small audience, he smirked as he came over.
The girl watched him. When he pulled me into his arms, her mouth snapped shut. I saw the glimmer of anger in her eyes, but then her other friend tugged on her arm and they hurried out of the diner. The door had just about shut when it swung back open and the girl stomped inside. Her hands were on her tiny hips and her mouth was twisted with disgust, but Heather stepped forward. She folded her arms over her chest and lowered her head. As she stood in front of Mason and me, her stance told everyone not to mess with her. It worked. The girl faltered, then wrinkled her nose at us, and glared back at Heather before she turned on her heel. She stormed out once more and slammed the door.
The diner was quiet for a moment before Brandon tipped his head back in laughter. "My sister, the bulldog! Don't mess with a Jax!"
Heather's arms fell to her side and her shoulders came back up. She shook her head, but I heard a soft chuckle escape her mouth. Then she hollered, "Brandon, get Gus out of here and finish cleaning."
"Yeah, yeah."
Lily chuckled behind us as she wiped the counter off. I picked up the other washcloth and it was a half hour later, after the money had been locked away and the last floors were mopped, when everyone filed out to the parking lot. Lily and Brandon sat down on the patio chairs, so Mason and I did the same as everyone waited for Heather. She was the last one.
When she came out, she locked the doors. "We had triple the business tonight than a regular night."
Brandon gestured to Mason. "Because of him and their friends."
I felt my hand squeezed, and Mason whispered in my ear, "I'll wait for you in the car."
I nodded. As he left, Brandon stood up. "I'm tuckered out. See you ladies tomorrow."
Lily called out goodnight to him, and I gave him a small wave as he disappeared around the side of the bar towards their house. As he went, Lily gave us a small smile and wave of her own before she went over to her car.
Heather pulled out a cigarette. When it was lit, she gestured to Mason's Escalade. "He didn't want to stick around and hear our thanks for the business?"
I shrugged. I had no idea. "Ethan Fischer is having a party tonight. We said we'd go. You want to come?"
As she took a drag, she paused for a second. "Are you kidding me?"
I frowned. "No, why would I be? You went to the one last night."
"Yeah, but we shouldn't have gone there. Channing had been opposed the whole time."
"So why did you?"
She took another drag off her cigarette. "Can I be honest?"
Her eyes found mine and fixed there. I felt her studying me in the same way Mason would when he wanted to read my mind. "Sure." But I didn't know why she wouldn't have been honest?
"I saw you last night, after we closed. I waited around because I wasn't sure if you had a ride or not. I know you told me Kade was your boyfriend, but I had my doubts. Then I saw that other guy pick you up and I don't know." She inhaled, and then exhaled. Her head fell down. "I went to the party to see if you were there and if you were okay. I figured any girlfriend of Mason Kade's would be at his party so…"
"You went there to see if I actually was his girlfriend?" Disbelief slammed into my chest. I wasn't used to that reaction. Most girls hated me when they learned the truth, but Heather's reaction was almost refreshing.
"I went there to make sure you were okay."
"Oh."
"Look," she stood from the wall and took another drag. "They haven't told you so I guess I have to. I'm good friends with Channing."
"Okay." I nodded. "Why's that such a big deal?"
She didn't answer again, not right away. But when she did, it all made sense. "He goes to school in Roussou."
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Coach Grath met me at a park near my old home where David lived, if he still lived there. I didn't ask why my new coach picked that park, but it was fine with me. This was one of my normal running routes. When I got there, he pointed to the grass, "Stretch out."
He was all business.
Coach Grath had a gruff face. His square jaw gave a no-nonsense vibe and there were no wrinkles around his mouth, like he never smiled or laughed. He was dressed in a crisp-looking track suit with the Fallen Crest Public school colors, red and black. A whistle hung around his neck, and he held a clipboard in his meaty hand. As soon as I was done stretching, he grunted, checked his watch, wrote something down on his clipboard, and gestured to the walking trail. "Keep to the right, circle the park, and come back here. It's one mile. I'm recording your time." He paused before his eyes went flat. "Go."
The abrupt command startled me, but I started off. I wasn't sure what he wanted, but I wasn't going to go my fastest, not until my muscles were looser. When I came back around, he checked his watch again, wrote the time, and told me to go again. As I hauled off, he yelled after me, "Go faster this time."
So I did.
That was my training routine—each mile was timed, and with each lap, he told me to go faster. After I had been running for 90 minutes, he asked how much longer I could go.
"My longest run has been four hours." All at one time with no breaks, but I didn't share that bit with him.
