Bully Me (Bully Me #1)

by C. E. Starkweather

  Kaine nodded. "Yeah, I guess."

  "Maybe we should join a team or a club or something," Kelsey piped in. "That gives you an excuse not to be home as much."

  "Let's try out for cheerleading!" Lucy cried. Kaine and Kelsey looked at each other and burst out laughing. "Well, why not?" Lucy said, putting her hands on her hips. "I was a cheerleader at my old school. I can show you some moves. It's not as hard as it looks. Kaine, you're in the best shape you've ever been in. And Kelsey, you used to do gymnastics. Come on, it'll be fun."

  "Yeah, maybe," Kelsey dismissed her, standing up. "I have to go. Greg is waiting for me." Greg was Kelsey's boyfriend. He was a nice guy, and they made a really cute couple. "Bye, Kels!" Lucy shouted. As soon as the door shut she turned back to Kaine. "Are you going to tell your dad what Shane did to you?"

  They hadn't told Kelsey what had happened. The less people who knew, the better. "I don't know. What am I supposed to say? 'Hey dad, your new stepson came at me with a knife and tore my clothes off and groped me.' Shane would just deny it. And what if my dad believed him instead of me? What if he thinks that I'm just making up stories to keep him from marrying Nancy? No," she said, shaking her head. "I can't tell him. I'll figure something out."

  Kaine walked home feeling drained. She crawled into bed and fell asleep, exhausted from her day from Hell.

  6

  The next two weeks were filled with cleaning the house and making room for Shane and Logan. Logan's room would be on the other side of the house by her dad's bedroom, and Shane's room would be right next to hers. She tried to get her dad to switch the rooms, but he wanted Logan close to him and Nancy in case he had any problems adjusting. He was a sensitive little boy.

  Kaine still found time to go to the gym and run. She finally knew what they meant by the term "runner's high." She got an almost euphoric feeling when she reached new speeds and distances. The weight was literally melting off of her, and the skinny jeans she had bought a few weeks ago were already too big on her. Lucy was slower to get results and was madly jealous of Kaine. "You're crazy," Kaine told her as they stood in line at Starbucks. "Look at your ass. And your legs. You look amazing."

  "Kaine?"

  Kaine turned around and saw a shocked Camden standing behind her in line.

  "Cam! Hi!" She exclaimed.

  "Wow."

  Kaine laughed. "How's your summer?"

  "It's good. Working a lot. You look amazing. I didn't even recognize you. I mean, not that you looked bad before. But, you know..."

  "Thanks," Kaine said, smiling. She ordered her coffee and waited to the side for Camden. Lucy grinned at her and poked her side. Kaine ignored her.

  They got their coffee and found a table. "Want to sit down?" Lucy asked Camden. He checked his watch. "Sure, I have a few minutes." They sat down and Lucy immediately got up, claiming she had to go to the bathroom.

  "So what's new with you?" Camden asked her.

  Kaine look at him, debating. Camden would flip out if he heard that Shane was moving into her house. She couldn't lie to him though. And it was probably better that he knew. Just in case.

  She wrung her hands nervously. "My dad is getting remarried in two weeks."

  "Wow," Camden replied. "Well, that's something. Do you like his fiancee?"

  "Yeah, she's ok. But, um...she has two kids. And...one of them is Shane."

  Camden stared at her, starting to smile, but it immediately fell from his face once he realized that she was serious. "Shane? Shane Ellery?"

  She nodded. "They're moving in tomorrow."

  His eyes narrowed. "So I take it your father doesn't know what Shane did to you, huh?"

  Kaine looked down. "I didn't tell him," she said softly.

  "Well, that's just fucking great, Kaine. Now he can rip your clothes off and grab your boobs whenever he feels like it."

  Kaine gasped and her eyes filled with tears.

  "Jesus, I'm sorry," Camden apologized. "I didn't mean that. But what the fuck, Kaine? Who's gonna protect you from him?"

  Kaine stared at him. "I didn't tell you that he touched me. How did you know that?"

  Camden sighed. "He told me. After our fight. I don't trust him, Kaine. Please be careful."

  "I can take care of myself," she replied with a confidence she didn't feel.

