Fear Me

by B. B. Reid

  “Yes, Buddy. I promise.” And apparently I’m a liar too…

  * * *

  “I’m going to the fair tonight with Willow and Sheldon.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes.” Silence. “So?”

  “So, what?”

  “Nothing.” More silence. “Are you mad at me?”

  “Should I be?”

  “No.”

  “Then I guess I’m not.”

  I was growing sick of his short answers. Keiran had been giving me the cold shoulder since I made Anya eat my locker at school. It didn’t seem like the situation with Anya was enough to walk around with a stick up the ass. We haven’t exchanged words since then. It was after school and we were lying in his bed, having just finished a few sweaty rounds of sex. He’d tricked me into my car by telling me he’d take me home but I ended up here instead.

  “I think you are, though.” Silence again. “You won’t talk to me,” I tried again.

  He released a breath. “You’re pissing me off.”

  “Ditto.”

  “I want you to stay away from Anya,” he ordered. Bingo! We have communication!

  “Believe me, I don’t approach her willingly. Besides, she started it.” He stared me down until I shrunk back in my seat. “Fine,” I huffed.

  “What time are you going to the fair?”

  “Six.”

  “Don’t do anything stupid tonight.”

  “Yes, Dad.”

  “Lake…”

  “Lighten up. You can’t control me, Keiran, so stop trying.”

  “I can and I will,” he answered unapologetically. I don’t know why I bothered to tell him otherwise. Keiran would always do what he wanted but he wasn’t God, no matter how much he pretended to be.

  “I won’t let you.”

  “You can’t stop me. Do you even really want to or are you trying to save face?”

  “I – I don’t know.” It was the truth. I really didn’t know.

  “Listen. Trevor may be there. Don’t approach him and don’t provoke him. If he gets near you then you call me. Immediately. Do you understand?”

  “Keiran, he can’t come within a thousand feet of me. I will be fine.”

  “Do you need me to repeat myself again?” The look in his eyes told me to drop, which I did reluctantly. His body tensed when he mentioned Trevor, which was weird for someone who claimed not to care.

  “Are we ever going to talk about it?” I looked up at him from my place on his chest but his eyes were closed. A deep frown line marred his features.

  “There’s nothing to talk about.”

  “How can you say that?” I stated at him incredulously. “What if I get pregnant?” Being pregnant at my age would be the biggest threat to my future but being pregnant with Keiran’s baby would be the biggest threat to my sanity.

  “No more questions. Get dressed,” he said, lifting from the bed and displaying his nakedness shamelessly. It took everything in me not to drool, watching his butt flex as he pulled on his discarded jeans.

  “Why aren’t you coming to the fair?”

  “Not my thing.”

  “Oh…well…”

  “What?”

  How do you tell they guy who is supposed to be your enemy that you wanted to do all the corny things couples usually do like win prizes for each other and ride the Ferris wheel, holding hands without sounding like a lunatic? I wasn’t supposed to want these things with him. We were two people who hated each other and got lost in each other’s bodies. He’d said he didn’t hate me anymore but I knew that wasn’t true. He still carried hate in his eyes for me but it was clouded by lust.

  “Nothing,” I answered dejectedly.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  The sound of children’s laughter and the smell of fried food greeted me as we entered the fair. It was a fairly warm, clear night. We ended up arriving over an hour late because Pepé decided to hide Willow’s keys to keep her from leaving. It took us a while to find them and in the end we brought him along with us even though I wasn’t too sure pets were allowed.

  “First things first. I need a smoked turkey leg and funnel cake in that order and you bitches better get your own cause I’m not sharing.” Sheldon announced. The girl could really put it away.

  We headed for the nearest food stand, weaving our way through the thick crowd. “So Lake, does your aunt know about Keiran?” Willow asked. I wasn’t expecting her to ask me that considering she shied away from questioning our “relationship”.

  “Uh, somewhat. He came over once and met her but she doesn’t know anything. I feel guilty actually. She trusts me to keep my head but I’ve been keeping secrets.”

  “Yeah and so has every other teenager to ever live. She knows what it was like to be eighteen.”

  “Yeah, but –”

  “Talk to her when she gets home. Lay it all out on the table. She still has no idea the house was broken into?” Sheldon asked.

  “No. I didn’t want to ruin her tour by stressing her out. I’m worried she may not trust me again.”

  “Disappointing parents is a part of the circle of life. You could have done much worse, if you ask me.”

  “It’s just new territory. With sex in the equation, I’m no longer sure of the rules and boundaries. The law says I’m of legal age but the circumstances make everything skewed.”

  “And isn’t it ironic that the very person who kept your love life non-existent now consumes it?” Willow let out a wry chuckle before purchasing a turkey leg and soda.

  We grabbed our food and quickly found seats to eat. “Is Keenan talking to you yet?” I asked Sheldon.

  “No. Strangely enough I haven’t heard from him this afternoon. I think he mentioned his dad coming home earlier this morning.”

  “What does his dad do that keeps him away all the time?”

