by Cara E Holt
“Leave now.” Grayson orders, his frown deepening.
Andrews swear under his breath. “No. I won’t leave. I need to talk to her. There are things I need to say.”
“Not going to happen.” Grayson barks back.
I feel Emily’s hand shake in mine. “I want to talk to him Grayson.”
Grayson releases a big pent-up sigh and pinches the bridge of his nose. “No, you don’t.”
Emily releases my hand and steps in front of her brother, putting her hand on his chest. “I need closure on all this. Trust me, I’m okay Grayson. I’m stronger than you give me credit for.”
“We could let them have a few minutes.” I suggest, and this earns me a death stare from him.
“You know nothing about this.” Grayson tells me coldly.
I nod. “You’re right, I don’t, but your sister wants to do this.” I point to any empty hay bale. “They can sit there, right where we can see them.”
“Please Grayson.” Emily looks at him with pleading eyes. “I need to hear what he has to say.”
“Five minutes.” Grayson’s stormy eyes fall on Andrews. “Not a minute more and then you walk away and never come near her again.”
Andrews nods and he gestures for Emily to follow him.
Grayson comes to stand beside me. “Thanks for interfering.”
I stare at him in disbelief. “You’re really pissed at me?!”
He doesn’t meet my eye. “This is a bad idea.” He points at where his sister and Andrews sit heads bent together talking. “You have no idea what that fucker did to my sister.”
I scowl at him. “You’re right, I have no clue, but whatever has gone on your sister needs this, that much I can see.”
He scoffs in response.
“What?”
He shrugs. “Don’t get involved in my family’s business.”
That hurts, I’m not going to lie. I let out a shaky laugh. “You know what, go fuck yourself. I don’t appreciate you taking this situation out on me.”
I storm off, not giving him a backward glance and find my way back to the others. I plonk myself down besides Izzy and take her drink out of her hand and take a big drink.
“Sorry.” I tell her. “I needed that.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah I’m fine. Grayson is just being a first-class dickhead.”
“What about?”
I gesture with my head behind us to where Emily and Andrews are. “He’s taking that, out on me.”
“Holy shit. How has Grayson not killed him yet? Dom.” Izzy shouts getting his attention. “You need to be over there.” She gestures with her head and Dom follows where she points and his face drops.
“Fuck.” He rushes off and stands beside Grayson and I see him say something into Grayson’s ear. Grayson just nods, not taking his eyes off his sister.
“So, they were a thing? Emily and Andrews?”
Izzy sighs. “They were. She started dating him. Started doing drugs and failing at school. That’s not the worst of it though. He got her pregnant and turned his back on her. The day after she told him, he was with another girl. Emily was heartbroken.”
“Shit.” I don’t know what else to say.
“Emily was besotted with him. She hung on his every word. Her Dad took her for an abortion at some private clinic.”
I see Grayson look at his watch and then walk over to his sister. He wraps his fingers around Andrews arm and drags him up. Andrews looks frustrated but stands up and giving Emily one last look walks off towards the inside of the pub. Emily stands and Grayson wraps his arms around her hugging her. Eventually, they all walk back over. Emily’s eyes find mine and she smiles and mouths ‘thank you’ to me. I pat the seat beside me and she comes and sits.
“The bands about to start.” Izzy tells us, trying to make her feel comfortable. “The lead singer is cute, don’t you think Emily?”
Emily smiles and nods and as the music starts up. She really does look emotionally lighter from speaking with Andrews. I look up and Grayson is on his phone texting.
A second later my phone pings and I pull it out of my bag.
I’m sorry.
It’s from Grayson. I look up at him and then text back.
You’re an arse, but I’ll let it slide.
I look up to see him looking at his phone. He smiles and then looks back at me, he gestures with his head towards the pub and turns and heads that way.
“I need the loo.” I announce casually and head for the inside of the pub. As I enter a hand grabs mine and he pulls me through and to the side of a slot machine.
