Seren: A High School Bully Romance Read online

  “What would I have to do?”

  She laughed. “Whatever I don’t want to do.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Sounds like a dream.”

  “Come on. It won’t be too bad. I’m a great boss.”

  I smiled, feeling for the first time since my dad died that I could actually smile with my mom again and mean it. “Yeah. Okay.”

  * * *

  When I said I’d work with my mom, I didn’t know she meant the next day or that I’d have to wear one of her ridiculous uniforms. But, there I stood outside a closed second-floor bedroom door decked out in a scratchy black polyester dress with a frilly white apron.

  “Just make the bed,” my mother said, stepping up beside me. “Fold any clothes strewn about. The cleaning supplies are in the bathroom, so just clean in there and then move on to the next room.”

  I nodded as I slipped on the rubber gloves she’d given me. “Okay.”

  “Just call me if you have any questions.”

  I opened the closed door, finding a boy’s bedroom with navy walls. A poster of Miami’s quarterback, Caden Brooks, was tacked to the wall behind the unmade bed. A red comforter lay partially on the bed and partially on the floor. I made the bed quickly, then moved on to the attached bathroom. I wiped down the glass shower door and walls then used the cleaning supplies from under the sink to clean the counter and sink. I saved the toilet for last, holding my breath while I tackled it.

  I was about to hurry out of the room when I spotted a picture on the nightstand of a man and three young boys. I knew the man had to be Maureen’s late husband and the boys had to be her three sons. The tallest one beside the dad caught my attention. Those green eyes. Each of the boys had them, but the tallest boy possessed the familiar ones I’d seen in the pool house. The ones that held something I couldn’t quite read. Secrets? Indifference? Rage? The other two boys were a little shorter, but all were broad-shouldered and good-looking. They would’ve been taller and bigger now since their father passed away three years ago. They all had perfectly styled short dark hair in the photo. I wondered if they looked so put together in real-life.

  Realizing I was snooping around whichever boy’s room this was, I turned and made my way out, moving to the next one. This room was similar to the first, though these walls were lighter, giving the room an airy beachy feel. This boy was neat, making his own bed and leaving nothing on the floor. I moved quickly through the room and made my way to the third room.

  I opened the door and stepped inside, freezing when I saw the mess I was facing. “Jesus Christ,” I mumbled, taken aback by the disaster and having no idea where to even begin. Clothes were strewn on every surface, dishes with half-eaten food and cups half-filled with liquid sat on the nightstand. The comforter was halfway to the bathroom door as if it had been dragged. I didn’t dare look in the bathroom. I’d tackle that if I managed to get to it. I picked up the comforter and shook it out, moving it back to the bed. That’s when I spotted the note on the pillow. Change these sheets. The threesome got a little sweaty.

  My eyes widened. Without having met any of the Grayson boys, there was no doubt in my mind who this room belonged to.

  I went into the hall in search of my mom. I found her in the master bedroom. “Hey, where do I find new sheets?”

  Her forehead creased. “New sheets? Those don’t get changed until Friday.”

  “There was a note asking for them.”

  “A note?” she asked as if that was a strange request. Had no one left her a note before? I guess it was better I received the lewd request than her anyway. “They’re in the closet at the end of the third-floor hallway,” she said, pointing in the direction of the stairs. “How’s everything going?” she asked as she fluffed the throw pillows on the bed.

  “The first two rooms took no time. But this one looks like it’s going to take me a lot longer.”

  She snickered. “Yes. Seren is a bit messy.”

  “He’s the tall one?”

  Her brows furrowed. “How do you know that?”

  “I saw a photo in one of the rooms of the boys with their dad.”

  “Oh, yes. Sawyer has the photo beside his bed,” she said.

  I motioned toward the door. “Well, I’ve gotta get moving if I want to finish his room by dinner time.”

  “That’s a little dramatic,” my mother laughed. “Besides, you’re done after that room.”

  “Seriously?”

  “What type of boss do you think I am?”