He nodded, wrote something more on his clipboard and pointed at the trail again. "I want you to go your fastest now and don't stop until you're out of gas."
My eyes widened. Did he know what he was getting into? But then he said, "When you're done, remember the time and distance. Report back to me tomorrow, same time, same place. No late nights. Start buying almonds, whole-grains, oranges, and vegetables. Don't carbo-load the night before your long runs."
"I never have."
He had started to leave, but turned back. He didn't blink. "What'd you say?"
"I've never loaded up on carbs the night before. I don't want to change my eating habits, sir."
"Coach."
"Coach."
Then he frowned. "What do you usually eat?"
I shrugged. "Chicken, a bagel every now and then."
He nodded. "Chicken's good. Salmon's better, but don't stretch your bank account. Do what you're already doing for this month. Next month we'll try it my way and see which one has the better results."
I stepped back. "Excuse me, sir?"
"Coach!"
I winced. "Coach. Are you challenging me?"
He folded his clipboard against his chest and tucked his chin down as he gave me a long searching stare. Then he sighed. "Strattan, you came to me. If you want a scholarship, you'll play by my rules. I'm not challenging you, I'm pushing you. You're going to be the best damn runner you can be and if you stick with my rules through the track season and cross country season next fall, you'll be going to a school with a full ride."
"Cross country?"
"Running's a solitary thing for you. It's like that for the best runners, but you better start getting used to not doing everything your way or no way. You're joining both teams whether you like it or not. Make sure to stop at the school sometime this week and fill out all your paperwork. We run at 6 in the morning, every morning."
He didn't wait for my response. As he got inside his car, he hollered back to me, "Run, Strattan! Time and distance, Strattan. Time and distance."
I stood there, not sure what to think so when he tapped his horn once, I got to running. Even though I knew I would be dead for the rest of the day, I did what he ordered. I ran until I had no gas left, and then I ran some more. By the time I was done, I collapsed on the grass and waited until my heart would stop pounding. Then I remembered he said to mark the time and distance. The numbers didn't make sense to me, not much did at that moment, but I knew that I had to stretch and I needed to call for a ride.
Stretching was torture, and by the time Mason arrived, I had fallen asleep.
"Sam." He touched my arm.
I opened my eyes, frowned as he was bent over me. Then I let out a deep groan, "Oh my god."
I couldn't sit up. I tried. I failed.
Mason caught my arm and pulled me to my feet. When I would've fallen back down, he scooped me up and carried me to his car. It wasn't long before he had me buckled in and was in his own seat. Then he pointed to my car. "You want me and Logan to come back and get that?"
I nodded, feeling weak. Why had I run so much? I croaked out, "What time is it?" But my eyes were already closing. I needed sleep, just sleep.
"You have two hours before your shift."
I cursed under my breath. Why the hell had I run so much? But I remembered Coach Grath's barking orders and knew the look on his face would be worth it. His gruff exterior pissed me off. I felt like I had to prove myself to him. No matter what he said, I still felt that he didn't believe in me. I wondered if he was meeting with me as a favor to…I looked sideways. Mason seemed clueless to my thoughts as he drove to Manny's.
Wait, to Manny's? I sat up. "What are you doing?"
He wheeled into the parking lot and turned the engine off. "You're eating. What else would I be doing?"
My mouth fell open. "Mason, I stink! I can't go in there. Everybody will leave because I smell so bad."
He grinned but shook his head. "With Gus as close competition? I doubt it. Come on, Sam. You need to eat and we don't have anything good at the house."
My head fell back with a thump. He went inside. My ass did not. He was nuts if he thought I was going in there. But I did, after he came out and carried me inside. Lily grinned when she saw the state I was in. And after our food orders were taken, I glanced around. I hadn't before, I didn't want to see the reactions to my messy appearance when Mason walked through the diner, but couldn't stop myself now.
The place was full, but Mason chose a corner table for me. There was a fan beside me, so I dried off quickly, and it was pointed out the side door. All my sweaty fumes went that way. Still, while I wanted to be invisible, I knew whom I was with. Mason attracted attention, and with him beside me and how I looked, we were getting a lot of attention. It was unavoidable.
Heather came over with our water, but instead of leaving, she dropped into the chair beside me. "You want to tell me why you look like you ran a marathon?"
Mason grunted but reached for his glass.
I slunk further down my chair. "That bad, huh?"
"Sammy, don't tell me you ran a marathon? You're on shift in two hours."
"I know, I know." I opened my mouth, ready to start explaining how my new coach was a potential ass, when the door opened and more people strolled inside. "Where did all these people come from?"