“I’m sorry.”
I cock a brow. “You already said that.”
“So, I’m saying it again. I just I lose it when I see him near her Ev. He broke my sister. She went from this fun-loving innocent girl to this sad, broken girl and I hated that I hadn’t protected her. She met him through me.”
I put my hands on his chest and look up at him. “I get it. She’s your baby sister but she needed to do that.”
He nods. “I know, I see that now. I was pissed off and I took it out on you.” He pulls me to him, his arms around my waist. “I want to go public, about us.”
My eyes dart up to meet his. “You do?”
He nods, his eyes assessing my response.
“Why?”
“Why not?” Is his reply.
I sigh. Being Grayson St. Clair’s would bring about a whole load of shit, I wasn’t sure I was ready for. He was a god at school. Girls watched his every move and flirted with him at every possible chance. I would be public enemy number one. Plus, I had publicly announced I would never go near him, it would be admitting that I was just like all the other female population when it came to him.
“I’m not ready.” I admit. “Can we give it a little longer?”
His jaw tenses. “Are you ashamed to be seen with me?”
“God no.” I pull his face down so he has to looks at me. “I’m just wary of everything that comes with being your girl, that’s all.”
He relaxes a little. “I won’t wait forever Ev. Your mine and I want everyone to know it.”
We arrive back at the house just before four. Grayson has his hand on my back as we walk inside behind Izzy and Dom.
“Here they are.” My Dad announces, and I look to find we have company. A lady in her sixties or so, is sitting beside Sophie on one of the sofa’s.
My Dad stands. “She was too impatient to wait until tonight. Everly, this is your grandma.” He gestures to the lady whose eyes find mine and she smiles warmly.
Grayson gently urges me forward and I walk around the sofa and come to stand before her. She has the same brown eyes as me and Dad. Her hair is lighter though, more a mid-brown that is cut in a layered bob. She is dressed smartly in black trousers and a soft pink knitted jumper.
She stands up and takes my hands in hers. “My, my look at you.” Her hands caress my cheek. “What a beautiful girl you are.”
“It’s great to meet you.” I tell her, my voice a little shaky.
“I am so excited to get to know you.” She tells me honestly and squeezes her eyes in excitement.
“Everly is my new sister, Grandma.” Ollie tells her, as he comes up and tugs on her trousers. She looks down at him and grins. “I know my sugar plum. Is it nice having a sister?”
Ollie looks at me and nods. “I love it. She plays with nerf guns. She sometimes kisses Grayson though and that’s yucky.”
Everyone laughs at this and I can’t help but blush. My Grandma looks behind me at Grayson and winks. “Grayson my boy, are you courting my granddaughter?”
Grayson grins, looking a little sheepish. “Kind of Mrs R.”
My Grandma raises a brow. “Kind of?”
I sigh and roll my eyes. “We are but it’s not exactly public knowledge yet.”
She looks from me to Grayson puzzled. “And why is that?”
Grayson laughs. “Everly’s ashamed to be seen with me.�
�
“I am not.” I tell her hurriedly, worried she will think I’m a horrible person. Her response however is to laugh. She leans in and lowers her voice. “Never be afraid to take what you want in life girl.”
She pats my hand. “Let’s sit. I want to know everything about you.”
My Dad comes up and squeezes me shoulder. “We’ll all give you two some space.”
An hour later Grayson comes over to find my Grandma and I laughing and joking.
“Looks like you two are getting on?” He smiles at both of us and sits on the arm of the chair.
My Grandma winks at me. “Got yourself a fine looking boy there, my girl. If I was thirty years younger I’d have been after him myself.”
“Grandma!” I exclaim shocked and she just laughs at me. “You show those girls at school that he’s yours. Mark your territory.”
“I’m not a piece of land.” Grayson laughs.
“She knows what I mean.” My Grandma tells him, squeezing my hands in hers. “I need to go. I have a date tonight with a hot chap from my Zumba class. He’s an art dealer.”
