Rebellion Project (8 page)

“If that was true you would have told me before coming here!” he retorted. “Why would you come here knowing she was going to be here?”

“I didn’t know she was your mom! We aren’t exactly great friends, Kayden, but she was the one my dad cheated on my mother with. I know it,” I stated strongly, hoping he would see I wasn’t lying.

“I can’t believe this, Lauren. Just tell her she’s mistaken, Mom!” Kayden yelled angrily while he glared daggers at me. He was breathing heavy, his shoulders tense, and his posture rigid. He was clearly upset, but I wasn’t going to apologize. I wasn’t lying, and I knew it was her. Of course Kayden reacted worse when his mom didn’t answer. He turned to look at her, completely baffled as to why she wasn’t defending herself. “Tell her you would never do that. Tell her please!”

“Kayden, she’s telling the truth,” she said, causing Kayden’s jaw to fall to his chest. “I cheated on your father.”

Chapter 13

NASCAR Driver

I shuffled my feet, suddenly wishing I hadn’t brought it up. Kayden was in shock, allowing the silence to creep in and resonate through the room. His mom had told the truth, he had taken it poorly, and I was just here. I had never heard silence so loud. Kayden looked as though he was about to either start crying or screaming. From the somber expression that had taken over his features, I wasn’t sure he knew which one to do. I prayed that he took a different route entirely. I hated being present when families argued, now I understood why Parker raced out when we caught my dad. It was uncomfortable to be in the middle of a family squabble.

“What did you say?” Kayden asked in disbelief.

“I cheated on your father with her dad,” she rephrased. I guess she was hoping that saying it differently would help, but it didn’t work. I heard Kayden yell, and then something crashed to the floor. I tensed and shut my eyes momentarily as I waited for him to calm down. When I opened my eyes, I could see the disdain on his face, and the need for an explanation. “Lauren caught us, and it stopped a few months ago. I haven’t seen him like that since. I did go over to offer condolences when I heard the news about Lauren’s mother, but she quickly told me to leave and never come back.”

“Is that why Dad went to visit my grandparents? Not because they needed him, but because he needed to get away from you?” Kayden stated. His words cut me, and they weren’t even directed at me. I flinched under his gaze, as if he was daring me to say something else he didn’t know. I took a step back and hid behind him as he waited for his mother to explain more thoroughly.

“Kayden,” his mom said as she reached out for him.

He quickly sidestepped her before she could touch him. She looked hurt, and then cast me a sorrowful gaze. I couldn’t tell if she was apologizing to me, as if she understood now how I felt around my father, or if she was telling me she wished she hadn’t said anything. Either way, I didn’t care. It was best Kayden knew the truth know matter how much it hurt. Sometimes it was for the best, and I would know that better than anyone after learning of my father’s infidelity.

“I don’t want you anywhere near me. Don’t touch me, and don’t talk to me. I can’t believe you did this. You cheated on Dad, lied to me about it, and then tried to cover it up. Would you have ever told me if Lauren hadn’t been here?” Kayden asked, once again dragging me into the middle of this fight. I should have just kept my mouth shut.

His mom didn’t answer, she just looked shamefully at the floor and shook her head no. I could see Kayden’s anger growing while his mom tried to avoid having to say anything at all. She knew she had messed up, just like when I caught her with my dad, except this time she couldn’t run away. This was her home and there was nowhere for her to escape to.

“I’ll take that as a no,” Kayden growled before he walked past her. He walked around her, she refused to move as he approached, and slammed the door as he left the house.

As the door reverberated from the force Kayden exerted to slam it shut, I met his mom’s eyes. There were tears and shame in her eyes. It looked like she was trying to plead with me so I would accept her apology or get Kayden to. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. I couldn’t believe anyone’s mother would do this, cheat, lie, and then try to hide it. There was no point, and look where it got her. If anything, I felt bad for Kayden. He just learned about it when clearly his father and I had learned it a few months ago. I had the sudden urge to comfort him, but the need to say the last word won out before I could leave.

