by Cara E Holt
“Shit no, can’t you come?”
Dom laughs. “He’s already set off. There is a photo on facebook, of you with Andrews.”
“Oh.” I reply.
“Yeah oh. We are at his house. He’ll bring you back here.”
My stomach sinks. Paige had taken that photo and put it on facebook. Just great! I can imagine how it looked. I order another drink and sit on a stool by the bar for five minutes people watching. I’m mentally preparing myself for the shit I’m going to get off Posh.
Chapter Twelve.
I jump out of my reverie when I feel a hand on my wrist.
“We are leaving.” Grayson announces and proceeds to head towards the door with me stumbling after him.
“Will you quit dragging my ass!”
He turns and gives me a thunderous look and continues walking with his hand around my wrist. We get outside, and his car is parked over the road. He walks me round to the passenger side and throws the door open. “Get in.”
I fold my arms and giving him a filthy look climb inside. He slams the car door shut making me jump and screws out of there. His hands grip the steering wheel tightly and I can see his jaw is tense.
“What is your problem?”
He laughs, not taking his eyes off the road. “What is my problem? You let yourself get left alone at a bar. Then you let that fucking dirt-bag put his hands on you.”
“I didn’t let him put his hands on me. He grabbed me and before I had chance to protest Paige took a damn photo. Besides, who are you to say who I can and cannot talk to.”
He turns the wheel and pulls onto an empty car park and turns to face me.
“I told you he was bad news Ev. You need to stay away from him.”
I glower at him. “Why? Because he’s beneath you?”
He looks at me disgusted. “No. He’s not a good guy okay, just trust me on this.”
I fold my arms and lift my chin. “Why because he wasn’t born with a silver spoon up his ass. Because he’s a normal guy, like I’m a normal girl. If he’s beneath me then why are you having sex with me?”
He scoffs and looks at me exasperated. “If I thought you were beneath me, you really think I’d be fucking you at every opportunity? No exactly. Let me spell it out for you Ev. He.Is. DANGEROUS!”
“Well thank you for the concern but I decide who I talk to not you. You don’t own me. I mean this between us, it’s just fucking right?” My anger seethes. “I mean I’ve already passed my three strikes, isn’t it time to move on Grayson.”
He grinds his teeth and looks away from me. “Yeah you know what, you’re right. This was just a bit of fun and yeah your right you’ve had your three strikes so let’s part company.”
“Fine!”
“Fine!”
“You can take me home. I’m not coming to yours.”
He laughs. “My car, I’ll decide where I take you.”
“You’re an ass you do know that, right?”
We reach his house and I storm out of the car and into his house. I can hear voices coming from the corridor where the den is, so I head that way. When I get in there the place is packed. A couple of the rugby lads are on the karaoke, a few are playing pool whilst others sit chatting and drinking. I head over to where Owen is at the bar.
“Hey, it’s Manchester!” he places an arm around my shoulder. “What we drinking, beautiful?”
“Anything strong.” I spot a bottle of white rum and screwing the lid off pour a big amount into a glass before topping it up with coke.
“Woah. You after getting wasted?”
“Very.” I reply. I feel him walk in the room and my eyes meet his. He gives me one pissed off look and then moves to the sofas. He lifts a girl up and plonks her on his knee, which has her giggling. I see Dom lean over and whisper something in his ear. He replies, and Dom looks up and over at me.
I give him a sarcastic wave. Owen pulls me from the bar.
“Come on, pretty girl.” He pulls me over to the pool table as I down my drink in two gulps. The alcohol makes my throat burn. I lean on the wall watching Ben and Jacob play pool. Owen stays beside me and provides me with re-fills. A song comes on that I love, and I grab Owens hand.
“Owen, we have to dance to this!”