  “He does construction work for his company and takes jobs all over the country for the right price, but I think it has more to do with him wanting to be away. I’ve been with Keenan for over two years and have only seen him a handful of times. He makes sure Keiran and Keenan are taken care of but mostly he stays away. I know it hurts Keenan but he ignores it. I actually heard that John used to be a very outgoing man long ago but after Keenan’s mother ran off, he shut down.”

  “But there has to be more. Keiran doesn’t care for his uncle and I don’t think it is just because he is an absentee parent.”

  “You may be right but neither of them are willing to talk. Keenan doesn’t seem to know much anyway.”

  “But Keiran does. I know he does.”

  “And his parents are dead, right?” She shrugged and bit into her turkey. “You don’t think so?”

  “There was never any proof. They both just vanished.”

  “Vanished?” Willow asked. I thought about the articles Jesse found a couple of days ago. He was still searching for any trace of his father with no luck so far.

  “Yeah. Keenan once told me that Keiran’s father was disowned by their family and ran off years ago. He’s probably never even met Keiran if his mother was a one-night stand. He’s been with his uncle for years with no sign of his father.”

  A disturbing thought popped into my head when she’d said that last part. “Wait, so he’d just moved here when I came to Six Forks?”

  “Yeah, about three or four months before, I think.”

  “Talk about Lifetime.”

  “I wish I could get Keiran to tell me about his past. I feel like it has everything to do with why he is this way.”

  “You ever think he might just have a really dominant personality?” Sheldon asked.

  “You mean he’s an asshole?” Willow asked. “People’s parents split all the time. Your parents are gone and you’re just fine.”

  I ignored the pain I felt at the reminder that my parents were gone and I had no idea why. Besides…was I really okay?

  “Guys, he told me he was a bad person because he did bad things. That people made hi
m do bad things. He never once mentioned his mother but he did tell me she was a prostitute and drug addict.

  “So what are you thinking?” Willow asked.

  “I don’t know for sure but what if – what if he wasn’t with his mother?”

  “Where else would he have been?” Sheldon asked.

  “Maybe her family took care of him until they couldn’t anymore? People are plural. Wherever he was for eight years his mother wasn’t the only person around him and whatever bad things they made him do followed him. It still follows him and I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to help him.”

  “You mean fix him?” Sheldon asked.

  “I think what you are doing is what works. He seems a lot less…broody…these days. Maybe that’s enough.” Willow offered.

  “Besides, he may not like the idea of you trying to fix him. He could take it the wrong way.”

  “Guys, he told me I made him have nightmares! What am I supposed to do?” Sheldon coughed and spit out soda at my outburst.

  “Wow,” she stated still coughing.

  “That’s romantic,” Willow finished sarcastically.

  “Nightmares of what?” Sheldon asked once her coughing fit was over. I ran down everything he told me last night and when I finished they looked more than a little disturbed and it wasn’t even a complete story.

  “Do you think Dash and Keenan know?”

  “Dash, maybe. Keenan, no.” Sheldon answered.

  “Why Dash and not Keenan?”

  “Because he has Dash’s back but he protects Keenan. Keenan looks up to him. He cares more than he lets on so he won’t want to taint that. ”

  “I know what you are thinking Lake, but Dash won’t say a word. He’s loyal to a fault.” Willow stated.

  “I think someone else cares more than they let on too. You should give my brother a chance then.” Sheldon smirked at Willow who scoffed and looked away.

  “Look, I came for rides and prizes. Let’s go Pepé. We got shit to do.” She grabbed Pepé and stomped off with him.

  “Why did you have to say that?” I fussed at Sheldon.

  “What? You know it’s true. They are dying for each other and I’m sick of his ass walking around the house with pissy panties stuck up his ass.”

  “Let them figure it out.”

  “It isn’t me you need to tell that to. I’m telling you, Dash won’t wait forever.”

  “So he will move on.”

  “No, he’ll force her hand. The men in my family don’t play fair. Consider that a warning. Now let’s go get her. I can’t have my future sister-in-law mad at me.”

  * * *

  “I can’t eat anymore cotton candy. I’ll puke,” Sheldon whined. We were on the Ferris wheel after inhaling ample amounts of cotton candy. Sheldon of course, wanted to outdo us all and turned it into a competition.

  “Eww. Puke that way,” Willow fussed, her voice filled with disgust.

  “Stop pushing me.”

  “Get away yuck mouth.”

  “Ugh, tell her to stop pushing me, Lake.”

  “Settle down children…Hey, slide over will you? I’m being crushed.”

  “I’m going to murder you,” Willow threatened to Sheldon, ignoring me.

  “Not if I puke on you first.”

  “What are you, three?”

  “You’re hurting my feelings.”

  “Toss the candy, already.”

  “We are on top of the wheel!”

  “Maybe a kid will catch it.”

  “Mmm,” Sheldon moaned as she took another bite. “Good cotton candy….Oh god,” she slapped a hand over her mouth. “No more.”

  “Sheldon!” Willow shrieked.

  I tried not to listen to my two friends bicker and even harder tried not to think about pushing them both off. That was bad right?

  “Quit licking me!” Willow screamed.

  “There was cotton candy on your face!”

  Maybe not.

