Free Naked 2 : BAD by Kelly Favor Page A

it, I can’t talk to this guy.”
    “Elijah, don’t listen to him,” she said. “He’s only upset and worried.”
    “No, Elijah, do please listen to me,” her father said. “You best get in your damn truck parked in front of the house I own, and drive back to wherever the hell you came from.”
    “Dad, what are you doing?” Caelyn cried. “Stop it!”
    Now Caelyn’s mother got out of the car. She was wearing a robe and she yanked it tightly around herself. Her hair was pulled back and she looked completely spent. “Get in the car, right now,” she said.
    “No,” Caelyn replied. “I’m an adult.”
    “Then start acting like one. Adults don’t run away to Florida. Adults don’t steal cars and sneak out of the house at night to go necking with some strange boy in the middle of the neighborhood!”
    Caelyn almost laughed at the term “necking,” but she held back.
    Elijah shook his head again, the smirk obvious on his face.
    Caelyn’s mother turned to him. “You think this is funny?”
    He glanced at her. “No, ma’am,” he replied, but his tone wasn’t all that respectful.
    “It’s not funny. This is our daughter. And she has a boyfriend, you know.”
    Elijah’s smirk disappeared. He looked at Caelyn. “What? Boyfriend?”
    “That’s right. I don’t know what she’s told you, but she’s seeing a wonderful young man at her college. I wonder what Jayson would think if he knew what you were doing behind his back, Caelyn.”
    Caelyn hung her head. “Mom, you don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
    Elijah folded his arms. “Maybe I’m crazy, but I’m pretty sure Caelyn isn’t seeing Jayson anymore.”
    Her mother’s face was stark white, her pupils as big as coals in her eyes. “Is he telling the truth? Did you lie to me about Jayson?”
    “Mom, why do you care so much about Jayson?” Caelyn yelled.
    Her mother drew back. She looked around nervously. “Lower your voice. The neighbors—“
    “Oh, fuck the neighbors!” Caelyn yelled. “The only reason you think Jayson is so great is because you know he has a rich, powerful family and he goes to Cambridge,”
    Caelyn continued, barely getting the words out, she was so enraged.
    “That’s not true,” her mother said.
    “It is true. You assumed he was good and so did I, but he wasn’t good. He’s fucking evil! He’s disgusting, and Elijah is nice and kind and you assume the worst because of the way he dresses and the car he drives—“
    “Why is Jayson evil? What are you talking about?” her dad said.
    She turned to Elijah and buried her face against his chest, sobbing. She was so angry and hurt and sickened by everything. She felt his strong, powerful arms encircling her, holding her.
    “What is she going on about?” her mother said, and her voice was choked with disbelief.
    “Listen,” Elijah said, still holding Caelyn. “Your daughter’s been through a lot, and I guess she hasn’t told you about it yet.”
    “And she told you?”
    “Yeah, she did.”
    “That’s absurd,” Caelyn’s mother replied. “Please let go of her now.”
    “Maybe she should’ve told you what that great guy Jason did to her,” Elijah spat.
    “Maybe you all would have been a lot nicer to her. Then again, maybe not.”
    “What did he do? Is anyone going to answer us?”
    “It’s not my place,” Elijah said.
    Caelyn spun around, looking at her parents. “Jayson raped me. Okay? Now do you get it?”
    Her mother’s face grew even paler, if that was possible. She stuttered. “That makes no sense. Why didn’t you say anything? Why did you pretend everything was fine between you two?”
    “Because, I didn’t want to deal with you. I didn’t think I could trust you.”
    “Well I can’t say I feel differently about you,” her mother replied. “So far, all you’ve done is lie to us. How do I know this isn’t yet another lie?”
    Caelyn was about to respond, but Elijah stepped out in front of her. “Excuse me, but