Bruised Angel (River of Lies #2) (16 page)

Brenda stepped out of her office sighing and running her hands through her hair. Chelsea watched her as she tried to mentally calm herself down. Brenda looked up and connected her gaze with Chelsea’s.

“Can you come in here a minute?” Brenda asked quietly.

“Want me to come too?” Dylan asked quietly behind Chelsea.

Chelsea nodded and Dylan followed in behind her as she went into  her office. Brenda looked up at Dylan and nodded her head in approval of his presence.

“You were right it seems about Maddison having your book” Brenda said with a sigh.

Chelsea nodded her head.

“I got it back yesterday, Lincoln had seen it in her bag, she showed him the pictures and he took it back off her” Chelsea said.

Brenda frowned.

“Were any of the pictures missing?” Brenda asked

Chelsea shook her head.

“Only one. It was one I drew of Mason down by the pond the day it got stolen” she said.

Brenda nodded her head.

“Alright well I think I will have put a stop to it, but I think she may have made copies of one of the pictures, because it was what the girls had” Brenda said.

Chelsea frowned and shook her head.

“Which picture was it?” Chelsea said feeling panic rise in her throat.

“It was one of you cutting open your wrists” Brenda said.

Chelsea shook her head and slumped down in the chair behind her.  She put her face in her hands. Chelsea didn’t know how much more she could take.

“When will this fucking stop?” she said quietly to no one in particular.

Brenda stepped forward and put her hand on Chelsea’s back, rubbing her gently.

“Well I rang Mr O’Ryan and told him to expect the girls with the picture. I told him that they had stolen it from you and were planning on using it to bully you. Hopefully that might nip it in the butt” Brenda said.

As much as Chelsea hoped that was the case she didn’t think it would make any difference at all. After all Madison Hartley was practically unstoppable, she was the niece of the headmaster, he protected her and she could do no wrong. If Skye and Taylor told him where they got the picture from he would just cast it off, probably tell the girls off but do nothing to stop Maddison. Chelsea sighed and stood up.

“Well it’s out there now and there isn’t anything I can do about it except face it and keep moving” she said squaring her shoulders.

She wasn’t going to let Maddison chase her out of the school and she wasn’t going to let Maddison break her and Mason up. She meant it when she told Mason she loved him and she wasn’t going to be chased off that easy. Brenda nodded her head and put her arm around Chelsea’s shoulders.

“It’s going to be tough, but I know you are tougher” she said.

Chelsea nodded and smiled at her teacher just as the bell went for the next class.

Chapter Fifteen

The rest of the day was uneventful and by her last class Chelsea had forgotten all about the incident with Skye and Taylor, in fact she hadn’t seen Maddison or any of her followers for the rest of the day and they didn’t even enter her brain. The closer to the end of the day the more excited Chelsea was about watching Mason at football practice.

When the final bell rang, Chelsea raced to her locker and grabbed her bag and headed for the oval. She sat down on one of the metal bench seats and saw Mason come jogging out onto the field, followed by the rest of the team. Chelsea couldn’t take her eyes off him, the way he ducked and dived and seemed to float over the football field. She was so lost in the practice that she didn’t hear Maddison step up beside her, until she sat beside Chelsea.

Chelsea felt panic grip at her as she set her jaw firm and squared her shoulders.

“Chelsea can I talk to you in private?” Maddison asked.

Chelsea frowned looking over Maddison’s face trying to read if there was a trick in the request. Chelsea glanced around over her shoulder to see if she could see any of Maddison’s followers but there were none there. Chelsea nodded her head and stood. Chelsea looked over her shoulder back at the football field and caught Mason watching her with a frown on his face. Chelsea nodded her head to let him know that she would be alright. She followed Maddison into the female changing room and it was as they rounded the corner she realised that she had been lead into a trap.