“Frankly, you and my dad deserve each other. Cheaters have to stay together, after all,” I said as I walked past her.

She started to speak, but I opened the door and slammed it in her face so she knew I wasn’t in the mood to hear her excuses either. She had gotten out of explaining it long enough, and now she needed time to suffer as my mom and I had. I glanced up to see Kayden sitting in his mom’s Porsche waiting for me; I just knew this was going to be trouble. I groaned internally as I lightly jogged toward the waiting car. The carefree, joking atmosphere was clearly gone and I had the feeling I should go home, but I didn’t want to leave him. I didn’t want to go back to my own lying parent, and from experience I knew Kayden needed someone to be there for him. Who better than someone who had been there before?

I sighed heavily as I got in the car. Kayden didn’t even wait for me to buckle my seatbelt before he raced off. I slammed into the back of my seat as I forced my belt buckle to click to hold me in place. Kayden made a tight turn and almost scraped the car in the other lane as we sped past. He didn’t even slow down for speed bumps when leaving the neighborhood. He bounced me into the air with a bump and I hit my head against the roof of the car. My hands went to my head just in time for another bump. I let out a hiss as the pain erupted in my head.

He made another quick turn and slammed me against the car door. Did he think he was in
Fast and Furious
or something? I stole a glance at the speedometer, he was going fifty in a thirty-five zone. He refused to slow down for turns, other cars, even the stray walker. I clamped onto the seat for security as he made another turn. We didn’t make it much further when the stoplight turned red. He slammed on the brakes and sent me flying forward until my seatbelt caught me. I felt the belt tighten to hold me in place just before I was slammed into the back of my seat again.

“I can’t believe this!” Kayden screamed as he slammed his hands down on the steering wheel, causing the car horn to go off.

“Kayden, please calm down. You’re scaring me,” I cried as the light turned green and Kayden sped off. My back pressed against the seat once again as we sped away to a destination unknown. He made a tight turn that caused me to slide in my seat, and lean against his body by the force. I was so scared the car was going to flip over as he accidently hit a curb and jumped off of it. The car slammed back to the ground, which left Kayden completely unaffected, but threatened my sanity as he continued to speed.

He let out a growl for a response as he continued down the road. Where we were going was a mystery to me, I’m not even sure Kayden knew from the seemingly random turns he took. I let out a high-pitched scream as Kayden turned another corner and almost got us into a head-on collision. He swerved just in time to avoid it, but it gave me flashbacks to driving to school in the snow and my brakes weren’t working. I had to make the choice to run into the back of another car or to slide onto a main street. I choose the latter and almost had my first accident just to skip a fifteen-minute walk.

I felt my stomach clench as Kayden raced into a shopping center. I could feel the bile in my throat rising, and there was no way I was going to stop it. “Kayden, stop the car right now!” I cried as he started to do circles in the empty section of the parking lot. “If you don’t stop right now, I’m going to be sick in your car!”

“Don’t you dare,” he threatened as he turned his angry glare toward me.

“Then stop driving like you’re a rookie NASCAR driver! My stomach can’t handle it anymore!” I yelled back at him. He must have thought I was bluffing though because he raced out of the shopping center and skidded out of a turn. My stomach rebelled. I retched and threw up all over the car’s floor. He didn’t react, and I didn’t feel any better. I had to think of a different tactic to get him to calm down, or at least drive like a normal person, otherwise I’d ruin the new clothes we just bought, including the shoes I just blew chunks over. “Kayden, what has your mom never let you do?” I questioned as I tried to catch my breath.

“Why does that matter?” he yelled as he turned his glare on me, and taking his eyes off the road longer than he should have before he stopped the car on the side of the road.

“It matters because you should take revenge that way—not by killing me!” I screamed back. I could see the shock in his eyes from my outburst before a smile teased the end of his lips. I guess he was proud because I had grown a backbone; all it took was multiple near death experiences at one time. Before I started working with him, I would brush him off like dirt on my coat, but now that I had to work with him I needed to stand up for myself or he’d walk all over me.

