Playing Games (Endgame Series Book 3)

by Cara E Holt

  “Yeah, he was pissed off as Paige was all over his dad again.”

  “Oh.” I nod. So he had time to text Dom, but I got nothing.

  “Everything okay?” he asks me, noticing my silence.

  I plaster on a smile. “All good.”

  “Evy’s going to a boy’s party and she’s going to bring me cake back.” Olly tells Dom excitedly as their game ends and Olly wins. He jumps up on the sofa and pulls his tongue out at Dom. “I’m the winner!”

  Dom chuckles. “You’re just too good at that game, bro.”

  I smile. Dom let him win every time, and Olly loved it.

  “So what’s this about a party?”

  I shrug a shoulder. “It’s just someone from home.”

  Dom nods. “The same someone who tried to kiss you last time you went home?”

  My eyes shoot up to meet Dom’s. “Gray told you about that, huh?”

  He nods. “I’m his best friend. He tells me everything. Well, not everything because that would be weird with you being my step-sister.”

  “Ty’s just a friend,” I tell him.

  Dom nods as he flicks the television onto children’s TV for Olly. “Does he know that?”

  I roll my eyes. “What do you know of this Imogen?”

  Dom’s shoulders tense. “Not much. Only that Grayson says she’s a typical socialite. All about appearances and far too interested in her own reflection.”

  I nod. “She’s pretty though, right?”

  Dom arches a brow at me. “You really want me to answer that question, Ev? Don’t do this to yourself, okay?”

  I nod. He is right. This girl is eating up my thoughts. It is unhealthy.

  An hour later and there has been no word from Grayson and I go from anxious to annoyed. I hate how I am feeling. Unable to fight it any longer, I dial his number. I sigh in relief when he answers on the second ring.

  “Hey,” he says, sounding tired.

  “Hi. Are you home yet?”

  “Yeah, I got home a couple of hours ago, but I came straight to bed, I’m shattered.”

  “Was it a late night?” I ask him, trying my best to sound casual.

  “Yeah. Dad had a bit too much, and I had to sort him out. Dick head was so pissed he puked all over himself when I got him up to the hotel room. Then I had to drop Imogen off at home this morning because her dad had left on some urgent business and she lives like thirty miles away.”

  My stomach drops. He took her home.

  “You want to come round and just hang here today?”

  Part of me, the jealous and insecure part, wants to say no and stay at home and sulk and lick my wounds. “Yeah sure.” I am a weak ass bitch and need to see him and feel reassured that I was just being paranoid.

  My dad and Sophie drop me at Grayson’s on their way out to visit some friends. I knock and Grayson opens the door, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts that hang low on his hips. As soon as he sees me, he pulls me against him and breathes me in.

  “I missed you.”

  Did he, though? Or is he just saying that? If he missed me, then why hasn’t he rang me this morning when he was driving home?

  “You coming in then?” he asks me with an easy smile. I nod and follow him inside.

  “Is your dad here?” I ask, looking around the vast house as we make our way through into the huge kitchen.

  “No. I left him at the hotel. He’s probably still sobering up.” Grayson runs a hand through his unruly bed hair as he uses the coffee machine.

  “So was she there last night?” I ask, unable to stop myself.

  I hear Grayson release a sigh before he turns and faces me and places my coffee in front of me.

  “Yeah, she was there. Not that it matters, Manchester, because she is nothing to me.”

  I nod as I wrap my hands around the coffee cup and stare down at my drink.

  “Paige was there as well and was all over my dad,” he tells me, his lip curling up in disgust.

  “Where her parents not there? Are they not concerned about their daughter being with a man old enough to be her dad?”

  Grayson sniggers. “Rumour is that the family business is in trouble, so I imagine her parents will happily let their daughter spread her legs for anyone who can help them financially.”

  I shake my head in disbelief. This place is a world away from the life I was used to. “So is Tess well and truly out of the picture now?”

