Throughout class, I subtly glance their way, only to find them completely refusing to look at each other. It’s strange to see them like this. Hell, there were times I was sure Savannah liked Delaney more than me—something she always denied, but it still made me wonder. Now, it’s like they were never friends at all.
THE BELL RINGS AND the entire class gets up. Savannah is out the door like she’s in some kind of hurry, but it’s probably just to get away from me. Good, I make her nervous. I mouth for Delaney to wait for me, and thankfully she listens. After telling Carter and Jace that I’ll meet them at the lockers, I head out the door.
“Okay, so what was that?” Laney asks as soon as I’m close enough.
I tilt my head to the side. “What was what?”
“That.” She points toward the classroom. “In there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you and Savannah act that way toward each other.”
“Yeah, well.” I shrug. “We’re not the same kids we used to be. Speaking of which, what’s up with you and Savannah? You two hardly acknowledged each other.”
Delaney looks down at her sweatshirt sleeve and plays with it, almost like a distraction or a nervous habit. “I wish I knew. After you moved away, things were different. Her dad sold their house a year after you left, and I didn’t see or talk to Savannah for a while. Tessa either. It was like she fell off the face of the earth.”
My brows furrow. “But you two go to school together.”
“We didn’t.” She shakes her head. “No one had seen or heard from her until freshman year, when she showed up here, looking like that. I tried to talk to her a few times, but it’s never gone well. She’s not the same girl she used to be.”
“Apparently not.” I shrug. “Well, you’ve always got me.”
She smiles. “Thanks, Grayson. I’ve got to meet Tess before class, but I’ll talk to you later.”
I give her a hug and the two of us go our separate ways. Just before I get to my locker, I can see everyone watching intently as Savannah says something to Kinsley, her body unnecessarily close. Her eyes catch sight of me, and while it looks like she wants to soften, she doesn’t. She shoves herself past her so-called friend then pushes her shoulder into me as well. Only difference between me and Kinsley is that I won’t lie down and take it.
Grabbing her wrist, I ignore the feel of her soft skin under my fingertips as she spins around. She looks at my hand and then up to my face. It’s then that I see it—the white gold plate with her name engraved on the front hanging from her neck. Unless she got a new one, which I doubt, it’s the same necklace that has “Love, Grayson” etched into the back of it. The sight of her wearing it has me ready to explode all on its own.
This bitch is the reason my father is fucking dead, and now here she is—wearing something bought with his money like a fucking trophy. I release her arm with force and wipe my hand on my jeans.
“Don’t ever fucking shove me again.”
She swallows harshly before composing herself and continuing her escape. I watch as she disappears, not looking away until she’s out of sight. Once she’s gone, I walk up to Kinsley and place my hand on her cheek, rubbing my thumb across it.
“Are you all right?” I ask her.
“Y-yeah.”
It may be cruel to use her as a pawn in my sick and twisted game, but I’ve never been more determined than I am right now. Savannah is going to wish that lie never left her pretty little mouth.
5
Savannah
“And five, six, seven, eight!”
I count in the team as they practice their scorpions at extension. Emma nails it as usual, while Becca’s could really use some work. Kinsley stands back, watching, with a scowl on her face. She really needs to get her damn attitude in check before I kick her ass off the team. The only reason I haven’t is because she’s the only person, besides myself, who can do a back aerial—a trick I find useful to impress the judges during competition season.
“Bec, you need to work on getting that leg straighter,” I tell her.
She cradles out of the stunt and goes over to Liam, knowing no one can help her stretch better than him. The sight of the football team in the distance has my stomach churning. I watch as Grayson throws the ball across the field, looking like a fucking god when his muscles contract with the movement.
After the little spat in the hallway, I threw myself into brainstorming ideas for cheer and the winter dance recital. It was the best way I could think to avoid him. Between the feeling I get seeing him again, and the way he looks at me, like I repulse him, I can’t seem to get a grip on how I feel about him being back here. My heart wants me to run as fast as possible into his arms, while the logical part of me is screaming to stay away. There was a point in time where he knew me better than I knew myself. If anyone can figure out my whole reputation is a lie, it’s him.
