Naked 2 : BAD (4 page)

Either way, Caelyn knew she couldn’t just hide out in her room forever. There were certain things that had to be done, and as unpleasant as it was, she felt resigned to what lay ahead.

The problem was how to get from point A to point B.

And how to get past Deena.

Luckily for Caelyn, her little sister provided the solution to Caelyn’s problem not long after their argument.

“We need to go food shopping,” Deena informed her, as Caelyn headed from her bedroom to the upstairs bathroom.

“Please don’t speak to me,” Caelyn replied, continuing down the hall.

“This house has no food and Mom wants to make a nice dinner tonight. Or are you going to continue being so selfish that you punish the rest of us, just because your life is falling apart?”

“So go food shopping. I’m not stopping you.”

“Mom said we should both go,” Deena told her, and then held up her cell phone.

“She texted me a list.”

Caelyn was about to tell her where she could stick her precious cell phone, but then realized that she was letting her anger get in the way of a perfect opportunity. Still, she knew not to be too obvious about her change of heart. Deena was way too crafty and she would notice if Caelyn was too eager to go with her.

“Look, I’m tired and I’m not going to be any help at the store,” Caelyn said. “Why don’t you just leave me here?”

“Because,” Deena said, the beginnings of a smug grin spreading across her face,

“Mom said she doesn’t trust you to be left home alone right now.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Maybe getting out of the house will get your mind off of all your issues,” Deena said.

Caelyn sighed, pretending to cave in. “Maybe.”

“Miracles do happen,” Deena replied. “Meet me downstairs in five, okay?”

“Okay.” Caelyn watched her sister go downstairs, looking after the younger girl, as her heart pounded just a little more quickly in her chest.

Deena had bought the act.

Let her feel proud of herself
, Caelyn thought. Let her soak it all up while she had the chance. Later on that smirk would be wiped clean off her face.

Caelyn went to the bathroom and quickly put on a little makeup—some foundation and lipstick, a little bit of eyeliner. She didn’t want to look too good—especially considering where she was going and who she would be seeing if all went according to plan. But she still couldn’t look like she’d just rolled out of bed or something.

A few minutes later, she’d gotten dressed in a pair of jeans and a decent black sweater, put on a tasteful pair of earrings and ran a brush quickly through her hair. When she was done, looking in the full-length mirror that stood against the wall in the corner of her bedroom, she saw an attractive young woman who probably had been studying too hard for finals.

But she didn’t look completely exhausted or gross—just a little bit tired. She could live with that.

She had her purse and her wallet and phone with her, so that was all set. And with that, Caelyn walked downstairs and met up with Deena, who seemed ready to play the part of the prison guard.

“Good, you’re ready,” Deena said, looking her up and down, as if assessing her readiness for presentation to normal society.

“Yes, I’m ready. Can we not make a thing of it?”

“Listen, I’m just glad you washed your face and put on some makeup. You look almost halfway normal again.”

“Well, I’m glad you approve.”

“I wouldn’t take it
that
far,” Deena said, as she opened the front door and walked outside.

Caelyn followed behind her.

Deena was dressed in a short skirt, heels and a shirt with a plunging neckline. She looked more ready to go clubbing than food shopping, but Caelyn didn’t say a word. As usual, her younger sister was competing with her, trying to show her up in whatever way she could.

It had gotten so out of control that she almost wanted to laugh. Almost.

They got in Deena’s blue Ford Focus, with Deena driving and Caelyn in the passenger seat. Deena pulled out of the driveway

Caelyn wondered just how far away they were driving. “Are we going to Whole Foods or—“

“No, Shaw’s. Sorry if it’s not earthy crunchy enough for you.”

“I never said that. Shaw’s is fine.”

“Aren’t you all into eco-friendly sustainable living and all of that?”

“I try to be a little bit green, but I’m not against Shaw’s or anything. Relax, Deena.”

“I’ll relax when you start acting normal again.” Deena turned on the car radio and started blasting some new Demi Lovato song that Caelyn hadn’t heard before.

