She smiles, but eyes Trey suspiciously. “Is everything okay?”
I nod. “Yeah. He’s just the annoying little shit from next door.”
Ending the conversation, I reach over and turn up the volume on the radio. The two of us sing along obnoxiously, with dance moves and all. My voice cracks as I try to hit the high note, making Delaney cringe from the sound.
“Seriously, it’s a good thing you can dance. You’re no better at singing now than you were as a child,” she teases.
“Hey!” I pout. “I resent that.”
“Resent away, darling.” She pulls into the parking lot and the two of us get out. “All right. I’ll see you in first period.”
She goes to walk away, when I reach out and grab her wrist. “Wait. Come with me to my locker.”
“You mean with all your jock friends? I don’t know. They’re not exactly my crowd.”
“Okay, one, you don’t have a crowd—no offense. And two, you’ll be fine. I promise.”
I don’t give her a second to fight me on it as I loop my arms with her and walk into the school. Being as we’re a little late, everyone is already near my locker. It takes a little tug for me to get her to continue down the hallway, but she eventually sighs and gives in.
“Hey, Sav,” Jace greets me.
“Hi. Guys, this is Delaney. Laney, this is Carter, Jace, Wyatt, Hayden, and you already know Grayson.” I grumble the end of it, and then turn to the girls. “And that’s Emma, Paige, Becca, and Kinsley.”
Emma beams one of her friendly smiles at her. “You’re in our first period class, aren’t you?”
Delaney nods. “Yeah, though I don’t think we’ve ever talked, really.”
Carter, being the pig he is, smirks and looks her up and down. “I can’t understand why.”
“Haven’t you reached the limit for the number of girls you’ve fucked this school year? And it’s only November,” Grayson asks while laughing.
“My sex life has no limit, young Hayworth,” he quips.
Jace chuckles and fist bumps Carter, as if sleeping around with tons of women is something to be proud of. Meanwhile, Kinsley is standing as close as she can to Grayson with a sour look on her face.
“Well, as long as you don’t plan on putting her on the cheer team.” She crosses her arms like she has any say in the matter. “Our team is perfect as is.”
I stare her down in a way that tells her she doesn’t want to test me. “I can think of one change I’d like to make. Keep up that attitude, and she’ll be your replacement.”
Once the bell rings, we all make our way to class. It’s obvious how uncomfortable Delaney is with being late, but she sticks to my side as she and Emma make small talk. It’s nice to see her making new friends. Without me, she’s always tended to stay with her sister. She’s too shy to make friends of her own. However, with the downhill spiral Tessa seems to be on, it’s probably a good thing that she and I are back to being friends.
As we enter the classroom, I’m happy to see Mr. Englewood is out today. I let Grayson have my old desk that he’s claimed since the day he got here and sit next to Delaney. The substitute, whose name I can never seem to remember, puts on a movie and then proceeds to play on his phone, giving us free range to do as we please.
The whole period is eighty minutes of pure boredom, and halfway through, Delaney and I decide to entertain ourselves by playing MASH. I do her first, writing down Carter, Jace, Hayden, and Wyatt as the guys, and leaving out Grayson—for obvious reasons. She catches on quickly and smirks at me.
“So, did you take my advice? Did you tell him you two can’t hook up anymore?”
I snort. “Yeah. It went over really well.”
“Uh-oh.” She watches me curiously. “What happened?”
“Well, I texted him and said things with us were a mistake and won’t happen again.”
“Yeah?”
“And then he proceeded to show up at my house while I was in the shower, break in, and tell me that I don’t have a say in the matter. That I’m his and there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it.”
Her eyes widen. “Sav, he didn’t….”
I shake my head. “No. God, no. I was a more than willing participant, sad to say.”
“Okay, good.” The tension leaves her shoulders in an instant.
The fact that I’m completely unable to resist him is not something I’m proud of. Our situation is far from perfect, especially with him holding my secret over my head like he has been. However, I’m weak when it comes to him. He has me—hook, line and sinker.
