Bruised Angel (River of Lies #2)

by Sammy King

  Maddison nodded and lowered her head.

  “Why do you cut yourself Chelsea?” Maddison asked.

  Chelsea shook her head.

  “That’s not a story I’m willing to share with you. But let’s just say the things I’ve experienced and the things people have put me through makes your torture look like child’s play” Chelsea said.

  Maddison’s mouth dropped open.

  “I didn’t know that” she said with a shake of her head.

  “No you didn’t, you never took the time to get to know me. All you wanted to do was to torment me to make yourself feel better” she said.

  Maddison nodded as she wiped away a rogue tear, that Chelsea wasn’t sure was forced out.

  “My life hasn’t been easy either Chelsea” Maddison said

  Chelsea scoffed and folded her arms across her chest, leaning back on the bench.

  “Tell me Maddison?” she said

  Maddison shook her head before looking away from Chelsea.

  “Look it’s not easy to be the daughter of a father who only cares about how you look and how you behave so you don’t embarrass him” Maddison cried.

  Chelsea had to bite her lip from bursting into fits of laughter.

  “So let me get this straight. You felt it was alright to torment someone and make their life a living hell because your Daddy wanted you to be perfect and not embarrass him?” Chelsea said with a raised eyebrow.

  Maddison shook her head as she turned to Chelsea, anger flashing in her eyes.

  “I don’t expect you to understand” Maddison said sadly.

  “No Maddison I don’t get it. You see I grew up in a family where my mother was in jail, I didn’t know that she was in jail, just that she had left me with my piece of shit father and his new girlfriend who took great pleasure in doing unimaginable atrocities to me. So no Maddison I don’t get how terrible a life is when you have whatever you want as long as you behave and watch how you look” Chelsea spat feeling her anger rising.

  Maddison’s face went white as she shook her head.

  “Oh my God Chelsea, that was your life?” Maddison asked.

  Chelsea nodded her head instantly regretting letting so much slip. Maddison continued to shake her head slowly, tears welling up in her eyes.

  “That’s why you cut yourself?” Maddison asked.

  Chelsea shrugged her shoulder and nodded.

  “Some of the reason yes” she said running her hand through her hair.

  “I won’t tell anyone” Maddison said.

  Chelsea shrugged her shoulders again and turned to look Maddison in the eye.

  “Maddison I really don’t give a fuck anymore if you don’t tell anyone or if you do. At the end of the day you are just nothing more than a blip in my life. I will heal and move on from the nasty antics that you pulled. But what goes on the internet stays on the internet and that video and you trying to pretend your something you’re not will follow you around for your whole life” Chelsea said.

  Maddison sat straight up as if jolted by a bolt of electricity and stared at Chelsea in silence before her eyes welled up with tears and she nodded her head.

  “I really do deserve all this don’t I?” Maddison said.

  Chelsea nodded her head. If she hadn’t been so destroyed by Maddison, Chelsea may have felt pity for her and her demise, but at that moment Chelsea could no longer give a shit what happened to Maddison Hartley and her little crew of hyenas.

  “Yes you do, now you’ve got it and the only thing left to do is for both of us to just move on with our lives. You go to your new school and hope no one there finds out about the video. And I continue to heal from the wounds of my childhood with the help of Mason and his family” Chelsea said.

  “He really loves you, you know” Maddison said.

  Chelsea smiled a genuine smile and nodded.

  “And I really love him” she said with pride.

  Maddison smiled, there wasn’t any hint of malice in the smile at all.

  “I never slept with him. He was the one guy that never wanted me” Maddison said as she stood and walked away.

  Chelsea’s mouth dropped open. Mason had never told her that he had slept with Maddison but he hadn’t denied it either. Maybe because if he had denied it Chelsea wouldn’t have believed him, but to hear the truth fall out of Maddison’s mouth shocked her. Chelsea leaned back on the bench and smiled as she raised her head to the sky and let the sun soak down onto her face. She couldn’t at that moment be happier than she was.

  After Mason had finished showering and dressing he came and plonked down on the bench next to her.

  “What was Maddison talking to you about?” he asked.

