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

by Kelsey Clayton

“Whatever you were putting in those drinks you made her.” I manage to pull my keys from my pocket and unlock the doors. “Do you mind?”

  He opens it and helps me place her in the passenger seat, then steps back as I shut her in. “You taking her home or taking her home?” He raises his eyebrows at me in a suggestive manner.

  I roll my eyes. “The first one. Passed-out drunk isn’t exactly a turn on.” I glance inside to see her holding her head. “All right, let me go before she vomits in my car.”

  “Good luck.”

  I walk around and get into the driver’s side. As I pull out of the driveway, I can feel Savannah’s eyes on me—burning into the side of my head. I steal a glance at her, just to be sure, and she smiles.

  “What?”

  She shakes her head. “Nothing. You’re just pretty.”

  I snort. “Pretty?”

  “Yeah.” She reaches across and runs her fingertips down the side of my face. “Like a manly kind of pretty.”

  Taking her wrist, I place her hand back on her lap. “Let’s keep our hands to ourselves, shall we?”

  “No fun.” She hiccups and turns to look out the window.

  By the time I get across town and pull up to her house, I can’t believe what I’m looking at. This place looks like something that should have been condemned years ago. The porch is missing some planks, the railings are rotted and the roof is sagging. Judging by how dark it is, I can only assume no one is home.

  I look over at Savannah to find her sleeping soundly. I know what I should do. I should bring her inside, put her in her bed, and leave—but I can’t. She’s too drunk, too vulnerable, if someone breaks in. I may despise her, but no one gets to cause her pain but me.

  Putting the car back in drive, I pull away from her four walls of hell and head toward my own.

  THE LIGHTS IN MY house are on, telling me that even though it’s close to midnight, my mother is awake. This should be interesting. I go and open the front door before coming back to my car and lifting Savannah out of it. By the time I get inside, my mom is standing by the stairs, concern etched across her face.

  “What’s going on?” she asks, her eyes widening when she sees who is in my arms. “Oh my God, is that Savannah?!”

  I shake my head. “Everything’s fine, mom. She just had a little too much to drink.”

  Carrying her up the stairs, she stirs awake and nuzzles her face into my chest. “Mmm. You smell good.”

  Her drunken honesty is comical to me. “You’re just full of compliments tonight, aren’t you?”

  “Maybe.” As I slip into the guest room, she sighs. “Is this when you have your way with me?”

  My steps stutter, and my lungs forget how to breathe. Am I hearing things? Did she really just ask that? “No, Savannah. This is when you go to sleep.”

  “Oh.” She sounds almost disappointed before nodding. “Well, that’s good, ’cause I’m a virgin, and it would probably hurt.”

  It’s clear she doesn’t know what she’s saying, and if she did, she’d probably smack herself for giving me yet another piece of leverage. However, hearing her say those words is like heaven to my ears. I had my assumptions, being as she pretended to date Brady for almost all of high school, but to have them confirmed is something else entirely. No one has taken what should have been mine, and for as long as I’m around, that’s how it’s going to stay.

  I place Savannah down on the bed, thinking she’s asleep, but as I turn to walk away, her delicate fingers wrap around my wrist.

  “Wait,” she mumbles. “Lay with me.”

  I shake my head. “I shouldn’t.”

  “Please? Just for a minute.”

  Everything in me is screaming to leave. Hell, I shouldn’t have brought her back here in the first place, let alone get in bed with her, but there’s something about the way she’s asking—like she’s damaged and needs someone to hold her for a moment.

  Against my better judgment, I kick off my shoes and slip in the other side. As soon as I’m lying next to her, she slots herself against me, with her head on my chest. All I can do is hope she’s too drunk to notice the way my heart is pounding. If she’s not, she’ll realize the effect she has on me.

  “My Gray,” she murmurs, just before her breathing evens out.

  I take a deep breath, letting myself get high on the smell of her hair. She’s sound asleep, and I could leave at this point, but I don’t. With everything the two of us have been through, it feels good to be here. To forget everything and just allow myself to pretend like this is okay. This is right.