He laughs and allows me to pull him up to an area where Molly and a couple of other girls are dancing. I’m dancing and laughing with Owen when I feel his eyes on me. He is leaning on the bar with a beer, brows furrowed staring at me. A blonde girl comes to his side and leans herself into his side and whispers into his ear. Keeping his eyes on me he grins and when the girls pulls his face to hers to kiss him, he lets her. Fuck Him! I tell myself it doesn’t bother me, but truth is, it hurts. I have been so stupid, I opened my legs for him just as he said I would. I was just as bad as all the other girls and I only had myself to blame. I watch his hand move to her ass and all I want to do is go over there and rip her off him and tell her he’s mine. He isn’t mine though, he never was. So, I put my poker face on and drink and dance and flirt with every guy in there. Owen leaves me dancing to go to the bar and I see Grayson walk over and say something to him. Owen frowns in response and then says something back and then walks back over to me.
“Here’s your drink beautiful. I’m going to leave you with the girls.” He points at Molly who grabs my hand and has me dancing with her. Owen stays away from me for the rest of the night. About a half hour later Izzy arrives.
“Izzy come dance!” I tell her grabbing her hand and pulling her on to the dance area. She smiles at me and I see her give Dom a questioning look. Dom roll his eyes and moves his gaze to where Grayson stands with the blonde girl.
“Dumb ass.” She sighs.
“Who me?” I ask her as I move her hands to get her to dance.
“We need to talk.” She tells me and grabbing my hand she pulls me out of the room and into the hallway.
“Why were you with Andrews tonight?”
I scoff and fold my arms leaning back against the wall. “I wasn’t with him for Christ sake! I went there with Lottie and the guys. He came over to me, wanted to know if Grayson was with me. Then Paige turned up with her camera and he grabbed me, and she took a photo. That’s all it was!”
“Oh.” Izzy sighs and leans against the opposite wall. “Grayson doesn’t like him for a reason Everly. He’s bad news.”
I groan. “So, everyone keeps saying, but no one tells me why!”
Izzy bites on her lip. “It isn’t my story to tell Everly. You should ask Grayson.”
I laugh. “Not likely. I’m never speaking to that dick again.”
Izzy raises a brow. “You sure about that?”
I frown at her. “What do you mean by that?”
Izzy shakes her head at me and comes to lean beside me. “You think Dom and I haven’t seen the looks you two give each other. Or the way your eyes follow him around a room and his do the same. Or the way you both give each other ‘fuck me’ eyes.”
My mouth falls open. “We do not.”
She gives me a pointed look. “So, you two haven’t been screwing each other then?”
I go to tell her no and lie but instead I re-fold my arms and look away from her.
She comes to stand in front of me. “And why is he in there all over Louisa?”
I laugh. “Okay, yes we fucked, it was fun, I actually lasted longer than his usual three strikes, go me! It’s done with now.”
She shakes her head at me and looks at me sadly. “You believe that do you?”
I raise my chin and nod, confidently. “I do.”
Izzy runs a frustrated hand through her flame red hair. “Want to know what I think? I think you two like each other way more than either of you are willing to admit. Grayson lets no one in, yet he took you to his mum’s grave. He talked to you about her suicide. He’s never done that before with a girl. When you were left in a club on your own, who came for you? Grayson. He insisted on going, he wouldn’t let Dom come and get you.”
> I let out a shaky breath. “Look Izzy, I don’t want to talk about this right now. I want to go back in there with my head held high and drink and have fun.”
Izzy pulls me in for a hug. “Come on then, let’s go have fun.” She takes my hand and pulls me back into the room.
I wake up in the morning and find my face stuck to a leather sofa. Nice! I sit up and groan as I feel how heavy my head feels. I drank way too much last night. I notice someone has put a blanket over me at some point. I sit up and laugh when I see Ben passed out asleep on the pool table, curled in a fetal position. I need water. I manage to find my way to the kitchen and stop still in my tracks when I walk in and find Grayson in there. He’s stood leaning on the kitchen island with a glass of juice in his hand looking out the window. I go to turn around quietly and head back out before he sees me.
“Everly.” Izzy announces loudly and linking my arm in hers turns me around and forces me with her into the kitchen. I give her the stink-eye, but she just smiles and propels me further into the room with her.
