College has been crazy busy this week and I am so ready for the weekend, although it won’t be much fun without Grayson around. I hate it when his dad pulls him away for the weekend to attend business functions and I know Grayson hates it as much as do.
Courtney has been bugging me for months to come home, so I have decided that this weekend would be the perfect opportunity. My mum’s house is still sitting there empty, so it isn’t like I don’t have somewhere to stay. I know going home will not be easy for me, and Grayson has spent the week trying to convince me to go another weekend so that he can come with me. In the end I asked Izzy to come with me and she eagerly agreed, having never been to Manchester.
Grayson texts’ me after school and he asks me to come to his for an hour before he leaves with his dad. Dom drops me off and tells me he’ll pick me back up in an hour. I knock on the door and my mood sinks when Mr St. Clair answers the door.
“Ah, Everly.” He holds open the door for me to enter and I feel like he is inviting me into the devil’s lair. I don’t like this man. I don’t like the way he treats his son, or the way he looks at me. “Grayson is in the gym. Come, I’ll make you a drink.”
“Oh, that’s okay Mr St. Clair. I’ll just go and find him.” I protest hastily, not wanting to spend another minute in his company if I can help it.
“Nonsense. I won’t take no for an answer, besides you and I need to talk.”
That sounds ominous. Realising I may as well just give in, I follow him into the kitchen. He silently makes us both drinks and I sit myself at the kitchen island. He brings my drink over and he stands opposite me, leaning both his hands on the marble worktop.
“You’re a lovely girl Everly, and I can see you make my son happy.”
“I like to think so,” I reply, blowing on my drink as I cup it between my hands.
He nods, continuing to watch me intently. “My son has a role to play in my company. Soon he will start taking a bigger role in things and for that certain sacrifices are needed.”
I frown as I listen to him, an uncomfortable feeling settling in my stomach. “Oh, what kind of sacrifices?”
Mr St. Clair reaches into his trouser pocket and pulls out a white envelope. He slides it across the worktop until it is in front of me.
“What is this?”
He smiles tightly. “It’s a proposition for you. Open it.”
I reach out and take the envelope and tear it open. I pull out a cheque in my name for thirty thousand pounds. I wrinkle my brow and look back up at him. “I don’t understand.”
Mr St. Clair smiles tightly. “It’s a cheque for you, for thirty thousand pounds on the proviso that you break off your relationship with my son and promise to stay away.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “You’re trying to pay me to stay away from your son?”
He nods, his face serious. This had to be some sick joke.
“Is this some kind of test?” I ask with a nervous laugh. “Is this to test my loyalty to your son? I told you when we met I was never interested in him for his money.”
He chuckles dryly. “This isn’t a test, Everly. I need you gone from my son’s life. You are a distraction in my plans. Walk away now and that money is yours.”
I scrunch the cheque up in my hands and throw it across the island to him. “There’s what you can do with your cheque. I don’t need your money. I have a house in Manchester that’s worth one hundred grand. I’m not as poor as you have pegged me to be.”
Mr St. Clair sighs and shakes his head. “I was hoping you’d be more sensible than this.” He takes the crumpled up cheque in his fist and on his way out of the room he deposits it in the kitchen bin.
I sit there for a few minutes reeling in shock. Has Grayson’s dad really just tried to bribe me to leave his son, and why?
An hour later Grayson and I are outside on his drive waiting for Dom to arrive to take me home. Grayson is sitting on the bonnet of his car with me standing between his legs.
“I hate this,” he sighs. “These events are so dull and I have to deal with my dad’s company for the whole fucking weekend.’
I smile sadly and lean in and kiss him. “It’ll be over before you know it.”
He nods and rests his forehead against mine. “You’ll text me when you arrive up north?”
I nod. “The minute we get there.”
He pulls me closer and looks into my eyes. “You ring me, if it gets too hard, okay? Anytime, day or night.”
“I promise.” It was sweet how much he worried about me.
Dom’s car rolls up the driveway and he beeps his horn in greeting. Grayson pulls me in for a toe-curling kiss and I don’t know why, but something deep within me feels like this weekend will change things.
“I’ll see you Monday morning.” I tell him and with one last quick kiss to his lips, I walk away and climb into the car.
Chapter 3
WE STEP OFF THE TRAIN onto the platform, and I breathe in the air. I am home. I love living with my dad and the family, but this place will always be home. I am and will always be a northern girl.
Izzy grins in excitement as she tugs her small case beside her. She nudges my shoulder. “I’m so excited for this weekend.”
I smile at her enthusiasm. “Come on, we need to get our connecting train to my hometown.”
We head to the platform for our next
