CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“ C helsea.” Megan and Connie waved me down from the back door as I climbed out of the truck.
“Can’t believe you parked back here.” Megan shook her head.
I strutted toward them.
“Princess Megan, we know you never would,” I snickered looping my arm through hers.
“Megan, you know she’s right. You love parking amongst the row of Bentleys. I’m with Chelsea. The back lot is low on the radar.”
“Well, you two bitches go right ahead and park in the teachers' lot.”
“Megan, that is an overflow lot for students.” I shook my head, laughing.
“Once again you two can have it. I’ll remain on Bentley row waiting for you to reclaim your spot.”
We turned down the long hall on the second floor blending in with a sea of seniors .
“How are you doing? I can’t believe you and Tate called it quits a week ago.” Connie’s eyes were glued to my side profile.
“I can’t shed another tear for him.” Connie and Trevor had no idea Tate was locked up in London while Mason ran around Haven River wreaking havoc. Megan barely said a word because she knew if I broke up with Tate over all the chicks it wasn’t real. Which meant Matt didn’t believe it either. Surprised Matt hadn’t called Tate out about it.
“Don’t look now. Tate’s surrounded by girls across the way.” Megan arched a brow at me.
His hair was combed and moussed perfectly to the back. Those heart stopping blue eyes met mine. Friday and Saturday night, he insisted on sleeping over. He parked one of his granddad’s cars in our six-car garage. I didn’t want to be separated from Tate. My body turned toward him. Megan gripped my arm. “No. Follow through,” she whispered in my ear.
“Don’t let him weaken you, Chelse.” Connie yanked my arm in the other direction.
“Thanks, guys.” I opened my locker.
“I’m down for a little fun,” Tate blurted out .
“Not feeling any girls with dark hair. Just blondes. You know what they say blonde girls are freakier,” Tate chuckled in the distance.
My fist slammed on a text book inside my locker.
“We’ll walk you to class, Chelsea.” Megan leaned her head against the locker.
“No need, ladies.” We turned to the deep silky voice.
My brows dipped. “Lake, what happened to your lip?”
“Family squabble. Nothing more. I’ll gladly fight for your honor, Chelsea.” He cocked a grin.
I tugged his lapels and kissed his cheek. “That’s so sweet.”
I closed my locker. “Well, girls I guess I’ll see y’all at lunch.”
Connie clapped. “Way to go, Chelse.”
I looped my arm around Lake’s. Tate stood at his locker; arms draped over two blonde chicks’ shoulders. His jaw twitched and his eyes narrowed. “What the fuck are you looking at, Lake?”
We turned in the opposite direction.
“My cousin has anger issues. Tell him to chill, would you?”
“Yes, I will. Sorry, Lake. Hey have you seen Matt?”
“No, he hadn’t been to the house.”
“That’s strange. I’ll have to call him.” I glimpsed at Lake .
“You probably shouldn’t help me. I don’t want Tate to keep taking his frustrations out on you.”
He smirked. “I can handle my cousin. He loves you, a lot though.”
I smiled, leaning my head on his shoulder. “I know. I’m a lucky girl.”
“Want to go bowling this weekend?”
“Yeah, sounds like fun. Can I invite my friends?”
“Yup.”
“Slut,” a chick blurted out in passing.
I laughed. “That’s perfect. I’m the slut for moving on. But he isn’t. He’s slept with almost every girl in this school you know,” I yelled.
Lakes gray eyes widened. “Don’t let them get to you.”
I slipped my fingers through my long dark locks. “You’re right. See you later.”
First hour, I kept my head down and listened to the lecture. Second hour and third hour were comical. Girls were happy to spread rumors about hooking up with Tate this past weekend. I chuckled inside because I knew he was with me. Marisa’s stone-cold gaze never left the front of the classroom. I peeked at her from my new seat next to the window. Slapping her across her face wouldn’t hurt the baby, right? No Chelsea, keep your distance.
Lunch was painful. Tate sat with a blonde on each side at his table. I had to tough it out. If I were to leave, he’d check on me. I glanced across the lunchroom at Mason’s table. It was like a team divided. Half the football and basketball team sat with Mason and the other half sat with Tate. Not sure why no one gossiped about how Tate and Mason never said more than two words to each other. After the shit Mason and Marisa pulled after Christmas break, Tate and I decided against having a conversation with them right now. We had to strategize.
I peeked at my cell. Matt hadn’t called or texted me back. Shit. I lowered my head before stalking across the lunch room.
“Marisa.”
