Seren: A High School Bully Romance Read online

  “What are you gonna do? Ground me?” Saint said.

  “She might put you in the corner,” Sawyer added.

  “You’re awfully quiet, Seren,” Maureen observed.

  I stopped scrubbing the pan and listened. Would he confess to what he’d done to me?

  “Where’s Martine tonight?” Seren asked, accusation heavy in his tone. “Late night at the office again?”

  Silence filled the room. I wondered if he’d hit upon a sore subject or if he just had stepdaddy issues.

  “Does that mean you don’t know?” he continued prying.

  “Let it go,” Maureen said.

  I could tell the discussion was over when I heard silverware clanking on a plate followed by a chair scraping away from the table. Footsteps neared the kitchen, so I quickly lowered my head and scrubbed away at the pan in the sink. The door swung open.

  “Oh, hello,” Maureen said.

  I glanced over my shoulder hoping she was speaking to Chef, but I was the only one in the kitchen. She looked nothing like the younger photos I’d seen of her. She’d clearly had plastic surgery. “Hi.”

  “Oh my God.” Her face lit up upon seeing me. “The resemblance is uncanny. You look just like your mother did when we were kids. My goodness, you’re transporting me back to my days growing up in Coopersville.”

  I smiled, happy that she remembered she and my mom had once been friends and that my mom was more than just her housekeeper.

  “I’m so sorry for your loss, honey,” she offered. “I wish I could’ve made it to the services. I just haven’t been feeling well lately.”

  “No worries. The flowers you sent were lovely,” I assured her.

  She nodded and an awkward silence passed between us.

  “Thank you for setting up my room for me.”

  She smiled as if proud of her decorating abilities. “I never had a daughter, so shopping for a girl was so much fun.”

  I nodded. If my mother’s relationship with her was any indication of how she interacted with the help, I knew better than to think there would ever be more than brief small talk. I began to turn back to the wet pan in my hands.

  “Have you met my boys?” she asked.

  I turned back, not sure how much to say. “Sawyer’s very nice.”

  “Am I to take that to mean Saint and Seren aren’t?” she asked.

  I swallowed hard. “Oh…I just meant…”

  She laughed. “I’m teasing you, Grace. My boys are all just as wonderful.” And though she seemed like she wanted to believe that, her eyes deceived her. “Maybe you four will be as close as your mom and I were—are,” she said, correcting herself.

  I shrugged, knowing that was not going to happen. Maybe Sawyer and I would be friends. But definitely not Seren and Saint.

  “Well, I’ll let you get finished in here. Don’t let Chef keep you too late,” she said.

  “I won’t. Nice talking to you,” I said.

  “You too, honey.”

  When she left, I couldn’t help but wonder what my life would have been like if my mom had been set up on a blind date with Mr. Grayson instead of Maureen. Would this have been my life? And would I have even wanted that?

  CHAPTER 9

  Grace

  I stood beside my car the following morning. All four tires were still flat. So much for wishful thinking that Seren would do the right thing. I hurried back into the house and snuck into the kitchen, opening the cabinet above the toaster and grabbing for the keys to the Jeep. The keys that were no longer in there.

  “Looking for something?”

  I sucked in a breath and spun around. Seren stood there shirtless and in boxers with sleepy morning eyes and the keys dangling from his finger. If I didn’t hate him so much, I may have appreciated the view more, but since the mere sight of him caused nausea to swirl up inside me, I didn’t.

  “You can put your tongue back in your mouth,” he said. “Your ogling’s embarrassing.”

  I opened my mouth to respond but thought better of it since I needed those keys. I stifled my aggravation. “Give them to me.”

  He scoffed. “Should I tell my mother you’re stealing our car?”

  “Should I tell her you flattened my tires?”

  He yawned. “This conversation again? How boring.”

  I hated this guy so damn much. “Sawyer lent me the car.”

  “Yesterday. Did you ask to borrow it today?” he countered.

  I said nothing, the anger swelling inside me becoming almost too much to contain.

