Graham (Scandalous Boys Book 2) (11 page)

“What exactly is that?” she asks as she crosses her arms.

I smile. “People can change.” I open my car door and slide into the seat. Her mouth hangs open as I drive off, and it’s the best damn moment of my life.

***

Walking up and down the aisles grabbing everything on the list my mother made, I’m happy I haven’t spotted Sarah. My heart is racing in my chest. My palms are slick with sweat against the plastic handle of the cart. I swear I wiped it down three times with a brown paper towel I snatched back in the poultry section.

This is stupid. I can do this. I’ve done it before. Hell, when she ripped my heart out in high school, I had to find ways to occupy my thoughts. I found ways to avoid her or ignore the fact she was in the same room as me. Why is it so hard now?

As I make my way to the dairy section I see a flick of red hair. It’s pulled up into a high messy bun. Sarah. She’s bent over, digging through a cardboard box. She grabs what looks to be yogurt and stacks them in their proper spots.

I take a deep breath and scoot my cart over to her. If I get this over with now, maybe this won’t be so bad. Maybe my damn heart will quit hammering in my chest. Maybe this tightening feeling in my stomach will go away every time I think about her. Maybe my dick will stop getting hard whenever I think about or see her. Who the hell am I kidding? If that didn’t stop after a year, it probably never will. Damn thing has a mind of its own.

“Hi.”

She startles and looks at me. Her hand clings to her chest just over her heart. “Graham! You scared me! What are you doing here?”

“Mom needed groceries for Thanksgiving.” I shrug like it’s no big thing. “Why are you stocking the shelves? I thought you work the registers.”

“I do when it’s my schedule. I took on someone else’s shift.”

I nod. “Cool. Well, I’ll, uh, let you get back to it then.”

She smiles at me. “Thanks.”

I roll my cart away from her. My body still seems to hum around her. I’m screwed.

As I’m checking out, I spot her in the front of the store. She’s hanging around the customer service station, chatting with the girl named Michelle. I watch as Sarah laughs and shakes her head. She looks happy. About what? Hell if I know, but it makes me a little jealous. I used to make her smile and laugh. Now … shit, she can barely stand looking at me.

A tall guy approaches them. He has short, blondish hair and looks about twenty, give or take. His eyes trail up and down Sarah’s frame, and I clench my fists. It takes every bit of strength in me not to go over there and snap that twit in two.
She’s mine!

His hand brushes over Sarah’s shoulder, and I swear I see red!
Mine, mother—

“Sir, would you like paper or plastic?” comes a small, meek voice.

“What?”

“Paper or plastic?”

I blink at the tiny girl asking me the question. “It doesn’t matter.”

She smiles and starts scanning my groceries. I glance over at the customer service station again, but Sarah’s no longer there. Tall dude, however, still is. My shoulders drop as my body relaxes a little. It doesn’t last. The relaxing feeling, that is. What if he’s waiting for Sarah? Maybe she’s getting something from her locker or whatever.

I white-knuckle the cart. This tightness in my chest worsens. I fucking hate this feeling. I’ve got to get over it, though. Have to.

“That will be $170.”

I blink at the girl. What? Oh, groceries. Duh. As I pay for the groceries, load up the cart, and slowly make my way to the exit, I don’t know why, but I’m hoping for another glimpse of Sarah. I don’t get it.

***

A few days later, my phone rings. “Hey, Bryce.”

“You busy?”

“Just helping with the laundry. What’s up?”

He laughs. “You? Laundry? Shut up! This I have to see.”

“Fuck yourself! I’m not the world’s laziest human ever. Contrary to what you might think.”

“Bullshit! Your mom did everything, man. Fuck. I’m surprised you even know how to wipe your own butt.”

“Ha-ha. What else did you want besides busting my balls?”

“Just got into town. I dropped Hails off at her folks’, and I was heading over to see your punk ass.”

“I’m here. Just pull in behind the beater.”

He laughs again. “All right, man.”

It literally is less than a minute when the front door flies open and Bryce strolls right into my living room as if he owns the place. He looks around and whistles. “Jesus, your mom still deck the halls or what?”

I roll my eyes. “Tell me about it. Did you see the newest shit she bought?”

