You're To Blame: A High School Bully Romance (Haven Saints High) Read online

  “Ethan, I need to go to the bathroom. I’ll be back.” I stumbled.

  “Nope, I will see you to the bathroom and I’ll wait outside the door until you’re done.”

  “Ok.” I chuckled.

  After relieving myself, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My fingers slipped through my disheveled locks. I washed my hands then splashed water on my face. “Chelsea, it’s time to go home.” I gripped my hair.

  Shit, the liquor went straight to my head.

  Knock, knock.

  “Chelsea, are you ok?”

  “Yeah.” I exhaled and opened the door.

  Ethan stretched his hand out, intertwining our fingers. We walked into a bedroom across the hall. He closed the door, and we sat on the bed. He turned to me, cupping my face. His lips engulfed mine. “You are a knockout,” he whispered against my lips.

  “I normally don’t do the girlfriend thing. You are definitely the exception to the rule.” His lips swayed over mine and his hand gripped my ass.

  “What do you say?”

  My fingers found his hair. I giggled. “We can discuss it, tomorrow, can’t we?”

  He nodded. His hand slipped between my thighs. “I want you so bad, Chelse.”

  My eyes widened at the sound of my nickname. Tate’s words flooded my head as I slammed my legs shut on his hand. “I’m not ready.”

  His eyes darkened. “I think you are.” He pushed me flat against the mattress, holding my wrists. Ethan hovered over my body. His knee lodged between my thighs.

  “No, Ethan. No!” I shouted, wiggling under his large frame, trying to break free.

  “Don’t play hard to get. I know the history between you and Tate. You’re his first love. How sweet. I bet if he were here, you’d give it up in an instant.” he snarled.

  Only person I ever told was Marisa. Fuck, did she have it out for me too? Was this revenge for what happened to the boy she loved?

  “I knew we had the game in the bag. The look in Tate’s eyes when I told him I’d fuck you tonight.” He snickered against my neck.

  “I thought he might be capable of murder.” He glanced at me. A sinister smile flashed across his face. “Nope only you are.”

  “Get the fuck off of me.” I wriggled again. Warm tears poured down my face.

  “You heard what she said. Get the fuck off of her.” A large fist rocked Ethan’s jaw. He rolled off the bed. I couldn’t make out the face for the sea of tears.

  “I fucking warned you what would happen to you if you touched her.” Tate’s voice registered in my head.

  He and Ethan tousled around the dimly lit room. I swiped at the tears, scooting toward the headboard.

  Tate’s fist slammed into Ethan’s face again and again. Ethan shoved Tate into the wall beside me. The lamp crashed to the floor. Electric currents shocked my shaky body in waves. Tate’s fist slid across his jaw again.

  He yanked his arm twisting it behind his back. “Owe.” He bellowed out an agonizing scream.

  Snap.

  “My throwing arm. My fucking arm,” he wailed.

  “You’re lucky that’s all I broke.”

  “What the fuck?” Matt yelled. His wide eyes fell on me then back on Tate and Ethan.

  Matt pulled Tate off of Ethan.

  “Get the fuck out Ethan,” Matt growled.

  A devilish smile took Ethan’s bloody face as he leaned his head against the wall.

  “You two are made for each other.” He glanced between me and Tate.

  “Get the fuck out of my house,” Tate roared. His chest heaved like a raging bull.

  Matt pushed Ethan out of the room.

  His eyes fell on me. “Chelsea, are you all right?” Concern loomed his face.

  I couldn’t answer. Tate sat beside me. He reached for my face. I flinched.

  “Chelse, it’s me. You know I’d never harm you.”

  He was right. He’d never lay a hand on me.

  “Look at me.” Slowly his bloody hands gently clutched my face. His eyes were wide and laced with worry.

  “Talk to me, Chelsea.”

  The tears streamed down my face again. He turned to Matt. “You and the guys get everyone the fuck out of my house.”

  “On it, dude.” Matt pulled the door closed.

  There it was in Tate’s eyes a silent apology.

  He removed my shoes. “I won’t leave your side, Chelsea.”