  “The amazing type, obviously.” I smiled before moving upstairs. The hallway looked exactly like the second-floor hallway with its dark wood-paneled walls and closed doors, but it was darker—almost lifeless. A cold shiver rushed up my spine as each of my steps seemed to creak the old wooden floor beneath my feet. I stopped at the closet door that practically blended into the wood-paneled walls. I retrieved new sheets and pillowcases. They were as soft as the ones in the other two rooms and probably cost a fortune.

  “I told you I needed time!” a deep voice with an Italian accent bellowed from behind one of the closed doors.

  I froze mid-step. It must’ve been the boys’ stepfather, Martine.

  “These things take fucking time!” he yelled followed by what sounded like his fist slamming down hard on something. “Give me a couple of months. It will all be over in a couple of months.”

  Silence followed and I didn’t want to get caught in the hallway eavesdropping, so I hurried back downstairs, feeling more at ease on the second floor where I knew my mom was.

  I returned to Seren’s room, changing the sheets quickly and making his bed with the black comforter at the foot of his bed. I grabbed the clothes thrown on his dresser, desk, and chair and folded them, unable to ignore the expensive scent wafting off them. I snatched any clothes still on the floor and tossed them into the laundry basket in the corner of his room.

  I took the dishes and cups from the nightstand and dresser and placed them on the cart in the hallway. His room looked neat compared to the mess it had been, but I’d yet to check the bathroom. I pulled open the door to find towels all over the floor and bottles of deodorant and cologne on the countertop. Yup, expensive designer stuff.

  I reached under the sink to grab the cleaning supplies and discovered a huge half-empty box of condoms. Of course he’d be stocked up. I reached behind the box and grabbed what I needed, cleaning the bathroom as quickly as I could.

  By the time I finished in there, I was wiped out. I said goodbye to my mom and hurried down to our basement apartment. I stripped out of the ugly uniform and jumped into the shower, ridding myself of the dirty feeling I got from being in Seren’s room.

  After dressing in jeans, a hoodie, and my Chucks, I walked around the grounds to get some fresh air. I texted with Holly and Laney before stopping by the pool. I crouched at the side and glided my fingertips over the cool water. I couldn’t wait for the day when I’d be working by the ocean as a marine biologist. And, if things went my way and I got the summer internship at the Tampa Marine Life Rescue Center, that day would come even sooner.

  I stood up and eyed the lounge chairs on the patio. It wouldn’t hurt to soak up a little sun before retiring to the basement, so I lay down on one of the chairs and closed my eyes. Lawnmowers hummed in the distance as the bright afternoon sun warmed my otherwise cool body. The morning hadn’t been so bad. Sure, cleaning other people’s rooms wasn’t the ideal job, but it made me money for college and cut down on my mom’s workload. Besides, once I returned to school next week, I’d be moving to the kitchen to assist during dinner.

  “What the fuck?”

  My eyes shot open.

  Seren and a skinny blonde girl stared down at me. He looked different than he looked all dressed up in the photo in his brother’s room but just as cold as he had when I found him in the pool house. The same glare was firmly in place on his surly face. “The help isn’t allowed on the grounds,” he said.

  I jumped up. “Sorry. I must’ve dozed
off.”

  “Who is she?” the girl asked him.

  “The creeper from yesterday,” he informed her.

  A cold chill rushed over my body. “Creeper?”

  “Yeah,” he said, pegging me with his eyes. “The one watching us in the pool house window.”

  My mouth dropped open. “I was not watching you. I thought you were assaulting her.”

  He scoffed before his eyes cut to hers. “Was I assaulting you, Kiki?”

  “Only in the best possible way,” she assured him.

  Poor pathetic fool. He’ll clearly dump you for the next best thing. “Well, moving forward I’ll be sure to stay away from people who seemed to be calling for help.”

  “You best keep your eyes and ears to yourself around here,” Seren warned, his green eyes boring into mine.

  “Is that your idea of a threat?” I asked, totally unaffected by his attempt to intimidate me.

