Bruised Angel (River of Lies #2)

by Sammy King

  “What was that?” Mason said laughing hysterically. “I get it you want to fuck him”

  He was bent over laughing so hard Chelsea couldn’t help but giggle. Soon they were both laughing hysterically, holding onto one another to prevent from falling over.

  “Mason, hey man” Chelsea heard the male voice call.

  They both turned to see Lincoln, Mason’s best friend quickly strolling toward them. He stopped short when he recognised Chelsea. She wanted to slink back into the crowd and escape. Lincoln had always been one of the biggest instigators with the name calling and the nasty notes she found stuck to her locker. A few years early he had got hold of Chelsea’s school photo and hung it in a noose from the roof. She hated him with a passion and he was the last person that she wanted to run into.

  “Oh Chelsea, um hi, how are you?” Lincoln.

  She gave him a tight smile and a quick nod before turning her back and looking over the rail to the lower level, trying to ignore his existence. It had been so nice to forget that Mason was in a different place to her, that she could never be a part of.

  “What’s the go with that Mason? And where is her bag lady look?” Lincoln asked with a scrunched up face “She almost looks like normal”

  Chelsea shook her head to bite back the tears as she tried to pretend she wasn’t listening.

  “Linc, let it go man. She’s a cool chick. You just need to get to know her” Mason said.

  Lincoln snorted and out the corner of Chelsea’s eye she could see him shake his head. She couldn’t help but wonder if Mason really felt like that about her or whether he was only saying that for her sake.

  “I’m going to head off now, it was good to see you Mason. I’ll talk to you at school” Chelsea said with a nervous smile.

  Mason frowned and looked between her and Lincoln, he looked confused but she gave him another reassuring smile. Mason nodded as if he was kind of understanding that she was trying to save face for him. The last thing she wanted for him was to be embarrassed by her or lose his friends because he was seen hanging out with the emo freak.

  “You don’t have to go Chels” he said frowning again.

  Chelsea forced a smile and nodded.

  “It’s alright, I’ve got things I’ve got to do anyway. Thanks for helping me choose some jeans. I’m going to enjoy the makeover” she said flicking her eyes between Mason and Lincoln.

  Lincoln stood with an amused smile on his face as he hung onto the rail watching the love show play out in front of him. She didn’t know if Lincoln could see through her story or not. Mason took her hand and took her away from Lincoln a bit.

  “Chelsea you don’t have to go because of Lincoln. I’ll tell him to fuck off if he gets rude” Mason said.

  Chelsea smiled again this time it came more genuinely.

  “Thank you Mason, that actually means a lot to me that you would stick up for me. But I’m going to go and see Dylan, I think he deserves to be let in on everything. Is it alright if I come back to your house tonight? I still haven’t heard from my Mum” she said.

  Mason nodded and gave a tight lipped smile. She didn’t know if it was because she was going to go back to his home or that she was going to see Dylan. But his eyes flashed darker and she could feel a tension rise through his arms. Chelsea frowned.

  “I don’t have to come back to your home, if you’re not comfortable I can ask Dylan if I can stay there” she said.

  Again his eyes flashed and his arm stiffened as he clenched his jaw. Chelsea couldn’t read what it was he was thinking and she started to panic.

  “Chelsea come back to my house tonight. Don’t stay with Dylan” he said through what seemed like clenched teeth.

  Chelsea couldn’t believe the reaction as it suddenly dawned on her that Mason was jealous that she was seeing Dylan.

  “Mason, there is nothing more than friends between Dylan and I. We both had lost our Mum’s the most important people in our lives. We needed each other for that support. But that is it” she said.

  Mason’s jaw clenched again as he nodded sharply and took her hand in his, he leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers again and she felt that same flutter in her stomach. She caught the look of shock on Lincoln’s face, it probably resembled the same look on hers.

  “I’m here to protect you now Chels, you know that don’t you?” Mason asked.