  Chelsea smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.

  “Well apparently Mr O’Ryan saw the video” Chelsea said

  Mason burst out laughing and slapped his leg.

  “That’s fucking awesome” he said.

  Chelsea nodded her head and smiled at him.

  “Anyway he told her parents and told them that he didn’t want her at the school anymore so they are moving her out” she said.

  Mason’s eyes widened as big as his grin.

  “That’s fantastic” he said.

  Chelsea nodded again.

  “But you want to know the best bit. She actually apologised” Chelsea said

  “Oh whoa, really?” Mason said.

  Chelsea nodded and smiled. Mason put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him, kissing her gently on the lips.

  “This day just couldn’t get better I don’t reckon” he said.

  Chelsea laughed. She agreed.

  That evening while Mason, Knox and Blade sat in the living room watching a football match on television, Chelsea pulled out a canvas Brenda had given her and the photo Kelly had given her of Kelly’s parents and started to draw. By the time the match had finished and Mason came into the room to see what Chelsea was doing, she had finished the outline and was just beginning the shading.

  “Oh wow Chelsea that is amazing” he said stepping closer to look at it.

  Chelsea smiled.

  “Kelly gave me the picture of her Mum and Dad and asked if I would draw it” she said.

  Mason squeezed Chelsea’s shoulder and smiled.

  “I reckon she is going to be stoked when she sees it” he said.

  Chelsea smiled and continued to work. When Mason came to bed, she had finished shading and just had the background to complete so she went out into the dining room to finish off. She was just putting the finishing touches on the sky when movement behind her gave her a fright. Chelsea turned to see Duggar coming into the dining room behind her. He saw Chelsea and quickly looked around to see if anyone else was in the room. When he saw that she was alone his toothless smile grew. Panic started to rise in Chelsea but she straightened her face not to let him see it. Chelsea stood and went into the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water and drinking it with her back to the door.

  “That’s a nice little picture you’re doing there. Kelly’s parents hey?” he said.

  Chelsea turned and forced a smile to her lips and nodded.

  “Pity about her parents, such a shame” Duggar said clucking his tongue and shaking his head.

  Chelsea nodded again but didn’t say anything. Duggar began to creep closer to her. The closer he got the more panic rose in Chelsea’s chest. Her heart was thudding and her legs were starting to shake. She held the glass to her lips and gulped more water.

  “Do I make you nervous?” he asked with a sneer.

  Chelsea shook her head too fast letting her true feelings known as she inwardly cursed herself. Duggar smiled a horrifying smile that sent a chill right through her spine. He held up his finger and waggled it, stepping slightly closer.

  “Ah I see I do” Duggar said waving his finger again stepping even closer.

  Chelsea pushed herself against the counter, squaring her shoulders.

  “You were a very naughty girl Chel
sea” Duggar sneered.

  Chelsea raised an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes.

  “You should know your place. A woman doesn’t push a man around. But you know I like naughty girls because I get to punish them” Duggar said reaching for his belt and slipping it from his pants.

  Suddenly Chelsea’s mind was thrown back in time to her father standing in her living room with the fat stinking woman, her legs spread and her fingers delving into that disgusting hairy pussy while Carl beat her with his belt. Chelsea shook her head and felt her bladder give way as hot urine streamed down her thigh splashing onto the tiled floor. Chelsea looked down horrified as tears began to well in her eyes. Duggar looked down between her feet and noticed the yellow puddle and shook his head.

  “Oh you are a naughty girl” Duggar said reaching for her wrist.

  Chelsea tried to free her wrist from him but he was too strong. He stepped in closer, pressing his body against hers which oozed the foul stench of body odour and dirt. She felt bile reach her throat and start to choke her. Tears streamed down her face as she closed her eyes unable to watch his face.

  “Open your eyes naughty girl” Duggar sneered.

  This time when she opened her eyes it was Carl’s face she saw, his stubble prickling his face, his beady green eyes boring into her. His rough hands grabbing at her, Chelsea was nothing but a frightened little girl again. Duggar reached out and grabbed at Chelsea’s chest with one hand. With his other hand he thrust it between her legs and grabbed roughly at her vagina. Chelsea closed her eyes tight again and went limp in his arms, all the fight seeped from her. She wasn’t healed, she wasn’t strong, she was weak and she was a failure. She prayed silently that he would just kill her and end this.

