The Sinner: A High School Bully Romance (Haven Grace Prep Book 1)

by Kelsey Clayton

  “I need to know when he’s alone. In the middle of the cash is a piece of paper with my number on it. Call me when no one is with him, especially Savannah.”

  I spent almost the entire weekend lurking outside of the studio. I watched her as she danced for hours on end, somehow looking even more breathtakingly beautiful than she usually does. Every part of me wanted to go in there and claim what has been mine from the start, and it took all the restraint I had not to.

  On Friday, when we were alone in that bathroom, I was seconds away from giving in. Had she not called me by the nickname that no longer belongs to her, I may have. Hearing that name slip from her lips brought me back to reality. A reality where she and I can never be what we once were. But damn did I want to go right back to that, which is exactly why I’m here.

  If I’ve learned anything over the last week, it’s that the first thing I need to do is separate her from those keeping her strong—in particular, Brady. Seeing the way that she is with him doesn’t just make my blood boil—it shows their comfort level together. I want to take that from her, along with everything else good in her life.

  “Consider it done,” Knox tells me. “You’ll hear from me soon.”

  With that I leave, anticipating his call and the next part of my plan.

  DAYS PASS, AND I’M starting to get impatient. Not only have I heard nothing from Knox, but something is different about Savannah. She hasn’t so much as looked at me this week. The glares I send her have decreased down to glances and still go completely unnoticed. I can’t tell if she genuinely just doesn’t care, or she’s doing it to piss me off. If it’s the latter, it’s fucking working.

  Even as I flirt with Kinsley right in front of her, she doesn’t acknowledge it. Judging by the way Carter keeps looking at her, waiting to see what she does, he’s thinking the same thing. All I know is that Knox better do the damn job I paid him for, or I’ll take my anger out on him instead.

  I’m sitting next to Savannah at lunch, trying to make her uncomfortable but having no luck. She’s focused on her notebook, writing down what looks like either cheerleading stunts or dance moves.

  “Grayson,” Kinsley whines to get my attention. “Come sit next to me. I’m cold.”

  It’s a somewhat tempting offer, and if Sav had the slightest reaction to it, I’d probably do it. However, the less she cares about me flaunting her so-called friend in her face, the less appeal it has.

  “Kins, stop pissing off Savannah. You’re going get kicked off the team,” Becca hisses.

  Kinsley is about to defend herself when Sav looks up. “No, it’s fine Bec. If Grayson wants to get chlamydia, that’s on him.” For the first time all week, her eyes land on me. “Though I can’t imagine you’d be a very good quarterback with your junk on fire.”

  A bright, involuntary smile spreads across my face. I bite my lip to contain it but it’s pointless. It’s been days since her attention was on me, and no matter how much I try to push it down, I can’t fight the feeling that courses through me at having it again. She seems caught off guard, and her breath hitches for a second, but the moment is quickly interrupted.

  “Are you seriously going to let her talk about me like that?” Kinsley shrieks.

  Everyone at the table, sans me and Savannah, are struggling to hold in their laughter—making it very hard to keep my composure. Still, I turn my attention to her.

  “You really want a knight in shining armor to come to your defense? I thought you were stronger than that.”

  Savannah chuckles and levels her with a look. “She wouldn’t dare.”

  Kinsley opens and closes her mouth before getting up and flouncing out of the room. The second she’s gone, the whole table breaks out in hysterics. Carter looks like he’s about to piss himself, and Wyatt’s face is bright red as he clutches his stomach and tries to breathe. In complete curiosity, I focus on Savannah.

  “What do you have on her, anyway?”

  She’s back to writing in her notebook, but she mumbles a response. “What do you mean?”

  “There has to be some reason she’s afraid of you, or at least a reason you hate her so much.”

  Shrugging, she packs up her things and gets up from the table. “Psychotic bitches just aren’t my forte.”

  Leaving that as her explanation, she leaves the cafeteria. My eyes stay glued to her until she’s out of sight, and I’d be lying if I said a part of me didn’t want to go with her.