A giggle from the other side of the room gets my attention. Delaney and I look over to see Kinsley hanging all over Grayson, as usual. He’s sitting on top of her desk while cracking jokes with Hayden. As if he can sense he has my attention, his eyes meet mine. There’s something in them, something sinister, and he winks before focusing back on Kinsley.
“If he’s so adamant about you two hooking up, why is he over there with her?” Delaney questions.
I pull my gaze away because it hurts too much to watch. “Let’s just say Grayson isn’t the guy he used to be.”
“Clearly.” She turns back to me and sighs, seeing the gloom written all over my face. “Okay, plan B. After class, we’re going to see someone. I have an idea.”
THE BELL RINGS, AND Delaney pulls me up out of my seat in a hurry. We leave the classroom and turn left where I normally go right. I don’t know where she’s bringing me, but she seems pretty determined. It isn’t until I see who’s waiting at the end of the hallway that I start to reconsider letting her take the lead.
“Uh, Laney, I’m not sure about this,” I tell her, but it’s too late.
Tessa looks up at me and her eyes narrow. “What are you doing with her?”
“Well, for one, she’s my friend,” Delaney defends. “And two, she needs guy advice.”
“What?” Tessa and I shout in unison.
She chuckles softly. “Well, I’m out of my depth here. I know literally nothing about what to do in your situation. Tessa, on the other hand, knows plenty.”
Tessa snorts. “Yeah, I’m not helping her.”
She goes to walk away, but her sister grabs her wrist. She rolls her eyes as she’s pulled back.
“Tess.” Delaney says her name, her tone half plea and half warning.
Looking between us, it’s clear she doesn’t want to do this, but for Laney, she caves. “All right. What’s going on?”
“Grayson,” Delaney spits out without hesitation, making my eyes widen. “They’re hooking up in secret, but at school, he’s all over Kinsley.”
“Delaney!” I whine, looking at her with wide eyes.
I wasn’t supposed to tell her about Grayson and me, let alone her sister. If this gets back to him, I can only imagine what he’ll do.
“I thought something was up with you two at that party.”
Being as the damage is already done, I may as well get her thoughts. “Since the day he moved here, he’s been…different. He hates me with a fiery passion and wants to ruin my life. I’m not even making that up. He’s literally told me that.”
Tessa smiles, as if it’s funny to her, but with a look from Delaney, it dissipates. “Go on.”
“Well, on my birthday, we had sex. I thought it was just a one-time thing, and I really wasn’t sure what to think about it, but since then, we’ve fooled around a couple more times. He tells me I’m his, or more like demands it, but then he goes and flaunts Kinsley around like she’s God’s gift to men.”
She grimaces. “You mean that little psycho who told the whole school you raped her brother?”
“That’s the one.”
Delaney’s jaw drops. “Wait, what?”
Tessa waves her off dismissively. “Not the time, Laney. I told you, you live under a rock.” She turns her attention back toward me. “As far as I’m concerned, and as much as I love Grayson, it sounds like he needs a dose of his own medicine. Make him feel what i
t’s like to see the one you want with someone else.”
“You mean I make him jealous? Is that even possible?”
The corners of her mouth raise in a devilish smirk. “While you were drunk and dancing at that party, he didn’t take his eyes off you for a second. Trust me, it’s possible.”
I SPEND ALL OF second period ignoring the not-so-subtle looks from Grayson and thinking about what Tessa said. She’s right. I’ve noticed him get jealous a lot, especially when I pretended to consider giving Jace my virginity. He looked like he was ready to burst, and when he followed me to my locker after, we had our first kiss—the one that ruined me for everyone else.
“Where’s your friend?” Carter asks as soon as I reach our lunch table.
“You mean Delaney?” He nods.
Jace rolls his eyes. “Someone has a little crush.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Sorry, babes. There’s no chance of that ever happening. She’s practically a nun.”
Smirking, he shrugs one shoulder. “It’s always the innocent ones that turn out to be the biggest freaks.”