  Suddenly Chelsea heard Duggar grunt and felt his hands drop from her body. Chelsea was too afraid to open her eyes, until she felt arms around her waist, familiar arms. She opened her eyes and saw Duggar with bulging eyes and blood streaming from his neck, his hands holding a large kitchen knife which jutted out. Blood bubbled beneath the knife. He gurgled and fell to his knees hard. Chelsea’s eyes widened as she watched him fall face first into the urine soaked floor. Chelsea turned to face Kelly who had tears streaming from her eyes, her arms wrapped tight around Chelsea’s waist.

  It was like watching a movie, but in slow motion. Suddenly in the door Knox and Mason appeared looking at the two girls huddled at the sink and down at Duggar at their feet with a knife jutting out of his neck, all life drained from him onto the kitchen floor, his blood mixing with Chelsea’s urine. Mason ran to her and pulled her into his arms, Kelly stood with her hands over her mouth staring down at the dead body of Duggar. Knox came to Kelly and picked her up in his arms and cradled her like a child.

  “What happened Chelsea?” Mason asked.

  Chelsea looked at him blankly. For that moment she couldn’t think what had happened. She shook her head, she remembered him coming in and she remembered her father punishing her and then Kelly holding her. It was a bad dream that was all it was she thought, hoping that she would wake up and find that she really had Maddison Hartley’s life.

  “Get her a drink Mas” Knox said.

  Chelsea turned and looked at Knox who still held a sobbing Kelly.

  “He tried to rape her. I stopped him before he did to Chelsea what he did to me” Kelly sobbed into Knox’s shirt.

  Knox looked down at Kelly as his face paled and he frowned, fury lighting his eyes as he looked over at Chelsea. Suddenly the room started moving fast again and Chelsea’s mind cleared. She remembered Duggar touching her, grabbing at her, she remembered the memories of Carl saying she was going to be punished she remembered wetting herself. Tears flowed down her cheeks and Chelsea felt herself sinking to the floor, pulling her knees up to her chest and rocking back and forth. Mason reached down and picked her up carrying her into the bathroom. Chelsea buried her face into Mason’s chest, her sobs shaking her whole body. He sat her down on the toilet while he ran the shower and then helped her take her wet clothes off. She was so grateful that he never mentioned anything about her wet clothes. Her mind clearing enough to realise her embarrassment of wetting herself.

  Mason stripped off his clothes and stood in the shower with her, washing her body gently and then massaging shampoo and conditioner through her hair. When she was clean he led her out of the shower and silently dried her before leading her to the bed. Chelsea didn’t know what happened to Duggar’s body, she didn’t really care. That night she didn’t leave the bedroom while Mason held her tight tucked up into his body.

  When the morning light was filtering through the bedroom window she woke and stretched. Mason was watching her and she smiled gently as the memories of the previous night began to flood her brain. She sighed and shook her head.

  “Did he hurt you?” he asked with a frown.

  Chelsea shook her head.

  “Not physically” she said fighting back tears that were threatening to flow.

  Chelsea sat up and flung her legs out of the bed.

  “Where are you going?” Mason said sounding alarmed.

  “I need to get Kelly’s picture. Oh I hope she hasn’t seen it yet” Chelsea cried with panic.

  Mason shook his head and frowned as he reached out to hold her shoulders.

  “Chelsea you can’t ignore what happened last night” he said.

  Chelsea nodded and looked up into Mason’s face.

  “I know” she said. “I just can’t think about it right now”.

  Chapter Twenty One

  Mason followed Chelsea into the dining room where she had left the picture. She had managed to just finish it before Duggar came in. Mason stood next to her and looked down at the drawing of Kelly’s parents smiling and laughing with a baby Kelly sitting between them on a picnic blanket.

  “That must have been a very special day” Chelsea said.