“Okay, now onto basket tosses. Em, let’s see what you’ve got.”
After counting her in, she’s tossed in the air and does the stunt flawlessly. Without hesitation, if someone asked me who my favorite girl on the team is, it would be her. She’s always willing to try something new, and if I tell her to fix something, she does it. The other girls are good, but she’s exactly what we need on this team.
“Heads!” Carter yells as the ball comes flying toward us.
I manage to catch it and throw it back. “Tell your QB to watch where he throws that thing. We’re practicing stunts and if one of my girls gets hurt because he can’t aim a ball, we’ll have some problems.”
“Tell him yourself.” Grayson says, standing closer than I had thought.
My heart starts to race as I swallow down the lump in my throat. Turning around, he’s no more than ten feet away from me, staring me down like he’s daring me to go against him. The T-shirt clings to his body in all the right places, showing off his toned muscles. His shorts rest low on his hips. It’s everything that could render me completely defenseless, but if I show weakness now, I’ll never recover.
Placing one hand on my hip, I channel all the confidence I have into my words. “I would, but that’d mean giving you a second thought—and I don’t waste my time on the insignificant.”
His head falls back as laughter bellows from his mouth. “That’s rich coming from a spineless little bitch like you. Don’t fuck with me, Montgomery. You’ll only end up burned.”
“I love it when people insult me. It means I don’t have to play nice anymore.”
“All right,” Carter intervenes. “Let’s not kill each other on the damn field. It’ll take weeks for the blood to wash out of the turf.” He comes over and places his hands on my shoulders. “You okay, Sav?”
I watch as Grayson goes over to Kinsley and whispers something in her ear. She giggles happily, and within seconds, she’s practically salivating at the mouth. The sight alone is enough to send me into a jealousy fueled rage.
“I’m fine.” I spit, ripping myself from Carter’s grasp. “Kinsley, get back to practice! Or would you rather give your uniform to someone that’ll actually add something to this team?”
She rolls her eyes but backs away from Grayson. I notice the smirk on the asshole’s face, as if he knows his actions are getting to me, but how could they not be? This is the same boy I was sure I was going to marry one day. We promised we’d always end up together, and now here is he, hating my guts and flirting with Kinsley right in front of me.
As she goes to walk by, I step directly in her way. “Roll your eyes at me again, and I’ll ruin you.” She swallows hard as I back up. “Now go work on your form. Spreading your legs for every guy who looks at you doesn’t count as stretching.”
PRACTICE FINISHES A COUPLE hours later, without a single word from Kinsley. She may have had a sour look on her face the whole time, but she kept her mouth shut and that’s all that matters. Grayson, however, has been staring me down almost constantly — glaring at me like I’m the worst person in existence.
“Savannah.” Emm
a gets my attention then nods to look behind me.
I turn around and light up when I see Brady leaning against the bleachers. “Hey, you.”
He smiles and comes toward me, then wraps me tightly in his arms. The hug is everything I needed after the day I had. Suddenly though, Brady tenses.
“Uh, should I be concerned by the football player murdering me with his eyes right now?”
I don’t need to look to know that it’s Grayson. “Do me a favor? Play it up.”
He chuckles. “Let’s do this.”
Pulling away from the hug, he keeps one hand on my back. His lips meet mine as he dips me. To anyone else, we probably look like a loved-up couple. Even some of the guys whistle playfully. Then he breaks the kiss and wraps his arm around my shoulder. With one last wink at Grayson, Brady leads me off the field and toward his car.
“Have I mentioned lately how much I love you?” I ask when we’re safely inside the vehicle.
He grins widely as he puts it in reverse to back out of the space. “I’m glad, because that’s the first time I’ve kissed a girl since playing spin the bottle freshman year.”