  “Exactly what I thought.”

  I was stuck. I had no way to get to school if he didn’t hand over the keys. Then, I’d have to tell my mom the truth. She’d talk to Maureen who’d likely believe her son over me. Nothing good could come from telling the truth.

  “What’s going on?” Sawyer asked as he stepped into the kitchen.

  Relief washed over me at the sight of him.

  “I was just talking to this thief,” Seren said.

  Sawyer snatched the keys from Seren’s hand and tossed them across the room to me. Luckily, I caught them. “I said she could borrow it.” He looked to me with conspiratorial eyes. “Your car’s getting fixed today, right?”

  I smiled, loving this kid more than I could explain. “Yup. This afternoon.”

  “Great. So, it’s settled.” Sawyer glanced at Seren. “Grace is borrowing the Jeep for the last time today. No biggie.”

  Seren’s laser-sharp glare could have cut through a pane of glass, but it didn’t scare me. I had the keys.

  “See you later, Sawyer.” I hurried out of the kitchen and outside the manor. The sun was getting higher and I knew I was gonna be late for school if I didn’t hurry. And, at least there, I’d have familiar faces to greet me.

  Seren

  “Are we partying at your house this weekend or is the wicked witch around?” Christa asked from behind me in physics class.

  I shrugged, not sure what the weekend would bring.

  “Kiki said you’ve got a new roommate,” she continued.

  I spun around, my eyes narrowed. “What?”

  “She said she has free reign of the manor.” Christa was a shit-stirrer, so she knew exactly what she was fishing for by bringing up Grace.

  “She’s the help.”

  Christa twisted a lock of her long red hair around her finger. “That’s what Kiki said, but she also said she’s hot.”

  “I don’t think she swings that way,” I clipped. “And, for future reference, who lives at my house isn’t anyone’s business.”

  “Is she staying in your room?” she asked.

  Now she was pissing me off. “No one stays in my room.”

  She held up her palms as if not to push me. “Just asking. Your fans deserve to know the truth about their hero.”

  I turned back around. “Fuck you, Christa.”

  “Oh, but you’ve already been there and done that.”

  I hated Windham Prep. Scratch that, Windham, New Hampshire. I couldn’t wait to get the hell away from this town. In the fall, I’d be playing football in Alabama and be far from the gossip. Far from my mother. Far from my name.

  * * *

  When I pulled into the garage after playing a pick-up game of football with some of the guys after school, the Jeep was back in its spot where it belonged. I stepped outside and saw that Grace’s tires were fixed. The sight pissed me off.

  I walked into the house and went right upstairs.

  “Seren? Is that you?” my mother called.

  I ignored her irritating voice and walked into my room, slamming the door behind me. I slipped my backpack off and hung it on the back of my desk chair, knowing I wouldn’t be opening it again until first period tomorrow. Alabama didn’t care about my grades now. I was attending for my QB skills. Not because I was a scholar—though I was a lot smarter than most people thought. Sure, I was fucking rich, but that’s not what I cared about. I wanted to play football.

  Something on my desk caught my eye. The keychain with the crystal ruby on it. Why were the Jeep’s keys in my room? Had Grace been in here? I glanced around half expecting her to still be there. I picked up the keys and saw that a piece of paper lay beneath them. Words scrolled in girl’s handwriting read: Thanks so much for your kindness. I left a small token of my appreciation in the bathroom for you. -The Help

  My eyes narrowed as I ventured into the bathroom, immediately spotting my box of condoms on the counter. As I moved closer, I noticed another note with an open safety pin on top of it. Choose wisely…

  She wouldn’t?

  I stared down at the safety pin unsure if I was amused that she was funnier than I expected or if I was pissed that she thought she could get to me that easily.

  She wasn’t in Coopersville anymore. And it seemed like she needed a reminder of that because she obviously didn’t know who she was messing with.