  The ride started again and once it stopped for us to get off I was tempted to fall to my knees and kiss the ground. Willow had to hide Pepé her bag so he could get on the ride with us and she quickly took him out. He rolled his eyes at her before settling on her shoulders and looking around.

  “Hey, look. Eleven o’clock.”

  I looked over by the stage of acrobats and saw Trevor…with Anya. Kissing. Seeing the two of them together without a care in the world mad me sick and suddenly I wanted Keiran here with fierceness. “We need to move. I don’t want him to see me.”

  “Too late. He’s already looking at you.”

  Sure enough Trevor and Anya were both regarding us with hateful looks on their faces. I sincerely hoped Trevor wasn’t stupid enough to try anything. I took Sheldon and Willow’s hands and hurried away in the opposite direction.

  “Hey, Lake!” I heard my name called out in a gruff voice.

  “Well no one ever accused him of being smart.” Willow’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

  “Keep walking,” I urged, rushing for the exit.

  “He’s mighty ballsy,” Sheldon stated. She let go of my hand but kept up as I made my way to the car. A moment later she was on the phone telling someone that he was here. I had a good idea who.

  We’d just cleared the gates when Trevor grabbed my arm, yanking me away from Willow and Sheldon. “Not so fast, sweetheart. Didn’t you miss me?”

  “Take your hands off of me.”

  “Why?” Anya snarled. “You think because you have Keiran that no one else is good enough for you? You couldn’t even get a boyfriend before.”

  “Anya please get over yourself. Keiran never wanted you. You threw yourself at him.”

  I almost had my arm out of his grip when he tightened it and began walking off with me in tow. “You’re coming with me. There is someone who wants to meet you.”

  Before I could respond or scream for help I fell to the ground. Willow had jumped on Trevor’s back and began hurling insults and pulling his hair while Sheldon hit and kicked him from every angle. Luckily with Trevor’s arm broken he couldn’t get the upper hand, or so I thought.

  “Get off me you crazy bitches!” he roared just before Willow went airborne and Sheldon hit the ground.

  I saw red at seeing him manhandle my friends and before I could rethink it I delivered a two-piece to his face and swift kick to his groin bringing him to his knees.

  I turned to help Sheldon and Willow who wasn’t moving from the ground. Pepé was sniffing at Willow’s face and making small sounds for his mother.

  “Lake, watch out!”

  I turned in time to see Trevor lunge for me with a murderous expression but before he could grab me he was thrown a few feet away by Dash and grabbed up by Keenan who delivered powerful blows to his face. They proceeded to tag team and beat the shit out of him. I winced at the beating he was taking. What surprised me most though was the absence of Keiran and how they’d gotten here so fast.

  Sheldon was screaming for them to stop and as much as I hated Trevor I had to agree. They were quickly moving from assault to attempted murder if they carried on.

  After a few more blows, Keenan grabbed Trevor by the arms and dragged him to Dash’s waiting car and threw him inside while Dash hurried over to Willow. He gathered her up into his arms and scooped up a scared Pepé.

  “Where is her car?” His voice was rough and harsh and his face was a mask of unconfined fury. His whole body was shaking with barely controlled rage.

  “Over – over there.” I pointed to her purple eclipse a few aisles over with a shaking hand. Willow seemed a little dazed from the fall but she was conscious and didn’t appear to have any injuries. He placed her in the passenger seat along with Pepé and turned to me.

  “Go to her house and stay there. Keiran will come for you.” He jogged back over to his car. He and Keenan hopped in, and drove off… with an unconscious Trevor.

  I looked around the empty parking lot and sighed in relief that no one was there to see
Trevor assaulted and basically kidnapped. Then again, that could have been a bad thing. If Sheldon had never called her brother, who knows what Trevor would have done or where he would have taken me? What did he mean someone wanted to meet me?

  I looked around again and noticed Anya was gone as well. “Where did Anya go? Did she run off?”

  “Unfortunately, no. Keenan grabbed her too.”

  “What!”

  “Yup.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t think I want to know.”

  “We can’t just ignore the fact that happened Sheldon.”

  “Do you really want to go against all three of them?”

  “But Keiran wasn’t here.”

  She looked at me as if I was dense. “Where do you think they are taking them? Look, let’s get Willow home and worry about that later.”

  I reluctantly got into the car and dropped Sheldon off before driving us over to Willow’s house. Willow was silent the entire ride home and I kept checking to make sure she was still conscious. It didn’t look as if she hit her head from the fall.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah,” she croaked.

  “It doesn’t sound like it.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “What did Dash say to you?”

  “What makes you think he said something?” she asked.

  I shot her an impatient look but didn’t say anything more. I knew Willow sometimes better than I knew myself and vice versa.

  She released an aggravated breath before stating, “He said he would be over to deal with my stupidity later.”

  “He’s not making this easy for you is he?”

  She snorted. “Nothing about Dash is easy. He’s always so determined to have his way. He doesn’t even really want me. He just thinks the world is supposed to change to fit him.”

  Willow sounded so sad and heartbroken and I cursed my inexperience with boys because I had absolutely no idea what to tell her.

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “Wait for college to start and run away?”

  “Aren’t you and Dash interested in the same school?”