by Cara E Holt
Having no other choice, I make my way to the cafeteria. My heart hammers in my chest as I walk in there. Not looking up I join the queue for food and grab some fish pie. I don’t even like fish pie! My mind is so distracted.
I scurry to the table my friends usually sit at and slide in beside Hannah. I look up to find them all staring at me.
“What?” I ask looking at them like I don’t already know.
Lottie holds her phone out and proceeds to play a video captioned ‘Hot!’
The said video is of me kissing the face off Grayson St. Clair. I groan and hit my head on the table.
“Fucking great,” I exclaim.
Lottie put her hands either side of my head and lifts it. “Explain. I thought you hated him.”
“I did. I mean, I do.” I flush bright red. “I did it to piss Paige off. The witch warned me off him and then dumped my kindle in a vase of water.” I shrug my shoulders. “I was going to punch her in the face but then I realised, that,” I say pointing to Lottie’s phone, “would piss her off much more.”
Hannah laughs. “Oh, it pissed her off alright. You should see her comments on the video.”
Imogen leans forward from her seat opposite and rests her head on her hands. Her brown eyes wide with awe.
“So, what was it like?”
“What was what like?” I ask her, a blank look on my face.
She rolls her eyes at me. “Kissing him. Was it as good as I imagine it to be? Did it curl your toes and make your girly bits wet?”
“Gross.” James states, flicking water at her.
“It was a kiss. What more is there to say?”
Lottie scoffs and looks at me like I am a crazy person. “That was not, just a kiss.” She sighs. “That was bones deep, hot passion between the two of you.”
I laugh nervously. “Come on guys. I only did it to get at Paige. It meant nothing. Not to me and certainly not to Grayson.”
“Oh really.” Hannah states cocking an eyebrow. “Why is he walking this way then?”
I freeze in place, my eyes wide. I wish right now the ground could open and swallow me up.
“Everly.” His gravelly voice announces his arrival and I feel a shiver down my spine.
“Grayson.” I reply, not turning around and continuing to toy with my food. My bag is suddenly hanging in front of my face his hand holding it there. I reach out and grab it. “Uh Thanks.”
I jump when I feel his breath against my ear. “You’re playing a dangerous game Manchester.”
I bite my lip and close my eyes hoping to god he will go. I tentatively open one eye. Lottie and Imogen sit there mouths open, looking over my head.
“Please tell me he has gone?”
Imogen just nods, her mouth still agape.
Harvey frowns as he twirls his spaghetti round his fork. “I still don’t understand what the appeal is with that guy. Is it really a turn on? A guy that sleeps with anything with a pulse.”
Imogen sighs and looks at him. “He hasn’t slept with me.” Disappointment laces her voice.
“Me either.” Lottie adds, her toned dejected, as she stabs her straw into the carton of juice.
Shaking my head at them, I give my food my full attention. I did not want to discuss the kiss or Grayson any more today.
Chapter Seven.
The afternoon brings double history which thankfully means no Grayson. I feel all the stares as I take my seat and can hear the whispering and giggles. I manage to sit through two hours of staring and boys grinning at me and winking and girls either looking at me like I am some kind of enigma, or giving me the evils. At the end of the day, I’m leaning against Dom’s car when he and Izzy walk over hand in hand. Izzy is wearing a stupid grin on her face and Dom just looks at me amused.
“Not one word guys.” I warn them as I climb into the back.
Izzy takes her seat in the front passenger and twists to face me. “You can’t not expect me to want to talk to you about this!”
I shake my head. “I’m done talking about it. It happened, it’s done with. It will NEVER happen again.”
Izzy laughs. “If you say so Everly.” She turns back to face the front and I see her wink at Dom. I pull out my phone and earphones and put my music on and lean my head on the window. I just wanted to get home and shut myself away from the world and forget today ever happened.
I survive my session with my new counsellor who isn’t half as bad as I made her out to be in my head. I’m lost in my own thoughts as I leave her office and walk down the corridor to leave when I walk smack into someone I did not expect to run into here.
“Grayson.” I state, my voice pitched higher than usual.
Grayson stands there rubbing the back of his neck looking really uncomfortable, a look I had never seen on him before and not one I had ever expected to see. I mean the guy was so confident and self-assured.
“Hi.” He replies he rubs at the carpet with his trainers.
“You come here for counselling?” I ask trying to not make my voice sound so surprised.
He looks at me, biting his lower lip anxiously and my mind slips into remembering what it felt like to kiss that lip he is currently chewing on.
“Uh, yeah. Tess is my counsellor.”
I nod, hugging my body with my arms. “Mine too, as of today.” We both stand there awkwardly, the silence stretching out.
“Well I should go.” I state pointing down the corridor like an idiot. He nods in response and moves to the side to let me pass.
“Hey Everly.” His voice has me turning to face him again. “Could we maybe keep this between us. The guys would really rip the piss out of me if they knew.”
I nod and give him a reassuring smile. “Of course. I never would have said anything anyhow.”
He nods and returns my smile. Shy, unsure Grayson, is kinda cute. “Thanks.”