  “Bro, you’re so fucked,” Jace comments.

  “Huh?”

  He shakes his head. “She has a boyfriend, and even if she didn’t, you don’t have a chance in hell.”

  I roll my eyes. “Like I’ve told you before, stuck-up bitches aren’t my thing.”

  “And yet you flirt with Kinsley.”

  Little do they know, every single thing I’ve done since I got to this place was to get a reaction out of Savannah. Still, I don’t know where their loyalties lie. I may be their teammate, but they’ve known her for years.

  A devious smirk appears as I chuckle. “What can I say? A mouth is a mouth.”

  I SIT ON THE window sill, smoking a cigarette and watching as the rain pours down outside. I should be at practice right now, but it was canceled on account of the weather. The house has been empty since I got here. God only knows where my mother is—probably out with Justin. I have half a mind to just kill him and claim self-defense. With his record, I’m sure I’d get away with it, and then I wouldn’t have to worry about him showing up here anymore.

  A car pulls into the driveway of the house across the street—Savannah’s old house—and for the first time, I get a glance at the person who lives there now. She’s a young woman, probably early thirties. Judging by the stickers on the back of her car, she has a husband, two young kids, and a dog. I wonder if she knows the things that have happened in that house. The kind of secrets it holds.

  I knock on the door, anxious to show Savi the new walkie-talkies my dad bought me. After a couple seconds, I get impatient and go to knock again when it opens. Savannah’s dad smiles down at me.

  “Hey, Grayson.”

  “Hi, Mr. Montgomery. Is Savi here?”

  He nods and opens the door wider to let me in. “She’s in her room. Go on up, and I’ll make you two a snack.”

  I run up the stairs and into Savannah’s bedroom, only to find her sitting on the bed with tears in her eyes. Dropping the walkie-talkies to the ground, I climb up and sit beside her. I tuck my hand into my sweatshirt sleeve and use it to wipe the tears from her face.

  “What happened?”

  She sniffles. “A boy in school called me ugly.”

  I don’t know who this boy is, or why he had the nerve to call the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen ugly, but I already want to punch him in the face. This is why I wanted us to be in the same class, so I could be there to protect her from things like this. But our parents insisted we have at least some distance from each other. Stupid parents.

  “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

  A small smile graces her face. “My dad said boys who pick on you do it because they like you.”

  If I wasn’t mad before, I am now. The idea of Savi spending time with any boy but me makes me want to lock her in my treehouse and never let her out. Catching me off guard, she looks up at me through watery eyes.

  “Do you make fun of any girls in your class?”

  I shake my head and watch as relief washes over her. She looks away and rests her head on my shoulder. “Good.”

  “Yeah…good.”

  I knew then that there was something more to her than just my best friend, and I made it a point to find out who made her cry. He wasn’t hard to find on the playground. It was fun to watch him go and apologize to Savannah. Even at eight years old, I was so protective of her.

  How do you fight feelings that are basically wired into your brain? That girl has more control over me than I’ve ever been willing to give anyone, and it’s only a
matter of time before she figures that out. From the desire to have her attention on me at all times, to the way I’ve almost given in to temptation—if I don’t get a grip, I’m screwed.

  I’ve already let my guard down around Savannah once. There’s no way I can do that again. I damn near didn’t make it through the first time she wreaked havoc on my life. She’ll never get the opportunity to hurt me like that a second time. I won’t allow it.

  Taking out my phone, I scroll down to the one contact I need to stop myself from continuing down memory lane. It only rings twice before a giggly voice comes through.

  “Hey, you,” Kinsley greets.

  “What are you up to right now?”

  I can practically hear her grin. “Oh, you know. Just hanging out in my room—alone.”

  “Good,” I murmur, putting my shoes on. “Send me the address. I’ll be right over.”

