Page 7 of Outlawed Treat
“I just can’t be in there with your fan club,” I tell him, a small smile on my face as I watch him walk up the bleachers until he gets to where I’m sitting in the middle.
“Not a fan club, ‘Lil Bit.Just groupies who think they have a chance with us when Caleb and I will never give them a chance,” Kreed says as he sits next to me and places the tray on my lap.
“Caleb always gives them a chance.Well, he gives Abigail a chance.He’s with her every day whenever he’s not busy with classes and football.After school he’s been putting off work to spend time with her when he never used to be like that.Caleb always wanted to be at the garage and around the guys from the club.Now I guess all he wants is Abigail and what she can give him,” I say, tears filling my eyes and one of them spilling over to slowly roll down my face and land on the tray of food Kreed brought me.
Today I’m having a cheeseburger with fries and chocolate milk.Kreed even got me one of the chocolate chip cookies with frosting on it.It’s a piece of one of those chocolate chip cakes you can buy in stores.We don’t usually have this, but I always get a piece when it’s served.Kreed knows this.I smile up at him and watch as he reaches out to wipe away the tear on my cheek.His touch is gentle but rough.Kreed’s hands are always rough from working at the garage, playing football, and everything else he’s done over the years to earn money to help his mom pay the bills and keep a little spending money in her pocket.Kreed truly loves his mom and does everything in his power to help her any way he can.
“Do you truly not see why Caleb has been avoidin’ you, ‘Lil Bit?”Kreed questions me, his voice filled with warmth and confusion as he stares at me while more tears roll down my face as I think of all the time I used to spend with Caleb and Kreed.Kreed is just as busy now because of all the shit he has going on.
When Kreed isn’t at school, he’s working at the garage or training to play football.He’s always doing something to help pay the bills.This is a guy who doesn’t know how to sit down and is always finding something to do when his homework is done.School is very important to him and he gets the best grades he can through hours of studying and doing his homework early.I’m always ahead in all of my classes because I truly have no life and it’s just been recently that I’ve been able to get a job.I have to stay on top of my work because when I’m not working at my job, I’m busy cleaning the house my parents live in and making sure they have meals prepared for them.Still, they don’t worry about heating anything up because they know their servant will take care of it when I get home.Yes, I’m their servant and not a child to them.
“Caleb is who he wants to be with.He’s got his girl and Darren is the guy who chose me.Well, he chose me in ways.I’m good enough for him to study with and spend time around when we’re not at school.When we’re in school, he hardly looks in my direction unless one of your groupies is bullying me.Then he steps up and pretends to be the boyfriend everyone expects him to be.I don’t know what else I can do to make him understand how much I truly care about him?”I tell him, my voice barely a whisper as more tears fall because I thought being with Darren would be better than the reality of the situation.
“What do you mean, Caliana?”Kreed questions me, a hardness to his voice I rarely hear and I know I’ve said too much in this conversation.
“It’s nothing, Kreed.You don’t have to worry about it.Anyway, what were you gonna say about Caleb?”I ask him, my voice still a whisper as I watch Kreed lift the cheeseburger and hold it up to my mouth.Yes, when I get distracted and forget to eat, this is what the guys do.It’s their gentle reminder to eat when the food is in front of me and still hot.
“Caleb loves you, Cali.He’s loved you for years and never said a word.Part of him didn’t want to ruin the relationship you’ve built together as best friends while another part of him didn’t believe you’d actually be with him.He feels as though you’d reject him because you’ve never dated anyone or shown an interest in any guy at school.We know you’re not datin’ anyone from another school or someone you met at work either,” Kreed informs me, completely shocking me to silence as I think of his words and realize they can’t possibly be true.Caleb has never once viewed me as anything more than a best friend and someone who burdens him more often than not.
“That’s not true, Kreed.Caleb is with Abigail and has been for a while now.They’ve been together longer than I’ve been with Darren.Caleb isn’t one to hold back from anything he wants.He goes after it with everything in his soul because that’s how he was raised.Playboy has taught him life is too short and there’s no point in wasting time.That’s why he chose Abigail.Nothing you say will ever change my mind on that,” I tell Kreed, choosing to eat my lunch instead of continuing this conversation with one of my best friends.“Now, he’ll never go there with you because Darren’s one of his best friends and Caleb will see it as a betrayal of their friendship if he were to do anythin’ with you.”
Kreed lets me have my silence so I can think about what was said.The reality of the situation is no matter what happens, any chance Caleb and I would have has disappeared into thin air before we even had a chance to see if we could be a real couple.Caleb will now always be my best friend and I have to shove the thoughts and feelings I have for him deep down in my soul where it can never resurface again.Feelings I don’t think will ever truly go away because I think I’ve always loved Caleb from the very second he talked to me on my first day of school in Benton Falls.God!It seems like a million years ago now when it’s been about ten.
After changing into my street clothes and shoving my dirty scrubs into the bag I bring to work on a daily basis, I check my phone to find a message from Kreed.A smile instantly lights up my face because he always has something fun to say.Especially if he’s already been at the house with the kids.He tells me something they’ve done during his visit.Rory has been doing new things daily it seems and I hate that I’m missing out on so many of her first moments because I’m working more than forty hours a week in order to take care of my children.
Kreed: The security system is installed and works great.I’ve tested it out and made sure everything triggers it for you.You’re gonna be driven crazy if I’m being honest.
Me: Great!One more way for you to drive me crazy.Are you getting bored with the previous ways you’ve used on me?