As they drove, Caelyn watched the scenery pass. It was good that they were only driving to Shaw’s, she thought. That way, Deena wouldn’t have as far to walk to get home.

***

After arriving at the supermarket, Caelyn dutifully followed Deena through the store.

“Could you grab some of the cherry tomatoes? One package?” Deena asked.

“Yup.” Off she scurried, grabbing a package of tomatoes and bringing it back, only to be sent off again for the next thing. And the next.

She could tell that Deena was really enjoying this—ordering her older sister around like some personal assistant.

Deena had always seemed to believe that she would one day be famous for something or other—and when she did, she would have people at her beck and call, running to and fro on her behalf. She enjoyed seeing people scurry.

So she was definitely having a ball as Caelyn ran around the supermarket trying to find what was on the list that their mother had sent with them.

But the entire time, all Caelyn was doing was waiting for the right moment. She knew it would come at some point, if she was patient. She didn’t want to force it—just let it come naturally, when her sister was at her most triumphant and not paying attention.

Finally, they’d gotten the cart stocked up with everything they needed, and went to the checkout.

Deena looked at Caelyn was the girl began ringing up their items.

“When this is done, I’ll bring the car around and you wait out front with the cart.”

“Okay.” Caelyn smiled, but it was forced.

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you being so weird?”

“I thought you wanted me to help. So I’m helping.”

Deena glared at her, as if sensing something was amiss. “Something is definitely wrong with you, Caelyn.”

“I guess I can’t win,” Caelyn said, shrugging. “I’m trying to do what you and Mom want, and you’re still aggravated. It’s not my fault.”

“Nothing ever is,” Deena said, rolling her eyes.

After Deena paid, the two of them walked outside, and Deena told her to wait as she went to bring the car around.

Caelyn swore under her breath. She should have asked to bring the car around instead, but she hadn’t wanted to tip Deena off. Besides, Deena would have said no just to say no. The girl was a monster.

A minute later, Deena pulled up alongside the cart and parked. Then she rolled down her window. “Could you put the bags in?”

“Aren’t you going to get out and help?” Caelyn asked.

“I can’t—I’ve got to make a phone call.” She started dialing.

“I’m not loading these all by myself, Deena.”

“Don’t give me an attitude. If you load them and keep your mouth shut, I’ll tell Mom how helpful and normal you acted and maybe they won’t send you away.”

“Send me away?”

Deena spoke into the phone. “Ashley, hold on a minute, someone is being rude and interrupting me.” Then she put the phone against her hand and looked straight into Caelyn’s eyes. “Yeah, Mom and Dad have mentioned the possibility. I’m trying to protect you—don’t you get it? If you keep acting crazy, they’re going to ship you off to some mental hospital so they can drug you up and keep you calm.”

Caelyn wanted to laugh, but she was afraid maybe her sister wasn’t just being a bitch. Maybe her parents were that worried, and she couldn’t completely blame them either.

She started loading the grocery bags into the car. Her sister was babbling mindlessly into the phone about some kind of dance that was coming up, and what boys wanted to ask her and who she was hoping would ask her and who Deena would settle for if the ones she wanted to, didn’t.

Caelyn needed to get her sister out of the car. So she purposefully dropped one of the bags and spilled a bunch of stuff out onto the concrete. “Crap,” she said.

Deena looked back at her. “What did you do now?”

“I need help picking this stuff up. Will you come help me?”

“No. You messed it up, you fix it.” And then Deena went back to talking.

Nothing had worked. Caelyn put the rest of the bags in the car and then they drove home. She was fuming at her sister, who was being more and more awful as the day wore on.

When they got home, Deena went inside without even carrying a single bag, expecting Caelyn to bring the groceries inside and unpack them.

Caelyn brought everything inside on her own, privately seething with rage at her bratty sister, but knowing she couldn’t afford to start a fight.

Maybe her obedience had given Deena the confidence to let her guard down. Either way, when Caelyn was done putting the groceries away, she noticed her younger sister’s purse sitting unattended on the counter top.