“Go you Mrs R.” Grayson tells her. She stands up and pulls me into her arms. “Let’s have a sleepover next weekend. You can come to mine and we can share our love of old musicals.”
I beam at her. “I’d really love that.”
Her warm brown eyes water slightly. “I’m so excited to have you in my life.”
She walks over to Grayson and pulls him in for a hug. “You look after my new Granddaughter young man.”
He does a mock salute. “Order received.”
My Dad comes back in the room at this point and he looks at me as if checking I’m okay. I give him a reassuring smile. “Come on mum, let’s get you home.”
My Grandma turns back to me as she reaches the door and blows me a kiss. “I’ll see you next weekend.”
“It’s a date.”
I let out a big breath when the door closes behind them. Grayson wraps his arms around me and hugs me.
“My Grandma is awesome.”
He chuckles. “She really is. So, you like musicals?”
I look up at him and nod. “Westside story is my favourite.”
“I have a surprise for you.” He grins. “It’s in your room.”
I give him a suspicious look. “Is this just a ploy to get me alone in my bedroom?”
“Always.” He replies grinning at me. “Come on.” He pulls me up the stairs.
When we enter my room, there is a small silver box on my bed, with a large blue bow on the top.
“It isn’t my birthday you know.”
“Just shut-up and open it.”
I can’t resist and rush over there and sit down, putting the box on me knee. “It had better not be some joke about my northern heritage.” I pull open the bow and lift the lid up. “A kindle.”
He nods at me from where he stands in the middle of my room. “I tried to get the one that Paige put in that vase fixed but it was beyond repair. Once you log on though, all the books you had stored can be downloaded again from your cloud.”
I clutch the kindle to my chest. I had missed having one so much. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”
“I knew it was important to you, so it became important for me to fix it for you. Plus, I like it that I have put that gorgeous smile on your face.”
I hold my hand out for him. “Come here while I kiss you to death.”
Grayson grins as he walks towards me. “That sounds like the best way to die.”
“What am I going to get you now in return?”
He sits beside me and cups the back of my neck. “Go public.”
“But what about your player image? I mean having a steady girlfriend will smash it to bits.”
He shrugs, and his eyes turn serious. “I couldn’t give a shit about my image. So, we declared war at first, now we have formed an alliance. Who cares.”
Chapter Twenty-one.
I’m in a good mood that morning at sixth form. I am sat in the common room listening to music and reading from my shiny new kindle when Paige walks in, and my mood immediately turns sour. She purses her lips when she sees me and comes walking over. She points at my headphone. Sighing I reluctantly pull one bud out.
“Yes?”
“You need to back off from Grayson. You are wasting your time.”
I sit up and pull out the other bud. “I’m sorry, did I ask for your opinion?”
She folds her arms and scowls at me, her little ski- jump nose sticks in the air, like she smells something bad.
“You aren’t good enough for him. You never will be. Grayson will be mine.”
I laugh then. That was it, I was done being the better person. “He knows Paige.”
Her scowl deepens. She really does have an ugly soul this girl. “Who knows what? Do tell?”
I smile. “Grayson knows about you and his Dad.” I see the horror cross her face before she quickly composes herself. “His dearest Dad admitted to him that he had you on his desk.” I laugh. “You really think he wants you now?”
“You lie.”
I cock a brow and offer her a confident smile. “Really? Why don’t you go and ask him then? He does know, and he was disgusted. You really think the way to get to Grayson is to sleep with his Dad? You really are clueless or sad.”
She flies over the table and raises a fist to me. “Go on.” I challenge. “Make my day. Give me an excuse to hit you back, because believe me, I hit harder.”
She lowers her clenched fist and her face twists with hatred. “I despise you. You, working-class bitch.”
I put my ear phones back in with a satisfied smile on my face and watch her storm out of the room nearly knocking a girl over as she barrels past her in the doorway. I’m not going to lie, that felt so good.
