Fear Me (12 page)

I walked over to the large black dresser to inspect the contents on top but it only held spare change and watches and other knickknacks. My eye, however, caught his cellphone laying there with a message from ‘Blake’ lighting up the screen.

Good 2 go

When school was over he took my phone from me so there was no way for me to call for help if I needed it. I don’t know why I picked up his phone after reading the message repeatedly but I immediately regretted it when the door burst open.

I jumped and dropped the phone on the floor. Keiran had come back. He was staring at me until his gaze traveled to the floor and his jaw clenched when he noticed his cell phone.

"What are you doing?” He closed the door behind him slowly and I took a deep breath.

“Nothing. I –”

“Who were you trying to call?” He was walking toward me slowly and I went to take a step back, forgetting the dresser was behind me blocking my escape.

“Oh, um…” I faltered, not knowing how to talk my way out of the crap I just got myself caught in. He released a tired breath and shook his head.

“Sit on the floor over there.” He pointed to a spot near his nightstand.

“I can explain –”

“I’m not interested in your explanations.”

I gave in just like he knew I would if the self-satisfied smirk was anything to go by and sat in the spot he designated. When he bent over his nightstand I inhaled his scent. I admired his dark locks and plump lips before I could stop myself but the sound of metal had my gaze flying to what he held in his hand. I’m sure my eyes were close to popping out of my head as I gaped at the object in his hand.

Handcuffs. Freaking handcuffs.

“What are you doing with those?”

“Handcuffing you.”

“No, I mean why do you have them in the first place?”

“I’m saving them for a rainy day. These are new actually. It’s like a “thinking of you” gift because I was
thinking of you
when I bought them.”

He quickly cuffed both hands to the long thin handle on the nightstand drawer so that my body was now bent in an awkward position unless I faced the nightstand completely with my back to the door.

“I’m not an animal,” I argued but when I heard the click of the door, I realized he was already gone.

* * *

Minutes later there was a soft knock on the door and then it opened. Light footsteps rushed in my direction and then I heard Sheldon’s soft voice ask, “Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." I said sarcastically. I dropped my gaze down to the dark wood but felt her gentle fingers pick up my chin, forcing me to look at her as she sat on the floor next to me.

“Did he hurt you?” Her voice and eyes were full of concern, which surprised me.

“Yes,” I answered truthfully, “but not in the way you think.”

Keiran always had the power to hurt me without lifting a finger and on the days he was feeling particularly sadistic he would take from me relentlessly until I had nothing left to give. Over the years I learned the signs and while I knew there was no escaping him I was able to bounce back quicker.

“Lake, what are you doing here with him?”

Letting him punish me.
“Why?” I asked instead.

“Because you two don’t have the best history. I mean, why does he hate you?”

I let out a dry laugh. “I wish I knew.”

“Keenan won’t tell me much. He only said it began a long time ago but I already figured that. I was there sometimes when he teased you. It was awful.”

I shrugged. “I survived it.”

“Sometimes surviving isn’t enough.” She was wrong. It was enough.
It had to be
.

I stared at her flawless face and bright eyes and knew she never experienced a day of hardship in her life. She had both of her parents, a boyfriend, and an endless supply of friends not to mention, money and status. While I didn’t begrudge her happiness, we didn’t have anything to talk about.

“I really appreciate you checking on me but I don’t think I should talk to you.” She tensed and I realized my mistake. Sheldon was sharper than I thought.

“Did he threaten you?”
Yes.

“No.” She looked at me skeptically.

“Are you lying to me?
Yes.

“No.”

“Are you here on your own free will?”
No.

“No.”
Shit.

“I see.” When she stood up in a hurry, I panicked. “Wait! I meant ‘yes, I agreed to come here.’”

“Why are you covering for him? You’re obviously in trouble,” she hissed as she gestured to the handcuffs.

“Please, Sheldon. You don’t understand. Leave it be.”

“Make me understand,” she demanded.

“I don’t know how! Why do you care anyway? You’re his friend and Keenan’s girlfriend.