“Besides running off with the daughter of her latest conquest, not much else,” he said. I rolled my eyes and turned to look out the side window. After a few moments of deliberation, I heard him sigh before he spoke again. “She never wanted me to get a tattoo. She said I would look unprofessional and never get a job, and a lot of other bullshit parents make up.”

“So instead of getting put in jail for reckless driving, or probably taking me with you to the grave, how about you just go get that tattoo you want? Then we can call it a day because I’m not looking to die or get arrested today!”

“What about tomorrow?” Kayden asked with a smirk.

I clenched my teeth as I glared daggers into Kayden’s eyes. There was a twinkle in the blue of his eyes as he lifted an eyebrow at me. “Not tomorrow, the day after, or next year either.”

“I guess that means I’m stuck with you then, until I get us into a car crash,” he said as he put the car in gear. I felt my eyes grow wide as my jaw dropped to my chest. “I’m just kidding. Calm down, Lauren. I’m not going to kill us until after we complete our little arrangement. Speaking of which, I got a friend that will hook us up if you’re in,” he said with a devious smile.

“If I’m in for what?”

“Getting a tattoo. It was your idea, after all,” he said with a wicked smile as he stepped on the gas pedal again and raced off toward downtown without waiting for an answer. I was starting to regret ever agreeing to this mess.

Chapter 14

Tattoos

“This is one of my best friends. So if we want everyone to think we’re together then we have to make him believe it. I hope you did theater when you were little, because you’re about to play a big role in this production,” Kayden joked as he slipped his hand into mine and led me into the tattoo parlor. “Just play along with everything—don’t be shy or he won’t buy it. Be spontaneous and do what you would do if you were actually in love with me, but then again, who isn’t?” he asked, flashing a breathtaking smile.

“Anyone with some brain cells and isn’t looking for an easy lay,” I said with straight face. Kayden glanced at me. At first I thought I saw pain written across his face but it changed quickly. He started to laugh hysterically as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I felt a blush race across my face as he hugged me to him and let me feel his laughter vibrate through his chest. It reverberated through me and echoed in my heart. I was pleased to see his foul mood had vanished for now, and the Kayden I knew and loathed was back.

“Now, just do exactly like that and we could make this work,” he said with a smile as I opened the door

I took a deep breath to relax myself as we walked in. It was a small place, with a few chairs in front. I couldn’t believe Kayden had gotten me to agree to this. What was I even going to get? I wouldn’t be able to get rid of it once it was on my body. There would be nothing I could do about it once the needle stuck me. The ink would be under my skin forever, mostly because I heard laser removal hurt worse than getting a tattoo. Could I get out of this somehow?

“Hey Ryan,” Kayden said as he pulled me behind him. I glanced around the shop, trying to ease my mind before meeting his friends. We were in a waiting room with four faux leather chairs, and magazines piled up on the table. I peeked out from behind Kayden’s shoulder to see a half wall that the owner had made into a desk area before the store opened up for two tattoo chairs that were in the back.

“Hey Kayden, I never thought I would see you here. I guess my offer for the two tattoos was too good for you to resist,” a voice said. It sounded deep, smooth, and welcoming. If he was as friendly as he sounded, then I could see why he opened a shop. He seemed like a people person.

“You got that right. I was hoping the offer was still good.”

“For you? Not a chance, but your lovely friend, on the other hand, she is welcome to a discount if she tells me her name and gives me a little kiss for good luck on dealing with you,” Ryan stated.

Kayden pulled me out from behind him and chuckled when I tried to hide behind him again. “She’s a little shy, but she’s feisty when she warms up to you,” Kayden said as he placed his hands on my hips and leaned down to kiss the top of my head. I smiled at the gesture and followed his lead by leaning into him. I took a deep breath and tried to think of something funny to say, but I was having a hard time. I was never funny, especially when I tried to force it.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, beautiful. I’m Ryan, otherwise known as Kayden’s one and only friend,” he said with a smile as he held his hand out for me to shake.

“Hey!” Kayden yelled in protest as I shook Ryan’s hand as a greeting. “Lauren, he didn’t deserve that kindness,” he said, glaring at Ryan’s and my connected hands.