Kreed: Not at all.I just love finding new ways to ensure you’re crazy like the rest of us.You don’t get to be the sane one of our group, ‘Lil Bit.That’s reserved for Bryce and my little princess Rory.
Me: You think Bryce is sane?You and Caleb have definitely rubbed off on him and he’s just as crazy as you are.He wants to get on his bike when I’m busy and ride alone.No, I’m not talking about his bicycle.I’m talking about the mini bike you guys got him.
Kreed: Yes!I’ll come over this weekend and get him on the bike.Maybe I’ll bring him to the clubhouse if you don’t mind.
Me: We’ll see.
Putting my phone away, I leave the hospital.One of the first things we were taught growing up by the men of the Phantom Bastards MC is to not be buried in our phones or have any other distractions when we’re walking across a parking lot.It doesn’t matter if it’s day or night.Someone can attack at any given time and it’s important to always be aware of your surroundings so you can try to get away without anyone getting their hands on you.Looking around the parking lot, I find it empty.No one’s leaving work at the same time as me because I’ve once again stayed later than my scheduled shift and it’s starting to get dark out.This is the time of day I hate walking across the parking lot alone.It’s kind of creepy if you ask me.
The parking lot of the hospital is huge.There is literally nothing around except the lights spaced throughout that will turn on shortly.Because of the hospital and the building next to the lot reserved for our parking, it’s become a wind tunnel of sorts.Hearing the wind whip through the cars and against the building often makes me think of the stories Darren used to tell late at night while we were sitting around a bonfire.Especially close to Halloween when he knew they’d have a bigger impact on those listening to him.Darren always knew how to tell a good story and get his listeners truly involved in his words.If he were truly into the story, he’d even jump up and act out certain parts.
With my keys in hand, I quickly make my way over to my car.I hold the keys between my fingers so I can use them as a weapon.In my other hand, I have the mace Kreed bought me last month.He buys me a new one every single month to ensure I’m never without any advantage over an attacker I can get.The closer I get to my car, the easier it is to see something spread out over my car.My steps slow down and I hesitate getting closer to the SUV I’ve had for years.Darren bought it used for me and I’ve tried to keep it up over the last several months, but I have a feeling it’s about to die a sad death because I know there’s something wrong with it and I haven’t mentioned it to Kreed or Caleb.Not that I’ve seen Caleb over the last six months.The last time I truly saw Caleb was when Rory was born.
Stepping up to my SUV, I find it covered in pink and red rose petals.They’ve been plucked from flowers as I lift one in my fingers and feel it.These aren’t the fake ones you can buy in a store to toss around a room or down an aisle for a wedding.Tucked under the wiper is a piece of paper.I carefully pull it out and open the note to read the words left behind for me.
You really think a security system is going to keep me out?I can bypass any security system you have installed in your home.There is no escaping me or what fate has in store for us.You’ve had years to prove your loyalty to me and you’ve never once given me the attention I deserved from you.Now, I’m not going to give you a choice in the matter.I’ll make sure you give me your full attention by slowly removing everyone from your life.Maybe I’ll start with your children.Those bastards will demand your attention and pull you away from me.
I’ll be watching you forever and know I’m coming for you very soon!You’re.Mine.
Before I can react to the note left on my SUV or the rose petals, I’m forcibly shoved from behind.My head bounces off the side of the SUV since I’m not tall enough to hit the hood of the vehicle.The impact of the hit causes me to lose my grip on the mace, my bag as it slides down my shoulder, and the keys I’ve been holding in my hand.I lose every weapon I had in the span of a few seconds.Now I’ll have to rely on the moves I’ve learned over the years even through the fog my mind is currently filled with that makes time and everything around me slow down to nothing.
The person behind me starts to beat the hell out of me.He holds me against the side of the SUV and lands several hits to my body.My kidneys take the brunt of the attack.A few hits land directly to my spine and I feel myself crumpling to the ground.The only reason I don’t hit hard is because of the hard body pressed up against mine holding me in place.I manage to turn myself so my arms aren’t trapped between my body and the SUV.The sight before me brings all of my nightmares to the light of day.
Standing before me is a man well over six feet tall.He’s heavily muscled causing the black tee-shirt covering his torso to stretch to its limits.None of that’s the scary part though.What’s terrifying is the mask he’s wearing over his face and head so I can’t make out any distinct features.I don’t know the color of his hair or what his face looks like.It’s one of those masks that cover the eyes so I can’t even tell what color they are.There is no way for me to get any details and my only hope now is that the cameras are recording and nothing’s been done to them.
“What the hell do you want?”I croak out as the asshole starts to strangle me, his grip growing tighter and tighter with every passing second.
He doesn’t speak as he lets me drop to the ground and proceeds to straddle my body.While strangling me with one hand, the man starts hitting me again.Rocks and other debris littering the parking lot bite into my skin and through my clothing causing more injuries.I try to fight back any way I can.One of the ways is by bucking him off of my waist.It doesn’t work.The man doesn’t move a single inch.When that doesn’t work, I try to lift my arms enough to gain any kind of leverage for hits against his body.Again, it does absolutely nothing to the beast attacking me.Instead, his grip on my throat becomes even tighter than before.As my breathing becomes labored and the pain shatters the fog filling my mind, black spots begin to fill my vision.My heart is beating out of my chest making it feel as if I’m having a heart attack right now.Slowly my eyelids slide closed as I try to reach up and remove the mask from the man straddling me.