  KINSLEY STANDS IN FRONT of me, wearing nothing but a T-shirt and panties. I growl as I push into the house and kick the door shut behind me. Within seconds, she’s all over me. My lips press into her neck, trying to ignore the fact that her skin just isn’t as soft as Savannah’s. That she doesn’t smell like Savannah. That she doesn’t turn me on just by existing. No, this is to forget her.

  Grabbing my hand, she leads me up and into her bedroom. The pink walls and white decor remind me of an innocent little girl. Do her parents know she’s hardly the princess this room seems to describe? I wonder how many other guys have bent her over that bed.

  “You have no idea how bad I’ve wanted this,” she tells me as she steps further into the room.

  “Oh yeah? Why don’t you show me?”

  She comes closer, grabbing onto my waistband and undoing the button and zipper. Her hand slips into my boxers and wraps around my cock. I kiss her roughly, letting my tongue tangle with hers in order to get myself to harden, but it’s no use. She’s not…

  At the mere thought of Savannah, my dick comes to life. The thought of her doing this to me, being able to touch her like this—within seconds, I’m rock hard. I keep my eyes closed as Kinsley pulls my pants and boxers down to free me. She drops to her knees and takes me into her mouth. This may have started out as a way to forget, but instead, all I can picture is her.

  I lace my fingers into Kinsley’s hair, imagining it being blonde, and thrust myself into the back of her throat. She doesn’t protest. Instead, she places her hands on the back of my legs and encourages me. As she takes me deeper and deeper, she gags around my length. I moan, mentally picturing Savannah with tears in her eyes as she chokes on my cock.

  It doesn’t take long before I’m exploding into her mouth with a silent plea of the wrong name. We’re both panting as she swallows everything I’ve given her and rises to her feet. She rests her arms on my shoulders and goes to kiss me, but I turn my head just in time.

  “Do I look like I want to taste my own damn cum?”

  She smirks. “Fine, you can just taste mine then.”

  Pulling me toward the bed, Savannah’s words replay in my mind. If Grayson wants to get chlamydia, that’s on him. I’m sure it was just a vicious dig, but I don’t think that’s something I’m willing to risk. I detach her hand from my wrist and pull my pants up.

  “Sorry babe, maybe another time.”

  Her outrage is evident. “Are you kidding me?”

  Just as I’m about to answer, my phone rings. I pull it out and practically jump at the sight of Knox’s name on the screen. Holding one finger up at Kinsley, I answer the call.

  “What’s up?”

  “I’ve got a location for you, but you better come quick. Can’t guarantee he’ll stay here long.”

  I grin, knowing I’m finally going to get him alone. “Text it to me. I’ll be right there.”

  Hanging up the phone, I find Kinsley glaring at me still. “Are you seriously leaving? What about me?”

  My eyes land on her nightstand, and I go over to it. I open the drawer and, sure enough, there is a bright pink vibrator. I take it out and toss it onto her bed. “Use that.”

  I race down the stairs and into my car, putting the address Knox sent me into my GPS.

  WHEN I SPOT BRADY, he’s leaning up against the wall of some bar. It looks like he’s waiting for someone, so I know I need to make this fast. The last thing I want is for Savannah to show up in the middle of what I’m about to do.

  I climb out of my car and walk up to him. When his gaze lands on me, his eyes widen, and he looks around before focusing on me again.

  “Grayson, right?” He asks. “What can I do for you?”

  I stick my hands in my pockets. “For starters, you can stay the fuck away from Savannah.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll break up with her.”

  He chuckles, amused by all of this. “And if I don’t?”

  I smile, looking like I’m going to leave, before turning back around and swinging a right hook into the side of his head. It feels good to do that, being as I’ve wanted to for years—even as a kid. His eyes narrow on me as he grips his jaw.

  “The fuck, man?”

  I get into his face. “I told you, break up with Savannah and stay the fuck away.”

  “Why, so you can have your way with her? Not a fucking chance.”