  CHAPTER 10

  Grace

  I woke with a jolt, turning my head on the pillow and grabbing my phone. 4:58. Shit! I jumped up, grabbing my uniform from my chair, but something shiny caught my eye on the corner of my desk. My ring! I grabbed it, tightening it in my palm and holding it as if it would somehow disappear again if I let it go. It hadn’t been there when I’d fallen asleep. I would have seen it. I know I would have seen it.

  I opened my hand and checked the inside of the ring to be sure it was mine. My Girl was engraved in script. A moment of nostalgia washed over me. A moment of peace. A moment of sadness. I’d been trying to occupy my mind with anything but thoughts of my dad. I knew it’s what I needed to do to move on. I wasn’t trying to forget him. Far from it. I was trying to survive this trauma, and dwelling on something I couldn’t change was not healthy.

  I slipped the ring back onto my finger where it belonged, promising myself I’d never take it off again. It hadn’t been there when I’d searched high and low for it. And, it hadn’t been there when I’d fallen asleep. My mom must’ve found it and placed it there for me to see when I woke up. The elation of having my ring back almost made me forget I needed to get to work.

  “You’re late,” Chef said as I dashed inside the kitchen. “That’s unacceptable.”

  “I’m so sorry. I fell asleep.”

  He huffed. “I’ve got something I need you to do tonight.”

  “What?” I asked.

  “Janette’s sick. I need you to serve the food.”

  “Serve the food?” I repeated.

  “Someone needs to,” he said.

  Inwardly, I cringed knowing I’d have to face Seren.

  Chef pointed to a tray that held four bowls of soup on the far end of the center island. “Start with the soup.”

  “Just so you know, I’ve never been a waitress,” I explained.

  “Then don’t carry the tray. Just carry two bowls out at a time.”

  I could handle that. I picked up two bowls and used my butt to push open the swinging door. Maureen and the boys sat around the dining room table, each on their own side. I could feel their eyes on me as I entered, but I kept my eyes down and moved to Maureen. “Excuse me,” I said as I placed the soup carefully down in front of her, spilling a tiny bit on the table cloth.

  “Where’s Janette?” she asked.

  “Not feeling well,” I explained as I moved to Sawyer to her left and placed a bowl in front of him.

  “Thanks, Grace,” he said.

  Back in the kitchen, I grabbed the other two bowls. My hands began to shake slightly as I carried them into the dining room. Saint said nothing as I placed his bowl down, and then I moved to Seren at the opposite end of the table from Maureen.

  As I placed the bowl down in front of him, he whispered, “Nice ring.”

  Why was he complimenting my ring? Unless…

  I stumbled back, unable to believe I hadn’t considered it before. Had Seren taken my ring? I hurried back to the kitchen, dragging in a few deep breaths.

  “Everything okay?” Chef asked.

  “Yup,” I lied.

  “Well, give them a few minutes to finish the soup then you can go collect their bowls and bring out the antipasto.”

  I went to the sink and began washing the pans. Why would Seren sneak into my room to steal my ring? What would he gain from having it? I exhaled a long breath. Maybe I was just jumping to conclusions. Maybe, despite our disastrous interactions thus far, he was just being nice for a change and noticed my ring. It wasn’t like I’d been wearing it since it went missing.

  “Head back in, Grace,” Chef said after a few minutes.

  I put down the clean pan on the drying rack and walked back into the dining room. I avoided eye contact as I made my way around the table, removing the empty soup bowls in the same order I’d delivered them and finishing with Seren.

  “My girl?” he whispered as I leaned in to pick up his bowl. “Interesting sentiment.”

  A cold chill rushed up my spine. That son of a bitch had taken my ring. And, he’d snuck into my room to return it—while I was sleeping. I hurried back to the kitchen with the bowls.

  Was he trying to scare me? Was he trying to show me he could get into my room whenever he wanted to? Get to me whenever he wanted to?

  “Grab the antipasto,” Chef said.

  My entire body quivered with anger as I picked up the antipasto dishes from the center island. I balanced all four in my hands and carried them into the dining room, circling the table and serving Maureen, Sawyer, and Saint. I was about to place Seren’s dish down when he whispered, “Did some Coopersville loser give it to you?”