  “Gray! Wait up!” Savi calls, not able to ride her bike as fast as I can.

  “Come on, slowpoke!”

  I know I should slow down and wait for her, but I can’t help it. After finding this place over the weekend while she was at her grandmother’s, I’ve been itching to show her. I pedal faster, going past the playground and into the woods. We follow the small dirt trail until the point where I know to turn and go off track.

  “Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see!”

  Like I knew she would, she follows me through all the overgrown foliage until we finally get to the clearing. I stop my bike before it and climb off, wanting to see her reaction. She pulls up behind me and looks around.

  “You’re not taking me out here to kill me, are you?”

  “Don’t be stupid.” We walk over to the last bush that’s still blocking our view, but you can hear the splashing of water. “Are you ready?”

  She nods, and I pull the bush back to let her walk through, then follow. The waterfall is gorgeous, with rocks around it. It’s probably twenty feet high, and the water falls into a small pond-like part of the river before flowing further downstream.

  “Whoa.” Her gaze searches around the area, taking it all in. “How did you find this place?”

  I shrug. “I was exploring.”

  She doesn’t need to know that I was bored without her and couldn’t sit around my house because it just made me miss her more. Or that I was in these woods looking for pretty flowers to make into a bouquet and ended up finding something much better.

  “It’s so pretty,” she whispers.

  I take a deep breath and turn to face her. “You’re prettier.”

  Her cheeks turn a light shade of pink as she smiles at me, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen her look at me that way before. I bravely brush my hand against hers, feeling relief as she laces her fingers with mine. We stand there together, holding hands and admiring this waterfall—and I couldn’t be happier.

  I jolt awake, realizing I fell asleep in bed with Savannah. Thankfully, I look out the window to find it’s still dark outside. With as much control as I can manage, I slip out from under her slowly and leave the room. The last thing I need is for her, or my mother, to find me holding her.

  THE NEXT MORNING, I wake to the sound of laughter. My brows furrow, and the first thing I think is that Justin is here again. However, as I get to the door of my room, a familiar voice reminds me of last night. Savannah.

  “I’m so glad you and Grayson reunited!” I hear my mom tell her as I walk down the stairs and toward the kitchen. “You two were always the best of friends, and it makes me happy to see you’ve gotten back to that.”

  “We haven’t,” I interrupt and both their heads turn toward me. My attention focuses solely on Savannah. “I called you an Uber. It’ll be here in three minutes.”

  My mom shakes her head. “Don’t be silly. At least let me make you two breakfast first.”

  “No. Savannah was just leaving. Weren’t you, Savi?”

  “Y-yeah. I, um, I have stuff I need to do today anyway.” She stands and moves toward the door. “It was nice seeing you again, Mrs. Hayworth.”

  “You too, dear. Don’t be a stranger, okay?”

  She nods. I glare at my mother as I back out of the room. I’ll deal with her later.

  With one hand on her back, I lead Savannah out the front door. She shiv
ers from the chilly morning air.

  “You know, you really shouldn’t drink that much. Someone may take advantage of you.”

  Her brows furrow while she looks down at the ground. “So, we didn’t—”

  I shake my head before she even finishes the question. “No.”

  A part of me considers telling her what she revealed last night, but I don’t think I could stand to listen to her lie and try to tell me something different. She looks up at me, and for once, I see the vulnerability in her eyes.

  Real.

  Honest.

  Exposed.

  It almost knocks the wind out of me, and I grip the door handle to keep from doing something I’ll regret.

  Thankfully, the car pulls up, and she walks down the steps to get in it. I don’t wait for it to drive away before I turn around and go back inside. When I reach the kitchen, my mom glances from where she’s standing at the stove, her disapproval obvious.

  “What?”

  She shakes her head. “Nothing.”

  I sit at the counter and rest my elbows on it. “You’ve got something on your mind, so spit it out.”

