As if I’m the one who had tried to assault him, to fuck up his life. As if he’s the one who deserves justice and vengeance.
He attacked me, but I’m the one who might end up paying for it. All because he has money and power, and I don’t.
“Maybe I should go. Leave Hawthorne.”
The words are past my lips before I realize I’m speaking my thoughts aloud, and all the guys turn to look at me. Even as I say it, I hate the way it sounds, hate the way it feels.
It makes me feel weak, like a fucking coward. I don’t want to run just because Cliff thinks he can boss everyone’s asses around with his daddy’s money. I don’t want to slink away into the night and make it seem like it was my fault that Cliff assaulted me.
I don’t want to back down, but I might have to. My life may depend on it.
“Absolutely fucking not,” Gray says emphatically, and three pairs of eyes snap toward him at the declaration. “I made the wrong decision before. I swear to fucking god, Sparrow, I was only trying to protect you. I was an asshole. I tried to push you away to keep you safe—when all along, it was Declan and Elias who had the right idea. Instead of pushing you away, I should’ve pulled you closer. I should’ve told you every-fucking-thing so we could deal with it together.”
Together.
I nod slowly. I don’t know how exactly we’ll deal with Cliff and this new threat from him, but I have to admit, I like the idea of staying a lot better than I like the thought of slinking away and letting Cliff win.
Gray was right. I am a fighter.
“Those are pretty words. But you’re still a fucking asshole.” Elias’s eyes are narrowed, watching Gray.
“I fucked up,” Gray admits. “I am an asshole. I know that. I shouldn’t have pushed things so far.” He turns to Declan. “And you were right. Beth would be fucking disappointed in me if she could’ve seen how I was acting. That shit messed me up. I tried to justify it, knowing that if she knew why I was doing it, if she knew that I was trying to do the right thing, she’d understand, but you were right. I needed to man up, and I didn’t do it.”
“I was out of line with that one,” Declan says, lifting a shoulder as he studies his friend. “I was pissed as hell at you, but that was too far. Beth loved you, man. And even if the rest of us sometimes think you’re a fuckhead, that won’t change. You were her fucking idol. It’d be great if you could act like it.”
“I’m trying to.” Gray clears his throat. I can tell that talking about his sister has reopened old wounds, but he doesn’t shy away from it like I’ve seen him do before. “And if I ever forget that, you’ve got my permission to deck me again.”
“I will.”
There’s a promise in Declan’s voice. I know he means it, and I don’t doubt that he’d take a swing at Gray if he thought his friend was going to hurt me again. But his shoulders relax a little, and some of the tension in the room clears.
“So, what do we do?” I ask, filling the silence. “Now that we all know what Cliff’s got up his sleeve, how do we stop him from using it?”
“We need to get leverage over him.” Elias speaks up, running a hand through his hair. “He’s trying to blackmail you into leaving, so we need to blackmail him into backing off.”
“Yeah.” Declan nods, pursing his lips. “Just because his family is powerful, that doesn’t mean he’s invincible. He’s gotta have some skeletons in his closet.”
I chew my lip, considering their answer. “It makes sense, I guess. I just wish we had something more solid.”
“We’ll find it.” Gray’s voice is hard and determined. “And if we don’t find it, we’ll create it, just like he did. He’s not the only one who can play dirty if it comes down to it.”
“In the meantime,” Declan adds, his gaze flicking to Gray, “we need to make sure Cliff knows we’ve all got Sophie’s back. If he knows we’re willing to do whatever it takes to keep her safe, maybe that’ll be enough to hold him off for a while.”
“Agreed,” Gray says immediately. His gaze catches mine, and I see so many emotions swirling in his irises that it almost bowls me over. “You’re mine, Sophie. You’re ours. We won’t let Cliff drive you out, and we won’t let him hurt you if you stay. I’ve got a lot of shit to atone for, and I’m starting right now.”
15
Elias, Declan, and Gray are already waiting for me outside my dorm building when I leave the next morning, like my own personal bodyguards.
And for once, instead of feeling a flare of irritation at the thought that they might think I need to be protected, their presence makes me feel stronger.
It makes me feel like a fucking queen, surrounded by people who care.
We meet up with Max on the way across campus, and her eyebrows shoot up so high at the sight of all three guys around me that I almost laugh. She joins us without a word though, nudging me with her elbow as she jostles in between me and Gray.
The stares start almost immediately, and as we head into the dining hall to grab breakfast, I know the gossip mill of Hawthorne is churning faster than ever, the news spreading around campus.
I might have effectively broken up the Sinners, I’ve also managed to put them back together.