Matt appeared out of thin air. His wild eyes darted between Tate and me.
I ran across the room and threw my arms around his neck. “I’ve been worried sick.”
He didn’t move. “You’ve been worried. Bullshit.”
“Matt, what the hell?” Tate growled.
I stepped back and stared into Matt’s empty red eyes. “Please talk to me. What happened?”
I pulled him onto the sofa between us.
“What happened to me?” He chuckled.
“My sister, Mason, you and Tate.” He dropped his head in his hands.
My heart plummeted to my feet. What did we do? I was afraid to ask.
“Matt, what is it?” I whispered.
He sank into the sofa staring into space. “Marisa told me how she blackmailed our father for Mason and your asshole grandfather. Tate,” he snarled.
Shit. That fucking bitch. Matt believed in love and happily ever afters. Our parents were a rarity in the affluent town of Haven River. All three couples were still happily married. Now he’s learned his dad cheated on his mother.
“You two were my friends. I come running the moment you two are in trouble.”
I peeked at Tate, then Matt. “We didn’t want to break your heart. We figured your father and mother weren’t getting a divorce so we left it alone. Marisa set your father up with a woman.”
He cut his eyes at me.
I held my hands up like I was pumping the brakes. “I’m not saying it was right. She destroyed her own parents’ relationship to keep her and Mason’s solid.”
“I read in the documents your father and Chelsea’s grandfather agreed to payout upon their pregnancies with the heirs. Chelsea told me my grandfather mentioned that tidbit after he choked her about Marisa’s part in the blackmail.” Tate sipped the water the Butler brought him.
I sighed. “We’ll get out of your hair.”
I hugged him. “We love you too much to be vindictive. Just protective.”
“I thought you two broke up.”
He pushed me back and narrowed his eyes between us.
“Tate, you could have come alone.”
“Chelsea was so desperate to find you she asked Marisa had she seen you. I’m sure you could imagine how well that went. I had to help her. Even if she did dump me.” He quirked a brow.
“Why did you break up with him, Chelse? You know he didn’t fuck any of those girls. Mason was trying to destroy Tate.”
“I know, Matt. The videos and the girls thinking it was my boyfriend they were messing around with...I couldn’t take it anymore. So I let him go, kind of.” My eyebrows wrinkled, and I tugged my hair. “Wait, when did Marisa tell you about your father?”
“Last week.”
I peered at Tate then back at Matt.
“I think, she told you about your father to get back at me and Tate for breaking up. Her and Mason wanted to watch me unravel. You witnessed first-hand how they tried to break me down.” I stood and paced the floor.
“Maybe Marisa wants to make me pay. And Mason wants to make Tate pay. She wants to embarrass me. And Mason wants to take what matters to Tate. So once Tate and I broke up she decided to take the only person who mattered away from us. You.” I stopped and pointed at Matt.
“Oh, how could I forget. Rocco found out Kyle also knew Mason was alive.”
Matt’s eyes darkened. “What the fuck?”
“It makes sense once you think about it. He hated me as much as Marisa and Mason.”
He poked out his bottom lip. “That’s true.”
“Tate doesn’t want to let him know we know. We might be able to use it to our advantage. If you don’t want anything to do with us Matt, we’ll have to understand.” I sat beside him cupping his hands. “We’ve been best friends. All three of us for too long to let those assholes come between us. We love you. If you need to distance yourself from us for a while fine. But we’re friends for life.”
“Matt, you’re like my brother. We’re past best friends. If you let my brother and your sister come between us. Then they won.”
“They haven’t won shit. I am upset and I’ll need time.” He ran his hands tightly over his head.
“What did you do to Megan? She’s behaving weird.”
“I didn’t do anything to her. She’s not strong enough to be my woman.” He stood and paced.
