A Reason (A Reason, Season, Lifetime Series) Read online

  “I’m the big sister, I’m supposed to protect you!” Eva says, through tears.

  “Bull shit. By like seven minutes. Where is that a written rule? You concentrate on getting into college, and I’ll take care of training.” I walk over, hug and kiss Eva and Ms. Rivers, and walk out as the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Did all of that just happen in a matter of a half an hour? I have gym class next, and boy am I ready to burn off some energy.

  I walk into the gym, and see that it’s set up as a free period. Fabulous. We have the choice of half-court basketball, volleyball, or weight room. I walk directly toward the weight room. I love volleyball, but weights would come in handy with my new training.

  “Emma!” I hear, and turn to see my friends waving me over. Great, I had to come up with a line. I sigh heavily and walk toward Brenda and Lena, trying to think fast of a reason why I didn’t want to play my favorite sport.

  Behind me I feel someone come up and put an arm around me. I startle and look up to see Ryan, all smiles. He swings me around, picking me up off of the ground, and whispers in my ear. “Just go with it, Emma. This will make it easier.”

  He sets me down and I nervously giggle. I’m blushing just from him holding me so close and whispering in my ear. I’ve had a horrible crush on him since he moved here. His eyes make me lose my breath, but when he smiles? He has such a perfect smile that it makes me shiver. I’m dating his best friend Danny. None of them like me with Danny much, but Danny adores me. I hated the thought of telling him no and losing his friendship, so I agreed to date him when he asked me.

  I finally manage to look up, and the girls are all laughing, looking at us.

  “I’m stealing Emma to go in the weight room with me. You ladies think you can keep everyone busy out here so I can get some alone time with her?”

  Brenda looks directly at me to see what I want. I smile and nod, knowing I was blushing.

  “Yeah, you bet. Y’all go on. I’ll go tell the boys I want to play basketball. That should keep everyone out of the weight room.” Brenda moved here a couple of years ago from Texas. She is a pretty blond with big blue eyes and dimples. She is the baby in a family of boys, and loves sports. She started a girls’ basketball team in our little school. She was right, no boys would want to life weights if they could play basketball with her. I mouth “Thank you” to her, and Ryan, with his arms still around me, turns us and walks into the weight room.

  There are a couple of guys in there. “Guys, Brenda wants to play basketball. Are you in?”

  The guys look up, looking from Ryan to me. He still has an arm around me and a big smile on his face. “Hell yeah, we do. You two behave now, ya hear?” Curt says to Ryan. Ryan shakes his hand with some stupid secret wrestler’s hand shake, Curt winks at me, and they leave.

  “So let’s see what you can bench and leg press, shall we?”

  “Why did you put on that act? Now they all think I’m cheating on Danny with his best friend! I don’t mind being secretive, but aren’t you a little worried about hurting Danny’s feelings with that little act?”

  “Tell me this, Emma. Why don’t you kiss Danny in school? Or anywhere for that matter? I’ve never seen you kiss him.”

  Shit. Well he has me there. I am not about to tell my boyfriend’s best friend how I really feel about his best friend. “I do kiss him, I’m just not really into pda, okay? You should respect your best friend and not want rumors running rampant in our little town! We have three churches, Ryan! Three! Let’s not forget that a graduating class is only forty kids. Which means?”

  “That our little show will be replayed over and over by tomorrow? Because good Christians and small towns love gossip.”

  I laugh, but he is so right. “Exactly! By 3pm today, at the bus stop, we’ll be trying to tell a whiny Danny that we were not flirting behind his back!”

  “No, we won’t. Because at 3pm, while he is getting on the bus, you will be here for your first training session. Your mom had to have plastic surgery. Knowing what I know about the asshole you call father, he won’t let you go see her most likely. We have no idea how pissed off he is. It’s Friday. You and Eva will stay after school. You’ll call home that you are spending the night with Brenda and you will stay away until he can calm down. Danny told me you always keep an emergency bag of clothes at school. Does Eva?”