  Chelsea blinked to hold the tears back. She had never had anyone protect her and until that point she never realised that the one thing she wanted in life was protection. She nodded quickly unable to speak without the tears beginning to fall. Mason kissed her again, this time lingering a little longer of her lips. She closed her eyes and when she opened them again, she saw him staring into her. Her stomach did a back flip and her knee’s began to buckle. Chelsea couldn’t prevent the smile that started to creep its way across her face as she pulled away.

  “You better stop that, your friend is about to faint with shock” she said with a nod of her chin in Lincoln’s direction, whose jaw was practically resting on the floor.

  Mason quickly glanced over at his friend and gave her his crooked smile as he shrugged his shoulder, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her in close to his chest.

  “Let him faint” he said as he leaned in and kissed Chelsea again.

  This time it wasn’t just a small peck on the lips, this time the whole world vanished and it was just the two of them standing in the shopping centre, as she felt him nibble at her lips, his tongue gently flicking out to taste her. Chelsea reached out with her free arm and felt his arm muscles tense under her fingers. She parted her lips instinctively and he gently intruded her mouth with his tongue, tentatively dancing with her own. She had never been kissed so beautifully, she had never imagined a kiss could be so passionate, gentle and healing all in one. It seemed to be over as quickly as it started when Mason pulled away from her with a smile. She continued to look into his eyes, unable to form words or even think like a normal human being. She defied any girl to be able to recover quickly after a kiss like that.

  “I better see you tonight” he said with a smile.

  Her smile this time was genuine as she nodded, stepping out of his embrace. He reached down to the front of his pants and adjusted himself with a shrug of one shoulder. Her face instantly blushed which caused him to chuckle. He kissed her cheek and then forehead before letting her go and turning to Lincoln, who still stood with his mouth gaping open in shock.

  “The emo Mason? Really?” Lincoln said.

  “Fuck off Lincoln” Mason growled as they walked away.

  Chelsea’s emotions tumbled around inside her. She didn’t know what to make of the kiss, it melted her, it felt nice, it felt right, but she didn’t know if Mason would be true to his word and stick up for her. There was a niggling inside her that she was doing the wrong thing. Chelsea continued to chew on the thoughts as she walked towards Dylan’s home that he shared with his Grandma.

  Chapter Seven

  Chelsea met Dylan when she was twelve, in the seventh grade, he had come as a new kid to the school the same as her. They instantly bonded, they both had lost their Mum’s. Dylan’s Mum had died of a drug overdose when he was ten and his Dad had been killed before he was born, so he went to live with his Dad’s family. Dylan didn’t have much to do with his Mum’s family. His aunty was in jail as she was the person who had organised his Dad’s murder and other than his Mum there was only his Grandfather and he was in and out of jail for drug dealing. Dylan didn’t have any friends when he came to the school, he didn’t talk much and when he did it was usually rude and abrasive, but Chelsea could see through the tough shell and underneath it he was tender-hearted and soft. Most of the boys in the popular group bullied him and there was occasion that he turned up the next day with a black eye. Chelsea didn’t know if Mason was involved in the beatings or not. She decided not to tell Dylan about her shared kiss, she didn’t know how he would react.

  When she got to Dylan�
��s house, his Grandmother Sharon, greeted her with a kiss and waved her inside. Dylan was in his music room and art studio. Chelsea could hear the familiar cords of a Bullet for my Valentine song that had always been his favourite to play called “Tears don’t fall”. When Chelsea opened the door Dylan looked up giving her a big grin, before frowning slightly.

  “Hey Chels, what’s with the new clothes?” he asked.

  Chelsea looked down at her body. She had forgotten she was wearing the mysterious Kelly’s clothes. Suddenly she felt uncomfortable in her own skin, like she was an imposter. She chewed at her lip and ran her hand through her hair.

  “Um I bought some new clothes, these ones are just on lend. Can I use your room to change?” she asked.