“We’ve been forbidden to be together. Nothing new. But I expected the way we felt for each other would be enough to tell our fathers to go fuck themselves. But Megan complied. She said she couldn’t disobey her daddy. She was supposed to be mine. And they stole the only woman I ever loved right from my clutches,” he roared. “Excuse me if I’m tired of secretly seeing her only for her to remind me that we can’t ever be a couple. She was here last week, and that’s what happened. I told her what Marisa told me. I told her I needed her. She reminded me we have to move on.” He gripped the back of his neck.
“So see Chelse, you assumed I was the asshole first. Nope, it was your precious Megan. I am free to sleep with as many girls as I want,” he laughed hysterically.
My best friend was losing his grip on reality.
I stood and pulled him into my arms. “We love you. We’re staying right here tonight.” He held me tight.
I closed my eyes. No one knew what it was like better than Tate and me how someone could blatantly standby and destroy your happiness.
“Where’s the theater room, Matt?”
He stepped back. “Come on.”
“Oh, wait. Tate, can you grab my joggers out of my backpack?”
“Yeah.”
I glanced at Matt. “Do you have a T-shirt...”
“What?” Tate’s eyes narrowed.
“You’re not wearing his shirt. I have a change of clothes in my bag. You’ll wear my shirt.” Tate stalked out of the house.
Matt shook his head. “You’ll break him again if you ask him to go along with this false break up too long.”
He nodded toward the hall. I fell beside him.
“I just want to make it to the end of senior year. You can’t think I enjoy sneaking around with my boyfriend. Especially after we worked so hard to rescue him. My arm tingles every day. I want to give in to the urge to cut myself.” I locked my hand on my arm and squeezed my eyes shut. Today I wanted to run out of the lunch room after talking to Marisa, but I knew if I did Tate would have followed me.”
Tears burned the backs of my eyes. I needed to remain strong. I flopped on the theater recliner. “Why are they making our lives a living hell? I want to out Marisa and Mason. Tell Haven Saints it wasn’t Tate posing in those videos with girls it was Mason. Tate’s parents asked them not to reveal the truth.”
He gruffly rubbed his chin. “That’s messed up. They’re doing nothing but feeding into Mason’s narcissistic ways.”
“Exactly.” Tate sighed as he walked into the room.
“To them they just got a second chance with the son they thought they lost. I think they’re afraid of losing him again. So they coddle him.” Tate placed the clothes on my lap.
“I need to have a talk with my parents.” He slipped off his navy blazer and reclined in the tan sofa seat next to me.
Matt sat to my right. “What’s the plan?”
“We’ll have to meet in secret like we did last year. But on the surface, it will appear we aren’t close as we are.”
“Are we dragging Rocco into this shit again?”
“Matt, I’m not sure yet.”
“Marisa’s rarely home. She spends the night with Mason. Tate are you ever going back home?” He leaned into the plush pillows.
“Maybe. Still thinking about it.”
Tate rubbed my neck. “Go change. The bathroom is the first door on your left.”
“Guys, order pizza please? You know what I want.”
Tate slipped his cell from his pocket. “On it.”
In route to the bathroom I tossed over in my head what we would really do to survive the
second half of senior year. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. The most fun, memorable times of my life had been tainted by Mason and his evil princess. I was so tired already and I just returned to school for the second time this semester today. Gripping my hair, I leaned over the sink. You can do this. They don’t have control. You do.
I slipped into the comfy clothes and returned to the theater room.
“The pizza will be here in twenty minutes.”
“Where’s Matt?” I placed my clothes on the seat behind me.
“He went to grab beverages and popcorn.”
“Good. I wonder if he has any M&M’s.”
“Come here.” He slipped a shareable pack of my favorite candy from his pocket.
“I got you covered.” He rested his head against my stomach. My fingers circled his locks.
“You’re destroying my Clark Kent look.”
“I hated how they fawned all over you today. And you didn’t have to hit Lake this morning.”
“I did. He was too excited about becoming your fake boyfriend. I had to remind him this shit wasn’t real.”
My head dropped back in laughter. “Seriously, be nice.”