I cringe. “Okay, I so didn’t need to hear that.”
Grayson plops down next to me, a little too close for comfort. “Didn’t need to hear what?”
“Carter’s secret fantasies about the Callahan twins,” Jace informs him.
“Both of them?” I shriek.
The sound of Gray’s laugh pulls at my heartstrings. “Tessa would probably screw you for the hell of it, but you definitely don’t have a shot in hell with Delaney.”
“That’s what I said, before his dirty mind took it to places I never wanted to go.”
Carter pops a fry into his mouth with a smile. “A guy can dream.”
Kinsley comes and sits down, with Becca and Paige at her side. The three of them look like something out of Mean Girls, only less pretty. They all take out their juices, reminding me they’re on a “cleanse”—something they tried to get Emma and me to do with them, but we declined. Let one of them pass out during cheer due to lack of food and watch what happens.
“So, Savi,” Kinsley starts, and the nickname sends a wave of anger through me.
I narrow my eyes on her, my expression cold. “Don’t call me that.”
“Why not? Grayson does.” The look on her face tells me she knows exactly what she’s doing, and she’s doing it intentionally.
Faking a sweet smile, I rest my arms on the table. “Grayson has been calling me that since we were five, and while I don’t particularly like it, he gets a certain leeway. You, on the other hand…” I don’t need to finish for her to know what I’m insinuating.
“Whatever.” She rolls her eyes and tries to recover by focusing on something else. “Gray, are you still coming over today? My parents won’t be home until late.”
It’s as if she just plunged a knife straight into my chest, hearing her call him the name reserved just for me. What’s worse is the way he smiles.
“Yeah, I’ll be there.”
I try to ignore the pit in my stomach, but it’s no use. The games he plays, throwing his extracurricular activities with Kinsley in my face on a constant basis, only to show up at my house and stake his claim on me—it’s time they come to an end. Tessa was right. He needs a little dose of jealousy.
IT DOESN’T TAKE LONG for me to get the chance to show him who he’s fucking with. We’re all in third period, working on a project together, when I get up to throw something away. By the time I come back, Grayson has moved from sitting on one of the desks to the chair I was just using.
“Really?” I deadpan. “Where do you expect me to sit?”
He smirks. “I can think of one place.”
Looking down at his lap and back up at me, I know what he’s doing. He’s trying to make a fool out of me. By me sitting on his lap, it would look like I’m okay with him touching me. It would basically send a silent message that he’s the one in control here, and I refuse to do that. Instead, a stroke of genius passes through my mind.
“Oh, good idea.” I tell him and then turn to stand in front of Jace. “May I?”
His eyes widen in surprise, and he moves his hands out of the way. “Be my guest.”
I plant myself right in Jace’s lap, ignoring the way Grayson glares from where he’s sitting. I look at him and smile sweetly, which was probably the wrong thing to do, because it looks like he’s about to blow a fuse.
“Fine, have your fucking seat,” he growls, standing up and going back to sit on the desk.
I shake my head. “No, it’s fine, really. I’m good here.”
We continue to work on the project as I stay where I’m at, much to Grayson’s disapproval. He’s so focused on the way Jace’s hands keep ending up on my thighs or my waist that he doesn’t even notice when Kinsley tries getting his attention.
“Grayson?” She tries for the fifth time.
“What?” He snaps.
She recoils from the tone of his voice, looking surprised that he spoke to her like that. “I need you to sign your name on the sheet.”
He rips the paper from her hands and angrily scribbles his name across it. Meanwhile, Jace starts poking my side, only to realize I’m ticklish. His one arm holds me to his chest as his other hand attacks.
“Stop!” I squirm, and judging by the way he throws his head back and bites his lip, he’s enjoying this a little more than originally intended. “Oh my God, you’re such a pig.”
He chuckles. “Well, what do you expect? I’ve got the hottest girl I know on my lap, moving her ass back and forth.”