  That did it. I tipped the dish so the antipasto slipped off it and right into his lap.

  He jumped up with lettuce and dressing dripping down the front of his shirt and jeans. “What the fuck?”

  “Language!” Maureen ordered.

  My hands cupped my mouth, concealing a smile. “Oh, my goodness.”

  Seren tossed pieces of antipasto back onto his plate.

  “Let me get you another one,” I offered.

  “I don’t want it,” he spat.

  “You sure?” I said, leveling him with my eyes. “Everyone should get what they have coming to them.”

  He glared at me and, for the first time since I’d arrived at Grayson Manor, I felt like I held the upper hand.

  “Honey, it was an accident,” Maureen assured him, as if apologizing for me. “That isn’t the first accident we’ve had, and it certainly won’t be the last.”

  “I really am sorry,” I said to Seren with a smirk that only he could see. Then I grabbed his dish and went back to the kitchen.

  “What happened?” Chef asked as I emptied the remnants of the antipasto into the garbage.

  “Just a little accident,” I assured him as I put the dish into the dishwasher.

  “Well, I’m done with dinner, so wash the rest of the pans and I’ll serve the main course.”

  “You sure?” I asked.

  “Positive,” he said.

  I tried not to giggle as I started cleaning the pans. And as the high from putting Seren in his place slowly began to wear off, the realization hit me. I’d won the fight, but I might’ve just started a war.

  CHAPTER 11

  Seren

  “What are you doing?” Sawyer asked, startling the hell out of me.

  I glanced up from behind Martine’s desk in his third-floor office.

  “You know you’re not supposed to be in here,” he said as he stepped inside and closed the door.

  “This is our house. Not his,” I reminded him.

  “You sound childish.”

  “Spoken by the sixteen-year-old,” I countered.

  He rolled his eyes.

  “What do you want?” I asked, annoyed by his intrusion.

  “Just making sure you’re not planning on doing anything stupid.”

  My brows inverted. “Anything stupid?”

  “To Grace. You know, after she spilled the antipasto all over you.”

  The thought of her purposely spilling food on me sent anger coursing through my veins. No one tried to one-up me. “Why do you think I’d do something to her?”

  He cocked his head. “Because it’s what you do. You don’t let people play you and not pay the price.”

  “You make me sound diabolical.”

  “Not diabolical. Nuts.”

  I flipped him the bird.

  He didn’t laugh like he normally would. “She’s nice, Seren. I don’t want you messing with her the way you’ve messed with people in the past.”

  I wouldn’t lie and say I hadn’t fucked with people in the past. But they’d all deserved it.

  “I’ll kick your ass if you hurt her,” Sawyer warned.

  I scoffed at the absurdity of his words. “Are you her bodyguard now?”

  “Consider yourself warned,” he said before opening the door.

  “I don’t take kindly to threats, little brother,” I said.

  He walked out, closing the door behind him.

  I couldn’t help but smile. I’d taught him well. No one wronged you without repercussions, and though I knew he wouldn’t make good on his threat to me, at least he—as well as everyone else in this godforsaken town—knew, Seren Grayson was not someone to fuck with.

  Grace

  “So, how’s life at the manor?” Holly asked from behind the wheel of her car Friday night.

  “Different.”

  “Different good or different bad?” Laney asked from the backseat.

  “Well…” I wasn’t sure I wanted to tell my friends about the shitty stuff that had been happening. It was easier letting them believe everything was fine. “I’m just trying to find where I fit there.”

  “If you ask me, it’s right between the two older brothers,” Holly said.

  I rolled my eyes. If she knew the truth, she wouldn’t be saying that.

  Laney laughed. “You still need to leave the young one for me.”

  “He’s a sweetheart. I wouldn’t want you ruining him,” I joked.

  “Hey,” she said and we all laughed.

  “I’m so happy I’m sleeping here tonight,” I said.