Page 10 of Liar
Finally, Declan found his voice again, “No one is taking Ash away.” His hand, still gripping mine, tightened, and for a quick, fleeting moment, we shared a long look.
I got up, moving toward Will, who now paced on the opposite side of the coffee table. He looked the opposite of okay; I should’ve known bringing up Sawyer, trying to tell him that he wanted to change, would only fall on deaf ears. If Sawyer truly wanted to make a comeback in his old trifecta of friends, if he wanted to make it up to the older brother of the boy he blamed for so long, he had a lot of work on his hands.
Setting my hands on the sides of Will’s face, I said, “Will, everything is going to be alright. Sawyer’s not going to steal me from Declan or you, I promise. Even if you don’t trust Sawyer, trust me.”
His hazel eyes locked with mine, and I honestly believed that was that.
As time would eventually tell me, I had never been more wrong in my life.
Chapter Four – Travis
Ash had told me Sawyer was back, but the truth was I already knew he was around. I knew Ash cared for him, so I’d been keeping tabs on him while he was away, tracking his progress in rehab and knowing the exact moment he came back to Hillcrest.
You see, if Ash cared about something, I cared about it, too.
I would not have him fuck up yet again. Ash had told me about their encounter the other day, and I’d waited a while before crossing campus and heading across Main Street to his rental house. I waited to give him a sort of peace of mind, let him reacclimate to this place, but I needed to talk to him. I needed to make him understand just how important it was he remained on his best behavior.
I would not let Ash fall apart simply because Sawyer couldn’t keep ahold of himself. With Ray gone, things should be good. Things would be good.
My family already had a job for me this summer, but I refused to focus on that when I was here, when I was on a mission.
The night air was crisp and cool, the exact kind of night you’d imagine Hillcrest to have in mid-January. A week of classes had passed, everyone was slowly getting into the groove again. Ash was happy with me—and Declan and Will—but every time I was with her, I knew her mind was elsewhere.
Sawyer.
It’s why I had to see him. Had to talk to him. We didn’t share any of the same classes, and I never saw him on campus. I could’ve figured out his schedule, could’ve stalked him while on Hillcrest sidewalks, but I needed to see him in his home turf, when he was unprepared for company.
I needed to see the real Sawyer, not the mask he wore when around everyone else.
My feet took me to his front door. Lights were on inside the house, but I didn’t see any movement. No extra cars in the driveway, only his. If he wanted to stick around, he’d best not fuck up anymore. If he did, I’d make damn sure he never fucked up again.
Not saying I’d kill him, but I’d definitely get him out of the picture. Ash didn’t need someone who was constantly fucking up left and right. Last semester’s craziness had been enough. We all needed to move on, to pay attention to what really mattered.
Her.
It was always her, of course. I’d known it since the first moment I laid eyes on her. I knew she was different. Didn’t quite know exactly what she hid behind those beautiful grey eyes, but she was a firecracker. A heart-starter. A ball-buster and someone who held grudges. She was feisty, temperamental, and wild.
She was everything I ever wanted but never knew I needed. Ash had shown me what it was like to feel, not just obsess. I’d been a fool to believe Sabrina was it for me. Ash—Ash was it. Ash was the end of the line for me. After her…there would be nothing.
The wind blew around me, the moon hanging low in the sky as I curled my fingers into a fist and knocked. I could’ve hit the doorbell, but knocking just felt more intimidating.
Not that I was trying to intimidate Sawyer, but…
Okay, maybe a little.
I knocked for a good ten seconds before dropping my hand and taking a step back, waiting for him to come to the door. It seemed like yesterday when Ash was hunkered down in this house, trying to hide out from Ray. I was glad that bit was over with, but a part of me was sad.
Sad because hurting him had been so much fun. And, yes, I really did mean fun. There were no other words to adequately describe it.
I guessed I was just another flavor of psycho after all, but I would never be like Ray. I would never hurt Ash. I wanted what was best for her, and Sawyer…the jury was out on whether or not he’d make her happy or miserable. If it turned out to be the latter, I would get rid of him.
It was at least a full minute before he opened the door. A towel hung over his shoulders, his torso free of any clothing. He was covered in sweat, his short blonde hair slick with it. A water bottle sat in his left hand. So he’d been working out, huh? Back to one of his old habits, I saw.
I supposed if working out got his mind off things, I wasn’t one to judge. As long as he didn’t spiral and lose control, lose himself and break Ash’s heart again, we’d be fine.
“Travis,” Sawyer spoke, his green eyes dropping to my feet, slowly rising as if he was a tad concerned I came here armed with the intention to hurt him.
Come on. I’d never go at a man his size head-on. He was larger than me all around; I wasn’t stupid. My family had taught me to be smart.
