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Chapter Nine

Kelley sat in his Escalade and rubbed the raw knuckles of his hand. Hanson had passed out and Kelley had left him like that, blood on his face and splatters on the wall. How had he missed it? Kelley felt like he hadn't known any of his friends, especially Hanson Chadney. He'd been the closest thing Kelley had had to a brother. He had seen red when he mentioned Marley’s name.

Even if she was mean and rude, she was still his sister. He'd protect her no matter what. She was sixteen, basically still a child even if she pretended to be a grownup. he wouldn't let Hanson hurt her.

Kelley shifted his car into gear and pulled away from the curb. He wasn’t driving to the house he grew up in though. He needed to see someone else first and needed to clarify a few things. He didn’t have far to go, just another four blocks from Hanson’s house.

The empty garage told him that her parents weren’t at home so Kelley rang the doorbell instead of sneaking in like he’d done with Hanson. Kelley stuck his hands in his jacket pockets and waited as he heard Norah yell at the dog.

The door opened and Kelley turned to face her, her gasp audible in the quiet night. “Kelley … what are you doing here?”

“Can I come in?”

Norah opened the door wider and Kelley stepped inside, the house warm and sterile at the same time. “Are you okay? Your dad told my dad what happened. What happened to your face?”

“Do you actually know what happened?”

Norah shifted on her feet. “He said you attacked him, went feral like a wild animal, threatened to harm your mother and he had to kick you out.”

Kelley laughed and it sounded dangerously low to Norah’s ears. “He showed me a video of you on your hands and knees.”

Norah sat down unsteadily, almost not reaching the sofa and lowered her head. “I see.”

“I can help you, Norah.” Kelley knelt next to her, their eyes almost at the same level. His eyes held sadness and the intensity of it was too much for Norah to look at.

“Help me? So we can share the backseat of your car?” Disbelief coloured her tone.

“I’m not sleeping in my car. Where do you think I’ve been all these weeks?”

“I don’t know, Kelley, it’s not like you reached out or anything.”

“And it’s not like you’ve been sleeping with my best friend for a year.”

Norah at least had the decency to look guilty and Kelley sighed as he pushed himself to his feet and sat down next to her. “You wouldn’t understand, Kelley.”

“Try me, Norah. I could understand better than you think.” He'd already heard Charles's explanation but he needed to hear hers.

“It’s not as bad as it sounds.”

“I want to help you, Norah, because dammit I love you, I’ve loved you for two years even if you cheated, it doesn’t matter right now. I can get you out of here, you only need to trust me.”

Norah pulled her hand out of his grasp and then she lifted her head. “I don’t need help, Kelley. That’s what you don’t understand. Everything that gets done to me in that room is with my consent. I like sex, a lot of sex. I was only with you because our fathers thought it might help ease you into the lifestyle. I never loved you, Kelley. I care about you, yes, but not love. You’re not my hero because I don’t need one and just for the record every time you had sex with me I kept picturing your father’s face to get off.”

Kelley felt like he'd been punched in the gut, each word lancing into his heart. “Wow … I hope you know what you’re doing because there will come a day when they grow tired of your overused vagina and they’ll kick you to the curb.”

Kelley stood up from the sofa and left Norah’s house without looking back. The truth hurt because he had loved her, did love her. Two years she’d played him, they’d all played him, even Hanson, his so-called best friend.

He’d been such an idiot. He’d kept his head down and never got into trouble. He’d kept his grades up, played football, and treated his parents with respect … to what? To get kicked while he was down. To find out his father was basically a paedophile.

He drove his Escalade through the gates of the house on the hill, the codes still working. Two men stepped from either side of the house as he got out of his car. He didn’t know them, they’d never before had security at the house.

“You need to leave.” The man was slightly taller than he was with bulk that showed more muscle than anything else. The type of guy that Jesse had once been.

“I want to see my sister.”

“You haven’t been cleared to access this house.”

Kelley tried to push forward when the front door opened. Charles Alexander stood there for a few seconds before walking down the four large steps and towards Kelley. “I just want to see Marley.” He felt an almost desperate need to make sure she was unharmed.

Charles Alexander was up close and personal now and Kelley looked down to the gun pressing uncomfortably into his side. “Marley doesn’t need your help. If you set foot on this property again I’ll have you shot for the trespasser you’ll be. I’ll say it again, you’re no son of mine and if you want your mother to keep her pretty little neck, you’ll stay away.” Charles's words sent shivers down Kelley's spine and he realized that this man in front of him was the biggest liar of them all.

“I won’t allow you to touch Marley like that!”

“Marley has no clue what goes on behind closed doors. She’s like my own daughter, I’d never touch her.”

Charles walked away from him, the gun nowhere in sight now. He paused at the front door and spoke without turning around. “Take the trash out, gentlemen.” The door closed behind him and Kelley was shoved backwards forcefully. He had no choice but to get into his car. There was no doubt in his mind that the two men would remove him forcibly.

Kelley left the house feeling despondent. There wasn’t much he could do, Charles had threatened to kill his mother and Kelley didn’t believe for one second that he wouldn’t go through with it. He wasn’t at all the man Kelley had thought he was.

Nobody was who he thought they were. He had been living in a world of his own making, assuming his friends were his friends meanwhile they were all screwing Norah behind his back. There was nothing he could do until his mother left that house of her own accord.

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