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

  I glance up at the name of the studio and it all comes flooding back to me. An eight-year-old Savi, sitting in my room and telling me about the boy she met at dance. Her teacher’s son. I didn’t like him then, and I sure as shit don’t like him now. Brady Laurence just became another one of my targets.

  7

  Savannah

  I’m getting ready for school in the morning when the doorbell rings. I freeze. The last time someone came here this early, it was a big guy ready to wring my dad’s neck for owing him money. Still, after the second time, I head to the door.

  “Savannah Montgomery?” a guy asks, looking down at his clipboard then back up at me.

  “Yes?”

  He smiles. “We’re here to install a new window. Mind showing me where it’s going?”

  “Uh, sure.” I answer hesitantly and lead him into the house.

  I’m not stupid enough to believe my father used his precious drug and alcohol money on a new window. The night it broke, he sat in a drunken stupor and watched as I cut my hand on the broken glass and then covered the gaping hole with a large piece of cardboard. No, this has to be the work of someone else.

  “It’s this one.” Pointing to the window, I back away. “I have to go to school. My dad is asleep in his room, I think. So just lock the door behind you when you leave.”

  He nods and then gets to work, starting to remove the makeshift cover.

  I grab my bag from my room and head out to where Brady is already waiting. It’s unusually chilly for a September morning in California, so when I climb into the car, I welcome the warmth. He looks over at me and grins as he puts the car in drive.

  “New window?”

  “Yeah.” I sigh. “Thank you.”

  He chuckles at how I already know who’s responsible. “Don’t mention it.”

  We pull up to the school a short while later, only to find Kinsley hanging out with Grayson, alone. She’s laughing at something he said as he smokes his cancer stick. A sickening feeling settles in the pit of my stomach at the sight.

  “What the hell is Grayson doing with her?” Brady asks.

  I roll my eyes and sink into the seat. “I’m pretty sure he’s using her to make me jealous. Though, I don’t think she knows that.”

  The bad blood between Kinsley and me goes back for years, which is why no one gets involved or tries to defend her when I treat her like shit. When we were freshman, she saw me as a threat, and in a horrible attempt to ruin me, she told police that I tried to rape her little brother. It was as sick and twisted as she is. Thankfully, her brother denied all allegations, and her parents got her to admit that she made the whole thing up.

  After that, I kept to the age-old saying: keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. As messed up as she is, it makes more sense to keep her on my side. Otherwise, she’d spend all her time thinking of new psychotic ways to mess with me, and I don’t need her finding out my secret. However, all this shit she’s pulling with Grayson is really pissing me off. She may already think I’m a bitch, but if she keeps this up, she’s going to find out just how ruthless I can be.

  THE MORNING IS SO slow that I almost consider trying to leave early. It’s only second period, and I’m doing by best to ignore the unfortunate blast from my past beside me. If he’s trying to be subtle with the looks he’s shooting my way, he’s failing miserably. A part of me wants to snap at him, but I have a feeling it would do no good.

  Halfway through the class, I stand from my desk and walk up to Miss Layton. She eyes me curiously, leaning back in her chair.

  “How can I help you, Savannah?”

  I fake a smile. “Can I have a hall pass? I need to use the ladies room.”

  It’s obvious she wants to protest, but she pulls the pad from her desk and signs it anyway. Smart woman. I take the paper and thank her as I leave the room. It’s not that my need to pee is dire, but my need to get some space from Grayson is. When I have people around to distract me, it’s easier to ignore him, but when it’s just the two of us, my focus stays solely on him.

  Maybe I could get Brady to pick me up. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s signed me out of school. His mom is on my emergency contact list, and he just acts like he’s picking me up for her. He and I could go back to the studio to rehearse some more. Dancing is exactly what I need right now—to throw my body into the music and forget the world around me.

  I finish my business and flush the toilet with my foot, because there’s no way in hell would I ever touch that thing with my hand. As I’m standing at the sink, the door opens, and Grayson walks in. Fucking fantastic. I throw away the paper towel and turn to face him.