I nod like an idiot and turn on my heels and dash out of there. My Dad is waiting for me in the car park. I slide into the passenger seat and release a big breath that I had been holding in.
“Everything go okay?” He asks me, his eyes full of concern.
“Great. Tess is nice.” I tell him as I buckle up. This brings a relieved smile to my dad’s face and he starts up the engine and talk turns to Ollie’s reading reward.
That night I dream of the boy with the soft kissable lips. In my dream we are sat on the trunk of his car, him stood between my legs and we are lost in each other. My hands in his hair, his on my ass. Breathlessly he pulls away from me and rest his forehead against mine.
“You’re mine Everly ………., You always have been.”
I wake up in the morning and lay on my back looking at the white ceiling above me. He is in my dreams now. The boy I hate with the sweet lips is now invading my sleep.
The school morning passes by uneventfully. Yes, people are still whispering and staring, but hopefully they would get bored and move on to more exciting things than a non-event of a kiss. After lunch I have PE. Harper Grange sixth form insisted that it’s students did two hours of physical activity every week. So, I found myself in the girls changing rooms ready to endure two hours of exercise. I wasn’t a fan of team sports, never had been. Lottie is chewing my ear off about some band who are playing at the weekend as we head into the changing room. I open my gym bag and frown. My kit is missing and in its place is a white t-shirt. I pull it out and hold it out in front of me. In big black bold letters it has ‘NORTHERN HUSSY’ written across it.
“Paige.” I state knowing full well who was responsible for this.
“The witch.” Lottie exclaims, staring at the top in my hands. “Go and tell the teacher.”
I nod at first but then I shake my head. “I have a better idea.”
Five minutes later I walk out into the gymnasium, my head held high. I have my purple knee socks, gym shoes and the white ‘hussy’ t-shirt on and it sits high on my thighs long enough to cover my bum, but short enough to show off a lot of leg. I hear a round of w
histles as I walk further into the room. The sixth form boys at are the other end of the large gymnasium on the gym ropes and mats. I grab a table tennis bat and move over to a free table with Lottie.
“You are generating a lot of attention.” Lottie whispers grinning at me. “Paige is furious.”
I look over to the far tennis table and can see Paige stood there scowling at me. I give her a big smile and flip her the bird.
“Miss Taylor. Do you mind explaining to me what you are wearing?” My teacher stands there frowning at me.
“Someone stole my kit Miss and decided to replace it with this.” I point to my delightful t-shirt. “I had nothing else to wear.”
She nods still frowning at me. “There is spare kit in my office. Go and change.”
I inwardly roll my eyes and make my way down the gymnasium. Some of my bravery faulters when I realise I have to walk past the boys to get to the teacher’s office.
I am met with a flurry of whistles to which I roll my eyes and give them the finger. My eyes meet Grayson’s and he is stood there watching me with a grin on his face, looking very amused with my show. I can’t help but give him a small smile back. I walk back through a few minutes later dressed in proper school kit and he jogs up alongside of me. His muscled arms on display in the school vest.
“I preferred the t-shirt.” He tells me winking and he jogs off backwards grinning at me. I laugh and shake my head at him and jog back over to join Lottie to play table tennis. I think I can safely say that it was Paige – nil, me - two.
Friday evening, I sit on my bed with a drink of coke and catch up on Riverdale my favourite show on Netflix. I hadn’t really had time for boyfriends, being ill myself and then my mum being ill, but well yeah, I wanted my own jughead. Someone who would stand in my corner and support me.
I must have fallen asleep, as I open my eyes and the clock at the side of me tells me it’s just gone two in the morning. I hear a bang downstairs and sit still listening intently. Was it burglars? I grab the wooden candlestick off my shelf and climb out of bed, tip-toeing down the stairs. I hear a slight bang again and realise it is coming from the basement. Maybe someone was trying to get in through one of the windows. I make my way down the stairs to the basement, scolding myself for being such an idiot. If it was burglars, I hardly think I would scare them away with my candle holder. I hear rustling and head towards the sound coming from the den. I see movement near the window and the silhouette of a body. I raise the candelabra above my head and charge at the intruder. I knock him off his feet and jump on top of him. I go to smash the candlestick down on to his head when he blocks me.
“Fuck Ev. Stop it’s me!” I freeze in place and look down at the guy underneath me.
“Grayson?” I gasp when another body comes in through the window. Dom stands there taking in me straddling Grayson with a candelabra held over my head.
“Dom? What the fuck are you two doing?”
Grayson chuckles and reaches for my arms, pulling them down and taking the weapon from me. I realise then that I am sat on top of Grayson in a very short pair of shorts, in a vest with no bra underneath. Grayson was likely getting an eyeful of my girls through the material. I go to get off him, but he puts his hands on my thigh, holding me in place and winks at me.
Dom puts his finger to his lips to shush me. “You’ll wake our parents.”
“Seriously?” I whisper back. “I’m pretty sure you two are managing that all on your own. Why are you sneaking in?”