  “Promise?”

  He exhaled. “I promise.”

  Tate kicked off his shoes. “I need to wash my hands. I’m walking right there.” He pointed a few feet away toward the ensuite bathroom.

  Gripping my legs, I rested my head on my knees.

  Tate stepped out of the bathroom. “Chelsea, look at me.”

  I peeked up at him. “My shirt has blood all over it. I need to remove it. If you want, I can run to my room and grab another one.”

  I hyperventilated. “No, don’t leave!”

  “Ok.” He slipped the shirt over his head, revealing his beautiful abs. I swallowed hard. God, his body was a killer.

  He climbed into the bed and pulled me into his arms. His soft lips fell upon my hair.

  “Did he hurt you?”

  My quivering hand splayed his heaving chest. “No. You came in the nick of time.”

  He caressed my hair. “Remember the night we sat near the lake in the middle of the night?” His voice was rough and his southern accent was thick.

  “How could I forget? We shared our first kiss?”

  “Don’t ever forget it Chelsea. That’s the only good memory we have left together.”

  My heart broke into a million pieces all over again. He reminded me we’d never be together. That was our one special time.

  After that day our love was snatched from us and thrown into the flames. Burned before our eyes. He was right, we’d never be together. He still blamed me for Mason’s death.

  My eyes fluttered closed. Lying against his heart was like a soothing lullaby. I hoped tonight was nothing more than a dream. A dream I wished I could remain in forever. Wrapped in Tate’s big strong arms, shielded me from the evil in the world.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Tate once stared into my eyes as though I was his life. He was always eager to see me. And so was Mason. The nightmare flooded my head. I gawked as Mason gripped the air. I sat straight up gasping.

  Sunlight peeked through the heavy curtains. I glanced at the handsome dark-haired beast in a deep slumber. My lips fell upon his cheek, stealing a kiss. I crept out of bed, grabbed my shoes and purse, dipping out of the bedroom. He held me in his arms all night long. His delicious cologne acted as a sleep elixir. I strolled down the steps, gripping my head. What time was it? The maids were busy cleaning the trashed house. My cell buzzed a few times. I grabbed my cell out of my purse. Twenty missed calls and fifteen missed text messages.

  I opened the newest one.

  Mom- Come straight home after you wake up.

  How did she know I was asleep?

  The other texts were from Connie and Rocco.

  Rocco- Are you all right?

  Connie- What the hell happened?

  Rocco- Matt said you were ok. Call me anyway.

  I shielded my eyes from the sun as I stepped out the front door.

  Sauntering across the street, I contemplated what I’d tell my parents. Should I tell them Marisa sent another boy to rape me?

  Who the fuck did Marisa turn out to be? Matt and his sister were nothing alike. He came to my rescue. Did he have a clue to what his sister was capable of? I wasn’t sure if I should tell him what she’d done. The shit, was too much to handle at the moment.

  I pushed my oversized front door open. “Hello.”

  Emma and Carson’s feet trampled the floor in my direction. “Chelsea, you’re here.” Their arms wrapped around me.

  “Will you watch cartoons with us?”

  “Not right now. How about later?”

  Their faces lit up. “Ok.”

>   Nina stood in the kitchen archway arms folded. “Doesn’t appear to be midnight.” She scowled.

  The kids ran back into the living room.

  “The boy I met recently, pretended to like me. And last night he tried to take things too far.” I dropped my head, and the tears spilled down my cheeks again.

  Nina stepped closer, wrapping her arms around me. “Are you ok?” I clutched her arm.

  “Yes, Tate protected me. He broke Ethan’s arm. I need to take a shower.”

  “Your parents will be home soon. I’ll prepare your favorite soup.”

  “Thank you.”

  ~

  A few minutes later, I tore off my clothes and sat on the shower floor. The hot water thudded my tanned skin until I was red all over. My tears mixed with the piping hot water. Last night played in my head on repeat. Maybe I could sleep until tomorrow. No, I told the twins I’d play with them later.

  “Chelsea.” A deep voice penetrated the thick wooden door.