Bryce eyes the gingerbread carpet under his feet and lining the staircase. “Wow. I didn’t know they made this. You have to tell me—does she go to a special Christmas store where they sell the ugliest shit imaginable?”

“Probably. She said she wanted to have an ugly-Christmas-sweater party. I swear, if she tries to dress me up as an elf, I’m outta here.”

He shakes his head and takes a seat in the empty chair. “Dude, you really weren’t kidding about laundry.”

“Nope. Sure wasn’t.”

He snaps a picture of me. “Sorry, man. Madison wouldn’t believe me if I said this.”

“Both of you can kiss my ass,” I laugh. Okay, before I went to college, Bryce was right. Not about having my mom wipe my ass. I can do that. But she did do a lot for me. Hell, there have been times I was up in my room completely stoned, playing video games, and yelled out at her to send me up some sandwiches. She always did. Don’t ask me why. But she did, and now that I think about it I really am surprised she didn’t slap the hell out of me.

However, all this changed when I went off to college and met my roommate. Jim was way dirtier than I could ever be. This dude would call his mom and have her come pick up his laundry. Like she was a personal maid. To top it off, she’d clean our entire room. I thought she was the housekeeper or some crap. Then Jim introduced her to me as his mom. I think my eyes bulged. Especially after he made a grocery list and requested she prepare certain meals for him for the week.

Let’s just say it changed my whole outlook on growing up. My first week home, I think my mom thought I’d gone insane. She kept asking if I was coming down with something or feeling okay. I guess it’s because I actually did my own laundry, ran the vacuum, and cleaned the bathrooms.

I continue folding the mountain of towels beside me. “So when do you have to go back?”

“I leave Sunday. What are you doing Friday?”

“You’re looking at it. Probably a load of laundry, cleaning, who the hell knows. My life is not what it used to be.”

Bryce nods. “I know. How long do you have?”

“February. I’m a prisoner of this goddamn place until February.”

“Sucks. Look on the bright side of things, though. Could be worse. You could be in jail. You could be on house arrest, which would mean you’d never leave not only this town, but the creepy fucking elf décor.”

I laugh, but it’s bitter. “Yeah.”

“Madison and I planned on going ice skating tomorrow, wanna come?”

“And be a third wheel while you two practically hump each other? No. I’ll pass.”

He shrugs. “We’re not that bad.” His grin says otherwise. “Speaking of third wheels, what’s up with you and Sarah?”

“Nothing. I’m not gonna lie and say I can’t stand her. Fuck, I don’t think I’ll ever be over the girl. But it’s not going to happen.”

Bryce grabs a towel and starts to fold. “Well, don’t let Mads know you have any feelings for Sarah. She’ll give you a lecture on how you can’t toy with Sarah’s emotions and all that jazz.”

I’m not really worried about Madison’s lecture on how I feel about Sarah. I’m more worried that she’ll dig for the reason I’m here.

“Thanks for the warning.”

“You know she’s dying to ask why you’re here and not in school.”

I figured as much. “What did you tell her?”

“I told her I loved her but it wasn’t my story to tell. So, what is the whole story?”

I groan and start placing the folded towels back into the basket. “I really don’t remember. One minute I was drinking and playing beer pong during rush week. Next thing I know, I wake up in a holding cell, cops telling me I’m not allowed to leave until the trial. There was a video. Fuck, Bryce, I’m telling you I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it. I was screaming, punching people, and then I kept yelling ‘Why did you drag me here? What did you do to me?’”

“Dude. Were you drugged?”

“I don’t know. I think maybe I was. I don’t know. They didn’t run any tests on me besides making me take a breathalyzer.”

“That’s messed up.”

Yeah, it was. But there isn’t shit I can do about it now.

Chapter Eighteen

Sarah

Arms swing around me and squeeze tight. “Umph.” I groan. “Maddy, I can’t breathe.”

“And that’s how you greet a person.” Madison lets me go and beams like she’s a kid in a toy store.

I grab her bags and shove them into my trunk. Her friend Emily stops by the car and eyes me up. We’re still not at a friend level, but it’s fine. I completely understand. What I did to Madison was messed the hell up, and I deserve the cold shoulder treatment from someone.

“Hi, Emily,” I say with a smile. “Need a lift?”

She looks around. “It looks like it.” She frowns, and Madison hugs her. “Mads, I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine. How could they forget?”