Her lip ticked up in irritation. “What bumpkin?”
“Where’s Matt?”
She laughed. “Do I look like I keep tabs on him?”
Mason chuckled.
“Don’t.” My eyes narrowed.
I shouldn’t be over here. Tate’s eyes were burning a hole in my back. I could feel him.
“Can you not be a bitch for once? Was Matt at home this morning? ”
She stared me up and down. “Wait, now that you aren’t with precious Tate.” She cocked her head to the side.
“Are you fucking my brother now?”
Whispering fell over the table.
Her gray eyes glinted. This was a bad idea. I turned on my heels and stalked back to my table. I rested my hands in my lap, twiddling with my plaid skirt as I sat amongst my friends. Tate met my gaze. I squeezed my eyes shut. Don’t fall under his spell. He’ll have us end the break up right now if I let him.
“Megan, when was the last time you talked to Matt?”
She sipped her orange soda. Her fingers slipped over her brow. “I don’t remember.”
Lies.
The second lunch was over I darted out of the lunchroom. “Chelsea, where are you off to?” Connie yelled.
I peeked over my shoulder. “To class.”
“Are you sure? Isn’t your class the other way?” Trevor pointed over his shoulder.
“I need to ask around about Matt?” I continued down the hall.
“What about Matt, Chelse? ”
Jesus. I squeezed my eyes shut as I froze. What we’d done Friday and Saturday night shot through my brain. It was so good. A tingling sensation swept through my body. I remember he said, “Do you want it harder?”
“Chelsea.” His deep vocals heated my core.
“Um, yeah?”
“Why are you looking for Matt?”
I couldn’t turn and meet his gaze because I’d be tempted to take him to an empty classroom and have my way with my boyfriend.
“I haven’t talked to him. Have you?”
“Not since last week.”
“And you haven’t called him?”
“I have. He hadn’t called back. Sometimes he disappears. You know he does that from time to time.”
“Yeah, ok. I will find him.”
“We will find him. I’ll grab your keys from your locker and I’ll wait for you inside your truck out back,” he whispered.
I nodded.
The faint scent of his cologne lingered after he walked away.
By last period I was ready to claw my eyes out. I’d become the biggest whore in the entire school. I’d now linked up with Matt and Lake. They said Tate dumped me because of my whorish ways . Seriously. The idiots thrived on gossip. I skated out the back door. I knew Tate wouldn’t risk being seen. He probably left before the bell rang.
I climbed into the truck and shut the door. My eyes lingered over my handsome sleeping passenger in the reclined seat. My eyes bulged at his huge boner.
“Don’t stare at it. Rub it.” His eyes popped open.
“Several chicks tried today. Thanks to my girlfriend who said I need to act like an asshole.”
I smiled and gripped his cock. “They’re so excited to be back in your presence. It’s sickening.”
He laughed. “I think you get a kick out of it.”
“Hm. A little. A few girls said they were with you this weekend. I chuckled because you were with me.”
He clutched my face and sucked my lips into his.
I pulled back a hair. “Tate, we need to find Matt.”
“Let’s go. I’ll give you directions.”
Fifteen minutes later, we rolled to a stop outside a large mansion.
“Who lives here?”
“Matt’s aunt and uncle.”
“Didn’t he used to hang at his grandparents too sometimes?”
“Yeah. He goes back and forth. Come on. ”
We hopped out and strolled to the front door. Luckily, I kept a pair of sneakers in my backpack. I was tired of the kitten heels.
Tate pounded on the door.
The butler appeared. “May I help you?”
“Yes, we’re here for Matt.”
He held the door open and stretched his hand. “Come in.”
“Matthew, you have guests,” he called out.
“Have a seat in the sitting room. Would you both like a beverage?”
“No thank you.” I sat on the sofa beside Tate.
“Water, please?” Tate stated.
Matt appeared out of thin air. His wild eyes darted between Tate and me.
I ran across the room and threw my arms around his neck. “I’ve been worried sick.”
He didn’t move. “You’ve been worried. Bullshit.”
“Matt, what the hell?” Tate growled.
I stepped back and stared into Matt’s empty red eyes. “Please talk to me. What happened?”
I pulled him onto the sofa between us.
“What happened to me?” He chuckled.
“My sister, Mason, you and Tate.” He dropped his head in his hands .
My heart plummeted to my feet. What did we do? I was afraid to ask.
“Matt, what is it?” I whispered.
He sank into the sofa staring into space. “Marisa told me how she blackmailed our father for Mason and your asshole grandfather. Tate,” he snarled.