  “Yes?” I hopped to my feet, shielding my body.

  “I stopped by to make sure you are all right. You left without saying goodbye.”

  “No, Ms. Nina, I won’t walk into the bathroom. I just need to know she is ok.” Tate said.

  “Chelsea, I’ll be in the hall waiting for you.”

  “Ok.”

  My heart fluttered, and I blushed. Tate’s warning flooded my thoughts. Cherish our memory. Anger coursed through my veins. He was just looking out for me. Nothing more. Besides, he was the reason I became a recluse. The blame ate at me until I cut my self and almost died.

  I turned off the water, dried my body, and slipped into a red terry-cloth robe. Swinging the door open, I walked with a vengeance into the hall.

  Nina stood at the banister watching the twins.

  “Thank you, Nina. Can you give Tate and I a minute?”

  Her eyebrow rose. “Yes.” She strolled downstairs.

  Tate followed me into my room, closing the door behind us.

  His forehead creased. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

  Tate’s hair was damp. I guess he showered too.

  I stared up into his blue eyes. “You came to my rescue, Tate. Thank you.”

  He stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets. “You’re welcome.”

  “You also made it clear what we once shared was in the past. It is. I’ve accepted we will never be together. You blamed me for Mason’s death even though you knew it wasn’t my fault. And I accepted that blame, because of the weird triangle of love we shared.”

  He sat on the bed, hunched over, running his fingers through his hair.

  “You loved me…”

  “That’s enough, Chelsea,” he muttered.

  “And I loved…”

  His cold eyes met mine. “I said that’s enough,” he bit out through barred teeth.

  He stood clutching my face, glaring into my eyes. Pain was etched in his features. I felt my body move closer to him.

  “I’ve managed all these years alone. I’ll get through this too.”

  “No,” he growled. “Make sure you’re at my house on time for dinner tomorrow night. Don’t tell mommy and daddy you want to stay in bed all weekend. You get over to my house for dinner with your family. Or so help me I will walk over here and drag you out of bed kicking and screaming.”

  I shoved him in his chest. “Go home, Tate.”

  “Later tonight, I’ll ensure you fall asleep.” He stalked toward the door.

  “It’s Saturday.”

  “So, what. I said I’ll be back.”

  “And in school Monday?”

  “We return to hating each other,” he stated, never looking back.

  “Ugh!” I groaned, slamming my fists at my sides.

  After a two-hour nap, I slipped into a long sleeve T-shirt and leggings.

  “Chelsea, are you awake?”

  What was she doing? Sanding outside my door until she heard movement.

  “Come in.”

  The door flew open, she darted across the room holding me tight. “I’m so happy you are ok.” She stepped back and stared into my eyes.

  “Tate only told us you had too much to drink, so you slept in the guest room.”

  “Why were you drinking?”

  “I was across the street and I wasn’t driving. I know it was wrong, but I was with my friends. We were just hanging out.”

  I plopped on the bed. “Until.”

  She sat beside me, running her hand over my hair. “Until what?”

  “Remember the boy Ethan who came over Saturday?”

  “Yes.”

  “Everything was going well. Until things got out of hand last night. He tried to force himself on me.”

  I couldn’t tell my mom Tate was having a party.

  Her eyes widened. “What?”

  “Tate fought him off of me and broke his arm.”

  She stared into my eyes. “Tell me the truth. Did he rape you? I can take you to the hospital…”

  “No, Mom. Seriously Tate was there in a snap. He put Ethan out the house. Tate wouldn’t let me out of his sight.”

  “He still likes you after all this time.” She smirked.

  “No, he doesn’t. Tate was my friend for one night only. Probably felt guilty the situation took place at his house.”

  She chuckled and kissed my forehead. “If you say so.”

  “Seriously, Mom,” I grimaced.

  “I’m sure, Dad is somewhere close by. Lurking.”

  He peaked around the corner. “I want the kids full name. We are pressing charges. He will not get away with this.”

  I nodded. Dad pulled me into his arms. “He’s lucky Tate only broke his arm. If I were there, I would have killed him.”