  Sighing, she drops the dish towel onto the counter. “I just think you should be a little nicer to Savannah, that’s all.”

  My jaw drops, and I can’t believe what she’s saying. After everything that girl has done to my family, she thinks I should be nicer? That bitch should be grateful I didn’t leave her at that party and let her enjoy the consequences of her choices.

  “I don’t get it,” I say in utter shock. “I know you’ve seen the tape. The one that helped convict dad of a crime he didn’t commit. For God’s sake, it was practically the final nail in the coffin. Why the fuck would you be so forgiving of her?”

  “She was a child, Grayson. She didn’t know what she was saying.”

  “Oh, like hell she didn’t!” I shout. “She was old enough to tell me she wanted to marry me one day. Old enough to sneak out of her house to meet me in the middle of the night. Don’t try to tell me that bullshit. She knew exactly how wrong it was when it came out of her mouth.”

  Not wanting to hear another word of this nonsense, I get up and storm out of the room. There isn’t a damn thing anyone can say to change my mind. She deserves to pay for the things she’s done.

  11

  Savannah

  The sun shines in through the window, pulling me from what was such a good dream. My head is pounding, but something feels different. This bed is more comfortable than I remember mine being, and none of the windows in my room face the sunrise.

  I peek my eyes open, and my breath hitches. I’d recognize this room anywhere. I spent so much time here when I was younger, it was practically my second home. Grayson’s guest room. Whenever our dads would have to go away on business, Grayson’s mom would watch us both. I always loved this room, because of how close it was to his.

  How did I get here?

  Getting out of bed, I realize I’m still in the same clothes I wore to the party last night. Thank God. At least they’re still on. I slip out the door, trying to be as quiet as possible as I make my way down the stairs. Just as I get to the bottom and think I’m home free, a voice startles me.

  “Hey, stranger.”

  Mrs. Hayworth stands in the doorway to the kitchen, smiling brightly.

  “Oh my God, hi.”

  To my relief, she walks toward me with open arms. The moment she embraces me the way she always used to, I get hit with an overwhelming wave of emotions. This woman was like a mom to me after mine had passed away, and I was so afraid she was going to hate me like her son does.

  “How have you been? Look at you. You’ve become so grown up!”

  I run my fingers through my hair. “Yeah, I’m turning eighteen in a few weeks.”

  “That’s crazy. I feel like just yesterday you were this big.” She holds her hand near her hip. “Come on, let’s go in the kitchen and talk.”

  I should turn down the offer, but to be honest, this is the closest I’ve felt to my old self in years—before everything went horribly wrong. Taking a seat at the table, she pours us each a cup of tea and sits across from me.

  “So, how are things? What’s been new?”

  Where do I even begin? With my father turning his bloodstream into straight alcohol? With the fact that I live in what can only be considered a death trap, not a home? On second thought, I shouldn’t bore her with all the gory details of what my life has become.

  “Just going to school and dance.”

  “You’re still dancing? That’s wonderful. You were always so talented.”

  I blush. “Yeah. I’m trying to go to Juilliard for college. That’s the dream, anyway.”

  “Well.” She reaches across the table and grabs my hand. “I’m sure you’ll get there. They’d be crazy not to take you.”

  “Thank you. And if I don’t, then clown college always has its perks.”

  A good-hearted laugh bellows out of her. “Oh, I’ve missed you.” She takes a sip of her tea. “I’m so glad you and Grayson reunited. You two were always the best of friends, and it makes me happy to see you’ve gotten back to that.”

  I bite my lip, trying to keep from telling her that what we are now is the furthest thing from what we were, but suddenly I don’t need to.

  “We haven’t.” Grayson’s voice booms into the room and his eyes land on me, a clear indication that I should have left by now. “I called you an Uber. It’ll be here in three minutes.”

  Mrs. Hayworth stands. “Don’t be silly. At least let me make you two breakfast first.”