Shit. That fucking bitch. Matt believed in love and happily ever afters. Our parents were a rarity in the affluent town of Haven River. All three couples were still happily married. Now he’s learned his dad cheated on his mother.
“You two were my friends. I come running the moment you two are in trouble.”
I peeked at Tate, then Matt. “We didn’t want to break your heart. We figured your father and mother weren’t getting a divorce so we left it alone. Marisa set your father up with a woman.”
He cut his eyes at me.
I held my hands up like I was pumping the brakes. “I’m not saying it was right. She destroyed her own parents’ relationship to keep her and Mason’s solid.”
“I read in the documents your father and Chelsea’s grandfather agreed to payout upon their pregnancies with the heirs. Chelsea told me my grandfather mentioned that tidbit after he choked her about Marisa’s part in the blackmail.” Tate sipped the water the Butler brought him.
I sighed. “We’ll get out of your hair.”
I hugged him. “We love you too much to be vindictive. Just protective.”
“I thought you two broke up.”
He pushed me back and narrowed his eyes between us.
“Tate, you could have come alone.”
“Chelsea was so desperate to find you she asked Marisa had she seen you. I’m sure you could imagine how well that went. I had to help her. Even if she did dump me.” He quirked a brow.
“Why did you break up with him, Chelse? You know he didn’t fuck any of those girls. Mason was trying to destroy Tate.”
“I know, Matt. The videos and the girls thinking it was my boyfriend they were messing around with...I couldn’t take it anymore. So I let him go, kind of.” My eyebrows wrinkled, and I tugged my hair. “Wait, when did Marisa tell you about your father?”
“Last week.”
I peered at Tate then back at Matt.
“I think, she told you about your father to get back at me and Tate for breaking up. Her and Mason wanted to watch me unravel. You witnessed first-hand how they tried to break me down.” I stood and paced the floor.
“Maybe Marisa wants to make me pay. And Mason wants to make Tate pay. She wants to embarrass me. And Mason wants to take what matters to Tate. So once Tate and I broke up she decided to take the only person who mattered away from us. You.” I stopped and pointed at Matt.
“Oh, how could I forget. Rocco found out Kyle also knew Mason was alive.”
Matt’s eyes darkened. “What the fuck?”
“It makes sense once you think about it. He hated me as much as Marisa and Mason.”
He poked out his bottom lip. “That’s true.”
“Tate doesn’t want to let him know we know. We might be able to use it to our advantage. If you don’t want anything to do with us Matt, we’ll have to understand.” I sat beside him cupping his hands. “We’ve been best friends. All three of us for too long to let those assholes come between us. We love you. If you need to distance yourself from us for a while fine. But we’re friends for life.”
“Matt, you’re like my brother. We’re past best friends. If you let my brother and your sister come between us. Then they won. ”
“They haven’t won shit. I am upset and I’ll need time.” He ran his hands tightly over his head.
“What did you do to Megan? She’s behaving weird.”
“I didn’t do anything to her. She’s not strong enough to be my woman.” He stood and paced.
“We’ve been forbidden to be together. Nothing new. But I expected the way we felt for each other would be enough to tell our fathers to go fuck themselves. But Megan complied. She said she couldn’t disobey her daddy. She was supposed to be mine. And they stole the only woman I ever loved right from my clutches,” he roared. “Excuse me if I’m tired of secretly seeing her only for her to remind me that we can’t ever be a couple. She was here last week, and that’s what happened. I told her what Marisa told me. I told her I needed her. She reminded me we have to move on.” He gripped the back of his neck.
“So see Chelse, you assumed I was the asshole first. Nope, it was your precious Megan. I am free to sleep with as many girls as I want,” he laughed hysterically.
My best friend was losing his grip on reality.
I stood and pulled him into my arms. “We love you. We’re staying right here tonight.” He held me tight .
I closed my eyes. No one knew what it was like better than Tate and me how someone could blatantly standby and destroy your happiness.
“Where’s the theater room, Matt?”
He stepped back. “Come on.”
“Oh, wait. Tate, can you grab my joggers out of my backpack?”
“Yeah.”
I glanced at Matt. “Do you have a T-shirt...”
“What?” Tate’s eyes narrowed.
“You’re not wearing his shirt. I have a change of clothes in my bag. You’ll wear my shirt.” Tate stalked out of the house.
Matt shook his head. “You’ll break him again if you ask him to go along with this false break up too long.”
He nodded toward the hall. I fell beside him.
