"Mason and Logan will never move back without me." My own voice jarred me. It sounded haunted. "And Helen would make Logan leave, you know that."

His frown only deepened further.

"I fixed it. I'll move back in here with them."

His eyes grew bleak.

I kept going as my chest tightened, "I won't let them hurt her either."

He rasped out, "They won't do it."

"I'll make them do it."

Then he nodded and looked away. "I'm sorry, Samantha, I'm sorry for everything you've gone through."

I frowned. Why was he saying this to me?

"I love your mother very much and I want to help her. I can't help my family anymore, and I can't help my marriage anymore. It was my fault that Helen left me. It was my fault my family was torn apart. I won't let that happen again. I can help your mother. I really can, and I'm going to. I love her and I'm going to stay with her, no matter what."

He had no idea what he was getting himself into, but I kept my mouth shut. It was his life. It was his decision.

She'd make him miserable.

I didn't get in my car. I ran home instead.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

"Your shift's over." Heather smacked a towel on my butt. When I turned around to glare, she gave me a crooked grin and wiggled her eyebrows. "Your dreamboat's here anyway."

Oh.

The fight in me subsided. I was ready to argue with her since it wasn't closing and I hadn't worked Friday, but when I looked over, all of that turned into a gushy mess. Mason had stepped through the door with a look of intent on his face. That made me pause. As he made his way through the tables to our back corner, I couldn't tear my eyes away. Confidence and power rippled from him. I couldn't fault the other girls who stopped and watched him as well. He was beautiful.

"Disgusting." Heather shook her head. "You're both disgusting."

"He's early. Did you call him?"

"I might've." She winked at me before she grabbed the next plate of food and put on the window, ready to be served. "But can you really blame me? It's your first day at FCP tomorrow. You're going to need all the rest you can muster when you're with that hunk-o-rama over there."

"Thanks, Heather."

She flashed me a blinding smile. "Just give me a heads up when you decide to tell them about our visitors the other night." She gave me a pointed look and I knew she was referencing the Broudou siblings.

She wanted me tell Mason now, better to get it over than deal with his anger about why he hadn't been told sooner. I had a different idea and I wanted to embark on one battle at a time. Convincing Mason and Logan to move back in with their father had been a big enough battle. It took me all weekend, and I still didn't have an answer. But as he stepped closer and caught my hand, he gave me a look as if to say, 'I hope you know what you're doing.' He shook his head. "Fine. We'll move back in."

"Really?" I started to launch myself at him.

He caught my arms and held me back. "But it's only because you're right about Logan."

I chuckled. I had called it. Helen called both of them the next day. She said they had two choices, live in Los Angeles with her or she would move back to Fallen Crest. Those were her two options and when I argued with Mason that Logan living with her our senior year would leave me without a home, he started to soften. I knew he was doing it for me.

"Thank you," I murmured as I tipped my head back for his lips.

He groaned, "You're going to be the death of me. I'm doing all this nice shit for you."

I pointed to my lips, still puckered and waiting.

With a soft chuckle, he touched his to mine and I was swept up. Squealing from surprise, he wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me high. My legs swung up and I was thrown over his shoulder.

"Mason!"

He slapped my butt. "Logan's ordered the pizza. If we're not back in twenty minutes, he won't hear the end of it. He's got it timed within the minute."

Only Logan would time something like that. I wiggled to get free. "Come on. Let me go."

"Nope." He turned around. "Can you clock her out, Jax?"

We heard from the back, "Will do! Don't make babies."

Mason shuddered underneath me. I remembered the look on his face when I told him I was late for work and giggled. He slapped my butt again. "That wasn't funny. I aged an entire year that day."

Serves him right after this. "Come on, let me go. Please."

"Nope." And he didn't, not when he marched to his car and put me inside. He even strapped my seat belt on and off when we turned into the driveway to Nate's home. When he stopped the car and rounded to my side, I jumped out before he could grab me. I started to run for the door, but it didn't matter. Mason had me in two steps, and I was slung back over his shoulder.

"Mason! This is enough."

"Logan said to carry you home so I have to carry you home. He's very excited for something."

"For pizza?"

Mason shrugged underneath me. His arm tightened around my legs as he walked over the front patio. "I have no idea. You know him. The stupidest ideas are adventures to him."

"But—"

But then he shoved the door open and swung around. A chorus burst out, "SURPRISE!" And my mouth fell open as I lifted my head to gape at the crowd in the center area.

Logan was in front with his arms outstretched. "Happy birthday, Sam!"

Becky waved from behind him. "It's a week early, isn't it?"

"Oh my god!" I pounded Mason on the back. He chuckled as he flipped me back in his arms, and then lowered me to the ground. All the blood had rushed to my head so he kept me against his chest. His hands held me by my hips, but I could only look at the group they assembled.

Becky and Raz, who had a glazed look in his eyes.

Adam. He grinned and gave me a small wave. "Can you believe they even invited me?"

I grinned but looked around some more. I relaxed as I saw most of the Academy Elite hadn't been invited, but Mark had been. I tensed a bit, just a bit, at the reminder that he thought his mom was going to marry David sooner rather than later. But then I tensed even more. They could've gotten married by now. David and my mom had been divorced, for…I wasn't sure. I hadn't asked either of them about the divorce. I didn't want to know.