by Cara E Holt
Andrews nods and takes a sip of his drink. “Well, I appreciate that you came. Look, I know we have a lot of bad blood between us St. Clair, but well I care about Lottie and I’m all about making her happy so—“
“We’ll never be friends again, Andrews. Too much has happened for that,” Grayson interrupts, “but Lottie’s important to Everly, so I’m willing to draw a line here and now. I’ll make an effort for them both.” To my utter surprise and shock, my guy holds his hand out to Andrews.
Dom coughs, spluttering out his beer, and Izzy pats his back. Dom clearly was not expecting this speech from Grayson.
Andrews looks at his hand for a second as if checking that he hasn’t imagined it, and then he places his hand in Grayson’s and they share a firm handshake.
The tension around the table immediately eases, and I take the breath I hadn’t realised I’d been holding in. I lean over in my seat to my man and cup his neck and pull him in for a kiss.
“Thank you.”
He shrugs, playing it down. “Its no big deal.”
I shake my head. “It’s a big deal to me. I love the bones of you.”
He presses his lips briefly against mine. “Ditto, Manchester.”
“Okay, come on,” Izzy announces, standing to her feet, Hannah, Everly, Lottie, we need to hit that dance floor and show the kiddies how it is done.”
We dance for a good half hour when I spot Grayson on his phone, a deep frown marring his face. He says something to Dom, and he nods and comes over to me and leans into my ear.
“We need to go. Grayson’s just had Ems on the phone their dad has come home and smashed up the house she sounds frightened.”
“Shit, Okay let’s go.”
Dom grabs my wrist and stops me in my steps. “You and Iz stay here and enjoy the party. G and I can deal with this.”
“No way. I’m coming. I’ve been in a room before when these two go at it and I’m going with you both. I’ll explain to Lottie and we’ll meet you outside.”
I can tell Dom wants to argue with me, but he nods his head and stalks back over to Grayson. I lean into Izzy’s ear and explain what has happened, and Izzy tells me she’s coming too.
I beckon Lottie over to me and dancing and smiling, she comes over. “Everything okay?”
I shake my head. “Not really, we have to go Grayson’s dad has come home drunk, and he’s smashing the house up, Ems is there.”
Lottie’s smile drops. “Oh shit, of course, go do what you need to do.” She leans in and drops a kiss on my cheek. “Text me later and let me know that you’re all okay?”
I nod as I grab Izzy’s hand and we make for the exit.
Outside, Grayson is pacing up and down as we wait for the Uber. I walk up to him and stop him in his tracks, placing my arms around his waist. “It’ll be okay, Gray.”
He nods his head, not looking convinced. “She’s there on her own with him Ev.”
“She’s locked herself in her bedroom, she’s safe.” Dom says trying to reassure him.
“Is Owen not with her?” I ask. At least if he was there, she’d be protected.
Grayson shakes his head. “I’ve just rang him, he was at home, but he’s heading over there now.”
The Uber arrives and we all pile in and Grayson orders that the driver gets us there as quick as he can. When we arrive every light in the house is on and the front door is wide open. As we’re piling out of the car, Owen’s car comes screeching up the driveway and he gets out looking frantic.
“Fuck, is she okay?” he asks Grayson, running a hand through his red hair. He’s in shorts and a creased t-shirt that he’s clearly thrown on in his rush to get here.
Dom nods his head. “She’s in her room. You go up and get her and take her to yours and we’ll deal with his dad.”
Owen nods and we all hurry up the drive and to the house. I gasp when I see the hallway. He has ripped frames off the walls, and the expensive vases that were displayed on the console tables are smashed to smithereens across the floor.
“Mind you, don’t cut your feet,” Grayson warns just as I get a piece of glass between my toes, damn strappy heels.
“Fuck.” I hiss, as I lean down and pull the glass out. Grayson pauses to check I’m okay, and I gesture him to carry on with my hand. “Go. It’s just a slight cut. I’m fine.” Grayson and Dom carry on whilst Izzy and I carefully manoeuvre around the shards of broken glass.
