Start a Fire: A Dark High School Bully Romance (The Savage Crew Book 1)

by Julia Wolf

  “Of course.” She turned to me. “It’ll be about a half hour, babe. Think you can wait?”

  “Just barely. I’ll see Sebastian out, then come help.”

  She winked at me. “I don’t need help. Don’t hurry back.”

  The second we were out of the kitchen, Sebastian wandered in the opposite direction of the front door. I followed him to my room where he went straight for my dresser again. But this time, instead of opening my underwear drawer, he picked up the small, metal sculpture of a rose.

  “This is nice,” he said.

  “Thank you.”

  He looked up from his examination. “You made this?”

  “I did. The three-foot tall version is in Switzerland.”

  He hummed, setting it down carefully, and moved onto my bedside table. There, I kept a framed picture of my group of friends in Switzerland and one of my mom and me. He sat on the edge of my bed, looking at both, then nodded to the picture of my friends. “Do you miss them?”

  “Yes. But I knew we weren’t staying there forever, so I never really allowed myself to get too close to anyone. Plus—” I cut myself off. I’d been about to talk about my dad, but at the last second, I remembered Sebastian was not my friend. I wouldn’t be bleeding my heart out to him. He could take a lot, but never who I was.

  He set both frames down and reached for my hands, tugging me down beside him. My butt bounced on the mattress. Sebastian turned my face with his hands, sweeping over me with a hard gaze.

  “Who hit you?”

  The question came so out of nowhere, my mouth popped open. It took me a second to gather my wits again. “Why do you need to know?”

  “Tell me.”

  I couldn’t recall why I hadn’t wanted him to know. Possibly so he didn’t insinuate himself anymore into my life. A day later, and I didn’t think I had a choice.

  “Nate Bergen’s girlfriend, Elena. One of her coven reported I’d been all over Nate at the game Friday and Elena didn’t take too kindly to that. She pushed me into my locker and called me every synonym for whore she could think of.”

  His hands dropped from my face, and his brows drew together in a tense line. “Is that all she said?”

  “I can check the transcript, but that’s the gist of it. Like I said, though, I’ve got it handled.”

  “Weren’t you best friends with that girl?”

  I jerked, startled he knew that. “You remember me...from before?”

  Our school was massive. With over four-thousand students, you could go to school with someone for four years and never know them. I just assumed since I didn’t recognize Sebastian, he didn’t know who I was either. Then again, a lot of my freshman year was a blur. Too much had happened since.

  Sighing, he got to his feet and crossed the room to my dresser again. “Everyone knew who you were. Rich, pretty, cheerleader. I saw you.” He twisted, giving me his profile. “I’m gonna head out. Walk me to the door.”

  He waved goodbye to my mother on his way out, but didn’t stop until he got to my door. I was at his heels, so when he wheeled around and shoved his hands in my hair, I nearly lost my balance. Sebastian backed me into the wall, pressing his forehead to mine.

  “If anyone fucks with you, I need to know. Promise me you’ll tell me.” His tone brooked no argument, but that wasn’t anything new for Sebastian. He spoke in absolutes, as if his word was law.

  “Are you going to lay the beat down on Elena Sanderson for being a bitch to me?”

  His hold on my hair tightened until my breath caught in my throat. “Promise me.”

  “Only if you keep your promise too.” He hadn’t asked to touch me now, but I didn’t mind this so much. Even with the twinge of pain, having his hands on me this way wasn’t bad.

  He touched his lips to my temple. “Fucking Grace.”

  Could I really be getting to him the way he was getting to me? Maybe. But when he left without kissing my lips, yet again, and disappointment poked like a sharp stick at my ribs, I knew, without a doubt, he still had the upper hand.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Friday night, Wheelz was slammed with cute skater boys and grown-up, hot skater men. Helen worked the floor, flirting and selling the hell out of the merchandise. She was a skater herself, so the fact that she was both pretty and knowledgeable sent most of our customers to their knees.

  Close to closing time, during a lull in customers, Helen sat behind the counter with me. She propped her head on her fist, giving me a long stare.

