Becky’s shriek jerked me from my thoughts and I turned with a grateful smile. Then it registered. “He did what?!”

“I’ve gotten to second base, Sam. Can you believe it? I am now an experienced woman.” She seemed so pleased with herself, wiggling her shoulders. She slapped a hand on her chest and jerked closer. “People can talk about me now! Can you imagine?”

A different sense of dread filled me. “I think they already do.”

“Really?” Her eyes went wide and her smile matched.

“Oh, dear.” I cleared my throat. “You seem happy with Rex.”

Her cheeks flushed and she clapped her hands to them. “I am. I really am. He gets me. I don’t even need to talk and he understands, but he likes it when I talk. He’s always asking me to tell him things, anything. He does this sort of humming thing when I do, but it’s like his body is vibrating or something. It’s weird, but he seems happy so I just keep talking. I can’t believe he touched my boobs. He wants to do it again.”

I snorted. “I’m sure he does.”

She sighed with a dreamy smile on her face. Then she turned and stared at the screen. “Oh my gosh. The movie’s half over.”

She’d made the Budd Broudou knot loosen, just a bit. I looked down, but I couldn’t hold back my smile.

After the movie, Becky wanted to gush more about Rex. I humored her, but as we went to a coffee shop, I had to force my hands to loosen. Then I was forced to face the inevitable. I was back at the mansion. I was back under the same roof as Analise. A shuddering breath left me and when we claimed two recliners in a back corner, I was happy to stay until the coffee shop closed. I hoped to avoid my mother.

Becky went on and on. It wasn’t until a clerk tapped her on the shoulder and informed us they needed to close did she realize the time. She jumped to her feet and grabbed her purse. Her hands were frantic. “I can’t believe it’s this late. I was supposed to go see Rex tonight. He’s supposed to pick me up and take me home.”

“I’ll give you a ride.”

But she had pulled her phone out. Her fingers flew over the keypad and she bit her lip. “What if he’s asleep? And my mom.” She groaned. “My mom will be so mad I was out this late.”

When there wasn’t an immediate response, she pressed her legs together and slumped down. “What am I going to do? I missed him. I bet he’s sleeping already.” Then her phone vibrated and she sighed in dramatic relief. “Hallelujah! He’s still awake. He’s coming right now.” When her phone went off again, a giggle burst out. She slapped a hand over her mouth but kept giggling as more text messages came through.

It didn’t take him long. A few minutes later he picked her up. As I waited on the sidewalk, she flew to her seat to climb in. The two locked lips in the same fashion as they had the day before, and it was awhile before Rex turned to me. His eyes were glazed, no surprise, but he gave me a lopsided grin and the peace sign. “It’s Dudette Sam!”

“Hi, Rex.”

He bobbed his head back and forth and Becky waved over his shoulder. It wasn’t long before the station wagon roared away, and I waved a hand to clear some of its exhaust.

When I made my way home, I wanted to avoid any run-in with Analise so I bypassed the sidewalk for the front door and went all the way around. As I slid open the basement patio door, I was trying to convince myself that I wasn’t taking the coward’s way out. But I was. I knew I was.

“Hey! It’s Samantha!”

And then it didn’t matter.

I blinked as I took in the scene before me.

Logan was at the pool table with Ethan. Both of them had pool sticks with a game spread out before them. Mason lounged against the wall with his arms crossed. Kate and the rest of the girls were spread out through the room.

I tried not to notice, but it was hard. All of them wore barely-there shirts and their jeans were ripped at the waistline. If it was meant to make them look cheap and sexy, it did the job. What sealed the deal were the black or pink bras that were visible through their shirts. However, as I met Kate’s hard gaze, I knew they didn’t give a damn. None of them did. She was the only one who wore a black tank top with a pink bra strap that showed. The rest had white shirts on that sucked to their skin.

I refused to meet Mason’s gaze now. I knew he was studying me, trying to figure out my every move. Instead I met Kate’s, and she surprised me when a hard look passed in her eyes. It was gone instantly and she tipped her head in a tight nod.

I nodded back.

And then Logan scooped me up in the air. He paraded me around the pool table before he sat me back down beside Mason. He pointed his pool stick at me. “Stay.” He leaned over the table and took aim, but he said from the corner of his mouth, “You can tell us why your mom’s in a tizzy that you’re back.”

I shifted against the wall.

“Logan.” It was a soft reminder from Mason.

We didn’t talk about personal business in front of others.

Logan got the message and flashed me a grin when he took aim again. “Sorry, Sam.”

“She doesn’t want me here?”

Mason stood up from the wall and Logan stepped back from the pool table. The low murmur from the rest quieted and all eyes went to me. I ignored the tension beside me and held Logan’s gaze. I clipped out, “She doesn’t want me here?”

His pool stick went to the floor in a slow motion. He seemed to choose his words with caution. “I didn’t say that.”

My eyes flashed and my jaw hardened. “You said she’s in a tizzy I’m back. I thought she wanted me back.”

“Come on, Sam.” Logan glanced around. “We’ll talk about this later.”

I heard Kate snort.

I whirled on her. “Do you mind? This is a family meeting.”

She stiffened, but she jerked to attention. She crossed her arms and stuck out her chin. “Then don’t have it in front of me.”

I knew her friends waited at the ready. My eyes flashed at her. “Go ahead and leave.”

Her eyes widened a bit.

I jerked a hand to the door. “It’s that way.”

Then they narrowed.

I felt the unrest in the air and knew I’d stepped down the wrong path, but I didn’t care. I was sick of Kate; sick of how she was always around Mason, how she’d had her hand plastered on his arm before I came through the door or how I knew she’d been the one that he used in bed on a regular basis before me.