  Grayson grabs his coffee and leans on the worktop facing me. “Fuck knows. She saw him and Paige together so you would think that she would want nothing to do with him, but she likes the lifestyle being with him offers, so I’m sure she’ll be back soon.” He puts his cup down and walks round the island, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around me. “Enough talk about my dad. How was your Saturday?”

  “Boring. Everyone was busy, so I vegged out at home, played with Olly.”

  Grayson rests his head on my shoulder. “That sounds like heaven compared to the Saturday I had to endure. I just kept reminding myself that today I would get to hang with you and just be myself.”

  I turn my face sideways so I can drop a kiss on his head. “Movie afternoon?” I ask him and he smiles.

  “That sounds perfect. I’m gona go take a shower. Can you grab some snacks?”

  “Sure.”

  He heads upstairs, and I raid the cupboards. I pull out some bowls and find some nachos and dips and then I warm up some popcorn. I am just about to pour some sweets into a bowl when I hear the front door and the sound of his father’s voice.

  “Well then, you need to make it happen,” he hisses at whoever he is talking to. He comes to a stop when he finds me in the kitchen. “Just do what you need to do to move things in the right direction.” He places his phone down on the dining table. “Everly.”

  “Mr St. Clair,” I reply dryly. I hate having to spend one minute in this man’s company. “How was your evening?”

  He looks at me as though he is surprised I am interested. He places his jacket over a dining chair and moves to the coffee machine to make himself a drink. “It was not as productive as I’d have hoped, but I remain optimistic. Tell me, Everly, what are your plans when you leave college?”

  I frown. Why is he interested in my plans? “Well, I have applied to a few universities. So my grades will dictate where I go next.”

  He nods, observing me from over his cup as he takes a drink. “You’re a bright girl, Everly, I can see that. A bright girl that knows that my son and you belong in different worlds.”

  My stomach lurches. Here we go. I wondered how long it would take him. “What makes you say that?”

  Mr St. Clair smiles, as if he is humouring me. “Tell me, do you trust my son?”

  I frown, where was he going with this?

  “I do,” I say firmly.

  He nods. “Even though my son has never been one to have a relationship. Do you not worry that he will tire of you?”

  I clench my fists, curtailing the anger I feel bubbling. “No, actually I don’t.”

  He chuckles to himself, leaning both hands on the marble top island. “You know my son may make out he is independent and makes his own decisions, but he will fall into line with my plans one way or another.”

  “Well, I look forward to seeing you eat your words, because I know Grayson and I know he loves me. He is not interested in this girl you are trying to shove his way.”

  “Really?” He says, eyebrows raised. “He certainly looked like he was enjoying her company last night when they were downing shots together.”

  My heart dips, but I somehow keep my face straight. I must not show him any doubt. “If you’ll excuse me, your son and I are spending the day together.”

  He smiles tightly. I can see the frustration he is trying to disguise. “Enjoy your afternoon.”

  I move past him with the bowls stacked in my hands and he reaches out a hand and wraps his fingers around my arm. “I always get what I want, Everly, just remember th
at.”

  An icy shiver rushes down my spine. “Let go of me, please,” I say in a firm voice, one that is much fiercer than how I feel inside. He smiles a slow cunning smile and releases his grip on my arm and I hurry off to the cinema room. As soon as they enter, I place the bowls down and close the door and lean against it for a minute to steady my breathing. Why do I feel like Grayson’s dad was planning something?

  Tuesday morning Izzy has her appointment at the hospital. She is still flatly refusing to tell Dom, saying she doesn’t want to worry him unnecessarily. The appointment is in the next town and she made it first thing in the morning before college.

  At eight in the morning we are sitting in the waiting room waiting for her name to be called, and she anxiously twists a tissue round and round in her hands. I place my hand over hers to stop her fidgeting and she gives me an apologetic smile.

  “I fidget when I’m nervous,” she explains.

  “I know, but it’s going to be okay,” I reassure her. Inside, I feel sick. Hospitals remind me of all the times I went with my mum to her appointments, I spent a great deal of the last two years of my life at a hospital and none of those memories were good ones.