Maddison’s followers stood with evil grimaces on their face. Each girl stood in a semicircle as Maddison ushered Chelsea into the centre like cattle dog. Chelsea looked over her shoulder getting ready to run, but the girls surrounded her like hungry wolves, cackling like hyenas. Chelsea’s panic caused her body to tremble as she saw no way out. She looked around at each girl, trying to find one that had an ounce of sympathy, a weak link that she could break through. When the search found nothing, Chelsea felt her body freeze and tears hit her eyes, with the first drip it was like the red flag to the bull as suddenly Chelsea felt the girl’s hands on her slamming her against the wall of the showers. Chelsea cried out as her head hit the stained cold tiles.  Like raving lunatics they began to pull at Chelsea’s dress unzipping her and tearing it from her body.

Chelsea stood completely vulnerable her back pressed against the cold wall in nothing but her bra and panties, completely exposed, trembling and tears flowing down her cheeks. Chelsea attempted a feeble effort of covering her scars from the onlookers, but there was just too many. She felt her thigh throbbing and looked down to see it oozing with blood, the gauze hanging off. The wound was opened further and looking angry. Chelsea groaned in fear and pain. Maddison let out a laugh and stood back. Her followers all drained of colour as they looked at the scars that dotted Chelsea’s body.

“Maddison” Taylor said quietly her hand flying up to her mouth.

Silent tears fell down Chelsea’s cheeks as the girls all stood staring at her.

“He didn’t lie” Maddison announced triumphantly.

Chelsea frowned and shook her head. Maddison stepped closer to Chelsea and cocked her head to the side, putting her hands on her hips.

“Oh you didn’t know did you?” Maddison taunted with a smile.

“Maddison let her go, this is too much” Skye said picking up Chelsea’s dress from the ground and handing it to Chelsea.

“Shut the fuck up bitch” Maddison snapped, snatching the dress out of Chelsea’s hand and dropping it back on the floor, putting her foot on it so nobody else could pick it up.

“Now like I was saying, you didn’t realise that your little boyfriend and I have been fucking for years. He tells me he loves me, he kisses me, tells me how much he loves my body” she said with malice.

Chelsea frowned and shook her head. She didn’t want to believe that Mason would do that. He told Chelsea he couldn’t stand Maddison, why would he fuck her? Chelsea thought.

“Oh yes. And you are our favourite subject. You are our best joke. How did you think I knew about what you’ve done to yourself.” Maddison said waving her hand over Chelsea’s body.

Maddison pointed at the fresh wound. Chelsea felt her heart begin to tear open. She couldn’t believe that Mason would tell the meanest girl in school about her scars. He saw how much it hurt her to show him, he promised he would say nothing. She could have understood if he told Lincoln, but to tell Maddison.

“He told me how you did that to” she laughed. “You’re disgusting”

Maddison bent down and tossed Chelsea’s dress back at her, before turning and storming out of the change room, just as Mason and Lincoln came running in, followed by Skye. Chelsea looked up at them, Mason had a look of fury written all over his face, Lincoln stopped dead as he saw the Chelsea pressed hard against the wall, the scars etched into her body and tears flowing down over her cheeks. Lincoln turned and told the girls to get out of the changing room. They all dropped their heads and shuffled from the room, Taylor and Skye, both looking over their shoulder and looking at Chelsea sadly. Mason reached out for Chelsea and tried to pull her into his chest; she pushed him away and growled at him.

“You cunt” Chelsea roared at him. “You absolute piece of shit. You told me I could trust you, you told me you wouldn’t say a word. You promised me you had my back”

Chelsea felt hot tears stream down her face as she pulled her dress back on and zipped it up pushing past Mason. Mason chased after her and grabbed her by the hand.

“Chelsea stop, please” he said.

Chelsea stopped and glared at him hard as she saw the girls still lingering around the entrance, Maddison wasn’t anywhere to be seen, but Chelsea was sure she would have liked the show. Her plan to break the two of them up was working.