“Oh, did he hurt your feelings?” I asked curiously, to which Kayden nodded his head with an over-exaggerated pout. “Then he deserved that handshake,” I said, as I leaned forward and playfully bit at his pouted bottom lip. I smiled at the shocked expression I got out of him, I must have surprised him with just how good of an actress I could be. Honestly, I wasn’t sure where that came from, but I was starting to have a good time.

“Did you say Lauren…like Lauren Scott?” Ryan asked curiously as he took a few steps closer and looked me in the eyes. He took a few minutes to scan me over, taking time to look at my hair and clothes as he tried to piece together how I was Lauren Scott. I guess changing your hair and style really can change your life; no one would realize it was me. “There’s no way you’re the Lauren I’m thinking of,” Ryan finally stated.

“Oh, this is her. The goodie-goodie who lives to tell on everyone who breaks a rule. Her blonde hair is gone, and the baggy clothes are finally gone, but it’s still her.”

“And this is Kayden,” I started, insulted by what he had said about me. “He’s the kid who will get the cops called on him just for walking down the street. Sure you can see his boxers since he sags his pants so much, but girls still love him because he’s easy.”

I felt Kayden move back before moving to glare at me. “Did you just call me easy?” My only answer was a smile and a wink.

“I like her,” Ryan said with a smile. “Now, what can I do for you guys today?”

“You may need to let her look. I kind of dragged her into this since it was a last minute decision to come here today. Just give her a moment to look at the wall,” Kayden said as he turned me toward a wall lined with photos of different tattoos. He said something to Ryan that he’d be ready in a few before he led me over to look. “Where did that come from?” he asked quietly.

I assumed he was talking about the snarky comments I had made since he seemed so shocked. “You told me to be spontaneous and I went with it,” I said with a smile as I looked at the possible tattoos.

Kayden was behind me, trying to help me pick one. As I stood there, I felt myself lean back into Kayden as I lost the confidence I had with his friend. My choice was staring me in the face, and I was having second thoughts again. Was I really going to get something permanently put on my skin? Kayden hugged me lightly for a moment, as if he knew what I had been thinking about and attempted to comfort me.

“Just relax, Lauren. Pick something you’ll love, not something just to pick something,” Kayden said as he tried to sound supportive.

“What are you getting?” I asked, hoping it would give me an idea of what to do or if I should just back out now. I had a feeling he wouldn’t be too upset with me for backing out. I mean, he hadn’t done it before I suggested it, why should I go along with it just because he was? It was like my mom always said, ‘would you jump off a cliff if everyone else is doing it?’ It was an exaggeration, but it always worked on me.

“I already know what I’m getting, just figure out yours,” he said as he pushed me lightly forward. “Think of something you enjoy and feel like you’ll enjoy forever.”

“What about
Expecto Patronum
?” I asked excitedly, thinking about my love of
Harry Potter
. I had grown up with the books and the movies, it taught me that magic exists even in a world of muggles. You just have to work for it.

“That’s lame,” Kayden sneered as he tried to get me to pick another tattoo.

“It means ‘I await a protector,’” I explained with a smile.

“Well, I’m your protector now, so how about my name?” Kayden suggested as he leaned in and kissed me lightly on the cheek. I felt a blush come to my cheeks as his lips left my skin, until I remembered that he was just faking and the sweet, sincere guy who had talked to me at his house was gone. He was only after one thing, my virginity, and then he would be gone.

“Not on your life,” I stated as I pushed him away playfully, while trying to hide my growing blush on my cheeks so he wouldn’t see. He was terrified of commitment, from what I saw with all the different girls in his life, and once he thought I was interested then he wouldn’t help me anymore and probably stomp on my heart on the way out. I just needed to make it through this, and then maybe we could see where, if anywhere, this relationship went.

“How about we try a different approach,” Kayden said, interrupting my thoughts. “What’s something you want to do in life?” Kayden asked as Ryan chuckled at him for getting rejected. He turned around to flip Ryan off before turning back to me.