“Morning Grayson.”
He nods his head at her but doesn’t make eye contact with me. Suits me fine! Dom strolls in yawning and stretching. “Well isn’t this nice, just the four of us.”
“No.” Grayson and I say in stereo at the same time. We both look at each other and quickly avert our eyes elsewhere.
“Blondie still keeping the sheets warm upstairs?” Izzy asks as she sits down on one of the bar stools and pats the one next to her for me to sit on. Frowning like a spoilt child I huff and sit beside her.
Grayson coughs and rubs the back of his neck. “She’s not here. She um, left.”
I laugh and his eyes jerk to mine. “Something funny Manchester?”
I shrug. “Guess you really do fuck em and then make them leave hey?”
Grayson mutters something under his breath. “If you’ve got something to say, please speak up?” I snap back. Dom whistles and grabs juice from the fridge and pours Izzy and I a glass.
“I said all I had to say last night.” He tells me, his blue eyes burning into mine.
“Me too.” I announce and drinking the rest of the juice I stand up. “Dom, can you take me home now please?”
Dom scratches his head and looks at me and then Izzy. “Erm, Izzy and I are off to see her grandmother. I won’t have time to drop you off.”
“Oh.” My heat drops. “No worries I’ll ring Dad.”
“They’re out. They’ve taken Ollie out for the day, some farm or something.”
“I’ll call a taxi.” I fish my phone out of my pocket but before I can unlock it, Izzy plucks it out of my hand.
“No need. Grayson can drop you off.”
Grayson’s eyes snap up to meet Izzy’s and he gives her a look that clearly shows what he thinks of that idea. I go to take my phone back off her, but she holds it out of my reach behind her.
“Leave it. I’ll take you home.”
I glare at him. “I’d rather walk.”
He laughs. “Good luck with that it’s freezing out there and you don’t have a coat. I said I’ll take you home and I will.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.” He grabs his keys and looks at me. “Well come on then, let’s go.” Izzy grins at him and he flips her the bird.
I follow him out to his car and as soon as it clicks open I climb in and fasten my seat belt and look out of the window. He climbs in and starts the engine. We don’t speak for the whole journey. When he eventually pulls up at my house, I can’t get my belt unbuckled fast enough and get out of the car. I frown when I pull the handle and it doesn’t open.
“Can you let me out?”
“Look about last night..”
I turn to face him. “I think everything we needed to say was said last night. Please unlock the car.”
He gives me one last exasperated look and unlocks the car and I can’t get out of there fast enough. As I put the key in the lock I hear him reverse and screw out of the drive.
I have a shower and then have a power nap and get some reading done for English. Dad texts to say they are calling at Sophie’s mum and having tea there so I head down to the kitchen to look at what I can heat up for tea. As I am stood before the freezer pondering what to have the front door opens and Dom walks in, followed by Izzy and Grayson. Great! I look a hot mess. My hair is up in messy bun and I’m dressed in a pair of grey joggers that have seen better days and a snoopy tank top that shows off my belly. Grayson walks in looking like a god. He’s wearing black jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt that clings to his muscled chest.
“We are going out tonight Everly.” Izzy announces slapping my backside as she walks past.
“That’s nice for you.” I tell her as I pull out some cold pasta salad.
Izzy sits herself on the worktop and swings her legs. “I said, we, that means you too.”
I laugh as I plate up some of the salad. “I don’t think so. Besides, I have plans.”
“Going meeting Andrews?”
My eyes snap up to meet Grayson’s who stands there smirking from where he leans beside Izzy on the kitchen worktop. Before I can stop myself, I march over to him and stand so that I am an inch from his face.
“Fuck you, Grayson.”
He smirks. “Ah but you already have, several times and moaned my name as you came.”
I lift my knee and knee him in the groin and he swears out loud, and doubles over in pain. I pick up my bowl and a fork and walk past Izzy.
“I’m not going anywhere where that dick goes.”