“Why Mason, so you can lie to me and then go back to her and laugh about me, so you can tell her more of my secrets. Does she know everything Mason? Did you all laugh about how I was forced to suck his cock too?” Chelsea screamed.

The football team who were heading for the change rooms all stopped and stared at the commotion she was making. Lincoln stood by Mason’s side and waved the guys into the room. Skye stepped up beside Mason.

“Chelsea, Mason never told Maddison that stuff” she said gently.

Chelsea glared at Skye, curling her lip. Chelsea felt nothing but fury; she didn’t know who she could trust. In that instant she wanted to run, she wished she had trusted no one. Now her story was out there, she didn’t know who knew and who didn’t. Chelsea’s heart was tearing to pieces and she didn’t know how to put it back together.

“Are you fucking kidding me? I’m supposed to believe you. Brenda told me about the picture you and Taylor were standing laughing at” she spat.

Mason looked between Chelsea and Skye.

“What picture?” Mason said with a frown through gritted teeth.

Skye dropped her head and kicked a rocked with the toe of her shoe.

“Maddison made a copy of a picture that she saw in the book she stole from Chelsea. She photo copied it. It was a picture of Chelsea committing suicide.” Skye said looking up at Chelsea with tears in her eyes. “I thought you just drew that really dark stuff, I didn’t realise that it was real. She saw the picture in the book with all your scars and that’s when she decided to strip you; she was going to draw the scars on you”

Skye’s eyes welled over and her tears dribbled down her cheeks.

“Fuck” Mason growled thrusting his hands up through his hair.

Chelsea shook her head and her eyes softened as she looked between Mason and Skye as the realisation hit her that it wasn’t Mason, it had been some horrible master plot by Maddison.

“We didn’t know that your scars were real. None of us, other than Maddison, would have agreed to it if we had of known” Skye pleaded.

“Oh because that’s an excuse” Lincoln scoffed as he angrily stared at Skye.

Chelsea smirked at Lincoln’s response and nodded her head.

“Well I think you’re all a bunch of bitches that need to drown in a pool of your own period” Dylan’s voice sounded behind them.

Chelsea turned and smiled warmly at him. He came and stood next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. Mason stepped forward, his fists clenched, but Lincoln put his hand up on his chest to stop him, shaking his head.

“Are you alright?” Dylan asked Chelsea.

Chelsea shrugged her shoulders and gave a little nod.

“Can I stay at your house tonight please?” she asked.

“Chelsea don’t do that” Mason pleaded as he reached for her hand.

Chelsea looked up at Mason and shook her head.

“It’s just for tonight. I just need some space to get my head right. I believe that you didn’t tell Maddison about me and I’m sorry I accused you. I just need to get my head right please Mason. I will talk to you tomorrow. I promise.” she said stepping forward and kissing him gently on the lips.

Mason put his hands on her waist and looked her in the eye, slowly shaking his head. His face was filled with pain and sadness.

“You know you can take it out on me. I can’t handle it. I know it’s hard for you trust. Please just don’t leave me” he pleaded again.

Chelsea blinked away the fresh batch of tears that were threatening to overwhelm her.

“I do love you. I’m just really confused and hurt” she said as she reached up and wiped away her tears.

Mason nodded and lifted his chin, squaring his jaw in determination before nodding.

“I’ll be there in the morning, will you come over in the morning?” he asked.

Chelsea agreed and said goodbye to Lincoln, giving Mason another small kiss on the corner of his mouth, glaring at Skye before turning away with Dylan and heading to his house. They walked most of the way in silence, Chelsea couldn’t get her mind off everything. As soon as Skye explained everything, Chelsea knew that Mason hadn’t told Maddison anything, but in that fleeting moment Maddison had managed to put doubt in her mind. Just before they reached Dylan’s house she stopped and turned to him.

“How did you know?” Chelsea asked with a frown.

“I was coming out of the art room when Maddison and Taylor walked past. Taylor was yelling at Maddison about it, so I came looking for you” he said.