When we come up beside where Grayson and Dom have stopped, I swear under my breath. The living room looks like a war zone, there’s not a picture on the wall and even a glass side table has been thrown into the hearse. Grayson’s dad sits in his armchair, a drink in hand.
“Well, well, if it isn’t my son!” He says, his words slurred. He holds his drink up in his hand. “Come join me.” He looks beyond Grayson and Dom. “Oh, look Everly’s here too, come in, come in,” He gestures with his hand, sloshing his drink all over himself.
“Dad, what the fuck have you done to the house?”
Mr St. Clair looks round the room with one eye closed. “I was angry,” he offers in explanation. “That fucking bitch has played me for a fool and she thinks she’s entitled to my hard earned money. Well, she can go fuck herself!” He shouts, making me flinch.
“Who, Tess?”
His dad sniggers and shakes his head. “No, Tess is too busy fucking one of my golfing buddies now.” He knocks the rest of his drink back and he staggers to his feet, making a beeline for the decanter full of whisky.
“No, you don’t,” Grayson barks in order and he reaches the decanter and grabs it before his dad has chance to get to it.
“Son, give that to me, now!” Mr St. Clair orders, glaring at his son.
“I think you have had enough,” Grayson tells him, stepping back and taking the decanter with him.
His dad steps forward, fist clenched. “If you know what’s good for you son, you’ll hand that over, or do I have to take it by force.”
“Mr St. Clair,” I say, stepping forward and his gaze snaps from the alcohol to me.
“Ah, there she is!” He says smirking. “The girl with the magic pussy who has bewitched my son.”
“Enough, Dad,” Grayson warns him, glaring at his father.
“What?” he smirks, “Its true, since she came along you’ve been this love-sick idiot. You’re just like your damn dead mother, soft in the head.”
Grayson steps forward, both his fists clenched, “Don’t you dare disrespect my mother.”
He sniggers, wobbling on his unsteady feet. “Your precious fucking mother. You think she was whiter than white? She wasn’t. She was always crying, begging me to stay at home with her, pathetic! You think I was the bad guy in our relationship, but she was a whore!” he bellows, his face contorted with anger and hate. “I don’t even know if she’s mine, you know? That precious sister of yours.”
“Don’t!” Grayson growls, stepping forward. “Don’t lie.”
“You think I’m lying? It’s the truth. She thought I didn’t know, but I knew, she was fucking our gardener. She was a whore!” He laughs, tipping his head back. “She was going to leave me, you know, and thought she could just take you with her. So I paid him off. I offered him fifty grand, and he snatched the money and never looked back. Poof,” he says with a hideous grin. “She was poison and she’ll be no better for you, son. She’ll spread her legs for anyone that gives her the time of day and she’ll destroy you in the process.” He sneers at me and is about to say more when Grayson rugby tackles him to the ground and pounds his fist into his dad’s face.
“Fuck,” Dom exclaims as he rushes over and tries to pull Grayson off of him.
At first his Dad just lies there laughing but then he hits back.
“Grayson, stop it!” Ems screams coming into the room. She pushes past us and throws herself on Grayson’s back and attempts to pull him off their dad.
Hearing Ems cries must pull him from his frenzied state as he stops mid-punch and releases t
he hold he has on his dad’s shirt.
“You’re not fucking worth it.” Grayson sneers, “look at you? You’re pathetic.”
Mr St. Clair holds his hand out to his daughter. “Help your daddy up, princess.”
Ems steps forward and Grayson grabs her arms and stops her in her tracks. “Leave him.”
Grayson’s dad laughs bitterly. “I have news! You’re going to have another sibling.” He looks at his son’s shocked face. “yeah that’s right, dear little Paige has played me like a fucking fiddle and trapped me. She’s fucking pregnant. She’s going to be your new step mum.”
“Like fuck she is!” Grayson hisses.
His dad smirks. “Oh, she got me good and proper, scheming with those money hungry parents of hers. Told me she was on the pill, lying bitch.” He looks over all of us and sniggers when his eyes land on his daughter. “You’re no better, barely fifteen when you opened your legs and let that lowlife have you. The one pure thing I had in this life and you sullied yourself with that lowlife scum!”
