She had grown pale. Her hands were clenched around the teacup.

I shook my head. She couldn’t hurt anyone else. “You can’t cheat on James. You have to be loyal, faithful, loving. Stop causing more wreckage, mom. Just stop. I’ll stop too. You can’t keep doing what you’re doing.”

“Samantha,”

“Mom. Stop.” I stood up from the table. I couldn’t stomach the sight of her. “I’m living with David from now on. I have no idea what Garrett is doing. He’s with his wife now. He might reach out. I have no idea, but I’m through waiting. David’s the only one who hasn’t left--” He did leave you. Pain sliced through me at that thought, but he was the best option. I had no one else. “I’ll stay here with him, but I don’t want anything to do with you. I can’t stand you.”

“Samantha,” her voice was a soft whisper now. Tears swelled up in her eyes.

“Go.”

“Sam.”

“Go. I mean it. Leave me alone. Thank you for the bags, but go.” I turned away. I couldn’t handle looking at her. She was a connection to Mason and Logan. Shit. I drew in a shuddering breath. I missed him. I loved him. I couldn’t see Analise anymore. She’d remind me of him and I wouldn’t keep going then. I had to banish everything out of my life that reminded me of him, of them.

I didn’t wait to see if she left or not. I went upstairs and locked the door. David came home later in the evening. He knocked on my door and offered supper, but I couldn’t eat.

*

Mason called again. He called the house. He called my phone. He called David’s cell phone. He stopped every night at the house for a week. David turned him away each time. I heard him the last time. I heard the anger in his voice, and he threatened, “I’m done being patient.”

I was in the kitchen and held onto the counter to keep from going to him.

David cleared his throat. “Mason, when she wants to see you, she will come to you.”

“Sam?” he called inside. “You owe me an explanation.”

I left him that note.

“A f**king note doesn’t cut it.” He read my mind. “Logan and I both have some things to tell you. You owe us, Sam. You owe me.”

He was right, but I couldn’t. Pain, longing, yearning to be in his arms overwhelmed me. All of those emotions, plus more, swept up. I had to stay away. I wasn’t strong enough yet. I couldn’t see him or I would take it back. Everything would be damaged again.

“I’ll tell her, Mason,” David said. “I’m sure she knows.”

“Fuck that.”

“Give her time.”

There was silence. I closed my eyes. I could see him in my head. He was at the door. David stood, holding it open for him, and I was just beyond his eyesight.

He called out again, “I’m done giving you space. Sam,” he sighed. “Please just talk to me.”

I went to him. My legs turned, but I held onto the counter. Jerking back in place, my mind screamed at myself. NO. I couldn’t go.

“I’ll tell her your message, Mason. Thank you.”

The door closed a moment later, and David came around the corner. He took in the sight of me. I had crumbled to the floor. My face was wet. I’d been crying without realizing it and I turned away. I couldn’t handle the sympathy from him.

He knelt beside me and wiped some of my tears away. Then he sat beside me. “That boy is going to hunt you down.”

I nodded. I knew that.

“If you won’t talk to him here, he’ll come to the school.”

I knew that too. My heart twisted.

“It’s only a matter of time.”

CHAPTER THIRTY

“I don’t get it,” Emily was saying. She leaned against my neighbor’s locker the next week. “You broke up with him because of Logan?”

I sighed and grabbed my book from the bottom of my locker. Standing up, I glared at her. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“You brought it up.”

“I know. I’m regretting it now.”

We started down the hallway, and Emily tilted her head to the side. She mused, “So Mason still loves you?”

I growled.

“And you love him?”

“Emily.”

“And the reason you’re not with him is because of his brother?”

“Shut up.”

“And that makes no sense because you don’t even know if Logan really has feelings for you? Right?”

I frowned.

She kept going, “Did he tell you did?”

Oh my god.

“You left when he was still figuring out what you said, that all three of you had manipulated him and you left a note breaking up with Mason?”

“I broke up with both of them.”

“Yeah, but you were dating Mason, not Logan.”

“I had a relationship with both of them--”

“--which sounds weird, even though I know it’s true.” She flashed me a grin. “I mean, hello, I’ve been witnessing the whole thing.”

“You promised not to say a word to anyone about this.”

“I know. I won’t. Trust me. I’ve got a lot of shit on people, but do you hear me spilling anything?” She laughed. “Stop trying to change the conversation. Back to you having a relationship with both of them.”

I sighed. Mason had stopped after that last day. I’d been waiting for him to show up at school, but he stayed away. It was a week later, and I was beginning to think he had given up. I wasn’t sure if that’s what I wanted, but I couldn’t think about that either. I thought about what I could understand. “I can’t be with Mason. This whole thing happened because of my relationship with Mason and Logan’s feelings. I refuse to be the reason they fall apart.”

“Still not making sense to me.”

“If I’m there, then it’ll be a problem. I know it. I have to not be there, and then it won’t happen.”

“So you’re assuming two very hot and very alpha guys won’t be able to figure their own shit out because of your mere presence?”

I stopped. An anchor dropped in me. When she put it like that--no. I couldn’t start doubting myself. More damage would happen then. “Stop it, Emily.”

She quieted, watching me. “I’m sorry, Sam.”