Make Me (Bully Me #2)

by C. E. Starkweather

  "I would never have thought he was capable of hurting you like that. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Like you’re the only thing that matters in his life."

  "I know," she said softly. "He’s a great guy, Josh. He’s so good to me and Adam. It took a long time for me to really forgive him for what he did, but I have. Please don’t judge him on that."

  He shrugged. "If you say he’s changed, then I’m sure he has. People make mistakes, Kaine. I get that. What happened with Camden?"

  She snorted. "I don’t even know where to start. I went on a date with him. My first date. I’d had so many fantasies about going out with Camden Lawson, and he asked me out. I should have been ecstatic, but I wasn’t. I think that’s when I knew I was starting to have feelings for Shane. The date was kind of boring, and I didn’t really feel anything for him. He started showing up where I was, acting like it was a coincidence. I finally confronted him and he admitted he was following me."

  He was silent, waiting for her to finish.

  "So Shane’s mom and my dad got married, and Shane and I...well, you know. We had the whole house to ourselves for the weekend. You can imagine."

  "Yeah, no need to elaborate," he laughed.

  "I remember Camden coming over and yelling at Shane, telling him that he wasn’t good enough for me. We had gone for a run that morning, and Shane carried me home on his back." She smiled, remembering how in love she felt with her arms wrapped around him. "I thought we must have ran past Camden’s house, because I had a bunch of texts from him freaking out that I was with Shane. I went downstairs and told Camden that I was in love with Shane and to leave me alone. He got angry and left. We went upstairs and...you know. I told him to pick me out an outfit while I showered. I came out and saw him looking at a camera in my closet."

  "Oh, shit."

  "Yeah. I remember feeling like my world was crashing down. I was so in love with him, and he had been recording us having sex. I just kept picturing him showing the videos to his friends and laughing about it. I freaked out at him and tried to avoid him for the next few days. Camden apologized to me the next day, and told me that he just wanted me to be happy, and if Shane was what made me happy, then he would leave me alone. I felt bad for thinking that he was being an asshole when he was just trying to look out for me. I thought he must have known that Shane would do something like this. I felt stupid. I went to Camden's house after school to try to avoid Shane. It’s hell trying to avoid someone you live with." She paused, swallowing hard.

  "It’s ok Kaine. You can tell me."

  She sighed. "It’s hard to talk about. I’ve had so many nightmares..."

  His eyes widened. "Did he hurt you?"

  She looked at the floor. "He had pictures and videos of me on his computer," she finally said. "Of me and Shane and just me alone. The camera was pointed right at my bed. He saw everything." Tears filled her eyes as she remembered the humiliation she felt. "I was so sure it was Shane, and it was Camden who had put the camera in my closet. He had been watching me since the wedding. When Shane’s family first moved in, I had him help me install a new doorknob that locked, and he had taken one of the keys without me knowing. That’s how he planted the camera. He had taken the key before anything had even happened between me and Shane. Before I even went on the date with him." She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "He saw me looking at his computer, and he freaked out. He threw me on his bed and...he was like a different person. I couldn’t fight him. He was too strong. I tried, but he hit me. Hard. He said that I liked it rough with Shane so he was going to do it like that. He ripped my clothes off. I remember him pulling out a condom and knowing that he was going to rape me and I couldn’t get away. I screamed, but he clamped his hand over my mouth so hard that I had bruises of his fingerprints on my face," she sobbed.

  "Oh my god, Kaine. I’m so sorry."

  She shook her head. "I hate thinking about it. I remember it so well. I wish I could just forget about it."

  "It’s ok, sweetie," he soothed her. "Don’t cry." He held her hand while tears spilled down her face. "What happened?" He gently asked.

  She wiped her eyes. "Shane found me. Before he had a chance to rape me. He knew I was with Camden, and that Camden was the one who had put the camera in my closet. He pulled Camden off of me. I remember Shane punching him. I kind of blacked out after that. I remember being in an ambulance and Shane being with me. I had to go to the hospital. This hospital. I got a restraining order against Camden. He moved away soon after that."

  "So why is he back now? He can’t work at the school if he has a record and if you have a restraining order against him."

