Lydia pushed herself forward and was an inch from my face. I felt her breath on me. “You know Mason Kade?” She had a sharp tone, but she was shoved aside as Jessica took her place.
Her eyes were narrowed, mouth tight, and I wondered if steam could come out of a person. She folded her arms over her chest and cooled her tone. “How do you know Logan?”
I glanced around. Jill and Ashley had stopped not far from us. Their cheerleading bags were both on the ground and I knew they heard every word. Each wore a different expression, one seemed wary and the other looked to share in Jessica’s fury.
I sighed and stepped back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Lydia sucked in her breath while Jessica’s eye narrowed even more. “Logan hugged you and Mason talked to you. You can’t lie about that.”
I shrugged and grinned. “Guess they’re playing some game with you, Jess, because I don’t know them. Never have, never will, never want to.”
“Are you serious?” Lydia frowned.
I rolled my eyes and tried to exude a bored attitude. “Not my problem.”
“Samantha.” Jessica planted herself in front of me when I tried to turn away. She put her hands on her hip. “You can’t be lying about this.”
“I don’t know them.” I paused. “And if I did, what business is it of yours?”
She seemed to hesitate now.
“Exactly.” I shoved her aside and started for my car, but Nate intercepted me. He held out some keys and remarked, “Here are Mason’s keys. Give me yours; I’ll take your car home.”
I didn’t turn around, but I knew Jessica and Lydia had heard. I could feel their disbelief and anger rolling off of them. I sighed and held out my hand. “Whatever.”
Nate grinned as he plucked my keys for Mason’s. Then he glanced over my shoulder. “I take it those are the two who stabbed you in the back.”
“Pretty much.”
He frowned. “You haven’t dealt with them yet?”
“Not yet.”
I felt his eyes scanning my face when he asked, “Are you planning to?”
“Guess I have to now.”
“Ah.” He tipped his head back in understanding. “Cat’s out of the bag, huh? Sorry about that.”
“Logan’s not. He shouted it to everyone.”
He grinned at that. “Yeah, when he decides he likes someone he gets pretty excited about ‘em.” He folded his arms over his chest. “He doesn’t like a lot of people.”
I didn’t look up when I asked, “And Mason?”
I heard his husky chuckle. “Logan wouldn’t like you if Mason hadn’t given the stamp of approval.”
I looked up now, breathless again. “And when was that?”
He shrugged and looked past my shoulder again. “When he stopped you from hitting your mom. If he didn’t give a damn about you, he would’ve watched you clobber her. Hell, I wanted to get snacks for the show. When Mason steps in, there’s always a reason.”
I nodded. “I’m starting to get that.”
He clamped his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry about this stuff, your friends and all. Logan’s bound and determined to make you have fun tonight so I’d relax and let it happen.”