She shrugs. “It doesn’t matter. Can you give me a lift? I’ll pay for the gas or whatever.”

“It’s fine. Toss your luggage in the trunk. That security guard has been eyeing me ever since I pulled up. I think he’s just itching to give me a ticket.”

Emily and Madison laugh. “Oh my God! He totally is,” Madison says.

Once everyone’s crap is in the trunk and their butts in the car, I take off. The security cop glared as I was pulled away. Emily and Madison are chatting up a storm, and I tune them out. As I coast into Emily’s driveway, the car becomes silent.

“I’ll help you,” Madison says as she jumps out of the passenger seat.

“Thanks for the ride,” Emily says to me and gives me a half smile.

“No problem.”

She nods once and gets out of the car. I watch Madison and Emily approach her house. Emily stands outside for about five minutes. I roll down my window. “Is everything okay?”

“I,” Emily stammers, “uh—”

“Her parents aren’t here,” Madison interrupted. “Took the housekeeper with them. Come on, you’re staying at our house.” She lugs Emily’s bags back into the car. She looks pissed off. Emily just frowns.

After they’re both back in the car, I use the rearview mirror to observe Emily. “Some parents are assholes. Mine used to do this all the time. Randomly disappear and not tell me.”

Emily narrows her eyes as I drive us away from the house. “I knew something was up when they deposited a bunch of funds in my account. Ever since I graduated, they’ve been MIA. It’s like I no longer exist.”

“At least they waited until then. Mine just stopped being in my life the minute I turned ten. Then I had a nanny. She left the moment I was fifteen.”

Madison gasped. “You mean Auntie Catlin and Uncle Aaron never did things with you?”

I glance at Madison. “No. They thought money solved everything. They tossed me cash, and that was our relationship. They stopped hugging me at eleven.”

“Wow. No wonder you were such a bitch,” Emily says.

“Yeah. I was. It’s a working process.”

We remain silent until we pull into to our driveway. Madison helps Emily with her luggage. Bryce swoops in and takes the bags from Madison, pecks her on the temple, and smiles at Emily. “Damn, babe,” he says to Madison, “you packed enough for a three-month snowstorm, I see.”

“Not her bags. Those are mine. And yes, I pack a lot,” Emily says as she pats his arm.

I grab Madison’s bags from the trunk and head up to the porch. Kyle glares at Bryce and pales when he sees Emily. “Hi. Em. What are—”

“She’s staying. Talk about it later. Help, Sarah, will you?”

Kyle grins at me with my arms full of luggage. “I got this.”

“Thanks.” I hand him the large bag and enter the house. I drop the small suitcase off in my room and head back downstairs.

As I’m passing Kyle’s room, I hear hushed voices. It sounds like Emily and Kyle. “It’s okay, Em. I’ve got you.”

“I just don’t understand,” she says, and it’s muffled.

I stop listening and continue down the steps. Madison and Bryce are in the living room and apparently having a deep conversation too. “Mads, just give him some space. He’ll tell you when he’s ready.”

“I can’t believe you won’t tell me. I thought … ugh, never mind.”

He laughs and kisses her on the mouth. “I love you. You know that, right?”

She folds her arms. “Whatever.”

“Hi, Sarah. How have you been?” Bryce asks.

“Good, I guess.”

“Babe. I love you, but I gotta head back to my house. Come over later and say hi to Mom. She misses you,” Bryce says to Maddy.

“I will.” She kisses him and walks him to the door.

Madison sighs as soon as she closes the door. “Are you okay?” I ask.

She frowns. “I think he’s going to break up with me.”

“Are you insane? That guy practically flew over here to help you with your bags. He has this goofy look on his face every time he sees you. And I swear he doesn’t see anyone but you in a room full of people.”

She walks into the kitchen, and I follow her. “I’m telling you something is up. For the last three weeks he’s been super busy. He’s out late. And he’s been having secret conversations with someone. I don’t think he’s cheating but … I don’t know. I ask him, and he says it’s nothing and kisses me.”

“Well, maybe it is nothing.”

“Okay, you know how you have gut feelings? Like something is definitely wrong?”

I nod. I got it the night before my parents were arrested. My stomach churned all night, as if I were going to vomit.