  Lucy came back to the table, looking between Camden and Kaine. "You guys ok?" She asked.

  "Fine. I have to go back to work. You still have my number, right?" Camden said, standing up.

  "Yeah. Don't worry, Camden. I'll be fine."

  He nodded and strode out the door.

  Lucy raised her eyebrows at Kaine. "I take it you told him the bad news?"

  "Yeah. But he acted like it was my fault that this was happening. He was almost...mean about it." She shook her head. "I didn't really like the side of Camden that I just saw."

  "He's worried about you, Kaine. I don't really blame him. He probably feels helpless now."

  Kaine shrugged, not wanting to talk about it anymore. They finished their coffee in silence and drove home.

  Kaine's dad insisted on taking her and Jay out to dinner for their last night as the "original Spencer family." She didn't feel like doing anything but reluctantly got dressed and went out with them.

  "Kainie, you're not eating," her dad pointed out. "Nervous about tomorrow?"

  Kaine shrugged. "I guess. Dad, can I talk to you about something?"

  "Sure, sweetie.

  She fidgeted with her hands. "You know I go to school with Shane, right?"

  "Mm hmm," he said, checking his phone.

  "He's not...nice. He's kind of a jerk."

  Her dad sighed and slammed down his phone, causing her to jump. "Kaine, you need to try to make this work. Whatever your problem is with Shane, you two need to work it out. I'm under too much stress to fix all of your problems."

  Kaine gaped at him, stunned. He had never talked to her like that before.

  "Jeez, dad, overreact much?" Jay interjected.

  Her dad signaled the waiter for the check. "I was hoping we could have a nice dinner, but that's apparently too much to ask of the two of you."

  Kaine and Jay glanced at each other, confused. What the hell was his problem?

  The ride home was silent and tense. Kaine's phone buzzed and she glanced down at it. It was from Jay.

  I'll protect you from our new jackass step brother.

  She looked up and gave him a small smile. At least someone cared.

  Kaine stormed upstairs as soon as they got home, not saying a word to her dad. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she laid in bed, wondering if this was how it was going to be now. An angry dad who ignored her and a mean step brother. She'd probably get stuck as the designated babysitter for Logan too. There was a knock on her door. "Come in," she muttered.

  Her dad came in and sat on the bed. "You ok, sweetie?"

  She shrugged. "Does it matter?"

  He sighed. "Kainie, I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm sorry. I've just been under a lot of stress. The wedding is coming up in two weeks, the back yard is a mess, and the contractor I hired backed out at the last minute. So now I have to find someone else who can get it done in two weeks. Nancy and I are swamped at work, the boys are giving her a hard time about moving, and there's just not enough time in the day to get everything done. But I shouldn't have snapped at you. And I want you to know that you can still talk to me about anything."

  Kaine rolled over, feeling bad. She hadn't realized how stressed out her father was. He always put on a brave face. "It's ok, daddy. I shouldn't have complained."

  "Well, what did you mean when you said Shane wasn't nice?"

  There was no way she was adding the burden of her problems to her dad's already too big list. "Nothing, really. It's not that big of a deal. He just kind of picks on other kids."

  "You know honey, Shane hasn't had an easy life."

  Kaine furrowed her brow. His life seemed pretty fucking easy to her. "How do you m
ean?"

  "Well for starters, he was a sickly kid. He was in and out of hospitals for most of his childhood. Soon after Logan was born, Shane's father decided that he couldn't handle a sick kid and a newborn baby anymore. He up and left Nancy and the kids and she hasn't heard from him since. I think Shane always blamed himself for his father leaving."

  Kaine was shocked. "I had no idea Shane was sickly. He's so...big."

  Her father chuckled. "I think a lot of that has to do with genetics. Nancy's tall, and her husband was a big guy. Nancy thinks he works out so much because he was teased as a child for being small."

  "Oh."

  "So give them a chance, Kainie. I know it's not your ideal situation, but try to make it work, ok?" He pleaded.

  "Ok, dad. And you know that if you need any help with the yard or wedding planning, you can ask me, right? And I bet Lucy would love to help."

  "Thanks, pumpkin," he said. "Maybe you and Shane can work on the yard together and get to know each other a little better."