“Ev, wait.” I hear Grayson say between groans, to which I give him the fuck off sign from over my shoulder.
Chapter Thirteen.
I do go out that night. I ring Lottie and beg her to go out. We all end up at the cinema watching the latest Maze runner film. It is a fun night, the film is good and the guys are good company and it takes my mind off blue-eyed dick heads for the night. School that week is a strange experience. There are no pranks, no jibes. We both act as if the other one doesn’t exist. At lunch I take my seat beside Lottie and she looks at me concerned.
“Everything okay?”
I give her a funny look. “Yes, why shouldn’t it be?”
“What’s the deal with you and Grayson?”
I frown at her as I peel the wrapper off my sandwich. “Deal?”
“Well, it’s Wednesday and there have been no pranks, nothing.”
I shrug. “I’m tired of playing games with Grayson St. Clair. I have better things to do with my time.
He walks in at that very moment, Dom and Owen following closely behind. He queues for food and then takes his place at his usual table. He has no sooner sat down when I see the lovely Lauren walk over to him and she sits on the table and starts chatting with him. Flicking her hair and smiling.
“Pathetic.” I mumble as a bite into my sandwich. I suddenly, didn’t feel hungry at all.
Harvey comes and sits beside me and places his arm around my shoulder.
“Hey you.”
I smile and nudge him with my hip. “Hey yourself.”
“So, I was wondering.” Harvey says, he looks nervous. “Do you fancy hanging out later, just the two of us?”
“Oh.” My eyes meet his. “Like a date?”
He smiles and shrugs. “It could be. We could grab pizza and watch a movie at mine or something?”
Laughter pulls me from my thought and I look to see Lauren is now perched on Grayson’s lap.
“Sure, yeah.” I tell him. Harvey looks at me surprised and his face breaks into a big grin.
“Great, well I’ll meet you on the car park after school?”
I nod. “Great.” I find Lottie’s eyes on me and she’s giving me a funny look.
At the end of the school day I make my way to Dom’s car to let him know I am going home with Harvey. I had already texted Sophie and let her know. I
“Great.” I groan to myself when I see Dom and Izzy walking over with Grayson.
“Oh, erm, I don’t need a lift today.”
“Hey, Everly you ready?” Harvey comes up from behind me, all smiles.
I turn back around. “So yeah, I’m going over to Harvey’s. We are guna hang out, pizza and a movie.”
“That sounds like fun.” Grayson says. I scowl at him in response. “In fact, it sounds so much fun, I think we’ll tag along.”
“No that is not okay..” I begin to protest.
“Uh sure you can, that is fine. Yeah great!” Harvey says smiling and shuffling his feet awkwardly.
“Hey Lauren.” Grayson shouts over the car park. “Come here gorgeous.”
Lauren comes bounding over all smiles. “Want to come hang out at Harvey’s?”
She beams at him like he is asking for her hand in marriage. “Love to.”
“Excellent. Me and Lauren will ride with you Harvey.”
I stand the flummoxed wanting to open my mouth and tell him absolutely no, but I realise I will just end up looking pathetic. I plaster on a fake smile and look over at Dom and Izzy, who have been standing there looking highly amused by the whole situation.
“This is not funny.” I hiss at them.
Dom chuckles and then holds his hands up in defence when I growl at him. “This is so very funny.”
I march over to Harvey’s car with the intention of riding up front, but Grayson has beat me to it and is currently climbing in the front passenger seat. With a scowl on my face I sit in the back with Lauren who sits there beaming because the great and mighty Grayson has invited her. I give her my fake smile and then turn to the window pretending to look at the views.
We arrive at Harvey’s house five minutes later. All the journey here. Grayson has been all pally with him, making small talk so much so that Harvey is licking it up. We climb out of the car and Dom and Izzy pull up behind us.
The evening is horrific. Pizza is ordered and when we sit down to watch a movie it ends up with Harvey on one end of the sofa with Lauren next to him and then me on the other end with Grayson sat next to me. Grayson pats my leg.
“Isn’t this nice.”