He sighed, sat up, and pulled me into his lap.
“Tate, I am sitting between you and Matt.”
He rolled his sexy eyes. “Baby, you’re killing me.”
I caressed his face. “I’m not trying to.”
He brushed his top lip against my bottom. “I know.” Tate pulled my lip into his mouth.
My hand splayed his chest. “I’m scooting over now.”
“We’re going to the condo later. I need you all to myself even if it’s for one hour.”
“As much as I want to, we need to be here for Matt.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“All right, love birds I come bearing junk food.”
I crossed my ankles, rubbing my hands together. “Where are your aunt and uncle?”
“In Cali. They only return to Atlanta for the summer and holidays. Doubt my cousins would ever consider moving back to Georgia,” he laughed.
“Do you want to watch ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’?”
Biting my lower lip, I glanced between them. “I don’t want to make you guys watch it only for the one hundredth time.”
Matt tossed the purple Powerade. Tate caught it midair. “We haven’t watched it in years.” He cracked the top.
“Remember when the movie debuted. All seven of us went to the movies. We were the best of friends.” My smile rose and fell.
“You and Marisa were best friends and Mason wasn’t an asshole.” Matt smirked.
“Kyle thought I was cool back then.”
“No one could tear us apart,” Tate said.
“Stephen’s stuck in the middle now.” I stared at the large screen while Matt searched for the movie.
“That he is. He splits his time between me and Mason.” Tate sipped the Powerade.
“All right, doll lets enjoy a classic.” He laid his head in my lap.
“What the fuck, Matt?” Tate smacked his head.
“She’s my friend too.”
Tate shoved a pillow under his head. “Your face doesn’t need to be too close to my goods,” he growled.
“I’ll gladly beat your ass again.”
I gripped Tate’s hand. “Watch the movie.”
Matt snickered. He loved getting under Tate’s skin.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Friday, had finally arrived. I survived the rest of the week. Tate hadn’t been to his locker until today. Wednesday almost every girl arrived at school with blonde hair.
He cut his eyes at me as if it were my fault. Tate thought it was funny at the time he mentioned blondes were freakier. Now not so much. They broke their necks to wave and speak to him. He didn’t bother eating lunch at school either. He left campus. A snow storm was coming to Haven River. Great time to be snowed in. I had to make it up to him this weekend. If I didn’t, he’d tell everyone in Haven Saints high to go to hell. I didn’t think he was above kidnapping me.
“Good morning, sweetheart.” Lake wrapped his arms around me from behind.
“Morning.”
“Are we still on for tonight after the game?”
“Yes, we are on. Can’t wait.”
“Can you hold my backpack open?”
“Sure.”
I retrieved my books from my locker and slipped them into my bag.
A slinky girl in four-inch stilettos caught my attention. “What the hell?”
Lake peeked over his shoulder.
She staggered down the hall. “Tate.” She raised her hand.
“Tate.”
His eyes widened as the girl approached.
She smiled wide and placed her hand on his shoulder. Her blonde hair cascaded down her back.
“I’ve waited for this very moment. I knew you’d grow bored with her.” She glanced at me and snarled.
What was happening?
She became lost in his dreamy eyes. “Tate, baby, I’ve been patient since I arrived here in November. I didn’t want to come forward right away. I wanted to give you time to get over the bitches who threw themselves at you. You are my forever crush.”
He removed her hand from his shoulder like it was trash. “What’s your name?”
“Regina Bright.” Her smile widened.
“I am not interested in a relationship. The single life is better for me at this time. You’ll have to find your forever with someone else.”
She slipped her arms around his neck. “You’ll come around.” Her lips crashed into his.
Tate stood like a deer in headlights. He gripped her arms and pushed her back. His puffy lips were stained with red lipstick.
His horrid gaze met mine. “I’ve fucking had it, Chelsea,” he roared.
“Fix it.” He stepped closer.