Chelsea smiled and squeezed Dylan’s hand.

“Thank you for being a good friend. And thank you for letting me stay tonight” she said.

Dylan reached out and put his arm around Chelsea’s shoulder and squeezed her.

“Well we better have a funeral for poor Nigel” Dylan smiled.

A belly laugh rolled from Chelsea’s mouth.

“What made you say Nigel of all names?” she laughed.

Dylan shrugged his shoulders and grinned at her. For the rest of the afternoon and late into the evening she lay in the bean bag in Dylan’s music room and listened to him play various songs from their favourite bands. She had managed to tune out everything other than Dylan’s voice. Suddenly he stopped playing and looked up at her.

“Chelsea why Mason?” he asked with a frown.

Chelsea frowned and shook her head not understanding what he meant.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I mean, what is it about Mason that you like, obviously he is a muscle bound oaf and girls seem to like that sort of thing, but surely there is more. You told him you loved him. There must be more than just what he looks like” Dylan said his face reddening.

Chelsea nodded her head.

“When we are alone he is sweet, he is gentle and careful with me. I trust him, well my trust waivered when Maddison told me that he had told her about my scars. Yeah he is good looking but that’s only a small part of it” she said thinking about him “Like when we are in a room full of people I will catch him watching me and he will wink at me or blow me a kiss and it makes me feel special. I’ve never felt that way before”

Dylan nodded.

“Didn’t I make you feel special?” he asked with sadness in his face.

Chelsea nodded and felt sadness creep into her heart. Brenda had said she thought Dylan had a crush on her but Chelsea hadn’t believed it.

“You did and still do, but in a different way. We have shared so much, well no that’s not true, you shared with me, I kept myself secret. And I trusted you with my feelings. I don’t know Dylan I can’t explain it. It’s just different” she said shrugging her shoulders in frustration.

“It’s alright you don’t have to explain” Dylan said as he put his fingers back in place on the guitar and started to play again.

She loved Dylan, but he was more like a brother or a best friend, she couldn’t see him more than that. She couldn’t explain why, it just had always been that way. Mason had been the first guy that she liked more than just being a person she shared life and she didn’t know how it happened, but it did and she wanted to stay on the ride for as long it took her and where it took her too.

That night Chelsea tossed and turned, she missed having Mason tucked up beside her; she missed his warmth, his strong arm around her, his breath on the back of her neck. She just missed him. Chelsea finally gave up on sleep just as the sun was beginning to poke its head through the sky. She climbed out of bed and stretched before heading into the kitchen, where Sharon was busy making coffee.

“Hey Chelsea, you’re an early riser” she said with a laugh. “Dylan won’t be  up for another hour or so yet”

Chelsea nodded her head and ran her fingers through her hair.

“That’s alright I have to head off anyway” Chelsea said.

Sharon frowned but nodded her head.

“Can you please tell Dylan I said goodbye?” Chelsea asked.

Sharon nodded her head and waved Chelsea goodbye. When she got back to Mason’s house he was standing at the gate anxiously biting at his nail.

“You waiting for someone?” she asked with a small smile on her lips.

“Yep and I just found her” he said stepping in and picking her up, kissing her lips and neck. “Don’t go away again, I didn’t sleep all night”

Chelsea laughed and shook her head.

“Neither did I” she said.

Mason frowned and put her down.

“You didn’t fuck him did you?” he asked.

Chelsea’s mouth dropped open as anger filled her body.

“What? Mason no” she scolded putting her arms across her chest.

Mason grinned at her and leaned into kiss her neck again.

“I trust you” he said with a smile.

Chelsea felt her anger building like a dark cloud over her. She couldn’t’ believe that he would accuse her of cheating on him, the thought hadn’t even entered her head. She started to worry that maybe he had a guilty conscious, as the saying went that people often accuse those that they themselves are guilty of. Mason noticed her brewing bad mood and took her hand, bending to look in her eyes.