  "I didn’t press charges. And the restraining order only lasted for five years."

  "Why wouldn’t you press charges after what he did?"

  "Because he was on steroids," she said. "He was seventeen at the time. I wanted him to get help. That was part of the deal. I wouldn’t press charges if he got help right away. I saw how Shane was when he did them. I didn’t want to ruin his life. I just wanted him out of mine. But now, I wish I had pressed charges. I didn’t ever think I’d see him again."

  "Jesus," he muttered. "Did your entire school have a steroid problem or something?"

  She shrugged. "I don’t know. Maybe the whole wrestling team did. I do know that Camden and Shane used to shoot up together. They were friends before me."

  Josh was silent for a moment. "Are you going to tell the school board?"

  "I don’t know. On one hand, he needs money and I feel bad taking this opportunity away from him. He hasn’t had the easiest life. On the other hand, I don’t entirely trust him. I know he was on steroids when he attacked me. But how much of it was the steroids and how much was him? He wasn’t on steroids when he planted the camera and lied to my face about it. He wasn’t on steroids the entire time he was following me around. The thing I’m most worried about is telling Shane. He’s going to flip out."

  Josh snorted. "Do you blame him?"

  "No, not really. But I’m still not looking forward to it. The best case scenario is that he makes me tell the school board about what happened with Camden. Worst case scenario is he finds Camden, beats the shit out of him and gets himself arrested."

  "So don’t tell him."

  Kaine laughed. "That’s not an option. We tell each other everything. And I have a terrible poker face. He’s going to know something is wrong right away. Also, I’d want him to know. Just in case."

  "That right there means you should tell the school board. You’re scared of him, Kaine."

  "I’m not scared," she protested. "I’m just...being careful. What if it wasn’t a coincidence that he ended up back here?"

  He frowned. "Wait, do you think it was him who mugged me?"

  She shook her head. "No. He’s taller than you are. Much taller. It couldn’t have been him."

  "Maybe he hired someone."

  Kaine laughed. "Maybe we’re getting a little carried away. I’m sure it will be fine." She checked her phone. "I have to go pick up Adam. Thanks for listening to me, Josh."

  "No problem. Thanks for visiting."

  She gave him a kiss on the cheek and left to pick up her son.

  3

  Kaine pulled into Anna’s driveway and got out of her car, smoothing her skirt. Anna was a retired schoolteacher who now ran a daycare out of her house. She was sweet, smart, and Adam loved her. She quietly opened the door and smiled when she saw Adam playing with Sophia on the floor. Her and Shane joked that Adam was going to marry Sophia when he grew up. They were already inseparable. She watched him play for a minute before he saw her. "Mommy!" He screamed, running to her. She crouched down and held him close, kissing him on the head. "Hi, baby. Did you have fun today?"

  He nodded enthusiastically. "I painted a picture for you." He grabbed her hand and dragged her to the kitchen. "It’s a spaceship," he said proudly, thrusting the picture at her. She smiled at the scribble. "It’s fantastic," she said. "I bet daddy will love it." She said g
oodbye to Anna and loaded Adam into the car. "Are you excited to see grandma and grandpa this weekend?" She asked.

  "Will Uncle Jay be there?" He asked hopefully. Kaine smiled at him in the mirror. "I’m sure he’ll make a special stop just to see you."

  Adam talked the entire way home. As she pulled in her driveway, he was still talking animatedly. She turned on the TV to Yo Gabba Gabba and Adam immediately sat down, fascinated. Kaine chuckled. Thank God for this ridiculous show. She chopped up carrots and celery, thinking about how to talk to Shane about Camden. Maybe he would be ok with it. It had been almost ten years since Camden had attacked her. More than anything, Kaine felt bad for Camden. Life had dealt him a pretty shitty hand. Maybe Shane would realize that and leave it alone.

  Fat chance.

  Her phone buzzed and she looked down at it.

  Running late. Eat without me. I’ll try to be home before Adam’s bedtime.

  Kaine sighed, frustrated. She was used to Shane having to work late on important cases, and she knew that there was nothing either of them could do about it. He didn't like it any more than she did. Still though, she wished he had more time for her and Adam.