  Damn him, he was right. “No, she doesn’t, but I plan ahead. I have an emergency bag for both of us with a week’s worth of clothes. I keep them in my gym locker. Since I’m a lead cheerleader, I get a bigger locker. I hoard stuff in there in case we ever have to run.” Why am I trusting this guy with all of this? Because I trust Danny as my best friend, even though he has a big mouth, and I trust this guy. I trust that Ms. Rivers trusts him, and from the moment I saw the tears threaten to overflow in his eyes in her classroom, I knew I could trust him with everything I am and have. Call it women’s intuition, or something, but I feel like this guy has a reason for being in my life. I can feel emotions coming off of him, and I know he is being honest.

  “I don’t know if Brenda has any plans tonight.”

  “That doesn’t matter because you aren’t going to her house anyway, you’re coming home with me. Can we get started on the workout? I would love to know if you really are as strong as I’ve heard. “

  I punch him in the stomach, hard. He bends over as air escapes his lungs. “Firstly, no one tells me what I’m doing. Secondly, I am not a shiny toy to be passed from dog to dog, though like a dog, I am loyal. I don’t care how fucking gorgeous you are, or think you are, I am not going to spend the night with you!”

  “Well, that’s nice to see, and hear. Though you may change your story in a few minutes. I warned you she had a hell of a punch, dude.” I turn at the sound of Danny’s voice. In he walks, with Ms. Doyle, the Social Worker from the office earlier. Shit. What the hell?

  She laughs, and as soon as she does, I know immediately who she must be. I can’t believe I didn’t see it earlier. “Are you okay, son? Your mouth got ahead of you again, didn’t it, darling?”

  “Yes, it did. You’re Ryan’s mother?” I say, telling her more than asking.

  “Yes, I am. He uses his father’s last name. What my darling son meant was that we have known for some time what is going on at your home. Danny has been talking to me, trying to find a way to help. Ryan was so upset and worried after Eva’s arm, that we knew we had to do something. We started talking to Lara Rivers then. We have a large home, as you know, just less than a mile down from your own. It is just the two of us. What he should have explained nicely, after we were all together, is that you and Eva are welcome in our home anytime. We have an extra room that I have put two twin beds in. I know tonight will be scary, we have no idea what set your father off to hurt your mother so bad that she needed surgery. We don’t want you and Eva going home until he has had time to calm down. Your mother is being kept in the hospital for the weekend. I’ve called and checked in there. We are keeping it very quiet that this is a domestic violence case. Only her immediate nurses know. They are adjusting the chart to show a fever and possible infection that will require her to need observation for at least three days. That is all we can do for now, this time. We allow him to calm down, and hope that when you go home he feels bad about what he’s done, and you get a break until something else sets him off again.”

  “So, what was this about being the shiny toy shared between two dogs?”

  “Shut up, Danny.” Ryan and I say at the same time.

  “If you want me to stay over at Ryan’s with you this weekend, I’m there.”

  “No, you can’t. You have Holly’s wedding remember? Your sister?” Ryan speaks up.

  “Right. Crap. Well you’ll have Eva with you. And Ma here will be there to make sure Ryan behaves himself. I’ll call and check in when I can. You’ll be safe there. Will you go? Please?” Danny is begging me with his big brown puppy dog eyes. I suck at saying no.

  “Yes, we will. Since y
ou all have gone through so much trouble, we will. I would like to start training this weekend. The sooner I can protect them, the better.”

  “I hate that you have to protect anyone. It makes me sick to think what we are training you to do. I hate knowing his hands will hurt you again someday. I am so glad that you trust me enough to trust them. I know you’re angry I told people, but something had to be done.” Danny says, wrapping his arms around me.

  “I know. Thank you for trusting the right people. It scares me that more people know, but at least it seems to be the right people to help me this time. We have like twenty minutes left of gym. I want to lift a bit before it’s over.” I hug Danny back, and walk over and hug Ms. Doyle.

  “I know this could risk your job. It must. You’re not reporting what you know to be true, in order to protect us. You’re going behind the crooked cops backs, and you’re opening your home to my sister and me. I don’t know how I will ever thank you, but someday I will, Ms. Doyle.”