  Dylan frowned at her again and nodded his head. Chelsea quickly left the room and went into Dylan’s room, spreading her bags out on his big bed. She pulled her new jeans and shirt from the bags and put them on. They weren’t as tight fitting as Kelly’s clothes, but still showed off her curves and body. Chelsea felt good in them, she felt pretty. She stood looking in the mirror on Dylan’s wardrobe at herself, twisting and turning looking at her different angles. She reached into the bag and pulled out a hair band that she had picked up and pulled her hair back off her face.

  Chelsea stepped closer to the mirror and examined her face. With her hair back she could see her dark green eyes that were surrounded by almost black eye lashes, her eye brows were naturally well shaped, her nose not too big but not too small, her face was pale with a small smattering of freckles that dotted her cheeks. She could see that she was pretty, not Maddison Hartley pretty though, the most popular girl at their school. She had the typical blonde swimsuit model body, with her bright blue eyes and curvy body. Chelsea continued to study her body as she ran her hands down over her breasts. They weren’t big, but they weren’t tiny either. Maddison had a chest full of breast, she wore tops that accentuated them making sure that everyone knew how well-endowed she was.

  Chelsea was happy with her small pert breasts, she continued to run her hands down over her body down to her waist and hips. She was small and some may say fragile, but standing there in front of the mirror she was happy with the way she looked. A knock on the door roused her from her study.

  “Oh sorry I’m dressed” she called.

  Dylan poked his head in and frowned at her again before shaking his head.

  “Is this the new clothes you bought?” he asked.

  Chelsea nodded and smiled uncertainly.

  “Do you like them? I felt like a change” she said.

  Dylan shrugged his shoulders.

  “I liked the old Chelsea” he said flatly.

  “I didn’t” she said quietly.

  He sat on his bed and held up the other tops she bought and the summer dress that Mason had brought her. That was her favourite piece of all. When she had tried it on she felt so feminine and pretty in it.

  “A dress? I’ve never seen you in a dress before” Dylan scoffed.

  His reaction hurt her feelings and suddenly she wasn’t sure that she wanted to be at his home anymore, but she didn’t want to go back to Mason’s house if he wasn’t going to be home.

  “I just wanted something different” she said sniffing back a tear.

  Dylan looked up at her and frowned.

  “Did I say something wrong? Are you going to be all girly now?” he asked.

  She shrugged her shoulders and turned her back on him so he wouldn’t see the tears that she couldn’t control. Dylan got off his bed and went to his door, shutting it behind him. Chelsea wiped her tears and sighed, packing her new clothes and Kelly’s clothes into the bags and went into the kitchen where Dylan was sitting at the table.

  “Oh Chelsea you look beautiful, are they new clothes?” Sharon asked.

  Chelsea forced a smile and quickly glanced at Dylan who had his head down and refusing to look at her. Chelsea nodded her head and wiped her hands over her jeans.

  “Well I love them.” Sharon said.

  “I bought a dress too” Chelsea blurted.

  Sharon smiled and glanced between her and Dylan, who was still sitting at the table brooding.

  “Really? Show me” Sharon said enthusiastically.

  Chelsea pulled the dress from the bag and held it up, Sharon came closer and took the dress getting a closer look.

  “Oh Chelsea this is gorgeous. The colour is going to be beautiful on you. It’s going to make your eyes pop, especially if you wear your hair up like you’ve got it now” Sharon said as she turned to Dylan “What do you think Dylan don’t you reckon she is going to look beautiful in her new dress?”

  Dylan lifted his head, his cheeks reddening for being put on the spot and shrugged his shoulder.

  “I liked what she used to wear” he mumbled.

  “Oh for God’s sake Dylan, girls need to change it up a bit now and then” Sharon scoffed, handing the dress back to Chelsea.

  Chelsea put the dress back in the bag while Sharon continued to make her coffee. She gave Chelsea a squeeze on the shoulder before leaving and heading for her little office that she used for her crafts and reading. Chelsea stood looking at Dylan who still was refusing to make eye contact with her.