Deena was in the bathroom.

Caelyn smiled to herself, remembering that good things came to those who waited, and then she quickly plucked the car keys from the purse and walked out the front door.

A moment later, she was in her sister’s car and headed for Boston to confront the man who had raped her.

***

It wasn’t long before Caelyn’s cell phone rang, as she drove towards the highway.

She answered it, knowing who it was without even looking.

“Stop screaming, you’re going to blow my eardrums out,” Caelyn told her sister, who was screeching so loudly that her words were actually unintelligible.

Eventually Deena calmed down enough to make an audible threat. “If you don’t come home right now, I’m going to call the police and tell them you stole my car.”

“First of all, Mom and Dad own that car,” she said. “You can’t even report it stolen, they have to.”

“I don’t care. I’ll tell Mom then, and she’ll call the police.”

“No she won’t, because she wouldn’t want her daughter arrested. I’m bringing your precious car back in a couple of hours, so just chill.”

“I won’t chill, you bitch. That’s my car! Bring it back now!”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“Fine, you can explain this newest crazy stunt to Mom.”

And then her sister hung up.

Caelyn knew the next phone call would be from her mother, but it never came.

Perhaps Deena was just bluffing, or perhaps her mother was in a meeting and unreachable—it wasn’t an unheard of occurrence.

It was only when the adrenaline rush from stealing Deena’s car had finally started to wear off that Caelyn began wondering just what she was doing, driving back to the scene of the crime.

Worse than that, she was going back to revisit the scene while the perpetrator was there, and they would be alone together once more.

Maybe my sister’s right, and I actually have lost my mind
.

It was a tempting, and somewhat frightening thought.

But then she shook her head and decided that it was completely wrong. She was going to face down Jayson because she wouldn’t let him ruin her life, and she certainly wouldn’t let him ruin Elijah’s life. Elijah had done nothing wrong--he’d only been defending her.

Elijah’s already been in plenty of trouble before you, and he’ll probably be in
plenty more after you. Why are you going to risk so much for a guy you hardly even know?

It was always the same question, and the answer was never quite satisfying to her mind. But it just came down to a feeling. She had a feeling about Elijah, a feeling that he was worth it—that he was worth paying the price for, whatever that price turned out to be.

As Caelyn got closer and closer to Boston, her stomach began churning, and a strange numbness crept into her hands and feet. She felt short of breath.

Against her will, scenes from that horrible night began playing out like a sickening film loop in her mind. Jayson’s face, the smell of pizza and wine, his voice calmly telling her not to fight.

She could feel his hands gripping her, the weight of his body crushing her—

At the last moment, she came out of her trancelike state and just missed rear-ending a car as she drove up to a tollbooth.

She felt her entire body shaking as she dealt with the close call, nearly having had a major accident because she was experiencing some kind of post-traumatic stress.

“Get a hold of yourself, Caelyn,” she said, looking at herself in the rearview mirror.

“Get a grip.”

Saying the words aloud and hearing how normal her voice sounded to her own ears, Caelyn realized she could do it.

She knew that she could pull herself together and do what needed to be done.

Just focus on Elijah, just remember what he did for you—what you’re going through
is nothing compared to a prison cell.

Picturing Elijah also helped.

Picturing his handsome face, which was hard and chiseled, but somehow soft when he looked at her—especially his eyes—or his body, which was like steel, but comforting and warm at the same time. She’d felt that when he’d held her that night in the hotel room.

His hardness was only for protection—it wasn’t who he was deep down.

Thinking of Elijah eased her mind as she drove the final miles and parked near Jayson’s expensive off-campus apartment.

She hadn’t texted to warn him that she was truly coming. She hadn’t wanted to give him time to plan anything. Instead, she just walked up and buzzed his apartment, hoping he would still be there. If not, she would wait in the car until he arrived home again.

But there was no need to wait—he answered the buzzer almost immediately, as if he’d been waiting right beside the door for her.

“Yes? Who is it?” His voice was reserved, cultured, his tone so innocent, as if he’d never done anything wrong in his life.