  “Yes,” he said matter-of-factly.

  Kiki snickered, and I suddenly felt like I was caught in the middle of some bad teen movie.

  “The help’s quarters are that way,” Seren said, pointing toward the house and dismissing me.

  My eyes narrowed. “I’m well aware of where the basement is.” I spun away from them and walked toward the house in no hurry at all. Let them look. I wasn’t intimidated by rich assholes.

  CHAPTER 5

  Grace

  The following day there was another note on Seren’s unmade bed. Scrub the shower. Wouldn’t want tonight’s brunette to find last night’s blonde hair in there.

  Was this guy for real?

  I cleaned his room in record time, paying extra attention to the shower per his request. Thankfully, I didn’t find any blonde hair, and now his latest conquest would be none the wiser.

  * * *

  The next day, per his third note, I entered the pool house. My eyes scanned the spotless living room and kitchen, and I was glad that I wouldn’t need to clean in there. I moved down the small hallway to the bedroom in the back of the house. True to what Seren had written in his note, this was a disaster. Handcuffs, petroleum jelly, and lingerie were strewn on the unmade bed. Gross. I quickly changed the sheets, straightened up the room, and threw out the garbage and accessories. This kid was eighteen, but it was like he was a porn star.

  I hurried to our apartment, never feeling dirtier in my life. I showered, washing all the icky-ness of that pool house off me. I went to my room with a towel wrapped around my body and my wet hair up in a knot. I dropped onto my stomach on the bed and grabbed my phone. I checked my newsfeed. And, before I could even stop myself, I searched Seren Grayson. He didn’t have any social media accounts, but that didn’t stop people from creating their own “fan” sites or hashtagging him in their posts. Most of the photos that appeared were recent and there were girls in many of them. Blondes, brunettes, pink-haired beauties. And despite their wide smiles, he didn’t smile in even one of the photos. His emotionless eyes stared straight at the camera, eerie and cold. A shiver raced up my spine. He wasn’t who people thought he was. There was something else there. I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

  In between photos of him with girls at parties or in the hallway at school, there were photos of him in his navy and white football uniform with the number twenty-five on his chest. There were some of him standing on the sideline during practice with sweaty hair and red cheeks and lots of him throwing footballs during games. There were also some of him with his brothers, all tagged #GraysonGods. In some, they wore football uniforms and in others, they posed at charity events. I wondered how many fundraisers Maureen dragged them to.

  I didn’t know what I thought I’d learn about Seren by stalking him on social media, but what I found didn’t shed any light on who he was. I wondered if I’d ever learn or if all our interactions would be via note or cold uncomfortable run-ins.

  * * *

  Loud music reverberated off our walls Friday night. You’d think the old stone exterior of the manor would’ve kept the noise out, but between the screaming girls jumping into the pool and the loud music, it was difficult to concentrate on the book I still couldn’t finish on my phone. I crawled off my bed and stopped in my mom’s open doorway. “Can we expect a party every weekend?”

  My mom glanced at me from her bed where she’d been watching television. “Not my business.”

  “Well, did you have to clean up after them?”

  “The weekend staff handles weekends. I’m usually long gone by the time Friday night rolls around.”

  “So, do you think they do this every time Maureen and Martine are out of town?”

  She shrugged, but something in her features said she knew. Wasn’t it a foregone conclusion that the help always stayed quiet but gossiped behind closed doors?

  “Night,” I said before returning to my room.

  With all the noise, I knew I wouldn’t be able to read…or sleep. So, once I was sure my mom had fallen asleep, I tiptoed to the front door and slipped out. I needed to see this party for myself.

  Expensive cars, jeeps, and SUVs lined the driveway. Some people walked about the grounds, but most mingled by the pool and pool house. I really didn’t want to catch anyone’s attention, especially after the way things went down with Seren and that girl by the pool the other day. So, I made my way across the grounds, moving from tree to tree as if on a clandestine mission.