  “Mary, please, and someday you’ll call me Ma like everyone else does. It is my pleasure to be able to do something for you. Now that I know the whole story, from the boys and Ms. Rivers, I know that we were brought here for a reason. If it’s to help you, then by God’s will, so be it. Everything happens for a reason. Thank you for agreeing to let us help you. I hear you can be quite stubborn. The more I hear about you from these boys, and Lara Rivers, the more I love everything I hear. We’ll be old friends someday, I just know it.” She hugs me again, kisses my cheek, and she and Danny walk out. I sit down on the leg press bench and wipe the tears away. Damn people making me cry today.

  “Let’s direct some of that towards impressing me with what you can do with these weights. We’ll see where you’re at, and what we need to work on.” Ryan says from behind me. I appreciate that he isn’t fussing about my tears. He isn’t treating me like some delicate girl who needs a guy to do everything for them. I’m just one of the guys who needs to be trained.

  “Sorry I was a bitch about what you did out there. I didn’t know what was going on, but you knew they were coming to talk about it. Can we make a promise, that if I am trusting you with all of this, you trust me with being honest up front? About all of it. Straight forward punches, fight me like a guy, no pussy footing around me like a delicate girl? You could have said, ‘Hey, someone’s coming so we need to be alone in here until they get here.’ Instead you acted all flirty and weird and pissed me off. Sorry about the gut punch by the way, how ya feeling?”

  “Took my breath away, I’ll give you that. Is there any bruising?” Ryan lifted up his shirt, and I had to fight the urge to blush. His stomach was like what you see in the teen magazines. What do they call that, a six pack? I start counting to see if there really is six.

  “Emma, close your mouth please, and stop counting my abs before I forget you’re my best friends’ girlfriend.” Ryan says in a husky voice, barely above a whisper.

  I didn’t even realize my mouth was hanging open. I pull my tongue in behind my teeth, it had been licking the front of my teeth while I counted his abs. A day from hell, and I am acting like a horny teenager? Well, I am a horny teenager, but still. I need to get busy with the workout and forget my attraction to this guy. I sit down and get my legs ready on the leg press.

  “Put it all the way up, big guy.”

  “That obvious, huh?” Ryan says in a quiet voice, then clears his throat. “All the way, you sure? That’s a lot of weight.”

  “I’m a big girl, I can handle it.”

  “You’re a tiny thing, little Bambi! If you can press that whole rack, I’ll be your slave for a week!”

  “Okay, to start off with, what is up with little Bambi?”

  “Bambi was a tiny little thing, the prince of the forest, but innocent and naïve. Bambi loved being nosey and learning about everything, but also needed to be protected. He grew up later on to rule the forest and protect those he loved, after he lost his mom and learned the hard way how hard life can be. Hearing about your life from Danny, and seeing how small and sweet you are, you remind me of Bambi.”

  What am I supposed to say to that? That is kind of sweet, and a fair analogy, I guess. “Okay. Secondly, care to shake on that slave wager? I press that whole rack, today, and you’re my slave for a week?”

  Ryan bites on his lip, his green eyes holding mine, showing his perfect teeth, and damn if that doesn’t make me want to bite and suck on his lip myself.

  “Deal. You look to be what, maybe 110 pounds? You’re barely five feet tall. If you can leg press that rack, which is more than double your weight, you deserve a slave.” He laughs, his green eyes lighting up and those perfect teeth making me feel things I should not feel for my boyfriend’s best friend.

  I stand up, we shake on it, and I sit back down. I’m a country girl. He was damn close about my weight, and I’m four feet eleven. I grew up surrounded by animals, trees, and a father who is an asshole. I like to climb trees or run away, fast and hard. I can ride a horse without a saddle, and I know I can leg press the whole rack at school. With a smile and a wink, I blow him a kiss, then grab onto the side handles on either sides of my hips. After I blow the kiss, his face went from cocky jock to shock. I push that entire rack all the way up, and ease it back down.

  “Well, fuck me, I’m a slave for a week. Something tells me it’s going to be a week of surprises and I may enjoy it a little more than a slave should. You’re fucking amazing.” Ryan says loudly, with a laugh.

  “Mr. Pierce, did I just hear you announce your detention for this afternoon?” Coach Webster comes into the weight room. Shit.

