Bruised Angel (River of Lies #2)

by Sammy King

  “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 h
er 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.

  “I need a sleep after that” Knox groaned as he rubbed his stomach.

  “What? You ate without me?” Blades voice boomed from the dining room door.

  “There is still some left, do you want me to heat it up for you?” Chelsea said standing to fill a plate for him.

  Blade beamed at her and nodded his head vigorously. Chelsea smiled back at him and took his plate into the kitchen to microwave the bacon and pancakes that were left over. When she came back she placed the plate in front of Blade who thanked her enthusiastically before devouring the food at break neck speed.

  “You’ve got yourself a good woman” he said to Mason between mouthfuls.

  “Yeah I do. But I cooked what you’re eating big man” Mason said with a wink.

  Blade nearly choked on his food as he looked up with exaggeration at Knox, holding his throat.

  “Are you trying to kill me? Your sergeant at arms, your protector, your guy, you’re trying to kill me with his cooking” Blade said pretending to faint back into chair.

  Chelsea laughed as she watched the show.

  “Eat ya food will yer. We’ve got work to do” Knox laughed shaking his head.

  Blade didn’t need a second reminder as he gulped down the rest of the plate. At one point Chelsea wasn’t sure whether he was going to lick the plate clean. She gathered up the dishes and took them into the kitchen, while she was washing up, Mason snaked his arms around her waist and kissed her neck.

  “Thank you for breakfast it was beautiful, I didn’t know you could cook” she said.

  “I can’t. Kelly did it, she just let me take the credit” Mason laughed.

  Chelsea laughed and
flicked some bubbles at Mason, who yelped and jumped backward before scooping out a big handful of dishwater and dumping down Chelsea’s front.

  “Hey that was no fair, I only got you with a little bit of soap” she whined.

  “Revenges a bitch” Mason grinned.

  Chelsea raised an eyebrow and lifted the glass out of the sink and threw the water all over Mason.

  “Yep it is” she laughed as Mason stood looking at his front which was now soaked.

  Mason stared up at her and shook his head slowly; he flashed Chelsea a wicked grin and leapt towards her. Chelsea screamed and dodged him running out of the kitchen into the dining room, where she stood on one side of the table while Mason was on the other.

  “You know I have no problem leaping this table” he said with a grin.

  “I’d believe that” Chelsea said with a laugh “Alright, I’ll come around and we will call a truce. Alright?”

  Mason grinned and nodded slowly. Chelsea edged her way around the table and held her hand out, she stepped cautiously towards him. When Chelsea got within an arm’s reach she turned and ran.

  “Psych” she screamed as she raced towards the bedroom.

  Mason laughed as he chased her. She knew he had no problem catching her and was letting her win. As she got into the bedroom she stripped her clothes from her body so that she was naked when he burst in the room which stopped him in his tracks.

  “Oh girl you play unfair” he laughed.

  Chelsea winked at him and smiled. Mason grinned back at her, but his smile dropped when he looked down at her leg. She followed his gaze and noticed that the blood now dried and crusty had covered most of her thigh.

  “Shit” she said as she looked down at her leg.

  The wound had gaped open, having torn slightly more in Maddison’s attack the day before. It was starting to look red and angry around the edge which meant there was an infection starting to set in. Chelsea swore again and went into the bathroom. Mason followed close behind her as she pulled a face washer from under the sink and wiped around the edges, wincing as the water stung the cut. Chelsea took the antiseptic from the bathroom drawer where Kelly had left it and applied some, feeling it sting. She covered it again with fresh gauze and looked up at Mason who was pale.