  “So…” she started.

  “So?” My eyebrow raised in question.

  “How’s tricks, Gracie?”

  “Fantastic. You?”

  Her ruby lips pulled into a half smile. “Oh, peachy.”

  She’d started this conversation, but didn’t seem to be in any hurry to get to where she planned on going.

  “Have you started your math assignment yet?” I asked.

  Her eyes rolled. “Oh god, don’t even go there. Gabe is so fucking smart, but the kid cannot use his brain for good. It’s like miswired or something.” She tapped her forehead. “Meanwhile, I’ve got a good head on my shoulders, but numbers aren’t my thing.”

  My lips twitched. “So, that’s a no?”

  She huffed. “Yup. I hear you’ve been working on yours, though.”

  Any trace of a smile slipped from my lips. It was too easy to forget Helen and Sebastian were friends. Good enough friends he drove her places, and according to Carly, often dropped her off at work.

  “Yeah, we started it,” I confirmed, giving nothing else away. If Sebastian wanted to tell tales about us, I couldn’t stop him, but I wouldn’t be adding fuel to the fire.

  “Are you into him?” There was no malice or jealousy behind her question, only curiosity.

  My cheeks heated against my will. I wasn’t into him. I wasn’t. But I was something enough to make my face burn.

  I didn’t have to answer. My hot face was enough for Helen. She shook her head, closing her eyes like she was pained.

  “Girl, no. That boy’s not going to be your happy ending. He’s not even going to be your happy right now.”

  I straightened, feeling defensive, though I didn’t know why. Sebastian was the villain, not the white knight, and I was under no illusions we’d end up together. The only forever we would have was if he finally murdered me and kept my rotting heart as a souvenir.

  “Is he your happy ending?” I asked.

  She leveled me with a gaze that was frank, but not unfriendly. “Bash is my happy ending in that he has a nice dick and knows what to do with it.” She touched my balled hand with her long, pointed nails. I wasn’t surprised they’d had sex, but I didn’t want the details. “Not that that’s happened recently. We’ve been just friends for months now. I’ve known him since we were pimply-faced freshmen, and we’re always gonna be friends. That doesn’t mean I don’t know he’s deeply fucked up.”

  I breathed in through my nose. “Even if he is deeply fucked up, what kind of friend goes around saying that? You don’t know me well enough to spout off those kinds of things about him.”

  A wide smile split her face. “Look at you, being a real one. I like you, Gracie.”

  My eyes narrowed on her. “I’m not too sure about you, Helen. I don’t know why you feel like you need to test me.”

  She folded her arms over her chest. “Look, I had an opinion of you before this.”

  I groaned. “You remember me from freshman year?”

  “Sure do. You and your little bitchy-ass clan walked through the halls of Savage River like you owned it. No surprise you never noticed me.” She flicked her nails like she was pushing the past away. “I get that people can change, though. You’re not with that crew anymore, but it’s still hard for me to shake those early impressions. I’ll do better, though, because I really do think you’re cool.”

  “Thank you,” I muttered, still salty.

  She canted her head, studying me. “You want to ask me a
nything about him?”

  “Why would I?”

  “Because I saw your reaction when I talked about his dick. That’s jealousy, girl.”

  I let her accusation roll off my back. I wasn’t jealous. I couldn’t be. I didn’t want Sebastian. He assaulted and tormented me relentlessly. If I wanted him, did that make me as demented as him?

  “Why would I be jealous? I’ve been trying to get him to leave me alone since day one.” I sounded like a petulant child. I felt like one too. If she knew the half of it, she’d never accuse me of being jealous.

  Her eyes rolled again. “Okay, if that’s how you’re playing it.”

  “Did he tell you something?” I asked, needing to know how much detail he’d gone into now that she’d brought it up.

  “Not much, which isn’t uncommon. Bash only talks when he feels like it, and it usually isn’t to spill his innermost thoughts. He just said you hooked up a couple times and told me to watch out for you when he wasn’t around.” She knocked her knuckles on the glass display case we were sitting behind. “That’s why I’m still friends with the kid, despite his shortcomings. Deep down, beyond the fucked-upness, Bash is a real one too. But you know, it’s deep down.”