“I just want to make it to the end of senior year. You can’t think I enjoy sneaking around with my boyfriend. Especially after we worked so hard to rescue him. My arm tingles every day. I want to give in to the urge to cut myself.” I locked my hand on my arm and squeezed my eyes shut. Today I wanted to run out of the lunch room after talking to Marisa, but I knew if I did Tate would have followed me. ”
Tears burned the backs of my eyes. I needed to remain strong. I flopped on the theater recliner. “Why are they making our lives a living hell? I want to out Marisa and Mason. Tell Haven Saints it wasn’t Tate posing in those videos with girls it was Mason. Tate’s parents asked them not to reveal the truth.”
He gruffly rubbed his chin. “That’s messed up. They’re doing nothing but feeding into Mason’s narcissistic ways.”
“Exactly.” Tate sighed as he walked into the room.
“To them they just got a second chance with the son they thought they lost. I think they’re afraid of losing him again. So they coddle him.” Tate placed the clothes on my lap.
“I need to have a talk with my parents.” He slipped off his navy blazer and reclined in the tan sofa seat next to me.
Matt sat to my right. “What’s the plan?”
“We’ll have to meet in secret like we did last year. But on the surface, it will appear we aren’t close as we are.”
“Are we dragging Rocco into this shit again?”
“Matt, I’m not sure yet.”
“Marisa’s rarely home. She spends the night with Mason. Tate are you ever going back home?” He leaned into the plush pillows .
“Maybe. Still thinking about it.”
Tate rubbed my neck. “Go change. The bathroom is the first door on your left.”
“Guys, order pizza please? You know what I want.”
Tate slipped his cell from his pocket. “On it.”
In route to the bathroom I tossed over in my head what we would really do to survive the second half of senior year. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. The most fun, memorable times of my life had been tainted by Mason and his evil princess. I was so tired already and I just returned to school for the second time this semester today. Gripping my hair, I leaned over the sink. You can do this. They don’t have control. You do.
I slipped into the comfy clothes and returned to the theater room.
“The pizza will be here in twenty minutes.”
“Where’s Matt?” I placed my clothes on the seat behind me.
“He went to grab beverages and popcorn.”
“Good. I wonder if he has any M&M’s.”
“Come here.” He slipped a shareable pack of my favorite candy from his pocket.
“I got you covered.” He rested his head against my stomach. My fingers circled his locks.
“You’re destroying my Clark Kent look. ”
“I hated how they fawned all over you today. And you didn’t have to hit Lake this morning.”
“I did. He was too excited about becoming your fake boyfriend. I had to remind him this shit wasn’t real.”
My head dropped back in laughter. “Seriously, be nice.”
He sighed, sat up, and pulled me into his lap.
“Tate, I am sitting between you and Matt.”
He rolled his sexy eyes. “Baby, you’re killing me.”
I caressed his face. “I’m not trying to.”
He brushed his top lip against my bottom. “I know.” Tate pulled my lip into his mouth.
My hand splayed his chest. “I’m scooting over now.”
“We’re going to the condo later. I need you all to myself even if it’s for one hour.”
“As much as I want to, we need to be here for Matt.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“All right, love birds I come bearing junk food.”
I crossed my ankles, rubbing my hands together. “Where are your aunt and uncle?”
“In Cali. They only return to Atlanta for the summer and holidays. Doubt my cousins would ever consider moving back to Georgia,” he laughed.
“Do you want to watch ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’? ”
Biting my lower lip, I glanced between them. “I don’t want to make you guys watch it only for the one hundredth time.”
Matt tossed the purple Powerade. Tate caught it midair. “We haven’t watched it in years.” He cracked the top.
“Remember when the movie debuted. All seven of us went to the movies. We were the best of friends.” My smile rose and fell.
“You and Marisa were best friends and Mason wasn’t an asshole.” Matt smirked.
“Kyle thought I was cool back then.”
“No one could tear us apart,” Tate said.
“Stephen’s stuck in the middle now.” I stared at the large screen while Matt searched for the movie.
“That he is. He splits his time between me and Mason.” Tate sipped the Powerade.
“All right, doll lets enjoy a classic.” He laid his head in my lap .
“What the fuck, Matt?” Tate smacked his head.
“She’s my friend too.”
Tate shoved a pillow under his head. “Your face doesn’t need to be too close to my goods,” he growled.
“I’ll gladly beat your ass again.”
I gripped Tate’s hand. “Watch the movie.”
Matt snickered. He loved getting under Tate’s skin.