  “You know, you might be lacking in male genitalia, but the guys’ bathroom is across the hall.”

  He narrows his eyes on me, and I think I even see the corner of his mouth twitch—but that could be my mind playing tricks on me. “Funny, because the Savi I knew would turn bright red at the slightest mention of a dick.”

  I cross my arms and lean back against the cool ceramic. “That girl is long gone.”

  “So I’ve noticed.” He crosses the distance between us and reaches his hand out to brush the hair out of my face. “It’s a shame. She was my favorite.”

  He’s so close that his scent overtakes my senses. The smell of smoke masked over by cologne, yet still him. I don’t dare to move as he brings his hand to the back of my neck and presses his forehead against mine. Even after all these years, he’s makes my whole body come alive. Every nerve ending concentrates on his touch. He remains still, his lips only millimeters from mine.

  “Gray.” I whisper, but regret the nickname as soon as it comes out of my mouth.

  He tenses instantly, and the energy in the room changes. His grip tightens as he pulls back, and the fire in his dark blue eyes sends fear straight through me.

  “Don’t call me that,” he growls. “You don’t get to fucking call me that.”

  My brows furrow. “What happened to you?”

  The dark chuckle that comes from his mouth echoes around the small room. “Isn’t it obvious, Savannah?” My name is like poison on his tongue. “You happened to me. There isn’t a single thing in my life that you haven’t ruined. Broken everything that ever meant anything to me. Now, I won’t stop until I break you.”

  His hand clenches around my necklace, and with one harsh pull, he snaps it right off my neck. The one thing I held onto all these years—the only thing that reassured me my life wasn’t always a fucking disaster—is in the hand of the one who gave it to me. As he storms out, I can’t control it as I break down. The tears pour from my eyes as my hand searches for the piece of jewelry I know is no longer there. Somehow, it doesn’t feel like he just took back a gift that meant the world to me. It’s like he’s taking back our entire past together, and I don’t know how to handle that.

  I TRIED TO GET Brady to pick me up, but unfortunately, he was visiting Jake at work. He offered to leave, but the last thing I want is for my best friend’s boyfriend to feel like I’m stealing even more of his time than I already do. So, I told him I’d stick it out and see him at the end of the day. Thank God it’s Friday, because I don’t know how much more of this I can take.

  It would be one thing if I knew why Grayson hates me so much. I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit racking my brain for anything I’ve done wrong, but nothing comes to mind. He’s the one who left without saying goodbye. He’s the one who vanished from my life and broke my heart in the process. Every promise we ever made, every dream we ever had, was gone along with him. I’ve never felt as alone as I did that day.

  The cafeteria is crowded as I walk over to our table and sit down. Jace and Carter are already there, as usual. They must see how defeated I feel because they share a concerned look before Carter reaches over and places his hand on mine.

  “Are you all right?”

  I shrug. “I’m fine. Just over this week.”

  He nods slowly and then smirks. “This
wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain moody quarterback, would it?”

  “Don’t mention Grayson to me,” I snap. “Seriously, don’t.”

  He raises his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. No need to bite my head off.”

  I’m about to apologize when the rest of the table fills, including my two least favorite people. I hadn’t seen Grayson since he walked out of the bathroom with my favorite belonging. No part of me wanted to go back to second period, so I told the nurse I didn’t feel well and wanted to lie down. She sent someone to get my things, and I spent the rest of class there. With him being in all four of my classes, I’ve never considered changing my schedule so much in my life.

  He takes the seat next to Kinsley, making me roll my eyes and focus on my phone. How am I supposed to have an appetite when I have that sitting in front of me? She giggles at something he says and slides her tray over to share with him. It’s sickening, and almost makes me feel bad for her. Almost. Anyone with eyes can see that he’s not actually interested. For some reason, he’s got this undying need to torment me, and he’s using her to do it.