"Oh." She jerked a thumb towards Mason. "You can thank your boy here."
"Huh?"
He narrowed his eyes, but didn't say a word.
"Mason?"
"Or maybe it's because of you." Heather studied me again.
Mason gave me a strained smile before he stood up. "I'll be back in a few."
I watched him walk over to a table in the back section, close to the bar, before Heather pulled my attention back by saying, "My dad's over the moon."
"Huh?"
She nodded in Mason's direction. "Word got out that Mason and Logan Kade were both here last night, then word got out that their stepsister works here, and everybody put two and two together. Judging from the crowd we had this morning and how it hasn't let up since, I'm figuring my baby is the new hang-out."
Dread formed in my gut. I liked this place because it was small and private. That was gone now. Then my eyes widened again as I saw the section by the front door. "Academy students are here too?"
"Yeah." She turned to look too. "Those some friends of yours?"
Definitely not.
Jessica shot daggers at me while Lydia sat beside her. Across from them were Becky and another guy who was bouncing in his chair. Jeff sat on his other side, laughing at something he said, but it was the table next to them that had me surging to my feet. Adam was the closest to Becky. He had a hand out to her chair and the two were conversing while the Academy Elite sat around the rest of his table. Miranda's lips thinned as she scanned the diner. The other three girls had spotted me and converged together. When their hands came up to block their mouths I knew the whispering gossip had started. Again. The only two who seemed semi normal were Peter and Mark, but when I caught Mark's gaze for a second, I flinched and turned away.
"…he wants to break the news that he thinks his mom and Coach are going to get hitched, but he doesn't know how to."
I couldn't deal with that. I couldn't think about David and his mother together. Was that the reason my dad had stopped calling me? Adam said that to me two months ago, which now feels like ages ago. Mark was going to be family to me. I felt a burning in my chest. It was tightening, suffocating me. I jerked away from my table, but ran into someone.
"Okay." A strong hand took hold of my elbow and pulled me through the crowd. I couldn't see anyone. I had no idea where Mason was, he had left me. The door was kicked open and we were outside. Barely registering the fresh air, I was pushed down in a chair and my head was shoved between my legs. "Breathe, Sam. Jeez, just breathe."
I took gasping breaths and my eyes closed against the visions that assaulted me.
I pushed open the bathroom door, but he wasn't in there either. "Dad?" Where had he gone? Mom needed him. Mom was bleeding. I hurried back around the bed, but tripped over something. There was a bag on the floor—no, it was a suitcase. Mom was going somewhere? A sob came up in my throat and I whimpered, "Daddy."
His clothes were in the suitcase. Some of his other clothes were spread all over the room. They'd been thrown like that. Why would he do that? He wasn't like that.
Mom was bleeding. I had to go to her.
I pushed myself up, stepped over the suitcase, and hurried down the hallway again. As I neared it, I slowed down. I didn't want to go in there. She was so still and so white. I had only seen another person that white before, when my dad picked me up after I fell off our patio. He took me to the hospital—mom needed the hospital. I turned and went for the phone.
"Hey." Mason's calming voice brought me back as he picked me up and held me in his arms. Then I felt him turning away.
"Where are you taking her, Kade?"
His voice was rough as he threw over his shoulder, "She just needs a minute. She'll be fine. Don't worry."
"Come on, Kade—"
He twisted back around. "I said, she'll be fine. Leave it, Jax."
The edge left her tone. "Take her to my house. It's not the Grand Ritz you guys live in, but it's private. She can shower there. I have a pile of clothes next to my bed. I lent some to her before; she can pick what she wants to wear."
He stiffened underneath me. I knew he wanted to take me home, but enough reason had filtered back to me that I lifted my head from his shoulder. My voice was still weak, "That's fine, Mason. I have to work. I can't miss my shift."
"You sure?" His eyes searched mine.
I nodded but started to tremble at the look of concern in his depths. There was so much love. I lifted my hands to his face and cupped it. His eyes closed and he drew in a ragged breath. My thumb caressed over his cheek. He was so handsome. Perfect. And he was mine. I pressed a kiss to his lips. He hesitated, but I whispered, "I'm fine. I'm fine." Then his mouth opened underneath mine, and he took over the kiss.
I pressed closer, but he had already gentled the kiss by the time he stepped around the back of Manny's. As he put me back down on my feet, he indicated the house. "This is the place?"
"Uh…" I could only focus on how much I wanted to feel him, only him. "Yeah, I guess."
He stepped onto the squeaky patio and opened the screen door. I