“Chels I’m sorry that was a really shitty joke. I know you didn’t fuck him.” he said.

Chelsea smiled at him and sighed, shaking her head trying to throw the bad mood off. He smiled down at her and took her hand kissing her fingers before leading her back into the house.

“Hey welcome back you” Kelly said as she saw Chelsea.

Kelly leaned in close to Chelsea.

“How’s the leg?” she asked quietly.

“It got reopened yesterday I will need to put a new gauze on this morning” she said. “I’m going to have a shower first and then I’ll fix it”

Kelly smiled and put her hand on Chelsea’s shoulder.

“Mason told me what happened yesterday. Maddison is a cunt. No two ways about it. And if I ever see her rotten little stuck up face I’m going to unpretty it for her” she growled between clenched teeth.

“Easy there tiger” Knox said behind the girls.

Kelly turned around and shrugged.

“Someone needs to show that bitch she can’t just do whatever she likes and not take into account that she hurts people” Kelly pouted.

“I know. Karma will bite her arse” Knox said. “And last time I checked your name isn’t karma”

Knox grinned at Kelly and kissed her cheek. Kelly pouted again. He leaned forward and kissed Chelsea’s cheek.

“Are you alright?” he said looking into her eyes.

Chelsea nodded her head.

“Have you heard from Mum since she came here?” Chelsea asked.

Knox frowned and shook his head.

“No I haven’t” he said with a growl that said he disapproved of her mother not making contact.

Chelsea’s heart sunk as the realisation struck her that perhaps her mother had either lied, after all she had never actually investigated her story or that Maggie didn’t give a shit about Chelsea after all. Chelsea sighed and nodded her head. Knox reached out and gave her shoulder a squeeze.

“I know it’s hard to have her suddenly appear only to disappear again, it makes me angry as hell. But it’s her that loses.” he said with a smile. “She’s crazy not to want to have you in her life”

Chelsea smiled and leant into his side.

“Thanks Knox” she said.

“Don’t sweat it” he said kissing the top of her head.

Knox looked around the room, Chelsea followed his gaze and realised that neither Mason nor Kelly were in the living room anymore. Knox frowned and crossed his arms over his chest.

“I wonder where those two have disappeared to” he said but just as he finished speaking she heard a clanging coming from the dining room.

“What the hell?” Knox said walking to the dining room.

Chelsea followed and as she rounded the corner she noticed set out on the table was pancakes piled high, flowers, juice, eggs and bacon. Knox looked over the table and shook his head chuckling as he folded his arms over his chest. Kelly stood with a pot in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other, which explained the clanging that had roused them. Mason poked his head out of the kitchen with a big smile. He casually started to stroll out with an apron wrapped around his front with a big plate of toast. He placed the toast on the table and Chelsea saw Kelly smirking trying to hold back a big smile. As Mason turned Chelsea saw the reason for the smirk. He had no pants on and wiggled his backside as he went back into the kitchen.

“Oh fuck me” Knox groaned rubbing his eyes “Now that was a sight I needn’t have seen”

“Speak for yourself” Chelsea said with a laugh.

Knox stopped rubbing his face and looked at her before bursting into a big belly laugh.

“Oh girl I like you” he said laughing.

When Mason reappeared they noticed he had put his pants  back on and removed the apron, much to Chelsea’s dismay.

“Now is all this food for just you or are you expecting an army to show up?” Knox said.

Mason grinned at his father with a shrug.

“Well I just made it for me, but I guess I can share it” Mason replied.

Knox shook his head and grabbed a plate piling it with bacon and eggs. He sat down and began to tuck in. Chelsea sat down beside Mason who was busy piling his plate with food. He paused to reach under the table and squeeze her backside behind the chair. Chelsea smiled and put her head on his shoulder before filling her own plate with pancakes. By the time they had all finished eating, most of the food had been demolished and they were all sitting back in their chairs stuffed.