Page 1 of Hush (Fighting Fate)

Chapter 1

Kaeli

Crouched behind my locked bedroom door, with my heart hammering relentlessly against my chest, I waited for the yelling to stop.

My hands trembled and my breath shook. Waves of helplessness crashed inside me. Over and over again. The wait was like going through a slow, torturous death.

Too many minutes later, the silence I was praying for came, followed by loud, thumping footsteps past my door and down the stairs.

I paused, still waiting.

As soon as I heard the front door slam shut, I threw the door open and ran. The lack of noise that met my ears panicked me. Please let her be okay. Please let her be okay, I thought as I dashed down the hall.

The second I caught sight of Mom’s crumpled body on the floor beside the bed, the bottom dropped out of my stomach. A panicked cry broke free from me and I rushed forward, throwing myself down beside her.

Oh god, please don’t let her be dead.

Relief struck hard when I heard her moan, but it was quickly replaced by concern when I saw her clutching at her stomach as she whimpered.

With careful movements, I took her in my arms. I didn’t say anything. I’d learnt a long time ago that she couldn’t handle hearing my grief.

She gasped pitifully, making my throat close in on itself, and I had to screw my eyes shut tight to stop the tears that threatened to fall. I couldn’t let myself cry. I knew it would only add to the guilt she held inside her.

So I just sat quietly and held her while she whimpered, letting her know she wasn’t alone.

I felt her trying to breathe through her pain, and I breathed with her in encouragement. Then after a while, she awkwardly stood on shaky legs and slowly limped to the bathroom.

Anger flared inside me as I watched her close the door behind her. I hated my stepfather more than any living thing in this world. He and his dead beat, low life son had ruined our lives.

He’d been the nicest man alive when he’d first come into our lives. Full of pretty words and promises. He’d swept Mom right off her feet just when she thought she’d never find anyone as wonderful as my father had been, but after they were married, he changed.

He became a monster.

When I was younger, I begged Mom to leave him, to take me away from the horror he subjected us to, but she always refused. Back then, I couldn’t understand why. I thought she loved him more than she loved me. But now I was older, I knew the reason. He wouldn’t allow it. If we tried to leave, he would kill one of us, or maybe even both of us. I had no doubt about it at all. His heart was as black as they came.

With the lump still lodged deep in my throat, I shakily stood and moved back to my room to get ready for school.

It didn’t matter how many times I’d had to leave her like that, it never got easier. Having to go to school and pretend everything was all fine in the world sucked. I hated it. I hated lying to my friends, and I hated having to lie for a monster like him.

Over the years I’d been able to rely on playing what I called the pretend game when I was out in public, but even that wasn’t easy anymore.

It used to just be me and my best friend, Mia, hiding from the world. But now, thanks to Mia dating one of the school’s most popular guys, I’d somehow managed to inherit a dozen new friends. Friends who were fiercely loyal and protective. And very, very watchful.

But unfortunately it wasn’t just my friends who were watching. When I said Jace was popular, I didn’t just mean he was well liked around school. He was actually popular in a worldwide kind of way.

He and Mia’s twin brother, Aiden, along with their two closest friends, Matt and Dean, were on the brink of stardom. Their band, Fighting Fate, was about to reach worldwide fame after a clip they’d posted on YouTube went viral.

Unlike most of the kids who were about to graduate and go off to college, Jace and the guys had just recorded their first album and were going on a national tour with one of the country’s biggest rock bands, The Dark Hybrid.

So you could kind of see my problem. Hiding wasn’t really an option anymore.

Pulling into the school parking lot, I parked in one of the furthest spaces, hoping to give myself a little time to collect myself before having to face everyone. Unfortunately, I’d only been there for a minute when there was a knock on my window.

Glancing up, I saw Mia smiling down at me.

Grabbing my things, I begrudgingly climbed out. “Hey,” I said, doing my best to look normal.

“Morning,” she said brightly.

“How is everyone this morning?” I asked, trying to keep her from looking at me too closely.

I’d never told Mia what went on behind the closed doors at home. I knew considering we’d been best friends for seven years that probably made me a real shit friend, but it just wasn’t something I could do.

Don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t stupid, and neither was she. She knew something wasn’t quite right. I mean, what kind of a best friend never has her over for a sleep over the entire time they’d known each other? Or declines an invitation to sleep over at her house almost every time she’s asked? Yeah, not many.

We walked towards the large group of people gathered by Mia and Aiden’s car as she gave me the run down on the guys and their coming tour. She’d been way more excited about it since she’d managed to organize a way of going with them.

I was going to miss her like crazy when she went, but I was still excited for her.

“So I might’ve heard a little juicy gossip this morning…” Mia said with a teasing lilt to her voice.

I gave her a weary look. I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to like where this was going.

“I think Corey might like you.”

I groaned. I really didn’t need this right now. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not interested.”

She bit her lip. I could tell my reaction had confused her. “Not even a little bit? He’s nice…”

“No.” I looked her dead in the eye so she would understand. “Ken’s making my life hell at the moment.”

She went quiet for a little while, seeing the slight shadows under my eyes for the first time. “How bad is it?” she whispered.

I really didn’t want her to go there. I still didn’t have full control over my emotions. “Bad,” I said, unable to say much else.

A worried frown creased her forehead. “You know, you can always come and stay with me.”

My heart contracted. If it was just me I was worried about, I’d take her offer up in a heartbeat. But it wasn’t. Yes, Ken intimidated me – even threatened me sometimes, but he never laid a hand on me. All his anger was reserved for Mom.

Once, when I’d been younger, I’d pissed him off enough to make him rant and rave until his vein was popping on his temple. That one experience was enough to scare the life out of me, but what had upset me more was the fact that he took it out on Mom later that night. From that moment on, I vowed

to never push him to that point again.

“Thanks, but I can’t. I have to stay at home.”

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