I walk into the cafeteria at lunch time and roll my eyes when I look over to Grayson’s table and see Lauren flirting with him. I order a jacket potato and make my way over to my friends. I shove my tray down and sit beside Lottie.
“Who upset you?”
I frown. “No one.” My eyes look across to Grayson’s table. I can tell he is not encouraging her, but it just pisses me off that girls think they can drape themselves all over the guy I love.
“Shit!” I say out loud. I love him! Somehow, I have gone from hating Grayson St. Clair to being shit-deep in love with him. “I love him.” I whisper in shock at this realisation.
Lottie looks at me and leans in. She smiles at me. “If you love him, then go claim him.”
I look at her surprised. “You know?”
She cocks a brow at me and gives me a look that tells me she thinks I’m simple. “It is hard to miss if you look close enough.” She taps her nose. “I read, and I know things.” I can’t not laugh at her Tyrion quote.
I sigh and look over at Grayson. “How did this happen?”
She shrugs. “I think it was inevitable. Honestly, I think you and Grayson St. Clair are endgame.”
“Endgame huh?”
She nods. “You are like the Betty and Jughead of Harper Grange.”
I laugh. “We are Bughead?”
She grins. “Yeah, you two could be Graverly, no that is crap.” She taps her chin. “How about Evergray. Yeah Evergray, I like that.” She follows my gaze to where he sits with Lauren is fluttering her eyelashes at him. “You can’t really be mad. To all of those girls he is fair game. Don’t let your pride get in the way of letting yourself be happy.”
I nod. “You’re right.” I bang my hands on the table and take a steadying breath.
“You look like you are preparing for battle.” Harvey grins as he Ryan and the girls sit down.
I grin. “I am. I’m defending my territory.”
Before Harvey can question me further I stand and run a quick hand through my hair.
“Do I look okay?” My eyes drop to Lottie.
“You look perfect. Now go.”
I nod and with a determined look on
my face I stalk towards Grayson’s table. He looks up and sees me coming and a puzzled look crosses his face. He waves Lauren off and she huffs and stalks over to her table. I don’t stop to think what I am doing. I march over there and lift a leg over his chair and straddle him.
“Ev?” He asks. I crash my lips down on his and I feel him smile against my lips and then he cradles my head with his hands and kisses me back. I hear wolf whistles and cheers and lots of murmured voices around us. My mouth leaves his and I bury my head in his neck, too embarrassed to look around the room.
“I love you.” I whisper quietly in his ear. He stills and then he lifts my chin up so my eyes meet his.
“You do?” He says quietly so that no one can hear. I nod and bite my lip.
He raises his arms in the air and grins. “Yeah go on take a good look. Everly Taylor is my girl and I love her.” He shouts it at the top of his voice, so the whole cafeteria hears.
My eyes shoot up to meet his. “Really?”
He grins “Really, Manchester.”
“Well it’s about time.” I hear a voice I recognise as Izzy’s and turn my head to face the members of the table, all of who are avidly watching me and Grayson.
Owen laughs and slaps Jacob on the back. “It looks like you owe me twenty.”
Grayson raises a brow. “You had bets on us?”
Owen laughs. “Come on, I mean this was obvious. I’ve seen the way you eat her up with your eye’s when you think no one else is looking.”
“I’ve seen you both sneaking out of the stationary closet.” Bens tells us grinning.
“Damn.” Grayson says grinning. “I thought we had you all fooled.”
Owen laughs and ruffles Jacobs hair. “Nah, only this muppet. The rest of us guessed a while ago.”
Dom sits there laughing with his arm around Izzy. “You look after my step-sister.”
Grayson smiles at him and then looks at me. “I intend to.”
“You do realise you have just broke a ton of girl’s hearts today Everly?” Molly asks me smiling.
I shrug. “They’ll get over it.”
I lean in and kiss him. “This feels strange.” I whisper.