“ENOUGH!!!” Grayson bellows, making me jump out of my skin. “You can say what the hell you want to me, but not Ems. You don’t get to fuck her head up like you have mine! You’re a fucking pathetic excuse for a father. Look at you? Drunk, barely able to stand and pulling your own children to pieces to make yourself feel better. We grew up without our mother because of you”
Mr St. Clair roars and charges at Grayson with his glass held high in his hand like he’s going to use it as a weapon and they both wrestle to the floor. Ems is screaming and I’m shouting at Dom to make them stop.
Somehow, Dom wrenches Grayson off his dad and pulls him away. I’ve never seen Grayson look so lost in his anger. Mr St. Clair stands unsteadily to his feet, blood dripping from his bust lip and he moves towards where Izzy and I are standing by the door but he barely makes it two steps before his eyes roll in his head and he drops to the floor passed out.
For a few seconds, there’s deadly silence in the room, Until Owen steps over Mr St. Clair and pulls a sniffling Emily into his arms.
“Come on, Ems. We’ll go to my house.”
Ems shakes her head. “No, I need to help Grayson tidy up.” She looks down at her father, “Is he okay? Should we call an ambulance?”
“No,” Grayson barks out firmly. “They’ll call in social services and we’ll both be hauled off into foster care. He’s just drunk. He’ll sleep it off and be fine tomorrow.” Grayson looks up at Ems and his face softens. “You go with Owen. Dom and I will get him in bed and then the four of us will sort this mess,” he reassures her, gesturing to Izzy and me.
“Is it true?” Ems asks, the tears still falling down her pale face, “Am I not his daughter?”
Grayson shakes his head. “Of course you are Ems. He’s drunk he doesn’t know what he’s saying.” He looks at Owen. “Take care of her, yeah?”
Owen nods as he wraps his arm protectively around Emily’s shoulder. “You know I will.”
Grayson nods and wipes blood from his cheek. Owen guides Ems out of the room, leaving the four of us to deal with the aftermath of his father’s drunken tirade.
I step over his dad to reach him and search his eyes. “Are you okay?”
He nods, looking weary. No one his age should have to deal with shit like this. “You’re bleeding,” I say, concerned, and I cup his face to look at where the blood is coming from.
“I’m fine, it’s just a little blood,” he says, dropping a kiss on my forehead.
“I’ll get some ice for it,” I announce, needing to do something for him. He doesn’t argue, he just nods before turning to Dom.
“Will you help me get him upstairs to his bed?”
Dom nods. Grayson grabs his dad under the arms and Dom grabs his feet and they manoeuvre around the broken pieces of furniture and out of the room.
For a second Izzy and I just stare silently at the devastation of the room. Izzy grabs my hand and tugs me out. “Come on, you get the ice and I’ll make everyone a cup of tea.”
I sigh as I allow her to pull me gently into the kitchen. “I think we all might need something stronger than tea.”
We spend the next hour cleaning up all the mess that Grayson’s dad created. Grayson finally lets me look at the cut above his eye. I have him hop up on the kitchen countertop while I fix it up. I have a feeling he will be sporting a shiner in the next couple of days.
“You, okay?” I ask him as I apply the cream to his cut. He’s been unusually quiet, even for him.
He nods, his jaw tense. “Do you think he was telling the truth about Ems?”
I rest my hands on his thighs and shake my head. “I have no idea, but does it matter? She’s still your sister no matter what.”
He nods and looks down at his cut hands. “Do you think,” he blows out a breath, “do you think that’s why she took her own life, because the guy she was having an affair with took off?”
I step in between Grayson’s legs and place my hands in his. “I honestly don’t know Grayson. I guess the only person who can answer that question is your mum, and she’s not here to do that. Don’t tie yourself up in knots about something you’ll never know the answer to.”
He nods, giving me a sad smile. He looks so broken and defeated, and it is not something I am used to. I want to take his pain away and make everything okay for him, but I can’t.
“I don’t think you or Ems should stay here for a while,” I suggest to him.