  Mortified, I covered my face with my hands. “I wish he hadn’t told you that.”

  She tugged at my hands, trying to see me. “He’s not spreading it around. That’s not his style. I might’ve pried it out of him when he mentioned looking out for you. I mean, I already knew he had a hard-on for you, but this is...more.”

  I had countless questions I could have asked her, but I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted answers. Plus, I had no doubt it would get back to Sebastian if I showed an inkling of interest in him. I was afraid if I gave him even an inch, he’d take everything. And today, he’d upheld his promise of keeping his hands to himself. It had been so nice to feel like I had ownership of my own body, I wouldn’t throw that away to sate my curiosity.

  “The thing is, I’m pretty private. I know your heart is in the right place, but whatever does or doesn’t happen between Sebastian and me will remain between us. I need it to be that way.”

  My privacy had been violated after I had sex with Nate. Since then, I’d been extremely selective on who I chose to be intimate with—until Sebastian, who took that choice from me.

  Helen winced. Of course she’d heard about Nate. According to Bex, everyone talked about how I threw myself at him and begged him to relieve me of my virginity. The rumors amplified and even carried on into sophomore year—when I was living across the Atlantic with no plans of returning to Savage River.

  “Nate’s a fucking dickwad,” she hissed.

  I nodded, slipping into melancholy. “He’s a bad, bad person.”

  She hopped up from her stool to give me a hug. She smelled like the ocean and sunshine. It was so good, I leaned into her, trying to inhale as much of my favorites scents as I could.

  “I feel like such a bitch. I never should have said anything. Now you’re sad because of me.”

  I shook my head. “I’m sad because of a lot of things, but not because of you. I swear.”

  The chime on the door signaled a customer. Helen let me go and walked around the counter to greet them.

  “Kaz!” she screeched.

  A lanky guy with dirty blond hair, stretched ears, and a dimpled smile approached, taking her by the waist. “S’up, Hells?”

  “Working hard. You?”

  “Came to see if you wanna go to the T when you close up. Skeezer and Bracco are gonna hang too.” His attention flicked to me. “Hey, new girl. Swiss Miss, am I right?”

  “Grace...or Swiss Miss.”

  He touched his chest. “I’m Kaz. You should come hang too.”

  Helen nodded enthusiastically. “Definitely. Please, Gracie? I don’t want to be the only girl.”

  The T was the greasy diner down the street that served amazing milkshakes. I hadn’t been since we moved back, and I could really go for a shake right about now.

  “I’m in.”

  Kaz threw his arm up. “Rad. I’ll meet you guys out back after close.”

  Helen and I flew through closing, cleaning and counting out the register in record time. Now that I had somewhere to be other than hanging out with my mom in our depressing apartment, my mood had lifted.

  Kaz was skateboarding in the parking lot behind the shop when we locked up. He rolled beside us as we walked to the diner, telling us about the trick he’d landed earlier. Helen knew the guys from the skatepark. They were a couple years older and had gone to a different high school, so I was lucky my reputation hadn’t preceded me this time.

  The T had been part of Savage River since the dawn of time and the interior looked like it. And since there was a dearth of places for kids to hang out, it had become the spot. At a glance, most of the tables were occupied by groups of high schoolers. I recognized a few faces, but names escaped me.

  Bracco and Skeezer were already seated at a corner booth, waiting for us. I sat across from Bracco, ending up next to Skeezer. Bracco struck me as serious until his smile transformed him from stony-faced to boy-next-door handsome, and Skeezer had explained his nickname came from his last name, Skeezowski, and not from being a skeeze.

  “Have you ever considered just...changing your nickname?” I asked.

  Everyone but me cracked the hell up, like I’d said the funniest thing ever.

  “Nah, baby girl. It’s not like I gave myself the nickname. I’m not sure my boys even know my first name. I’m damn sure they’d never call me by it.” Skeezer raised his blond brows at Bracco and Kaz. They both nodded, grinning, confirming what he said was true.