  “No. Savannah was just leaving. Weren’t you Savi?” The way he snarls my nickname reminds me just how different things are now.

  “Y-yeah.” I stutter. “I, um, I have stuff I need to do today anyway.” I get up. “It was nice seeing you again, Mrs. Hayworth.”

  “You too, dear.” She answers sweetly. “Don’t be a stranger, okay?”

  I nod, but with no intentions of ever actually coming back. Clearly, Grayson would rather I be anywhere else, though he had to be the one to bring me here in the first place. I walk toward the door, trying to ignore the feeling of Grayson’s hand on my back, all but pushing me out. Once we step outside, I mentally curse myself for not grabbing a jacket last night.

  “You know, you really shouldn’t drink that much. Someone could have taken advantage of you.”

  I stare down at my shoes, finding them very interesting and a much better view than his hateful glares. “So, we didn’t—”

  “No,” he confirms, and I can’t deny the slight disappointment I feel.

  I look up at him, knowing he holds all the cards—not just with my reputation, but with my heart. Let’s be real, I don’t think there was ever a time where he didn’t. No matter how much he may hurt me now, he’s always been my weak spot. His expression changes slightly,

  and I notice the way his knuckles turn pale from the grip he has on the door handle.

  Interrupting the moment with perfect timing, the Uber pulls up. With one last look at Grayson, I turn around and go to get in the car. By the time I close the door behind me, he’s already gone.

  I SIT ON THE FLOOR and spread my legs, stretching as much as I can. Brady mimics my movements, but the confused look remains on his face. I try to ignore it, though it’s obvious he won’t let me.

  “Wait, so he brought you back to his house and put you to bed?”

  I roll my eyes. “I guess? All I know is that I woke up in his guest room. The last thing I remember is drinking at Jace’s party.”

  “And you’re sure you two didn’t have sex?”

  “Wouldn’t I be sore after that? You know I’ve never…”

  He groans and throws his head back. “You can say it, Savannah. Had sex.”

  I reach over and slap his arm as best I can from my spot on the floor. “Shut up. I’m not afraid to say it.” He gives me a teasing look, challenging me. “Ugh, fine. Sex. Happy? Sex. Sex. Sex.”
/>   “Wow,” Mrs. Laurence says, capturing both our attention. “I’m not sure exactly what I walked into, but just ignore me.”

  My face turns beet red as Brady falls onto his back from laughing so hard. She grabs her clipboard from counter and winks at me before leaving the room. Once she’s gone, I kick Brady in the leg.

  “Shut up. It’s not funny.”

  “It is.” He chuckles again. “It really, really is.”

  After we finish stretching, he starts the music, and I get lost in the dance. Thoughts of Grayson pop up at times, like when hearing certain lyrics, but I do my best to push them down. He’s already planning on ruining my whole life and taking everything from me. I can’t give him the satisfaction of taking Juilliard, too.

  BRADY DROPS ME OFF after the two of us have lunch. I’m just about to step inside when someone whistle behind me. Turning around, I see Knox walking toward me. Just what I need.

  “What do you want, Vaughn?”

  He holds his hands up in surrender. “I’m just surprised, that’s all. You really seem to get around lately.”

  I cross my arms over my chest. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Last night with Grayson, and today you’re with Brady. I mean, hey—I’m no one to judge you for sleeping around.”

  “Wait.” I hold up a hand. “You saw me with Grayson last night?”

  He nods. “Yeah, he pulled up in front of your house. I thought he was dropping you off but you never got out of the car before he drove away.” Why would he… “I’m just curious as to why he hired me to follow your little boyfriend when he could’ve just had you do it. Pretty fucked up of you to let your boyfriend get his ass kicked, though.”

  “Grayson had you follow Brady?”

  “Oh, he didn’t tell you?” He grins. “Yeah. Pretty boy gave me five grand to call him when Brady was alone.”

  And just like that, it all becomes clear. That’s how Grayson knew to find Brady outside of the gay bar in the next town over.