“I was thinking the same. I’m going to ring Ems’ school tomorrow and tell them she is sick and that she’ll likely return next week.”
I nod in agreement. I think they both need some time out. “I’m going to ring my dad and square it for you both to stay with us.”
He smiles at me, leaning down to kiss me. “I don’t deserve someone as good as you.’
“Yes you do,” I tell him firmly, “You deserve to be happy Grayson, don’t let your dad’s words poison your mind. Here,” I hold out the ice pack, “put this on your cheek. I’m going to go make that call.”
I leave him icing his bruised cheek and I walk over to the laundry room and close myself in.
“Hey Dad, its me. I have a favour to ask.”
AN HOUR LATER WE DROP Izzy off at home and we pick up Ems and we all head back to my house. I packed a bag for Ems before we left their house to make sure she had some clothes for the next few days, pyjamas and underwear.
When we walk in the house, my dad and Sophie both stand to their feet.
“Hey guys,” Sophie greets. She comes round to meet us and with a warm smile she slips her arm around Emily’s shoulder. “Come on, I’ll take you up and show you where you’re sleeping. Abi is excited to have you here.”
Ems smiles up at her and says a quiet thank you. She briefly looks at her brother and he nods his head and winks. “Go get settled. I’ll see you in the morning.”
My dad comes over to us and his jaw tics with anger when he takes in Grayson’s face. “Grayson, son, we really need to go to the police over this. He’s hit a minor.”
Grayson shakes his head resolutely. “No police, I don’t want us to end up in foster care.”
My dad looks conflicted. “We’d make sure that wouldn’t happen.”
I shake my head at him. “They wouldn’t let them stay with us when there isn’t the room here, Dad.”
“Well then, we’ll convert the loft space, or we can turn the den and my office into two bedrooms,” he says determined and I step towards him and wrap my arms around his waist and hug him. “I love you, Dad. Can we say he’ll sleep on it and let you know tomorrow?”
“Of course,” he replies, kissing the top of my head and squeezing me tightly. “All of you get to bed, you must be exhausted.”
Dom pulls Grayson in for a manly hug before he disappears upstairs and Grayson and I head to my room. Grayson throws himself down on my bed and stares up at the ceiling. I lie down next to him and rest my weight on my elbow and study his bruised face.
Grayson pulls his faraway gaze back to me. “I just need you here with me. Can we get in bed and just watch some mindless TV?”
“Sure thing. Why don’t you go take a shower and I’ll find something we can watch?”
He nods in agreement and pulling himself to his feet; he takes off to my ensuite. When I hear the shower, I stand to my feet and change into my pyjamas. I decide to nip downstairs and get us both something to eat and drink, as we have had nothing for hours. Sophie is in the kitchen deep in conversation with my dad when I enter the kitchen area.
“Hey honey,” Sophie says brightly, “How are you feeling?”
I rest my hands on the kitchen counter and shake my head. “I honestly don’t know. It was horrible. How can anyone speak to their children the way he does?”
Sophie puts her cup down and hurries around to pull me in for a hug. “They can stay here for as long as they need to. Your dad and I have already discussed it.”
I look up into her eyes, feeling so grateful. “Thank you. No one will ever replace my mum but well, you’re the best step-mum I could ask for.”
Sophie’s eyes tear up, and she smiles down at me. “We’re a family now and we pull together to support each other, always.”
I nod, wiping a tear from my eye. “My mum would have really liked you,” I tell her.
She shakes her head, fighting tears. “Stop it now,” she says softly, “You’re going to have me sobbing my heart out.”
I nod in agreement, and she releases me from her arms. “You both hungry?”
I nod.
“I’ll make you both something. What do you fancy?”
“Oh, it’s okay,” I protest, “I can do it.”
“Nonsense,” she says, batting away my comment with her hand, she’s already at the fridge. “How does a chicken salad sandwich sound?”
“Perfect,” I tell her with a big smile. “I’ll grab us both drinks and head back up then.”
My dad smiles at me and winks.
“I’ll bring them up when they’re ready.” Sophie insists.