  A friendly looking nurse steps into the waiting room and calls Izzy’s name, and with a deep breath she stands and I follow behind her.

  The nurse guides us into a room where a young male doctor sits waiting for us. He smiles warmly and gestures for us to sit down. He asks Izzy some questions about her medical history and then explains he would like to examine her. She moves behind the curtain and removes the top half of her clothing whilst the doctor and nurse make small talk with me.

  He examines both her breasts and confirms he can feel a lump. He recommends Izzy has an ultrasound so they can take a closer look at it and tells her to get dressed and the nurse will escort us down to the waiting area for the scan.

  When we reach the second waiting room, it is already full of women, all sitting waiting to have scans, and I can’t help but wonder how many of them will receive bad news today. How many will be told they have the dreaded cancer? We sit and quietly watch the daytime television show that is on in the waiting room and after about a twenty-minute wait, Izzy’s name is called out. The nurse advises me I will have to wait out here for her and with a tight and anxious smile Izzy disappears with the nurse. I mess with my phone while I wait for her scrolling through Facebook. I stop my scrolling when I come across a post from Paige. It is a photo of her and Imogen. They are both smiling and holding shot glasses in their hands. I can see from the dress Imogen is wearing that this is a photo from Saturday night. I find myself studying her perfect face, looking for flaws and finding none.

  “Ev.” I lift my face to find Izzy standing before me, clutching her bag with a relieved smile on her face. “We can go,” she tells me, and I stand and quickly follow her towards the exit.

  “Well?”

  She smiles. “It was a cyst. They drained it. I’m fine.”

  I pull her into my arms and hug her tightly. “Thank fuck. I’m so relieved.”

  “You and me both,” she admits. She pulls back to look at me. “Thank you for coming with me and supporting me through this.”

  “Anytime,” I say. “We need to celebrate. Lets go get cakes before we head back to college.”

  “Girl, I love the way you think,” she replies with a chuckle as we head out to the car park.

  I am so glad she is okay. Deep down there is a part of me that was dreading the outcome. A part of me that wasn’t sure if it could cope with watching someone else I care about go through this battle. I wasn’t sure my heart could cope with any more loss than it had already suffered.

  We arrive at college in time for first classes. I drop into my seat beside Lottie in history.

  “Hey,” She greets. Her bobbed hair is styled in loose waves and is it me or is she wearing make-up today?

  “You look nice. Hot date after college or something?” I ask her, waggling my eyebrows.

  Lottie giggles nervously, and she chews on the inside of her mouth. Her dark brown eyes hold me captive. “Can we talk after class? There’s something I need to tell you.”

  I nod as I pull my I-pad out of my bag. “Of course. Everything okay, though?” I ask her, wondering if I should be worried.

  “Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” She reassures me with a smile.

  When class ends, we walk to the library and find a quiet corner. Lottie seems nervous about something. I sit down opposite her and lean my head on my hands, waiting for her to speak. She fiddles with her nails and her brown eyes are full of uncertainty.

  “I’m seeing someone and I really like him,” she confesses. “He makes me laugh and when we’re together we have so much fun.”

  I immediately relax. Is this all she needed to tell me?

  “Lottie, that’s amazing. Who is he? Does he go here?”

  Her smile waivers. “No, he doesn’t go here. He goes to the community college,” she pauses, “okay, here goes nothing. You do know him. It’s Andrews.”

  My smile falters. Did I just hear her right?

  “Andrews. Andrews, as in the Andrews who Grayson hates?”

  Lottie eyes me warily. “Yes, that one. And he’s told me all about what happened with him and Emily, and he hates how he treated her. I know if he could take it all back he would.”

  I sigh, leaning back in my chair. “How?”

  Lottie shakes her head, smiling. “You know the coffee shop I work at?”

  I nod.

  “Well, he would come in every Saturday on his way to work and order a coffee and we kind of just got chatting and I don’t know when, but I started to look forward to seeing him every day. One morning when I served him he asked me if I’d like to meet up outside of work and I said yes. We met up and he took me playing crazy golf. We had a great time, and we laughed a lot,” Lottie says. “I know you don’t like him, but he’s changed. He treats me like gold, Everly, I swear.”