“I can handle Keenan,” she argued.

“But can you handle Keiran?”

“Keenan won’t let him do anything to me.”

I wasn’t so sure about that. Keiran said he’s watched me but I’ve watched him too. His presence affected everyone around him. They either wanted him or admired him but they all feared him.

He was unstable as a kid and violent at times, often fighting or attacking, unprovoked. After his fights with other boys he would immediately seek me out and rip me apart with vicious, verbal attacks or hurtful pranks. That lasted until we were thirteen when his fighting ceased altogether. By then everyone either avoided him or went out of their way to be friends with him.

He was controlled now and less volatile. Always cool, always silent. He rarely ever spoke except when I was in the vicinity but when he did everyone listened, including me.

The only person who didn’t seem to be afraid of Keiran was Dash. Maybe that was why they were best friends. I didn’t doubt Keenan could hold his own but I also think he is blinded by his love for Keiran. The only time Keiran acted like a normal teen was when Keenan and Dash surrounded him. They complimented each other. Dash was the charmer, Keenan was the rebel, and Keiran...he was just bad.

What kind of person did it take to actually form a bond with someone like Keiran? I thought about it before deciding I didn't want to know. Some things were better left unknown.
“
Keenan won’t stop Keiran and you know it. He hates me just as much as Keiran because he thinks I framed him.

“Did you?”

I met and held her gaze before answering, ”No.”

“Good,” she nodded and got up to leave.

I stared at her in disbelief. “You believe me?”

“If you say you didn’t do it then I believe you unless you give me a reason not to. It never added up, anyway. The boys were angry and beyond reason.” She opened the door but immediately turned back to me. “You didn't frame Keiran, but I have a feeling you know who did…”

I sucked in a breath before nodding. “Yes.”

“So if you didn't frame Keiran…who did?"

I hesitated and wondered if she would honestly believe me if I told her. “I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t trust you,” I answered truthfully. “You can’t help me anyway. No one can.”

She didn’t appear upset by my answer. Instead she looked thoughtful. “Lake, remember in the sixth grade when Keiran broke Benny Wheeler’s nose?”

I laughed, humorlessly. “How could I forget? That was the same day Benny tripped me and stole my music player because I told Mrs. Jensen that he cheated off my test.”

“Exactly.” She winked and flounced away in her normal peppy fashion. I heard voices in the hallway and figured Keenan came looking for her.

I thought back to the day Keiran punched Benny but all I could remember was going home upset about my music player and had found it lying on my steps. I never did found out who put it there.

* * *

“
Blake said he has our supply ready for pickup.”

“Good. You put the word out?”

“Yeah, me and Dash are on it. He can’t make this run with us, though. His dad has him tied up with something. So what are you going to do with her?” I tried not to panic at the possible meaning of his question as I eavesdropped. Sheldon must not have closed the door all the way when she left because I could hear everything they were saying.

“She comes with us. I can’t risk letting her out of my sight, at least not right now.”

“What are you doing with her anyway?”

“I’m getting my year back.”

“She told me something today.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, when I was playing guard,” he stated with sarcasm flooding his tone. “She told me she lost her cellphone the day the call was made. She asked me to believe her.”

“Do you?” Keiran sounded disinterested but I could also hear the bitterness in his tone.

“No—it’s just…she sounded pretty convincing and looked scared as hell. Did you do something to her? Say anything? You
the other morning alone but showed up to school late
with her.
”

“How do you know I showed up late?” he asked, ignoring his questions.

“Come on man. When you show up to school with the one person everyone knows you hate, people talk. Not to mention she’s the hottest piece of ass at Bainbridge.”

“Watch it,” he growled.

“See what I mean? That! What is that? You claiming her now?” Keenan’s frustration increased the volume of his voice until he was yelling. I was curious to know myself why Keiran reacted so strongly.

“You don’t want Sheldon to hear you say some shit like that. You are already on a tight leash as is.”

“Yeah, well you let me worry about Sheldon. She’s beautiful; no doubt about it but Lake could give her a run for her money, that’s all.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m keeping an eye on her vindictive ass, nothing more.”