“Call this shit─”
My hand flew over his mouth. “You know we can’t be a couple anymore.”
Regina appeared at his side, hanging off of his arm. “You don’t need her. She’s last years trash. You have me now.”
Tate grabbed my arm and leaned into my ear. “If you think the spanking was bad after we left Matts. That’s nothing. You will pay dearly for this. Chelsea, you will be on your knees all weekend starting tonight.”
We were supposed to spend the night at Matt’s but Tate told him he needed alone time with me.
He stepped back and glared at Regina. “There’s no me and you. I told you. I’m not interested in being in a relationship.” He snatched his arm out of her grip and stormed down the hall.
Her fists landed on her hips. “Clearly you bring out the worst in him.” She glowered.
I curved my finger under my lip. “Do I hear a Tennessee or Alabama twang?”
“Sweet Home Alabama. Best place to live in the south. Hated we had to relocate to Georgia,” she frowned.
“He said he didn’t want you. So move along.”
She closed the space between us, glaring down at me. “Oh, bitch I ain’t going nowhere. I’ve staked my claim on Tate Forrester. Already told daddy he’s going to be his son-in-law.”
My heart stopped.
“You aren’t listening. He doesn’t want you or anyone else.” I growled.
“Oh, why because he wants his little princess back. He’ll learn real soon he doesn’t need you. If I catch you around my man. I’ll make you pay.” She turned on her heels.
“You won’t do a thing,” I stated through gritted teeth.
Her head snapped around. “I like playing with fire. I’ll burn up that little gold car of yours. The first time empty.” She grinned before walking away.
The tiny hairs prickled my skin. The bitch was really crazy. Fuck, I didn’t anticipate this.
“What is going on at this school?”
“Lake, too much.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know yet. There has to be a restraining order
against her. I’ll have a friend look into her.”
SUCKING DOWN AN ICE tea, I peeked across the lunchroom. Regina stood aimlessly, scanning the room for her prince charming. She wouldn’t find him. I knew where he was, though. Marisa, Mason and their band of cronies snickered at her expense. Regina turned their way, waved and walked toward Marisa.
“No.” I read her lips.
Regina spun on her heels and sat at a table across the noisy lunchroom. I lowered my head and rubbed my brow, peeking at Marisa. She whispered something in Mason’s ear. He snickered.
I leaned my head on Connie’s shoulder. “Did you hear about my crazy run in with the new chick?”
“Chelsea, the entire school can’t stop talking about the nut job. Every girl has chosen not to flirt with Tate.”
I sighed. “This is all my fault.”
“Why do you say that?” Trevor stabbed the meatloaf with his fork.
“Maybe we shouldn’t have broken up. There wouldn’t be any crazy chick issues. She’s the only crazy girl at this school. I’m convinced.”
Rocco cracked a smile across from me. “Oh, no there are more. She just happens to be the craziest.”
I flashed a plastic smile. “Thanks for the crazy report. Rocco, I need you to look into her. Tell me what you find. Is this her first transfer? Any restraining orders? The make, model, and license plate of her car. She’s threatened to blow up my car.”
They gaped.
“I will get on that asap.”
“Are you inviting Kelsea out with us tonight?”
He grinned. “Yeah, she’ll be there.”
“Cool. I have to go.”
“Are you sure it’s safe to walk around alone?” Megan asked.
“I’ll be fine. I have protection.” I winked.
I ducked out of the lunchroom and walked to my right. I’d have to take the long route. Didn’t want to make it obvious where I was going. Once in the lower level of the building, I peeked up and down the hall to make sure I wasn’t followed. The door creaked open as I squeezed inside. ‘Smells like teen spirit’ blared through the speakers. Tate laid on the weight bench. His muscles flexed as he bench pressed the weights above his head. I scanned the empty room. Hm. Why was it empty?
Arms crossing my chest, I strolled over. He looked at me but continued his workout.
You're To Blame 2: A High School Bully Romance (Haven Saints High) Page 12