  “Yeah Dad, it was a good thing you weren’t there. Wouldn’t want you going to prison for murder.”

  He kissed my forehead. “I’ll fire up the grill. We’ll have a quiet evening at home.”

  “Sounds perfect.”

  ∞

  Tate and I were ordered to set the table. Our parents sat in the kitchen, discussing Friday nights ordeal. Mom and Melissa drank an entire bottle of wine while the chicken baked in the oven.

  Emma, Carson, and me played a board game on the floor of the family room. Tate relaxed in the recliner yelling at the TV.

  “Stop fumbling the ball. Guys, you need to watch this replay.”

  Our dads ran into the room, plopping on the sofa.

  “Whoa!” dad shouted.

  They were in their element.

  Tate was in hot water with his parents. Not with mine. They couldn’t stop thanking him for defending my honor.

  “Dinners ready,” Melissa yelled.

  The kids darted into the dining room.

  The guys couldn’t stop talking about the football game.

  “Lay off the football for one moment.” Mom glowered.

  “Tate, were you friends with this Ethan kid?” Dad asked.

  “No, sir. He’s my enemy.” Tate peeked at the kids then back at dad.

  “We had words right before the game. A little football rivalry.” He lied to my father.

  What was Tate supposed to do? Tell him they had words about me. It was best he didn’t divulge the truth.

  Dad snapped his fingers. “I remember now. Whatever he said to you really pissed you off. You turned to the crowd. I could have sworn you looked at Chelsea. She stared back at you. She appeared worried.”

  “Dad, this isn’t court. Tate isn’t on the stand.”

  He waved me off. “It makes sense. It would have been the perfect way to throw you off your game. He knew you liked her.”

  Tate’s jaw twitched, and he clutched the fork so hard I swear the metal would bend any second. “Yes, he told me he was dating Chelsea.”

  Dad smirked. “That really pissed you off.”

  Tate’s eyes darkened. “He has a bad reputation. Even though I loathe your daughter, sir. For reasons I don’t have to explain to you. We
were all there that day.”

  “Yes, we were. And before that day you spent every moment you could with her.”

  Tate banged his fist on the table and stood. “Yes, I loved her. Jesus, it was puppy love. That part of my life is over. We can’t get it back.”

  “That’s right. We can’t get it back. You ruined my life too. Not a day goes by I don’t think about what happened. Now at school you’ve turned me into an outcast.”

  “Chelsea, that’s enough,” Tate growled.

  “No, tell our parents how you don’t talk to me in school.”

  Brian rose to his feet. “Apologize, then go to your room.”

  Tate exhaled. “There’s no excuse for my misplaced behavior. I apologize. I am upset. I allowed Ethan to get under my skin. And I should have never let him into my house. I take full responsibility for what happened to Chelsea.” He stalked out of the dining room.

  “Mom, I told you he felt guilty.”

  Dad rubbed his brow. “I feel terrible.”

  “Brian, Chris, you guys should talk to Tate.” Melissa said.

  “Yeah, you’re right.” They vacated the dining room.

  “Melissa, Mom, please stop trying to pair Tate and I together. We aren’t meant to be any more. I will date other guys. Just not anytime soon.”

  Melissa and Mom placed their hands over mine. “We love you.”

  I smiled.

  Emma and Carson yelled, “We love you too.”

  ∞

  The surround sound in the movie theater kept me alert. I thought watching a movie before bed would help me drift off to sleep. It worked last night.

  My cell buzzed.

  Tate- What are you doing?

  I rolled my eyes.

  Me- Watching a movie.

  Tate- I’ve been waiting in your room forever. Come upstairs.

  My heart plummeted to my feet. Oh my God. He really came over to make sure I fell asleep. This was stupid.

  I sighed, pressing the off button on the remote. The house was dark. A few night lights in various rooms lit my path. This had to be a joke.

  I stepped into my bedroom. My eyes widened as I closed the door. The moonlight cascaded across his face. Tate leaned against the wall; legs crossed on the window seat.

  “You’re here. I thought you were joking.”