  A tap on my shoulder pulls my attention away. Lennon, a junior here and someone I know from dance, stands behind me. Her blonde hair and bright red lipstick are only a small part of what makes her gorgeous. She’s a little spitfire, both on and off the dance floor. She’s the only other person besides Brady who I’ll do a duet with. No one else can keep up.

  “Hey, Lennon. What’s up?”

  She smiles sweetly. “My dad is stuck in some business meeting today, and the chauffeur is sick. Do you think I could catch a ride with you and Brady to dance?”

  I nod. “Of course, babes. Just meet me out front after school.”

  “Thank you.”

  “No problem.”

  She’s about to walk away when a familiar voice stops her. “And who might you be, beautiful?”

  Her eyes land on Grayson and widen. However, before she has a chance to answer, I put my hand up.

  “Don’t answer him, Len. He’s a pig.” To my relief, she laughs and walks away—taking my advice. I focus my attention solely on Grayson. “Leave her alone. She’s too good for you.”

  He scoffs. “Whatever.” He turns to Kinsley. “Babe, let’s get out of here.”

  I don’t miss the evil glint in her eye as she stands and walks away with his arm draped over her shoulders. If I had eaten anything at all, it would have come back up after seeing that. I’d rather him be with anyone but her, and the problem is, I think he knows that.

  “He’s got balls, hitting on Lennon Bradwell like that,” Jace remarks. “Her dad would have his head on a silver platter by nightfall.”

  Carter snickers. “I don’t think he knows anything about her. Might have been fun to watch if jealous Judy over here didn’t ruin it for us.”

  I groan. “I’m not jealous. She just has the recital to focus on. It needs to be perfect. No distractions.”

  “Sure. We’ll go with that,” he quips then turns to Jace. “I wonder if he was this much a player in Campton.”

  In a single second, all the air gets sucked out of my lungs. “Campton?” I croak. “As in, an hour away, Campton?”

  Jace nods. “Do you know of any others?”

  Red lights go off in my head as I get up from the table and march out of the cafeteria. I know chasing them down is a bad idea, but I can’t help it. Thankfully, I find them in the hallway, not far from Grayson’s locker. I go directly up to them and narrow my eyes on Kinsley.

  “Leave.”

  She crosses her arms. “No.”

  Grayson must know something is up because he presses a kiss to her forehead and then pushes her away. “Go, babe. I’ll find you after.”

  Kinsley glares at me as she walks away. Once she is gone, all my anger is aimed directly on Grayson.

  “Campton?” I shout. “All this time, you were in fucking Campton?” He closes his locker and leans against it but doesn’t say anything. “Do you know how hard I tried to find you? How many times I looked for you and came up empty? You left me! I came back from my grandmother’s house, and you were fucking gone! And now I find out you were only an hour away?” I press my hands against his chest. “I couldn’t fucking find you!”

  He grabs my wrists and shoves me off him. “I didn’t want to be found, especially not by you. Ever think of that?”

  It’s like a punch directly to the gut, because no, I hadn’t thought of that. Why would I? He was my best friend. The two of us were inseparable. No part of me considered the fact that he wouldn’t want anything to do with me.

  Before I give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry, I shake my head and take a step back. “Fuck you, Grayson.”

  “In your dreams.”

  I don’t justify him with an answer as I walk away, knowing I can only hold back my emotions for so long. The part of me that was once hard as stone is breaking in his presence. I need to learn how to control myself before I let him destroy everything I worked so hard to attain.

  THE MUSIC FILLS THE studio as I throw myself into every move. All the anger, the sadness, the pent-up frustrations—I let it all out in the best way I know how. Losing myself in the song, I hardly notice anyone around me. The dance is everything I need right now, and as the beat fades away, I collapse to the floor, breathing heavily but feeling less like a glass squeezed to the breaking point.

  “If I ever become half the dancer you are, I’ll be so happy,” Lennon says with a sigh.