  Mason nodded his head and smiled, touching her shoulder and kissing the top of her head. Movement behind them made them turn and see what was going on. Kelly was coming into the dining room, her hair was knotted, her eyes red and puffy and Chelsea could see that she hadn’t slept all night. Chelsea stepped forward and pulled Kelly into her arms. The two girls stood in the dining room their tears mingling as they sobbed and healed from one another’s shared experience. Chelsea moved back and put her hands on Kelly’s shoulders.

  “Thank you. I froze. I didn’t know how to fight him off” Chelsea said through a sob.

  Kelly smiled weakly and nodded.

  “He raped me, just after I first came here. I kept it a secret, I couldn’t bring myself to tell anyone. I was so ashamed.” Kelly said looking down at the floor as her voice hitched.

  Chelsea gasped and shook her head.

  “Oh Kelly” Chelsea cried pulling her into an embrace again.

  “Well he’s dead now, so I guess I can heal” Kelly said with a smile.

  Chelsea nodded and smiled back at her.

  “We’re a right pair you and I” Chelsea laughed.

  Kelly raised her eyebrow and laughed nodding. Chelsea reached up and wiped Kelly’s tears with her thumbs.

  “Is it weird to say you’re my best friend Chelsea?” Kelly asked.

  Chelsea shook her head and hugged Kelly again.

  “Not at all, cause you’re my best friend” she said.

  “What about Dylan?” Kelly asked.

  Chelsea smiled and nodded.

  “He’s my third best friend” Chelsea grinned.

  “Third?” Kelly asked shaking her head.

  “Yeah, Mason is my first, you’re my second and he’s my third” Chelsea said.

  Kelly nodded and smiled.

  “I like that” she said.

  Chelsea grinned again.

  “I’ve got a present for you bestie” Chelsea said with a laugh.

  Kelly raised her eyebrows and smiled.

  “Really? What is it?” she asked

  Chelsea turned and put her arm around Kelly’s shoulde
rs as Mason moved out of the way to reveal the drawing of Kelly’s parents. Kelly put her hands to her mouth and gasped as she went to picture picking it up gently like a new born baby.

  “Oh my God Chelsea this is beautiful” Kelly cried as she turned to face Chelsea.

  Chelsea smiled and went to her friend, kissing her cheek.

  “I’m glad you like it” Chelsea said.

  Kelly looked up at Chelsea.

  “I don’t just like it. I love it. Thank you so much” she said putting one arm around Chelsea’s shoulder and kissing her cheek. “I’ve got just the spot to hang it”

  Kelly went running off into her room waving for Chelsea and Mason to follow. Mason shrugged his shoulders and they both went after Kelly into her room. Knox was asleep still on her bed and Chelsea realised that Kelly must have had a horrible night overcoming what had happened. As the three of them piled into the room Knox woke up and looked around them with bleary eyes.

  “What are you all doing?” he asked croakily.

  “Putting up the picture Chelsea drew for me” she said proudly showing off the canvas.

  “Holy shit that’s amazing Chels” Knox said sitting up and smoothing out his jeans.

  He swung his legs off the bed and stood up getting a closer look at the picture.

  “How the hell do you do that? It looks like a photo. That’s amazing” Knox said shaking his head.

  Chelsea smiled and felt Mason’s arm snake around her waist as Kelly put her picture on the wall above her dresser. Kelly stepped back to make sure the picture was straight and nodded her head smiling.

  “Perfect” Kelly said folding her arms across her chest.

  She turned and looked at Chelsea with excitement in her face and a big smile plastered on.

  “I love it so much” Kelly said with tears beginning to well up. “I’m so glad I got to meet you”

  Chelsea smiled and reached out to take Kelly into her arms, hugging her tight.

  “I’m glad I met you too” Chelsea said, wishing she had met Kelly under better circumstances.

  The four of them stood looking at the picture for a long time in silence until Mason’s stomach grumbled. They all turned to him and laughed at the interruption. Mason grinned and shrugged his shoulders, leading them out of the bedroom to start breakfast. As they came into the dining room Blade came out of the kitchen and nodded at Knox who nodded in return. Chelsea figured that he was in charge of getting rid of the body and cleaning the kitchen, which she was grateful for.