  Another punch lands straight to his nose and I feel the bone snap against my fist. This time, he reacts, coming at me swinging. He lands one hit to my head before I knock him to the ground with a kick to the stomach. I climb on top of him, pummeling my fists into his face repeatedly. One for taking her attention from me when we were younger. One for having it all the time I’ve been gone. One for standing in the way of my plan. One for getting everything that was always meant to be mine.

  “Get off him!” a guy screams.

  Before I know it, two bouncers from the bar are pulling me away. My hands are covered in blood, and I grin evilly as I watch some guy help a dazed Brady get up. Judging by the look in his eyes, I know I got my point across.

  I’m ushered into a small office-like room with two men that I don’t think it would be smart to try and fight. One of them pulls out a phone and calls the police, telling them they’ve got someone who needs to be picked up. I roll my eyes, thinking about my mom having to bail me out. It won’t be the first time, but it’s still something I’d like to avoid.

  “How much do you want to pretend like you didn’t see anything tonight?”

  They share a look before shaking their heads. “We don’t take bribes from arrogant pricks like you who think money solves everything.”

  If only they knew me. “Let me explain. That guy tried to rape my girlfriend. I was only protecting her.”

  One of them starts laughing, like it’s the most absurd thing he’s ever heard, and the other smiles in amusement. Still, there’s no way they’re budging. Guess I’m spending my night in a jail cell.

  I’M STARING UP AT the ceiling, counting the tiles, when my name is called. I stand up to find a familiar face, Travis Kennedy. He’s a lieutenant here, and used to be good friends with my father before his arrest. I smile as he looks me up and down and shakes his head.

  “Grayson,” he greets. “What are you doing locked up? Like father, like son?”

  I give him a hug, being as it’s been years since I’ve seen him. “Why can I say? I had something I needed to take care of.”

  He leads us away from the cells and to the front. “I never took you for a homophobe. You’re lucky Mr. Laurence doesn’t want to press charges. His boyfriend has been screaming ‘hate crime’ for hours.”

  “Hate crime?” I ask, confused, until the other words sink in. “Wait, boyfriend? Brady is gay?”

  Looking at me like I’ve grown an extra head, he nods. “Wasn’t that why you beat the shit out of him?”

  Suddenly, it all makes sense. Why she doesn’t talk about her relationship with him. Why he dances with her at the studio. Who that guy was who was helping hi
m up after I pummeled his face in. He isn’t Savannah’s boyfriend. He has a boyfriend of his own.

  If she’s pretending to be dating a gay guy, there must be a reason for it—and I’m determined to find out what that is.

  “Hey, Travis, do you happen to have Savannah Montgomery’s new address? I’ve been trying to find her since I got back to town, but she doesn’t live across the street anymore.”

  He looks hesitant at first, but ultimately types the name into the computer. I may have found what I need after all.

  9

  Savannah

  I wake in the morning, feeling more alone than I usually do. As I go into the kitchen, I notice the house is still clean. Yesterday, when cheer practice was canceled, I danced for an hour before Brady had to get ready for his date with Jacob. So, having nothing better to do, I cleaned the house. However, usually that doesn’t stop my father from messing it up.

  Walking down the small hallway, I find his bedroom empty. Of course. I grab my phone and make the usual phone calls, finding him at the hospital this time. Well, at least there’s that. They tell me he had a drunken accident at a friend’s house and managed to step on a nail that went right through his foot. I cringe at the thought, but it serves him right. Maybe if he was sober, it wouldn’t have happened.

  I make quick work of taking a shower and getting ready for school, being able to enjoy the clean house for a change. Once I’m done, I hear Brady pull up and head out the door.

  “Hey. I need you to take me to the hospital first, my dad will be getting discharged s—” My words are cut off as I take in my best friend, who looks like he got hit by a truck. “What the fuck happened to you?”

  He has a cut above his eyebrow, his lip is split open, his nose is clearly broken, and he’s covered in bruises. I reach over to run my hand across his cheekbone but pull away when he winces.