  She popped Adam’s chicken nuggets in the microwave and tossed the vegetables in the boiling water. "Dinner!" She called to Adam, who came sprinting into the kitchen. "Where’s daddy?" He demanded. Kaine ruffled his hair. "He had to work late again. He’ll be home later."

  Adam pouted, and Kaine smiled at him. "Tell you what. When we pick you up on Sunday, we’ll go out for ice cream, ok?"

  Adam brightened a little bit, but still looked sad. "Can I have ice cream tonight?"

  "Sure, sweetie. Eat your nuggets and two carrot sticks and you can have some." She turned off the boiling water and sat down with Adam. She could wait for Shane to get home to eat.

  Adam finished eating and she cuddled with him on the couch, lost in thought. At least tomorrow, Shane and her would have the whole day to themselves without any interruptions. She was starting to feel like they were two ships passing in the night.

  At 8:00, Kaine was just about to take Adam to bed when she heard the key turn in the door. "Daddy!" Adam screamed, running into the kitchen. He threw himself into Shane’s arms. "I missed you!"

  "I missed you too, buddy," Shane said, easily scooping him up and throwing him in the air. He grinned at Kaine. "I’m sorry, babe. The meeting took forever and I had to finish preparing for the trial on Monday."

  "It's ok," she said, hugging him tightly. "I get it."

  He kissed her head and wrapped his arm around her. "I love you, Kainie."

  "I love you too," she sighed. "Why don’t you play with Adam while I heat up dinner? He can stay up for a bit tonight to spend some time with you."

  "Sounds good," he said, swinging Adam onto his shoulders. "Come on, buddy."

  Kaine turned on the water and threw the chicken in the oven. She smiled softly at the sound of Shane and Adam playing in the other room. Shane was a wonderful father. As much as she wished he didn’t work as much as he did, she had to admit that he was an amazing husband as well. Everything he did was to make a better life for her and Adam.

  Fifteen minutes later, Shane walked back into the kitchen carrying a sleeping Adam. Kaine smiled excitedly. Putting him to sleep was sometimes an hour long chore. As long as he stayed asleep until Shane got him into bed, he would stay down. She held her breath as Shane tiptoed up the stairs. A minute later, he came back downstairs, grinning. "I can’t believe it was that easy. Whenever I’m horny he usually takes forever to fall asleep," he said, grabbing Kaine’s hips and smashing his mouth to hers. "You look hot as hell today."

  She giggled. "You’re always horny. And I look like this every day."

  "You’re hot as hell every day," he murmured, kissing her neck. "How long until dinner’s ready?"

  "Ah...ten minutes," she gasped as Shane lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around him as he carried her upstairs. "That’s enough time for round one," he decided. She laughed as he kicked open the door to the bedroom.

  "So are you going to tell me what’s wrong?" Shane asked as they sat down to eat. Kaine looked at him, surprised. "Why do you think something’s wrong?"

  "Because of your makeup. I can tell when you’ve been crying. What happened?"

  She decided to act like it wasn’t a big deal. "Do you remember Camden Lawson?"

  Shane froze with his fork halfway to his mouth.

  Shit.

  "What about Camden Lawson?" Shane asked coldly.

  Kaine cleared her throat, playing with her fork. "He’s back in town. He’s working as a sub at the school."

  Shane stared at her, not moving. "Are you fucking kidding me, Kaine?"

  She sighed, putting her fork down. "Look, it’s not a big deal. His mom is sick, and he needs the money..."

  "He TALKED to you?" Shane yelled.

  Kaine’s eyes widened in surprise. "Don’t yell at me, Shane. I didn’t ask him to come back. Josh got mugged, and he’s subbing for him. It’ll just be for a little bit. What do you think is going to happen at school?"

  Shane’s face was red. "Hell no, Kaine. He’s subbing for Josh? Working right next to you? I’m gonna kill him."

  Kaine had an awful flashback to what had happened in high school the last time Shane was angry at her. She tried to keep the tears from spilling down her face. "Babe, it’s not that big of a deal..."

