Deals With The Devil's Spawn

Badly-written CW Teen Drama

"Listen to me, you stupid bitch, I own you. I know what you did to your own father. I know your dirty little secret, and if you don't break up with him, I'll make sure you never walk down the street in peace. You think your life sucks now?" She huffed out a humorless laugh, "wait until I'm done with you."

Ripping my face out of her hand, I took a step closer, refusing to look away. Refusing to be intimidated. I was done being scared. Done being this town's punching bag. It was high time I stood up for myself. Brayden was right, if this was ever going to end, I had to end it myself.

"And then what? Then what happens, Camila? You and Brayden drive off into the sunset?" I shook my head with a soft snort. "You know, I almost feel bad for you, I do, because I know what it's like to fall for him. It's really easy, isn't it? It's so easy to love him, but it hurts like a bitch that he doesn't feel the same way. But there is a difference between you and me, Camila. He might not love either of us, and he may only want me for now, but I at least have enough dignity to walk away when he stops wanting me."

Her palm connected with my cheek before the words were fully out of my mouth, followed by a fistful of my hair in her hand.

I have no idea when her friends joined in, but every time I tried to fight back, I was slapped, punched or kicked in the stomach from four different directions, until I was on the floor curled up. And like I knew they wouldn't, because this was Camila and her friends, and they were more than happy to gang up on someone and kick them at their lowest, they didn't stop. Not when blood trickled down my forehead, and chin. Not when my eyelids started to flutter, spots dancing behind them. Not even when my mom's distant voice, screamed at them to stop.

The next time I woke up, was to the sound of beeps, muffled voices and a pounding headache.

"When I am through with them those bitches won't be able to say her name without shivering," a female voice I immediately recognized as Macy's, angrily whispered, and a smile pulled at my lips.

"Will you shut up? You'll wake them up," someone else whispered back. Caden.

If Macy and Caden were here, that meant that-

That's when I felt it. Felt him. I was surprised I hadn't registered the arms wrapped around me, a large body curled up to my side, a head laying next to mine, lips pressed to my temple, the minute I woke up. With the way I had began to be so in tune with him, knowing when he was near without having to see him, I would have honestly expected to have felt him immediately.

I was a goner for him. God, I loved him. Every piece of him. And I hadn't realized how tense I was, until I finally started to relax, knowing he was safe, and laying next to me.

"Why aren't you mad? They put her in a hospital, Cade," Macy whispered back, and I could almost see her standing with her hands on her hips, glaring up at her older brother if I tried hard enough, but my damn head was killing me.

"I know that, Mace, the poor girl is laying right there, I'm not blind...but Brady feels like shit, and Porter doesn't need our anger right now, neither of them do," he replied, his voice dipping, sadly. "We'll deal with them, I swear, but not right now."

"You won't be dealing with them at all," I managed to raspe out before my throat betrayed me, making me choke out a cough, and jolting Brayden awake.

"Pinocchio?" He rasped, springing up, making me wince, pain shooting up my arm, before his cool hands were cupping my face, his lips pressing to my forehead. "Open your eyes, sunshine."

Grimacing, I tried to do as he asked, and pry my eyes open, squeezing them shut when the bright lights in the room almost blinded me. What was it with hospitals and their bright lights? You would think they would fill the stupid rooms with soft, warm lights that made you feel like your ass was floating on a cloud when you woke up. But that was never the case, was it?

"Someone needs to put in a petition. The lights in these rooms are way too damn bright. They should be soft, and warm, and romantic-wait, no, maybe not the last part. Why would they be romantic? Who needs romantic lights in a hospital room? Those are usually reserved for when you're getting it on, not that I'm saying that there aren't people who get it on in a hospital room, I mean if that does it for you, then who am I to judge," I rambled on, slowly peeling my eyes open, to find to blue ones staring back at me filled with humor, "You and I are never getting it on in a hospital room."

His face split into a grin, and he shook his head before crashing his lips to mine, giving me a quick kiss, before moving on to my jaw, cheeks, eyelids, and all over my face, making me laugh, before wincing, a sharp pain in my jaw, making me clench my teeth.

"Does it hurt?" He asked softly, pulling back like I'd burned him, his blue eyes now filled with worry as they took me in, fingertips barely brushing my cheek, almost as if he was afraid to touch me. "I'm so sorry."

Lifting a hand to his face, I cupped his jaw, and gave him a weak smile. "You apologize way too much."

A snort came from the other side of the room, drawing our attention. "Oh I'm sorry, I just couldn't help it. Brady? Apologizing? Did someone clobber him over the head and pull it out of him?"

Cade snorted next to his sister, making Brayden turn a murderous glare on him, and I couldn't help but shake my head with a laugh.

"How are you feeling, Porter?" Cade asked, moving off the wall, where he had casually been leaning, and making his way over to the chair next to my bed.

"Like I just had a one on one with mike Tyson, who flung me around like a rag doll, you?"

"Just peachy," he replied, giving me a grin, and I grinned back. "Your mom went home to get you a change of clothes. She'd been pacing the room for a few hours, before I finally managed to get her out of here."

I smiled gratefully. I loved my mom, but the last thing I needed was her fussing over me like I was a five year old, and making me feel even worse about the fact that I wasn't able to protect myself, and that she constantly had to worry about me.

"Can you guys give us a minute?" Brayden stated, pulling my right hand between his much bigger hands.

Nodding, Macy and Cade moved to leave the room, Cade patting my knee, softly, and Macy throwing me a warm smile, on their way out.

"Porter," Brayden started, immediately after the door had closed behind them, and I turned to face him, brows furrowed. "I know that you don't want me to help you with this stuff, but I cannot, will not, stand by and let them get away with this."

I sighed, resting my head on his shoulder. "I know."

"You do?"

I nodded against his shoulder, and he pressed his lips to the crown of my head. "There is something that I need to tell you. I haven't told you everything about my dad, that night, and what I did after."

"What do you mean?"

"I did something, something that I'm not proud of," I whispered, fighting back tears, my throat burning, as I choked back a sob. "I don't want you to hate me."

"Pinocchio, I could never hate you," he replied, gripping my chin and lifting my head so I could meet his eyes. "Whatever you did...I don't care what it is. I don't even need to know what it was, because there is nothing in this world that will ever change what I know in my guts. You are perfect to me. Nothing is ever going to change that."

I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth, silent tears wetting my cheeks. "This will."