  Out of nowhere, a hand clasped my mouth from behind, stealing my breath away. Fear grabbed hold of me as I struggled against the hand, only to be pulled back against a strong body.

  “Shhhh. I’m not gonna hurt you,” a deep voice promised.

  “L…e….t…g…oooo,” I struggled to say against the hand.

  “I’m gonna let go,” he assured me. “Just promise you won’t yell.”

  I nodded, willing to agree to anything for him to release me.

  Slowly the hand released my mouth and I spun around ready to unleash my wrath on whoever had touched me. My head hitched back at the sight of one of the Grayson boys standing in front of me, tall and handsome, his green gaze capturing mine. His lips slipped into a small smile. I knew him from the photo, but I wasn’t sure if he was Saint or Sawyer. “You must be Grace,” he said, his eyes drifting over my jeans and hoodie.

  Feeling uncomfortable under his appraisal, I crossed my arms.

  “No wonder your mom kept you away from here,” he said.

  “What’s that mean?”

  “My brothers would definitely eat you up and spit you out,” he assured me with a laugh.

  “Excuse me?” I asked, annoyed by his words.

  As if remembering his manners, he shook his head. “I’m sorry. I’m Sawyer.”

  “Maureen’s youngest son?”

  He grinned. “My reputation precedes me?”

  “My mom might’ve mentioned it.”

  “Before she threatened you to stay away from us?”

  My eyes narrowed.

  “I knew it!” he said, my expression giving me away. “She was smart to keep you away,” he said, burying his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “We are trouble.”

  “You’re trouble?” I asked, unable to believe it given his baby face.

  “Well, maybe not me. But Seren and Saint are. So, as far as everyone in town’s concerned, I’m guilty by association.”

  “Sounds crummy.”

  He shrugged like it was no big deal.

  “If you’ve got this whole party going on at your house, why’re you lurking around in the shadows?”

  He chuckled and the soft sound was endearing. “There’s a lot to see and hear in the shadows.”

  Screams from the pool caused both of us to glance over.

  “Do you want me to introduce you to some people?” he offered.

  “No. I was just checking out what all the noise was.” My eyes snagged on a few people stumbling across the lawn and a tinge of longing to be back home with my friends hit me in the center of my chest. I glanced b
ack to Sawyer. “Do you guys throw parties every weekend?”

  He shook his head. “Not every weekend. And it’s not my party. It’s Saint’s.”

  “So, these aren’t your friends?”

  He shrugged. “I’m only a sophomore. Some of them are only nice to me because they’re scared of my brothers.”

  “Should they be scared of your brothers?” I asked.

  He thought for a minute. “Probably.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t be so sure these people aren’t your friends, too. You seem like a pretty nice guy to me.”

  “Are you enrolling at Windham Prep?” Sawyer asked.

  I shook my head. “I’m graduating with my friends in Coopersville.”

  “That’s cool.”

  I smiled, happy that my mother had been wrong about at least one of the Grayson boys. “I’ll let you get back to your party—I mean, your brother’s party.”

  “Don’t go,” he said. “This is the most fun I’ve had all night.”

  I laughed. “You can always find me in the basement.”

  He looked down at his feet, and I could tell he was embarrassed about my living quarters.

  “I’m just kidding. It’s actually really nice down there.”

  His eyes lifted to mine and apology filled them. “At least it’s only for a little while, right?”

  For me. But my mom was there for as long as she decided to stay. “Good point.”

  “Sawyer!” someone called.

  Sawyer and I turned in the direction of the voice.

  Seren stood in the distance under a tree with his arms crossed. His harsh glare was undeniable even several yards away. “What the hell are you doing talking to the help?”

  The way he called me the help again pissed me the hell off. “What’s your problem?” I called to him.

  Sawyer touched my arm as if to quiet me down—or protect me. I couldn’t be sure.

  Seren’s eyes narrowed.

  “I was just getting to know Grace,” Sawyer explained as a way of settling down his fiery brother who was now stalking toward us.

  “What’s to know?” Seren asked.