  “Okay, well…” I pointed to Bracco, “where’d your nickname come from?”

  He chuckled, that bright smile lighting up the booth. “Constantine Bracco at your service. I’m fucking lucky no one decided to call me Connie.”

  Kaz clapped his hands together. “Damn, that was a missed opportunity.”

  Once we ordered mountains of junk food and an extra-large strawberry shake for me, Skeezer tipped his chin at me. “What's your deal, baby girl? You got a man?”

  Helen must’ve kicked him under the table, because he howled and practically jumped out of the booth. “Fuck, Hells. I’m just asking questions,” he gritted out.

  She smirked at him. “Leave Gracie alone. She’s too good for you.”

  Skeezer reached down to rub his shin, scowling at Helen, though he didn’t seem genuinely pissed. “Any fool can see that. I was thinking maybe she had low standards.”

  I had to laugh at that. “Is there a chance your last name is just a coincidence and has nothing to do with your nickname? Because, uh…”

  Skeezer banged on the table, rattling the silverware. “Why you gotta do me like that, woman?”

  Helen kicked him again, sending him straight out of the booth. He hopped around, holding his shin in his hand, face puce. Yet again, he wasn’t angry, just in a good deal of pain. Bracco and Kaz seemed to think their friend’s injury was absolutely hilarious.

  Our food was delivered, and I was having such a good time going between stuffing my face and laughing at the utter bullshit these guys spouted from their mouths, I didn’t notice a new group of kids had come in until raucous laughter burst from across the diner.

  I glanced over, recognizing Gabe’s curly hair immediately. He had three girls I didn’t recognize with him, a guy from the soccer team, and of course, Sebastian. His arm draped over the back of the booth, his fingers hung down, idly tracing zigzags on the shoulder of the girl beside him. She turned her head to him, giving him a pouty little smile. I couldn’t read his expression, but my stomach churned.

  I wrenched my eyes away, only to come face-to-face with Helen’s arched brow. She’d seen him too, and her expression very kindly said I told you the fuck so, little lamb.

  “Hey, Swiss Miss.” Kaz snapped his fingers to draw my attention. “What’s the skating scene like in Switzerland?”


  It took me a second to shake the rolling clouds from my mind. “I don’t know, but the snowboarding scene is lit. I used to go every weekend with my friends.” I didn’t add until my dad got so sick and I had to stay home and help my mom care for him. These boys were nice and all, but they weren’t interested in my sob story and heartbreak—not that I had any type of urge to spill.

  Skeezer covered his mouth, eyes alight. “Oh shit! Snowboarding in the Alps. I never knew I needed that in my life until right this moment.” He hopped out of his seat again, pretending to snowboard down a steep mountain. I cowered toward the wall, hoping against all hope I could get out of here without being spotted by Sebastian. Unable to help myself, I allowed my eyes to drift to him again. His face was now inclined toward hers as she spoke, his expression still unreadable, but the intimacy in their position spoke volumes.

  Skeezer celebrated his successful run down the imaginary mountain with a tight victory lap while Kaz applauded him.

  These guys were so fucking high.

  I sort of wished I was too. I refused to look at the other table anymore. If Sebastian had moved on with a new girl already, then I won. I got what I wanted. I only wished my victory tasted a little sweeter.

  “Girl, you wanna get out of here?” Helen asked, soft enough for only me to hear below the din of our rowdy tablemates.

  “Can we?”

  “Yep. I’ve got my mom’s car. I’ll drive you home.”

  I slapped down some bills on the table to cover my share, mournful over leaving my milkshake behind. Then I remembered Sebastian on the other side of the restaurant, touching some girl, and the remaining flavor on my tongue turned to chalk.

  We quickly said good night to the boys, who were too busy making each other laugh to really put up a fight over us leaving. In fact, no one put up a fight when we left. The bell jingled over the door, but no one chased after us down the quiet sidewalk.

  “Gracie…” Helen tucked her arm through mine.

  “Oh my god, I’m fine. But when you say my name like that, it makes me want to cry.”