Clash Read Free Page A

school combined—Casey.
    I dialed her number; after two rings, she picked up. “Payton…what in the hell are you doing up this early?”
    It took everything I had to stay calm and simply state, “Casey, I need your help. Can I come over?”
    “It happened again, didn’t it?” I swallowed past the lump in my throat and held back my tears. I would not cry; John didn’t deserve my tears. He was a heartless bastard.
     
    ***
     
    Fifteen minutes later I lightly knocked on her front door. My gaze was focused on my feet when I heard the front door open. “Payton?” she whispered, and it was almost enough to make the tears I was fighting so hard to control spill over.
    I lifted to meet her gaze and shrugged my shoulders. “It looks worse than it is.” I assured her.
    Without warning, she pulled me into her arms and hugged me close. “You have to tell someone. Please, Payton, let’s talk to my mom or the counselor.”
    “I only have a little over a month before graduation, and then a few short months after that I will be safely tucked away in a dorm,” I replied.
    “Stay here,” she offered. “My mom wouldn’t care. You know that.”
    “Your mom has enough to worry about besides adding another kid to the mix. I’m okay, I promise.” I could tell she didn’t like what I had to say, but she nodded lightly and led me to her room.
    “Let’s get you fixed up,” she said as she deposited me in the chair in her room. I closed my eyes and allowed Casey to cover up the damage John caused. I tried not to wince or react when her fingertips worked the makeup into my cheek bone. It would only make it harder to keep her from telling someone, and I didn’t need the unwanted attention. It would only enhance John’s hate for me.
    I would just stay out of his way. Spend very little time at home, and when I was there I would hide in my room.
    A half hour passed by without me even realizing when Casey announced she was finished.
    I turned to the mirror. “Thank you,” I whispered. Fisting my hands in my lap, I toyed with the hem of my pajama shirt. I was in such a hurry to leave my house I forgot to grab any clothes. Looking up toward Casey, I saw she watched me with concern. “I’m gonna need to borrow some clothes.”
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Three
     
     
    “Damn, Payton. Now those are some sexy legs,” Dylan stated from his seat at the kitchen snack bar. I hoped we would be able to escape without anyone seeing me, but when we entered the kitchen and found Dylan sitting at the snack bar, my stomach tensed. I hoped I could hide my bruise by tilting my head to the side. Casey did cover it, but if someone looked close enough it was still visible. “I don’t think I have ever seen you in a pair of shorts.”
    “Shut up, ass, leave her alone,” Casey snapped back, coming to my defense.
    “I’m just saying Twig looks mighty fine.” I felt my face heat in embarrassment.
    “Come on, Payton.” Casey gripped my elbow and tugged. My foot caught the edge of the cabinet and I stumbled toward the refrigerator. Just before my head collided with the handle, Dylan’s arm hooked me around the waist.
    “Still clumsy as shit,” he complained as he righted me. I looked back over my shoulder and immediately regretted it when his eyes focused on my cheek. “What the hell happened to your face?”
    Instinctively I placed my hand over my cheek. I don’t know why, since he had already seen the damage.
    “Oh this—you know me. I tripped in the middle of the night walking into the bathroom. I hit my cheek on the counter.” I brushed it off by shrugging my shoulders.
    Dylan didn’t look convinced.
    I spent my day sticking to that story whenever someone paid enough attention to notice the mark. Mostly everyone kept commenting on seeing my legs. I have to admit the compliments I received throughout the day were flattering, with the exception of a few perverted guys who went a little overboard. The one that