Page 61 of The Sinner (Haven Grace Prep 1)

I get up and walk toward her, placing my hands on her wa

ist. “Hey.”

“I’m going to go get dressed, and then I’ll have Delaney drive me home.”

In a careful move, she arches up on her tiptoes and kisses me. It’s quick, and as sweet as she is, but it only makes me want her more. I’m battling between what I want and what my father wants, when finally, one wins.

She goes to turn away, but I stop her with a gentle hand on her cheek. “Don’t.”

19

Grayson

Savannah and I spend the entire weekend together. Both of us are insatiable, which leads to having sex in as many places around my house as we can manage. The kitchen, the den, the shower. We even wonder if we could get away with it on the roof, but for safety reasons, and the sake of Delaney, who could probably see us from her bedroom window, we decide against it.

When we’re not a sweaty mess of tangled limbs and breathy moans, we watch movies and make a failed attempt at baking a cake. What can I say? She tastes so much sweeter. The two of us laugh like we haven’t in years, and by the time I drop her off on Sunday night, we’re both exhausted.

AT SCHOOL ON MONDAY, I can already feel the shift in our dynamic. I’m not constantly battling between ruining her life and ripping her clothes off. She sends subtle looks my way, with a look in her eyes that tells me she’s replaying this past weekend in her mind. It’s torture to have to want her this bad and need to wait, but I fucking live for it.

By midday, Jace has kept his hands to himself, and Savannah has stayed off his lap. However, I know that if she gets the slightest inclination that I’m rubbing Kinsley in her face again, there’s going to be more of what she pulled Friday afternoon. Since I’m not able to handle that without risking a criminal record for breaking Haven Grace’s favorite kicker, I know I need to tell Kinsley it’s over.

With a text message to meet me at my locker before lunch, it’s the perfect spot to end this without giving Savannah the satisfaction of thinking she’s won. Familiar dark brown hair comes walking down the hallway. Judging by the smile on her face, she has the wrong idea on what this is.

“Hey, you,” she simpers, throwing her arms around my neck and going to kiss me.

I turn my head just in time. “No, stop.” Removing her hold on me, I take a step back. “I didn’t ask you to come here so we could hook up.”

“Then, what?” As she studies the expression on my face, I can see the moment it clicks. “Grayson, that’s not funny.”

“Who’s joking?”

Crossing her arms, her anger shows. “Are you kidding? Do you even realize the mistake you’re making?! I’m the best you’ll ever have, you know that? How could you do this to me?”

The more she yells, the less patience I have. Finally, when she shoves me, I’ve had enough.

“Okay, stop. You’re acting like we were serious or something. Newsflash, we weren’t. All that happened between us was a couple of blowjobs, and that was over a month ago. Don’t act like you didn’t see this coming.”

She’s caught off guard, and clearly doesn’t like being put in her place, but as her eyes land on something behind me, her expression hardens. “What the fuck are you looking at?”

Pushing past me, she storms away. I don’t need to turn around to see who’s standing there—I can feel it. The buzz in the air, the sexual tension so thick I could choke on it, the pull in my chest that demands I go to her. Of course, it’s Savannah, and she heard everything I was hoping she wouldn’t.

“Shouldn’t you be in lunch?”

She chuckles before going to her locker. “Shouldn’t you?”

I finally turn to face her. “I had something to take care of.”

“So I heard.” The smile on her face does nothing to hide her amusement. “Breakups are tough.”

“Oh, shut up. You knew it was fake the whole damn time.”

She closes her locker and walks backward with her hands in the air, smirking happily. “Hey, I didn’t say a word.”

I can’t help but laugh as I shake my head and run after her. She squeals and tries to evade me, but my arms wrap around her waist, pulling her into me. The giggle that leaves her mouth is one that I want to bottle up and put in my pocket for a rainy day. For a day when all this is over, and she’s left the broken mess I intend for her to be.

I WALK INTO THE backyard, heading straight for the treehouse. Savannah follows behind, but isn’t exactly a fan of my idea to explore the abandoned structure.

“Seriously, come on. You’ll be fine.”

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