  I sit up and chuckle. “Shut up. You’re amazing. Don’t even.”

  “Maybe so, but you’re something else. The way you tell a story with your body, it’s everything a dancer aspires to be.”

  “She’s right,” Brady says as he helps me off the floor. “Though I know you well enough to know that had more to do with personal issues and less to do with the choreography.”

  We walk over and sit down next to Lennon. Everyone else has since gone home, but Brady is Lennon’s ride, so she stayed to hang out.

  “And I take it this is when you interrogate me?” I joke. He does a quick side glance at Lennon, mentally asking if he shouldn’t say anything, but I shake my head. “It’s fine.”

  “Grayson again?” he guesses.

  I give him a sad smile. “Nothing gets by you, does it?”

  “Is that the new guy? The one you told me to ignore at lunch?” Lennon questions.

  I nod. “That’s the one.”

  “He’s like, crazy hot,” she says, but then backtracks as she sees Brady wince. “I’m sorry. Was that wrong of me to say?”

  “No, it’s fine,” I reassure her. “He and I just have a history.”

  Brady snorts. “If that’s what you want to call it.” He turns to Lennon. “They were married.”

  “What?” she shrieks.

  “Oh my God, don’t listen to him. We were eight.”

  I spend twenty minutes getting a confused Lennon up to speed on everything, and then another ten telling her and Brady everything that happened today. By the time I’m done, I realized I’ve been absentmindedly rubbing my hand against where my necklace used to be. I feel completely naked without it.

  “Ew, what a dick.” Lennon makes a face of disgust. “And Kinsley, too. Isn’t she supposed to be your friend? Hasn’t she ever heard of girl code?”

  I can’t help but smile at how angry she is for me. “Kinsley has never been my friend. It’s just easier to keep tabs on her crazy ass when she’s close by.”

  “Ah, okay. That makes more sense.”

  “Well, there’s only one thing left that you can do,” Brady says with a frown. “Act like he doesn’t exist.”

  I scoff. “Easier said than done, B.”

  He shakes his head. “No, listen. He clearly has some kind of vendetta against you, and he’s out for blood. The best way to beat that is to completely ignore him. Fight fire with fire, and you risk getting burned. But, if you leave the fire to starve, it’ll eventually burn out.”r />
  I ponder his words as Lennon hums. “He’s got a point.”

  Brady smiles. “Take the weekend to get it all out of your system. Then, starting Monday, you act like you don’t even know who he is—because let’s face it, you don’t. Not anymore.”

  8

  Grayson

  I look around before crossing the street and slipping behind North Haven High—the hood on my sweatshirt pulled over my head. The last thing I need is someone at Haven Grace seeing me over here. I’d not only get the third degree from Carter, but someone may catch onto my plans. I don’t need any of that happening.

  “Grayson Hayworth,” Knox greets me, though I wasn’t aware he knew my name. “You’re on the wrong side of the street, aren’t you?”

  His friends surround him, eyeing me like I’m the devil just for stepping foot on their territory. He’s not the kind of person you would expect to be the captain of the football team. His tattoo-covered body and his obvious tendency for drug use would lead me to think he’d be more partial to being lazy and partying all the time. Still, he’s the best one for the job I’m looking for.

  “I need something from you.”

  A dry laugh leaves his mouth. “Do I look like your fucking slave, pretty boy?” I take the wad of cash out of my pocket and toss it to him. His eyes widen at the large sum of money, and he gestures his friend toward me. “Hook him up.”

  I shake my head when I see the guy digging in his pocket. “I’m not looking for drugs.”

  “Then what is it you want? Don’t tell me Haven Grace’s new quarterback is gay. This is a lot of money, but I won’t drop to my knees for anyone.”

  The thought alone is repulsive and I cringe. “What’s wrong with you, man? I just need you to follow someone for me.” He raises one eyebrow, looking for me to elaborate. “Brady Laurence.”

  “Ah,” he says with a nod. “Princess’s boyfriend.”