Dom shrugs and takes of his jacket and walks over to the sofa leaving me with a grinning Grayson underneath me on the floor.
“Nice bed clothes.”
I roll my eyes at him. “Shut up posh and get your hand off my leg.”
He laughs and runs his hand further up my thigh causing shivers. I go to get up off of him again, but he moves his hands up to my waist and holds me in place. He leans up, so we are face to face.
He leans into my ear. “Are you not wearing a bra?”
I fold my arms over my chest and glower at him. “It’s cold in here.” I tell him defensively.
Dom leans over the sofa and rolls off. “I’m going to bed, I’m fucked.”
Then it’s just me and Grayson sat on the floor and I think I forget to breathe.
“Looks like it’s just the two of us Manchester.”
I scowl at him. “Will you let me get up. I want to go back to bed.”
He waggles his eyebrows at me grinning. “Is that an invitation?”
“Ha! In your dreams.” I prod him in the chest. “Where have you two been anyyway?”
His hand around my waist touches my bare skin and it makes me lose all rational thought.
“You worried about me Ev?”
I’m not going to lie. Him calling me Ev does things to my body. He winds a piece of my hair around his finger and looks at it. “Your hair is like chocolate.”
“Are you drunk?”
He shakes his head. “Not had a drop. We have been out street racing.”
My eyes widen in response. “Grayson that is dangerous. You both could get hurt.”
Grayson shrugs. “We can handle ourselves. Besides, it’s a real rush.”
The hand at my waist rubs my back and his other hand takes my chin. His eyes meet mine.
“What is this Manchester? This thing between us.”
I freeze. “There’s no ‘thing’ between us. We hate each other.”
He nods. “We do. I hate you so much right now.” His voice is rough, and his eyes tell me something different. My whole body tingles. Then his lips crash down on mine and everything else falls away. All there is, is me and him and the feel of his lips on mine and his hands on my bare skin. My hands snake into his hair and I move my hips forward to get nearer to him and I feel ALL of him. He groans into my mouth and I run my hand down his chest and my hands snake underneath his t-shirt. He feels divine and I can’t get enough. He somehow stands with me wrapped around him and we fall onto the sofa, our lips never leaving the others. He sits up and pulls his t-shirt over his head and then his lips are back on mine. He grinds his hips into mine and I moan in response. His hands lift at the bottom of my top and I lean slightly forward so that he can lift it over my head. He sits there for a second and looks at me.
“So beautiful.” He whispers and then his mouth takes one nipple and I gasp and arch my back in response.
My hands run through his hair as the sensation of him playfully biting at my nipples drives me insane. His mouth trails soft kisses up my chest and along my neck and I move my head to the side to give him greater access. No boy has made me feel like this. I ache for him. His lips find mine and he takes my bottom lip in his and bites softly at it.
“Jesus.” He exclaims, his hand trails down my tummy and reaches the band of my shorts and I stop breathing. He looks at me for permission and I nod. His hand slips inside and I gasp as his finger slips between my folds and he slips it inside me.
“Oh god.” I whisper. He slowly pumps his finger in and out of me and then he adds another, and I groan, biting my lip, the sensation is too much. I move my hips against his fingers and we kiss each other our tongues tasting each other.
“So fucking wet, Ev.” He whispers against my mouth. He removes his fingers and I cry out at the loss and then he is pulling my short and undies down and he kisses down my stomach and comes to a stop between my legs.
I freeze and go to pull my legs together. “Relax Evs.” When his tongue touches me down there I arch up off the sofa.
“Oh my.” No boy had done this to me before. It felt so wrong, but so good. His tongue strokes up and down my core, making me cry out. He covers my mouth with his hand to remind me to be quiet and I bury my head in the pillow to quieten my moans. I feel a delightful pressure building in me. His mouth leaves me and is replaced by his fingers as his mouth claims mine. I can taste myself on his lips. He softly takes my hand and guides it to his groin and I slip my hand under his jeans and wrap my hands around
him.
“Fuck Ev.” He gasps his eyes closing and he bites his lip. I can’t help but smile at the effect my touching him has. We continue to touch eahc other and I squirm as I feel myself reaching a peak. Grayson smothers my mouth with kisses to smother the sound of my moans as I find my release. I feel him tense in my hand as he finds his release seconds later. We both lie there, catching our breath and Grayson pulls his fingers from me and brings them to his lips and licks them.
“Grayson.” I blush and cover my eyes with my arm. He pulls it away.
“Don’t be embarrassed.” He leans in and kisses me. His kiss is soft and gentle, and it surprises me.
“That was even better than I imagined.”
I look at him surprised. “You’ve imagined this?”
He grins. “Oh, I’ve imagined so much more. The things we do in my mind.”
I gulp. I think I might come all over again. He rolls us so that are both lying side on facing each other.
“This is a one off.” I tell him. “We can’t do this again. We hate each other.”
He nods. “Yeah we probably shouldn’t. But, tonight let’s pretend we don’t hate each other for a bit longer.” He suggests as his lips kiss softly down my neck and I think I can definitely pretend for a bit longer.
Chapter Eight.