  Ugh. "Yeah, maybe. Night, dad."

  Kaine laid in bed, processing what she had just learned. Was Shane mean to her because he was teased as a child? That didn't make much sense to Kaine. If he was bullied himself then he must know how bad it felt. She drifted off to sleep thinking about Shane.

  7

  Kaine woke up the next morning to the sound of the moving truck backing into her driveway. She rubbed her eyes and rolled out of bed, brushing her teeth and taking the world's fastest shower. She threw on her new yoga pants and tank top and put her hair back in a ponytail. She was planning on doing enough manual labor today to make up for a few trips to the gym.

  She put on her running shoes and met her dad and Nancy's family in the driveway. Jay was still asleep. Shane's eyes widened when he saw her, then went back to the cocky "I'm better than you" smirk he always wore when he looked at her. "Hey guys. What can I help with?" She asked.

  "First, you can get your lazy brother out of bed. We need him to help move these big pieces."

  Kaine sprinted back up the stairs and pounded on Jay's door. "Jay! Hurry up!"

  He opened the door and squinted at her. "Jesus Christ, calm down. I'm up." He threw on a shirt over his plaid pajama pants and sobbed his feet into his sneakers. "Let's get this shit done."

  Kaine laughed. "Really? No shower? You're not even going to brush your teeth?"

  "Nah, it's fine. See?" He asked, breathing into her face.

  "Ugh, gross," she said, shoving him away.

  Shane and Jay moved most of the big pieces inside, which was mainly just bedroom sets for the boys. The rest of their furniture was still in the house, which they were trying to sell fully furnished. Once the heavy lifting was done, Nancy, Kaine and her father brought in the smaller boxes and hauled them upstairs. Kaine brought Logan's boxes to his room first, then worked on Shane's. She had just grabbed one of the last boxes from the truck when she heard a familiar voice behind her. "Kaine?"

  She turned around. "Camden! What are you doing here?" She asked, looking around nervously. The last thing she needed was for Shane and Camden to fight in front of her family.

  "I remembered you said it was moving day, and I wanted to help."

  "Oh," Kaine replied uneasily.

  "Don't worry. I'm not here to start anything. I just wanted to help. I can go if you want."

  Kaine forced a smile. "Don't go. There's plenty to do. Most of it’s inside though. As long as you don't mind meeting my dad."

  "Of course not." He smiled, then looking over her shoulder, his smile quickly faded. He pasted a fake smile back on his face. "Hi, Shane."

  "Cam. What are you doing here?"

  Camden shrugged. "Just helping Kaine out. Is this your brother?" He asked, smiling at Logan, who hid behind his big brother's leg.

  Shane nodded, giving Camden the same cocky smirk he gave Kaine.

  "Kainie! Come here for a second!" Jay called.

  Shit.

  Kaine doubted that they would fight in front of Logan, but she was still hesitant to leave them alone. "You guys good?" She asked.

  The boys were still staring at each other. Kaine rolled her eyes and headed inside.

  "Come on, big guy," Shane said, lifting Logan into the back of the truck. Logan immediately started running around and making airplane noises.

  "Cute kid," Camden commented.

  "What do you want, Lawson? Are you here to make sure I don't hit on my sister?"

  "I meant what I said. Leave her alone," Camden threatened.

  "Well I can't really 'leave her alone' now, can I? We're living together. Her bedroom is right next to mine. What if she wakes up horny and needs a midnight quickie?" Shane tried not to smile but seeing the shocked expression on Camden's face made it hard. This was too easy.

  Camden clenched his fists. "I told you not to touch her."

  "I know what you said," Shane snapped. "I already told her that I wasn't going to touch her. Unless she wants me to. Then I'll touch her all night long."

  Camden stepped in Shane's face. "If your little brother wasn't right in that truck, I'd kick the shit out of you."

  Shane shoved him back. "What's your obsession with Kaine? Is she your girlfriend?"

  "So what if she is?"

  Shane laughed out loud. "Then you two are the sorriest couple I've ever seen. Are you going to help?" He asked, thrusting a box in Camden's arms and walking inside. Camden reluctantly followed and stood awkwardly, looking for Kaine. She came running down the stairs and smiled at him. Even in her yoga pants, Kaine was the prettiest girl he had ever seen. The fact that she didn't know she was beautiful just added to her appeal, and her smile instantly brightened his day. Kaine Spencer had his heart.

