My hungover cloud of confusion cleared suddenly and I snapped back to reality. I shoved him back. "What are you doing? Whatever you have to say, you have no right to say it. Get out of my face, Jeff."

He rolled his eyes and stepped closer. He lowered his voice to a grumble. "Jess is crapping her pants. Now you're suddenly all powerful and popular. What'd you do? How'd that happen? And what are you going to do to her?"

I reared back and took a long look at him. I thought he was angry, but I saw concern in his eyes now and something akin to fear?

I lowered my voice as well. "Why are you worried about Jessica? Shouldn't you be concerned about Jill, your girlfriend?"

"You weren't betrayed by Jill. You weren't friends with her. Jessica's the one that stabbed you in the back."

"Exactly!" I said in a sharp tone.

Heads turned our way.

I rolled my eyes, but quieted my voice. "I was the one stabbed in the back. Jessica could probably stop worrying if she'd apologize to me."

"What are you talking about? She has—"

"She hasn't said a thing to me."

He held my gaze for a minute and then edged back. "Are you serious? I thought she apologized a long time ago. I thought you were being stuck up and not accepting it."

I was amazed at his stupidity. "For one, I don't automatically have to accept an apology and two; you're the only one who's seemed sorry for what you did. Lydia's a beach ball. She keeps blowing from one side to the other. She's never apologized either and Jessica hasn't said a thing. She ignored me and then said hi once to me. I'm not going to sweep it under the rug."

He ran his hands through his hair, pulled his hair into a spiky Mohawk, and messed it up again. "I know they're both real sorry. It's got Jill paranoid. She thinks they're going to dump her for you and now all this crap." He swept his hand up and down the hallway. "You're in with the popular clique. How did that happen? You've never cared about any of that crap."

"Jeff," I sighed. "You and me are okay. I think you should leave it alone. Don't try to protect or apologize for Jessica and Lydia. That's for them to do, not you."

"Yeah, I know." He let out a ragged breath. "I'm just so pissed for messing our group up. I tore us apart. I should've said no to Jessica, but she kept asking. She made it seem so exciting…"

When my phone vibrated, I saw it was Mason. He sent a text, 'here.'

"Look, I have to go. My ride's waiting."

He nodded his head and pulled the ends of his shirt together. The movement emphasized how thin his frame was. I'd forgotten how skinny Jeff had always been, but he pulled the look off. Trendy baggy jeans and a polo that was supposed to look vintage gave him a preppy look with an edge.

I chuckled and punched his shoulder lightly. "You look good, Sallaway. Jill must be good for you."

The side of his mouth curved up. "Hey, thanks, Strattan. That means a lot coming from you."

I shook my head, still chuckling, and headed to the parking lot. I figured Mason would have football practice to get back to so I didn't want to make him late. When I cleared the school and saw him parked front and center, I was aware of the attention he was warranting.

His window was rolled down and he flashed me a grin. He tapped the side of his car twice. "Come on. Coach is making us do two practices tonight."

I picked up my pace and got inside. As Mason wheeled his Escalade through the parking lot, he drove past Adam. He held my gaze as we passed him and I watched as his mouth tightened. Cassandra was beside him. Her expression mirrored his.

Mason chuckled, "Your quarterback's pissed."

I took a deep breath and tried to relax in his seat. "Yeah, well, I have a feeling a lot of people are going to be pissed at me."

He glanced at me. "What are you talking about?"

I shook my head. "I'm going to make some people very angry in the next week."

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

Mason dropped me at home and took off for his practice right away. As I lugged my bags through the mansion and up to my room, I found a note on the kitchen table.

'Hi, honey! James and I are in the cities, gone to the Bangor for dinner. We'll be back tonight! Love you! XOXO'

I dropped it back on the table and fought the urge to tear it up.

Since I knew I'd do my homework later, I pulled out my running shoes and laced them up. Then I hit the pavement hard. I ran for two hours, three would've winded me too much, my body was wheezing too much when I rounded the last curve to the mansion. Panting, with sweat streaking down my body, I went back to my room and as I got into my shower, I was tempted to lock my door.

No one was home yet, but I didn't want to deal with Analise when they did return.

An hour later my phone vibrated and I answered, "Hey, Becky."

She groaned on the other side. "I can't go out for dinner."

"Really?" I tried to hold back the disappointment.

"Yeah, my mom is all furious at me. She said I could go as long as I didn't miss school, but she found out that I missed half the day today. I didn't do it on purpose and she found out that it'd been a Kade party we went to. I had no idea how she found that out. I told her I was going with you and your family to a cabin. She likes you, but now she knows all about your parents' divorce and everything. I could murder whoever told her that stuff."

I crawled onto my bed and rolled on my back. "Gossip's pretty rampant. I'm sure it got out somehow about the party."

"Not to mention that your mom's hooked up with James Kade. My mom seemed pretty bent about that one for some reason."

I frowned into the phone. "Does your mom know mine?"

"Your mom used to be in some committee at the country club with her, but I think my mom's more mad because of your dad. You know everyone loves Coach Strattan."

"Yeah, there is that…"

"Anyways, so I was just calling because she won't let me go out to Gino's with you."

From the way her voice quieted, I felt a kick in my gut. I knew something else was going on and I sat up. "She won't let you go to Gino's or she doesn't want you to go with me?"

"Both."

I could imagine the glower on her face.