“Think Jake will be mad?”
“Eh. Special circumstances, and it’s you. I don’t think he’ll mind.”
I laugh softly and fix my ponytail. “Well, I appreciate it.”
Glancing between me and the road, he narrows his eyes. “Are you going to tell me what the deal is with that guy, or am I just a pretty pawn to you?”
Even if I wanted to, how could I even begin to explain Grayson Hayworth? Since he showed up the other day — looking every bit like the boy I had a crush on from when I was eight years old, yet acting like someone who would run me over without even tapping the breaks—it’s almost like my brain has been turned to mush. I don’t understand what changed in him, or why he’s treating me the way he has. The whole thing is just one big mind-fuck, and I’m tired of the headache.
“I’d say you’re more of a pretty knight than a pawn,” I quip.
Thankfully, he takes the hint and drops the subject—for now.
THE SOUND OF SHAWN Mendes and Camilla Cabello blasts through the speakers as Brady and I move rhythmically to the beat. It’s not a complete reenactment from the music video, but the routine is sexual enough to look like one. The concept, paired with tune of Señorita, is perfect for a showcased duet in the winter recital.
I spin four times before he catches me and practically uses my body as a human prop, flinging me around him and making it so I end up on his shoulder. If I wasn’t as petite as I am, the move would be impossible, but our size difference makes it work.
Still, no matter how much I’m into this dance, there is no denying my head isn’t in the game today. I’ve messed up more steps than normal and even managed to step on Brady’s foot. By the third time I fall out of my turns, he stops me.
“What the hell is up with you today?” he asks as soon as he hits pause on the music.
“What do you mean?”
The knowing look on his face tells me I’m busted. “You’re all over the place. Wrong steps, sloppy moves, off beat—it’s not like you.”
I groan, grabbing my bottle of water and taking a longer sip than necessary. “I’m just having an off day, that’s all.”
“Mm-hm, right.” He sits on the floor and leans on his elbows. “Now, let’s try that again, but this time, actually try to sound believable.”
Smirking, I can’t help but laugh. That’s the thing about Brady. He’s known me long enough to gauge when he can push on a topic and when to just let it go. And right now, with this, me being unfocused could mean not performing my best at the recital. If I don’t get the scholarship to Juilliard, I’ll be stuck here for God knows how long. That would be my worst nightmare come to life.
I sigh and sit down next to him, trying to figure out how to explain the last couple days. “The football player is Grayson.”
“Grayson? Is that name supposed to mean something to me?” He looks confused before it all becomes clear. Then he reaches forward and plucks at the pendant hanging against my chest. “Necklace Grayson?”
“That’s the one.”
Letting out a long breath, he uses a towel to wipe the sweat away from his forehead. “Well, that’s probably the last thing I expected. When’s the last time you saw him? You were a kid when he moved away, right?”
I nod. “I was ten. I went to visit my grandmother for a weekend, and when I came back he was just gone. His house was empty, and he was nowhere to be found. He didn’t even say goodbye.”
“Yeah, I remember. You came to dance looking like someone broke your favorite toy for weeks.”
“There are a few things in life that break you. Change who you are as a person. Him leaving was one of those for me. I feel like that was the start of everything falling apart.”
After Grayson’s family moved away, my dad started drinking more. He ended up getting fired from his job for showing up intoxicated one too many times. Instead of using his savings to pay the bills and finding another job, he ended up going further downhill. Then, the drugs started. Within a year, he sold our beautiful house and moved us into the shack I have the misfortune of calling home.
If it wasn’t for Mrs. Laurence allowing me to keep taking dance here free of charge, I don’t know where I would’ve ended up. Her generosity, along with her tendency to be a role model for me and taking me under her wing, kept me motivated to strive for a better life than what mine had become. So, when she offered to pay my tuition at Haven Grace Prep, I thanked her profusely and promised to make her proud. Brady’s older sister taught me how to do my makeup and even gave me some designer clothes she grew out of. By the time freshman year started, I showed up determined to be something more than the poor girl from the wrong side of town.