“If you say so. Look, lets pick up the supply. Grab your girl. We got to drop Sheldon off at home. I don’t want her involved with this. Her pops would have me wasted.”

“He might just do it himself,” Keiran laughed and just like his smile, I wanted to see and hear more of it. It made him appear human.

I heard footsteps and quickly attempted to look as if I wasn’t just straining to eavesdrop. The door opened and I heard him walk inside. I twisted my body and saw a towel was wrapped around his waist as he stood by his dresser. When his hand dropped to the knot in his towel, I quickly looked away. The sound of the material hitting the carpeted floor forged a visual of his naked body to the forefront of my mind. I desperately fought the urge and temptation to look.

Only when it was quiet and the rustling off his clothing ceased did I open my eyes. I didn’t even realize I’d closed them. I turned again to see that he put on jeans and a dark hoodie. I could see the little beads of moisture from his shower glistening on the dark strands of hair covering his head. He was pulling on a boot as I watched the muscles of his broad back ripple with his movements.

“Are you taking me home now?” I asked hesitantly and despite what I just clearly heard. When his shoes were on his feet he stood up and finally glanced at me.

“I have shit to do which means you’re a part of it.”

“I can’t go anywhere with you. My aunt will want me to be home.”

“Your aunt is thousands of miles away on her book tour and won’t be back for six weeks. Besides…she trusts your judgment.” I gaped at his smug face.

“How would you know if she trusts me?”

“I went through your text messages,” he answered as if it were perfectly okay to invade someone’s privacy. I wondered how much he might have gone through and if he’d seen the messages between Willow and me. Willow would check on me often throughout the day to make sure Keiran hadn’t gotten to me. It was a failed attempt being that he always found me no matter where I was but she was the best kind of friend.

“I don’t feel comfortable going anywhere with you.”

“And this is me not giving a fuck,” he said. He walked over to where I was sitting and released me from the cuffs. “Let’s go.” He moved toward the door, dismissing me. Anger and frustration like I never felt before flooded my senses. I wanted to argue.

I needed to fight back.

“No.” I ground out the word and sat down on his bed again with my arms crossed. I didn’t get a chance to rethink the danger of that move and the vulnerable state it placed me in, but he did. He froze with his hand above the knob. My heartbeat stuttered then slowed when he turned slowly to face me with a menacing expression plastered on his beautiful face.

“I told you, you didn’t deserve my bed, but since you seem to want it now, I can accommodate you.” Fear and confusion wound its way into my mind when he took threatening steps toward me while reaching for his hoodie and tossing it over his head. When he reached the foot of the bed, I panicked and scrambled for the head, only making it halfway before he grabbed onto my ankle and dragged me, kicking and screaming, back to him. I was relieved when he released me but his next words made the panic come rushing back.

“Take off the dress. You can get fucked on the floor,” he snarled. His gaze was stormy as he glared down at me. I watched his nostrils flare when I didn't move.

“Why would I do that?” I fought to hold it together when all I wanted to do was run and hide.

“Because I said so.”

“Just take me home!” Frustration rose inside me and I let my tone reflect it.

“Take it off. You have three seconds.”

“But –”

“One…”

“I really don't –”

“Two. Don’t make me get to three.”

“Or what?” I challenged as a last resort.

“I do it for you.” His hands grabbed my dress at the hem and the sound of ripping material had me grabbing his hands to stop him.

“Ok!” I yelled in surrender and stood up. Our bodies were only a breath apart and I could feel the simmering heat from his anger and his body, penetrating my senses. My shaking hands rose to the straps of my dress, slipping them down slowly until my dress dropped to the floor with a whisper of sound. I kept my eyes lowered though I felt the weight of his gaze on my skin. I noticed his hands clench into fists and hold and I wished I had the courage to ask what he was thinking.

“Kill the fucking act. You don't have anything I won’t see, and feel, and taste. Again…” My knees shook and my shoulders trembled at his harsh words. “…and again…”