  “It was my fault. We made a wager I couldn’t leg press the whole rack. I did and now he has to be my slave for a week. Can you just pretend you didn’t hear him just this once? Please, coach?”

  “You leg pressed the entire rack?” Coach asks, looking at me like I was making up a story. Ugh, men. I wipe the smirk off of his face when I do it again.

  “Wow, Miss Bellamy! I’m impressed! I would not want to be on your bad side if I’m anywhere near your legs! Okay, I’ll let the language slip, because the same words crossed my mind when I saw that. You’re excused. Have fun being her slave for a week, Ryan! That should be punishment enough for not believing a woman when she said she could do something!” He walks away, chuckling loudly.

  “Ready for your slave to escort you to class?” Ryan asks me.

  “I’m in French next, with Ms. Bleu. Where are you headed?”

  “I don’t know how you hadn’t noticed, but you’re right next door to me. I’m in US History next period. I’ll walk you and carry your books, now that I’m your slave and all.” Ryan gives me a huge smile, a wink, and heads off to the locker room to change.

  I am so over my head. Between a boyfriend that is more like my best friend who I can’t stand to hurt, a boy I can barely function around if he smiles at me or looks directly at me with those green eyes of his, and a father I have to learn to fight, I’m going under and drowning. I have to push away the thought that the drowning would be worth it if I could look in Ryan’s eyes as I went under.

  I walk into the locker room and the girls are waiting to ambush me. “I played basketball for you, so what’s the story? I saw Danny show up and prayed to God he did not find you and Ryan making out or something! Ryan is fucking lickable, did you make out with him? Danny wasn’t crying when he walked out, so obviously you didn’t dump him!” Brenda is the first to ask the questions.

  I pull her and Lena to the side. “Ryan is just a flirt. I’m not dumping Danny, yet. God I never should have said I would go out with him, but he is like my best friend. He is so sweet to me, how can I just dump him? But I do need a huge favor. I need you to say I am spending the weekend at your house if anyone asks. If my father does actually call your house, tell him I’m in the bathroom. I’ll get you the phone number of where I’ll be so you can call me there and tell me I have to call him back. We don’t have caller ID so he’ll never know. Can
you do that, please?”

  Brenda looks at me, trying to figure out more to the story. “I know you well enough to know this is serious. This isn’t just about a boy, is it? It’s your mom again?”

  She knows me too well. “Yes. She’s in surgery, he fucked up her face bad enough to need surgery. I’m getting away for the weekend, with Eva. We’ll be safe, and some people are going to try to help us so someday we can get out of there, or get rid of my father. Can you do this for me, please?”

  “Ryan is a part of it though, isn’t he?”

  “Damn you, Brenda stop being so nosey. I don’t want you to know too much. Yes. He’s going to help me learn to defend myself. I’m spending the weekend at his house, with his mom there, so stop looking at me like that. I’m going to learn how to defend, and how to fight against my father so someday I can stop him. Can I trust you with this?”

  “You can trust me with anything. I love you and Eva. I’ll tell my mom, she already knows about what that asshole does to you. She’ll cover for us. I have Ryan’s number already, so I can call you if I need you.”

  “How do you have Ryan’s number?”

  “Girl you are not the only one with good taste around here. You may be hiding behind Danny, but Ryan is the hottest thing in this country town. He gave me his number once, we talked on the phone and tried to go out for a movie once. He just wasn’t into me. He has been here for a year and he hasn’t seriously dated any girl here. There’s a reason for that.” Brenda kisses my cheek, we give each other a big hug, and I go to change.

  I walk out of the locker room a few minutes later, and Ryan is there with a few other guys. “Emma! You little shit! Tell us you did not leg press the whole rack! Now coach called us girls and said we have to pick up our game!” Curt says to me. Ryan is against the wall, laughing. Curt has to snap his fingers in front of my face to get me to stop staring at Ryan laughing.

  “Sorry, ladies. I did. Ryan and coach saw it. I would be happy to show you ladies another day. Pardonnez-moi, I have French class to get to. Tootles girlfriends!” I air kiss at Curt, who flips me off, and walk to Ryan.