One of the downfalls to my newfound popularity, however, was having to see Delaney and Tessa in the hallways and act like they were nothing to me. It was a necessary evil, because if anyone could expose me for the fraud I am, it would be Delaney. Still, that didn’t make it any easier to see her look at me the same way she always has—no matter how cruel I am for ignoring her existence. Tessa never seemed to care. From what I’ve heard, she’s become quite the rebel lately. But Delaney? She’s exactly the way I remember.
“Okay, so wait.” Brady snaps me out of my thoughts. “Why is Grayson being back a bad thing?”
I lie down on the floor and stare at the ceiling. “Because he hates me.”
“How could anyone hate you? Especially someone you used to be so close with. Are you sure you’re not just misreading the situation? Maybe he’s just shy.”
Snorting, I shake my head. “No, B. He’s anything but shy. He literally hates me. If looks could kill, I’d be six feet under with him pissing on my grave by now—and he’s only been back a couple days. I just don’t get it. I don’t know what I did.”
He sighs. “I don’t know, babes. If I know you as well as I think I do though, I’m sure you’ll find out. You’re Savannah Montgomery. Since when do you take shit from anyone?”
“Grayson’s different. He’s like the definition of every good childhood memory I have. My own personal kryptonite. He has the ability to ruin me, and he knows it. It’s dangerous.”
Brady looks down at me and smiles. “Well then it’s a good thing danger stopped scaring you years ago.” He gets up and offers me his hand. “Now, come on. We’ve got a routine to nail.”
LATER THAT EVENING, BRADY drives me home. As we pull up in front of the house, I notice all the bikes and crappy cars parked outside—Dad has “friends” over. I cringe, knowing how drunk he gets when he has people drinking with him. Last time he had them here, I damn near broke a guy’s fingers for trying to slip his hand up my uniform skirt.
“Do you want to sleep at my place? Jake won’t mind,” he offers, but I shake my head.
“Thank you, but no. I have an essay to write, so I’m going to lock myself in my bedroom and focus on th
at.”
He nods in understanding. “Okay, well, remember the self-defense moves I taught you, and call me if you need anything. I can get here in ten minutes if I ignore all traffic laws.”
I smile. “And that’s why I love you.” Reaching over, I give him a tight hug. “Bye, B.”
“Later, Rocky.” Just as I’m climbing out of the car, he stops me. “And Sav? I’m sure everything with Grayson will work itself out in time.”
“Thanks. I hope so.”
As soon as I open the front door, the smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke is so strong I nearly choke on it. My father and a bunch of his scumbag friends fill the living room. They’re watching some stupid show on TV that’s meant to be funny, but isn’t. Bottles of booze are already covering the coffee table.
The second I walk in, all eyes turn toward me. I’m thankful I wore yoga pants over my leotard today instead of the booty shorts I’m usually in. My father perks up at the sight of me, then instantly starts digging in his pocket.
“Savannah! Good you’re home.” He takes $40 out of his wallet. “Be a good girl and run down to the liquor store for me. I need more vodka.”
I roll my eyes. “Dad, I’m seventeen.”
“Oh.” His face drops, then he waves me off and shoves the cash in my hand anyway. “Well, go anyway. You look old enough to drink. Show a little skin if you have to.”
Instead of arguing, I slip my hands into my sweatshirt pocket and head out the door. I go a couple doors down, to a house I really don’t like coming to unless absolutely necessary, and knock. A few seconds later, Knox comes to the door. He’s completely shirtless, with all his tattoos full on display. I notice the hickeys on his neck and chuckle as a girl slips past us to leave.
“Classy,” I say with an eye roll.
He shrugs. “What can I say? I’m a man of many talents.”
The Sinner: A High School Bully Romance (Haven Grace Prep Book 1) Page 4