  "Where do you want this?" He asked, shifting the box awkwardly. She motioned him upstairs and he followed her, dropping the box in Logan's room. "You gonna give me a tour?"

  "Yeah, sure. It's kind of messy now, but I'll show you what's what. This is Logan's room," she said, leading him down the hallway. "This is going to be Shane's room." She opened her bedroom door. "And this is my room."

  Her room was pretty, soft and feminine. Just like her. He was pissed at how close Kaine's room was to Shane's. He could picture Shane creeping in on Kaine, watching her sleep, climbing into her bed...

  He clenched his fists in anger at the thought of Shane touching her again. Kaine stepped back cautiously. "Are you ok, Camden?"

  He forced a smile. "I'm fine. I just wish your room was a little farther away from his."

  “Yeah, I know. I tried to get him moved, but my dad and Nancy want Logan close to them. Oh! You know what you can help me with?" She opened her drawer and rummaged around, pulling out a doorknob. “I need to install this doorknob that locks from the outside. So when I’m not home I don’t have to worry about Shane going through my stuff."

  Camden was more than happy to help her with that. Kaine went in search of a screwdriver and Camden looked around her room. He picked up an old picture of her family and marveled at how much she looked like her mom. Kaine had a huge smile on her face. Camden was glad to see that she was starting to look happy again, despite the shit curve ball that life had just thrown at her.

  He glanced over his shoulder and rifled through her underwear drawer, curious. Mostly plain colored underwear and bras, practical if nothing else. He pulled out a red, lacy piece. It looked like a one piece outfit, and it was less material than her underwear. It still had the tags on it, and he wondered why she had bought it. He heard her running back up the stairs and hastily shut the drawer and sat casually on her bed.

  “Got it!" She said happily, waving the screwdriver in the air. Camden took the screwdriver and started dismantling the doorknob. “So hey, what are you doing tonight?" He asked casually.

  Kaine wrinkled her nose in thought. God, she was adorable. “I don’t know really, but my dad is probably going to want us to have dinner together for our first night as a ‘family.’”

 
“Oh. How about tomorrow?"

  Kaine thought. “Nothing. Why?"

  He glanced up at her. “I want to take you out. Dinner or something."

  Kaine tried unsuccessfully to hide her surprise. “Really? Why?"

  Camden smiled at her surprise. “Because I like you, Kaine. And I want to get to know you more."

  “Oh."

  “So…"

  “Oh! Yeah, sure," she replied sheepishly. “That sounds great."

  Camden finished putting in her doorknob and tested it out. “Perfect," he announced, giving Kaine the key. She smiled up at him. “Thanks, Cam. You should probably meet my family now. Since you’re taking me out and all."

  They made their way downstairs to the kitchen, where everybody was eating the three huge pizzas they had ordered.

  “Hi, Kainie. I was wondering where you went off to. Who’s your friend?" Her dad asked.

  “That’s Kaine’s boyfriend," Shane interrupted loudly.

  Kaine glared at Shane, and her dad and Jay’s eyebrows shot up. “Boyfriend? I didn’t know you had a boyfriend," her dad said, confused.

  “He’s not my boyfriend," she said. Seeing Camden’s face fall, she quickly added, “But he’s taking me on a date tomorrow night. If that’s ok."

  “That sounds fine, I guess." He turned to Camden. “Do you go to school with Kaine and Shane?"

  Her dad drilled Camden while Shane sat next to Kaine. “So what were you doing upstairs with Captain Roid?"

  “Captain Roid?" She repeated.

  “Cause of all the steroids he uses."

  She turned to him. “He does not," she hissed. “Why would you say that? And anyway, we were putting a new lock on my door so you can’t go through my stuff when I’m not here."

  Shane burst out laughing, earning a curious look from Camden and Kaine’s father.

  He turned back to Kaine. “Why would I want to go through your stuff? Don’t flatter yourself. And yes, he does take steroids. I’ve seen him. Why do you think he’s so angry all the time?"