“I want to travel,” I replied immediately. I wanted to see the world, learn the languages of the world, and visit anywhere and everywhere I could. I had been taken over with wanderlust, and it would never be satisfied. I paused for a moment, suddenly nervous to tell him the rest, “and fall in love.”

“I think you have part of that done, my little rebel,” Kayden stated as he leaned in and kissed me again, sending my heart into a fluttering frenzy. For someone who was acting, Kayden was doing an amazing job. He pulled away quickly and offered me a short smile before he spoke again. “Now if I can make a suggestion about your tattoo,” he said, pointing out one on the wall.

“That one?” I questioned, noticing the compass rose on the wall. It pointed in the four cardinal directions and then in between them they had intricate points for the middle coordinates. The lettering for the four main coordinates was stunning, and just looking at it I knew that was what I wanted.

“Yeah, make it a memorial to your mom as well. That way you can always remember that no matter where you travel, she’s always with you.”

“Wow, that was almost poetic and deep,” I said with a smirk.

“You’d be surprised how deep I can go,” he said with a suggestive eyebrow lift. I rolled my eyes in response before I turned back to the wall to figure out what the second one would be. “Don’t be mad at me, Lauren. It was a joke. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Oh really? So the only reason you even took me up on the offer to help me wasn’t for sex?” I asked in a condescending tone.

“Well, yes and no. I took up your offer for numerous reasons. Yes, that was one of them, but there’s another one that may surprise you,” Kayden said with a hopeful smile. He was hoping that it would ease the tension between us, or make me stop being angry at him. Too bad for him, I was still waiting for a reason not to be upset at him.

“I’m waiting for this other reason,” I stated when I realized I was going to have to push the topic if I wanted an answer.

“Yeah, I know, but I’d rather not say. It would ruin the reputation I have and then it would ruin yours. That wouldn’t help either of us,” Kayden said knowingly. I was about to ask him why he brought it up then, but Ryan interrupted.

“Have you made your choices? I have an appointment coming in at four so I need you guys to be done and paid so that he doesn’t see me giving you a discount.”

“Yeah, I think we’re ready. Can I have a variation of that one?” I asked, pointing to the photo on the wall behind me that Kayden had pointed out to me.

“Sure, I can do that. I think it’s cute that you’re getting matching ones too,” Ryan said with a smile as he turned around to meet Kayden. “Think about where you want it, and be sure to have the signed permission slip too. I’m not getting in trouble by giving a tattoo to a minor. Kayden said your dad signed for you, but I just need it for the records.”

I turned to Kayden, unsure of what to say. I didn’t know I needed a permission slip, and there was no way my father would agree to let me get one.

Kayden smiled down at me for a moment, “Don’t worry, Lauren. Remember, you gave it to me to hold on to in case we actually went through with this.” He pushed his left hand into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper before handing it to Ryan. “She hates carrying purses and left it with me. Sorry, I must have forgotten.”

Ryan nodded before taking the slip and placing it on the front desk. “All right then, we are all set. I’m going to start on Kayden since he’s sure on what he wants and where he wants it. I will see you shortly, beautiful. I hope you’re as excited as I am.” He winked as he gestured for Kayden to follow him to the back room.

I grabbed Kayden’s arm before he followed Ryan into the back room. “How did you get my dad to sign the permission slip?”

“I didn’t,” Kayden said with a laugh. “I forged the signature from the credit card we took from him, and signed it when Ryan wasn’t looking. I stuck it in my pocket to make it seem as if I had held onto it for a while. It’s fine, Lauren. I took care of it. Now sit back and relax. I’ll come back to hold your hand when you get your tattoo,” he promised as he lightly pulled his arm from my hold and followed after Ryan.

As he walked away I tilted my head curiously. Did Ryan say matching tattoos? Why would Kayden want to get the same tattoo I was getting? He never even told me what he was getting. Why hadn’t he spoken up and said we were getting the same one? Not that it would have mattered, but I would have pointed it out as just a fact. He had kept silent, actually he had kept silent on a lot of things and it made me curious about what else he was keeping from me.