Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Before I went back into my room I made a quick trip to the bathroom. I had to make it look like I hadn't been crying, I don't want Shane's sympathy. I took a baby wipe from underneath the sink and quickly wiped down my makeup-stained face. I finally got all of my makeup off, but I didn't bother reapplying any. I took my hair out of the ponytail and let it fall down. My hair was so long- it was about two inches from reaching my butt.

I finished everything, putting on a fake smile to hide my tears. I know I won't be able to for long. All the memories of my mother and I were flooding my head. It was taking everything in me not to cry.

When I reached my bedroom door, I opened it and was greeted by Shane.

"Hey. What do you think we should do? Should we watch a movie? I'm not really good at this kind of stuff." Shane said. He was lying on top of my comforter, one arm lying above his head and with his right hand he was scrolling through something on his phone. When he looked up, he dropped his phone. "Kaelyn... Hey... Are you okay? Have you been crying, babe?"

I couldn't take it. I broke down the moment he said that. 'Are you okay?'.

I put my head in my hands and the waterworks came.

"Kaelyn, come here," Shane opened his arms up and motioned for me to lay down next to him. I walked the small distance between myself and the bed and crawled into Shane's arms. I curled up into a fetal position, sobbing into my pillow.

"I miss them," I choked out. "I want my mommy back,"

Shane started soothingly stroking my hair. He squeezed my hand and mumbled, "Everything is going to be okay. You've made it this far."

"No. It's not going to be okay. Michael probably hates me and he's the only one I have left. I know I have my grandma but, she's not really going to last much longer either."

"Kaelyn, don't say that. I'm always going to be here for you ok? I'll be here through everything." Shane kissed my forehead and just held me. He held me for what seemed like hours; but in reality it was only twenty minutes. I eventually calmed down and my breathing was at a normal pace.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that," I mumbled. Shane started playing with my hair and pulled me closer to his chest.

"I'm just glad you weren't alone," He breathed. I partially smiled and turned around so that I was now face to face with him, instead of my back being turned towards him.

"So... now you know my story... well most of it. You know what happened to my parents, and that's pretty much my story. Don't get mad at me for asking but," I paused. "What's your story?"

Shane sighed and he sat up. He detached himself from my body and put his hands in his lap, while he stared at my comforter; he wouldn't look up.

"My um... well, this is kind of hard to explain to you. I don't expect you to understand it all. I don't even know if I can make it through telling another person- especially you," He said. Especially me? What's that supposed to mean?

"Don't worry, I'm here for you." I put my hand on his knee and he gave me a small smile.

"It all started when my dad cheated on my mom. When my mom had found out what my father was doing they immediately got a divorce. I was only twelve at the time, but it still hurt to see them break apart. Every month, on the twenty-first, my father would come up to our doorstep and beg for a second chance. My mother always refused. Whenever she would tell him to leave, I could literally see how much it hurt her to say that. She loved him with all of her heart and he broke her. I couldn't bear to watch when she would refuse his pleas. I made a promise to myself when I was twelve; I promised myself that I would never cheat on any girl as long as I live. I don't want any girl going through that much pain all because of me." He admitted.

I was frozen in place. All I wanted to do was hug the living daylights out of Shane, but before I could he continued talking.

"When I was fifteen I was in the most amazing relationship with a girl named Emily. She was perfect- or at least I thought so. But, hey, I was just a young kid. I didn't even have my driver's license back then. Everything in my life was perfect until I found out what she was doing. She had been cheating on me with my, now ex, best friend. And guess who it was! Ryder Coleman." Shane said through gritted teeth. So Ryder's had a history of cheating?

"I'm so sorry," I said. Shane sighed and took a deep breath.

"I guess after Emily and I were over and done with... I guess that's when I turned 'bad'. I started dating girl after girl... It started out as a different girlfriend each month and then up until this year I had a different girl every other night." He ran his fingers through his hair. One thing kept flashing through my mind: But, Shane, why do you fight?

I was obsessing over the fact that he won't tell me why he fights.

"Don't think of me as a bad person because of that... I can't have you thinking of me as a bad person because of the way I used to be... Kaelyn, since I've been hanging out with you- so for the past few weeks- the only girl I've had on my mind is you. I can't- I can't not think of you."

By this point my stomach was acting like a dolphin, flipping and flopping in every direction. My cheeks were warm and probably bright red. Does Shane really think about me? Like... as in more of an annoying friend?

"I um... wow. Can I ask you one more thing please? I don't mean to sound nosy..." I mumbled the last part.

"Ask away," He leaned against my headboard and motioned for me to sit in between his legs. I leaned back against his torso and started playing with his fingers. That's when I saw it.

There was a big purple and black bruise on his left forearm. Why does he let other boys do that to him? I know he starts the fights ninety percent of the time... but, why?

"Shane... Why do you let other boys do this to you?" I ran my fingers over the bruise, "Why do you fight? Is there really a reason?"

"I um... I-I um..." He was stuttering... that's a first. "I fight for you,"

My eyes widened. I must've heard him wrong. "What did you say?" I tried really hard to listen to everything he repeated. Why the hell would he fight for me? "Why?"

"You honestly don't know what boys say about you?" I shook my head. "Well, to sum it up they say things that they shouldn't about you. Not necessarily bad things... but things they should be saying to their girlfriends and not about you," He rested his hands on my thighs.

"Oh," was all that I could force out of my mouth. "Is that really why?"

"Yes. I get all these cuts and bruises just to protect you." I squeezed his hand and let my head fall back onto his chest.

"But, that can't be the only reason. You've been fighting for a very long time-"

"Eight months," He interrupted.

"Exactly so you couldn't have been fighting for me for eight months... that's crazy!"

"Then call me crazy because it's the truth. I just- I can't stand it when people talk that way about you,"

"What about when you do it?" I smirked. Shane chuckled. I couldn't move my head to see if he was blushing, but I know he was.

"It's okay if I do it,"

"All of that leads up to my final question. Why did you fight Carter? Surely he wouldn't say anything like that about me." I waited for his answer impatiently.

"The thing is Kaelyn, Carter was saying those things about you and I needed to set him straight." Shane told me. No. I refuse to believe that Carter would do that.

"You're joking. What was he saying?"

"He was just saying that he wanted a friends with benefits relationship with you and-" I cut him off.

"But, Shane, isn't that what we're doing? We kiss constantly, and we act like a couple- but we're not dating," I slowly sighed and looked back at Shane. His face had softened and he was staring at me with a sad expression on his face.

"That's actually why I came here. Remember how I said I needed to ask you a question," My heart rate accelerated as I nodded. "Well there's a party Friday night at Gage's house, and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me." I looked away. I thought he was going to ask a different question. Shane put his fingers on my chin and he forced me to look at him. "I wasn't finished. I was going to ask you if you wanted to be my date,"

I swear my heart skipped two- maybe three- beats as he said that. The corners of my mouth twitched up into a wide smile as I wrapped my arms around Shane's neck.

"That would be amazing," I whispered into his ear. I pulled my head back and stared at his face a few moments before I sealed the distance in between our lips.