  “Um, Dylan can we go outside I need to talk to you about something?” Chelsea asked nervously.

  Dylan lifted his head with a frown and nodded. He stood from the table silently and led them to the back garden. They sat under the big Maple tree that encompassed the back yard and Dylan stretched out in the grass, picking the green blades and throwing them in front of him at an invisible target. The sun freckled through the leaves of the tree and Chelsea sucked in a breath taking in the Spring air.

  “So what do you want to talk to me about?” he asked.

  Chelsea sucked in a shaky breath, she didn’t know where to start.

  “I don’t know where to start” Chelsea said blinking away her tears.

  Dylan frowned again and sat up.

  “Obviously it’s something big, because you have done a sudden change and you’re all teary, I’ve never seen you cry before. You’re being weird” Dylan said.

  He wasn’t as poetic with his words like Mason was, Dylan was blunt and straight to the point. It shouldn’t have shocked Chelsea she knew that he was like that, but sitting there she felt uncomfortable and wasn’t sure she was doing the right thing. Chelsea knew that he had a right to know what was going on, he had been her best friend, her only friend, for the last five years. Chelsea took in another deep breath and leaned back into the trunk of the tree.

  “My Dad got shot last night, it didn’t kill him, but he is in hospital” she blurted.

  Dylan frowned and continued to pick at the grass.

  “Who shot him” Dylan asked sounding a little uninterested.

  “I did” she said.

  Dylan stopped picking the blades of grass and stared at her with a look of shock taking over his face.

  “Why? And how are you not arrested? Are you on the run or something?” Dylan asked.

  Chelsea shook her head.

  “He told the police that he shot himself. There is something you don’t know about me Dylan, a secret I’ve kept for twelve years I’ve told no one, until last night” she said as she dropped her eyes to the grass in front of her.

  Dylan continued to frown at her and Chelsea sighed again, closing her eyes pushing the tears away that were threatening to overwhelm her.

  “Since I was five years old my Dad did things to me and made me do things to him and then last night it got too much” she said with a shaky voice.

  “Things? Like sexual things?” Dylan asked.

  Chelsea nodded as a tear slipped from the corner of her eye and fell down her cheek.

  “Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Dylan asked accusingly “You could have come and lived here, we could have gone to the cops”

  Chelsea sighed again and shrugged her shoulders.

  “I didn’t tell anyone, I kept it
a secret. I thought that people would think I liked what he did to me. I didn’t want people at school to know what was going on. They pick on me bad enough now. Imagine if they knew that was going on too?” she said.

  “So why last night?” Dylan asked.

  “He said he was going to rape me. He said he wanted to make me pregnant so he could continue to abuse my children” she said with more tears slipping down her cheeks.

  “Fucking hell and I thought my family was fucked up” Dylan said in shock shaking his head slowly.

  Chelsea couldn’t help but snort out a laugh.

  “He knew where my Mum was the whole time.” Chelsea said.

  Dylan looked at her and shook his head.

  “Where was she?” he asked

  “In jail. She went to jail for him. He was dealing drugs and got caught, she took the blame, said they were her drugs, she did ten years” Chelsea explained.

  “Fuck me. So how did you find that out?” Dylan asked.

  “Last night after he went to the hospital he told the police my Mum’s number and Mason’s Dad has a friend who is a cop and they put my Mum in touch with Mason’s Dad” she said.

  Dylan frowned and climbed onto his knees leaning in closer to her.

  “Wait a minute. Mason’s Dad? How did he know you shot your Dad?” Dylan asked.

  The thought of Carl being referred to as her Dad made her shudder. She sighed again.

  “After I shot my d.. Carl, I was running scared and literally ran into Mason. He took me into his house and I blurted out everything to him and his Dad” she said.

  Dylan sat back on his heels looking like he had just been punched in the stomach.

  “You told Mason Knox, but you couldn’t come here and tell me?” he said.

  It hurt Chelsea to see the hurt on his face.