  Shane jumped up, knocking his dish to the floor. Kaine closed her eyes as the plate shattered. "Are you kidding me? Not that big of a deal? Did you forget that he tried to rape you? What do you think would have happened if I hadn’t gotten there in time? What if he ended up killing you? God fucking DAMMIT, Kaine. How can you be so stupid?"

  Kaine had enough. She stood up. "Get out."

  "Huh?" Shane asked, confused.

  "Get the hell out of my house. Before our four year old son hears his father screaming at his mother and calling her stupid."

  Shane sighed, rubbing his head. "Kainie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that."

  Kaine shook her head. "You need to go. I can’t have you like this with Adam in the house. Get out."

  Shane watched her for a minute. "You’re serious?"

  Kaine nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Shane picked up his keys and left without saying another word. As soon as the door closed, Kaine let her tears go. How could Shane say those things to her? It wasn’t as though she was the one who had hired Camden. She had nothing to do with it, and there was nothing she could do about it. She hadn’t seen Shane this mad in a long time. She slowly cleaned up the broken plate with shaking hands and threw out the pieces. She walked upstairs without cleaning up after dinner and collapsed in bed, sobbing.

  4

  Camden grabbed Kaine’s face, smiling at her. "You ready, baby?"

  "No," she moaned, trying to move. Why couldn’t she move?

  "I’ve been waiting a long time for this," he said, running his hand down her waist to the top of her pants.

  "Shane!" She screamed, noticing him standing across the room. "Help me!"

  Shane sighed. "I told you this would happen. Why didn’t you listen to me?"

  "Help!" She screamed, thrashing. Why wasn’t he helping her?

  "What if he kills you this time?" Shane snapped. "God Kaine, you’re so fucking stupid."

  "Stop," she moaned, sobbing. "Camden, stop. Please."

  "Kainie, wake up baby."

  Kaine was finally able to move her arms and pushed Camden off of her. "Ow! Dammit Kaine, calm down. You’re ok. You’re having a nightmare."

  She gasped and sat up, looking around. "Shane?" She croaked.

  "It’s me, baby," he said, holding her tightly. "You’re ok. Calm down. I’ve got you."

  Kaine eased out of his grip. She didn’t want to be touched by him right now. "I’m ok. Thanks," she said flatly, laying back down.

  "You haven’t had one of those in awhile," he said quietly.

  "I also haven’t cried
myself to sleep in awhile," she retorted.

  "I’m sorry, babe. Can we talk?" Shane asked, laying back down next to her. She shrugged, not sure if Shane could see her in the dark room. He continued anyway. "I didn’t mean to call you stupid. You know I don’t think you’re stupid. But…the thought of him near you makes me sick to my stomach. I can’t be there to protect you. What if something happens? What if he tries something? What if..." He trailed off.

  Kaine rolled over and looked at him. "He’s not going to do anything at school. There are always people there. And if it makes you feel better, I’ll have Layla leave with me every day."

  Shane sighed. "I just don’t trust him. I know it’s been a long time. But I’m scared, Kainie. If he hurts you, and I could have done something to stop it, I’ll never forgive myself."

  They laid in silence for a minute. "What do you want me to do?" She asked quietly.

  "I don’t know. I don’t want him near you. Can’t you tell the school board that you had a restraining order against him? And that you feel uncomfortable with him so close to you?"

  "I suppose I could," she responded. "But I really don’t think he’s going to do anything. And he really needs this job."

  She saw Shane shake his head in the moonlight. "You’re too nice, babe. Why do you care what happens to him after what he did to you?"

  Kaine stared at the ceiling. "Everyone deserves a second chance, Shane. If I hadn’t given you a second chance, we wouldn’t be together. Adam wouldn’t have been born. Who knows where we’d be?"

  "I don’t even want to think about that."

  "Me neither," she said, rolling into his arms.

  "I’m sorry, Kainie."

  She squeezed him. "I don’t want to fight."

  "I know. I’m sorry," he repeated. "I swore I’d never make you cry again, unless they were tears of happiness."

  Kaine sniffed. "Can we just talk about this tomorrow? I’m exhausted."