Going to stand up, he tightens his hold on me to keep me in place. I can feel Grayson’s stare burning into us, and while a part of me is concerned for Jace’s wellbeing, another part is enjoying having the upper hand for once. He gets to experience what he’s made me feel for the last few weeks.
Moving his mouth as close to my ear as he can, Jace whispers, “He’s not going to kill me, is he? He kinda looks like he’s going to kill me.”
Sure enough, I look at Grayson, only to see him already staring back at me—and if looks could kill…
I chuckle and shake my head. “I don’t think so.” Keeping my eyes on him for another moment, I hum. “But maybe hire a bodyguard to be safe.”
CLASS LETS OUT, AND Jace gives me a hug before going to fourth period, promising we’ll pick back up where we left off. It’s obvious he’s just helping me make Grayson jealous, but it’s working, so I have no complaints.
I go to my locker to switch out my books when a deep and angry voice echoes into my ear.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
Turning around, I find Grayson no less than six inches from me. I feign innocence and give him a sweet smile. “I have no idea what you mean.”
“Cut the shit, Savannah. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
I’m eating this up as I play the part. “Oh, you mean with Jace? I don’t know. I think I might give him a chance. He’s sweet, and hot as hell. Haven’t you noticed?”
He punches the locker next to my head and gets in my face. A part of me starts to wonder if maybe I took it too far, but then I remember all the times he flirted with Kinsley in front of me. And Lord only knows what they’ve done behind closed doors.
“Doesn’t feel good, does it?” I cross my arms over my chest.
He shakes his head and takes a step back, a devious smile spreading across his face. “Tell Delaney you don’t need a ride home today.”
“What? Why?”
“Because you’re coming with me.” He brings his lips to my ear, and his warm breath causes me to shiver. “I’m going to fuck the thoughts of Jace right out of you. By the time I’m done, the only name you’ll remember is mine.”
18
Grayson
By the end of the day, I’m on edge with the need to get Savannah out of here and back to my house. I already know my mom isn’t home, having left to spend the weekend visiting my Aunt Lauren. She o
ffered to wait for me so I could go with her, but I declined. I have more pressing matters here.
The image of Sav on Jace’s lap is burned into my brain, taunting me at every turn. She had every opportunity to sit on mine, and she chose him. I know it wasn’t because she wants him. She was doing it to get a rise out of me. Well, it worked. She’s got my attention—every fucking bit of it.
Everyone starts heading for the doors, with Jace giving Savannah a hug that lasts just a little too long. Her eyes meet mine from over his shoulder, and I can see the amusement in them. Once they’re gone, she turns to me.
“Did you tell Delaney you have a ride home?”
She nods. “Did you tell your little slut you’re not coming over today?”
“Nope. She’s not my concern, though. Teaching you a lesson is.”
Standing her ground, she looks as unfazed as ever. “Do your worst.”
She follows me out the back door of the school and over to my car. Some people stare as they see us, wondering why the two people who seem to hate each other would be leaving together. I’m almost positive this is going to get back to Carter and Jace, but frankly, I don’t give a shit. They should hear about it. Maybe then they’ll know not to fuck with what’s mine.
The drive home is quiet, with neither of us willing to cave. She stares out the window with that same confident look on her face, not faltering for a second. There’s a point she wants to prove, and she isn’t backing down.
I pull into my driveway, and the two of us get out. Unlocking and opening the door, I gesture for her to go in first. She looks around at the house she knows as well as I do, then turns to me.
“No one’s home?”
Shaking my head, I step closer. “The house is mine, all weekend.”
She holds my gaze and pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. “What are you going to do with so much alone time?”
“You.”
“Me?” A small yet condescending giggle leaves her mouth. “And exactly what do you plan on doing to me?”
“I’m going to blur the lines of pleasure and pain, and make you beg for mercy as I bring you to the edge—over, and over, and over again.” I bend down to nip at her earlobe, gently sucking it into my mouth. “Go upstairs. I want you on my bed and waiting for me by the time I get up there.”
The Sinner: A High School Bully Romance (Haven Grace Prep Book 1) Page 15