  I nod, processing the news. “You really like him?” I ask, and I wince at the surprise in my tone of voice.

  She nods profusely. “I really like him and I have hated keeping it from you, but I knew how you felt about him, so I thought it better to keep it quiet.” She reaches across the table and grabs my hand in both of hers. “Please don’t hate me.”

  I scoff. “Lottie, I could never hate you. I just hope you’re not making a mistake.”

  “I don’t want to hide him any more. We’re together and I don’t want to have to sneak around worrying that we might bump into someone.”

  This was not the news I was expecting today. Lottie had it bad for Andrews. The guy who got my boyfriend’s sister pregnant and then he turned his back on her. I want to believe he has changed, but can someone really change that much?

  I offer her a half-smile. “It’s your life, Lottie. If you say that he makes you happy, then who am I to try to tell you not to be with him. Just promise me you’ll be careful?”

  She bobs her head in reply. “I will. I promise. I feel so much better now that you know.”

  Now I can understand why she has been so secretive and coy about all the times she was texting on her phone. Maybe the guy has changed. Lottie seemed happy, and that is all that mattered and if, god forbid, he shits on her, then I’ll just have to be there for her and help her pick up the pieces of her broken heart.

  “Come on. Lets find the others they’re probably in the common room,” I suggest, and Lottie links arms with me as we exit the library.

  When we get to the common room, the place is fairly busy. My gang is over in their usual corner. Grayson is over by the pool table with the boys. I decide to say a quick hello to him before I sit with my friends. He smiles when he sees me walking his way, his eyes eating me up from my feet to my head.

  “Hey Manchester.” He pulls me into his side and kisses my forehead. “Want to watch me beast Owen at pool?”

  Owen scoffs from where he is taking his shot on the other side of t
he table. “You’re dreaming St. Clair.”

  My phone pings in my pocket, and I pull it out and see a message from Tyler.

  “Who’s Tyler?” Grayson asks, seeing his name on my phone screen.

  I shrug. “Just a guy from home. He’s having a birthday party soon, and he wants me to go.”

  Grayson's forehead drops into a deep frown. “This the same guy who tried to kiss you?” He asks me quietly so that no one else can hear.

  I nod. “He’s just a friend, I promise.”

  Grayson nods, still frowning. “Well, if he’s just a friend, he won’t mind me coming to the party with you.”

  I look up at him, surprised. “You’d come?”

  He nods, looking down at me. “I told you I want to go to Manchester sometime and see where you grew up.”

  I chew on my lip. I do want Grayson to see where I lived, but him and Tyler breathing the same air could be dangerous. “We’ll see. I don’t think my dad will let me go anyway with the exams so near.” I sigh and rest my head on his arm. “What about you? How are things with your dad?”

  Grayson sighs, looking weary. “He’s a pain in my arse. Hey, you want to come to mine for dinner tonight, Karen is cooking your favourite?”

  I nod, grinning. “Hell yes, that woman makes the best Shepherd’s pie. Is Ems home this weekend again? “

  He nods, looking deep in thought. “Yeah, she seems to want to be home a lot lately. I hope I don’t need to worry about her and Andrews again?”

  I snicker and he looks at me with one brow cocked. “What?”

  Sighing, I grab his hand and tug him out of the common room and into the quiet hallway.

  “Okay, you don’t have to worry about Andrews with Ems, because he’s seeing someone.”

  “He is?” Grayson asks, and I can hear the relief in his voice. “Who’s the poor girl?”

  “It’s Lottie,“ I tell him quietly.

  He blinks and looks at me, surprised. “Lottie, as in your quiet friend, Lottie?”

  I nod. “Yep, that one.”

  Grayson shakes his head. “Is she crazy?”

  “I don’t know,” I tell him with a shrug of my shoulders, “but she really likes him, Gray, and he’s told her all about him and Ems. She said he treats her good.”