Page 62 of Deafened By Silence
“We have a problem.” I state evenly, hopping back onto my stool.
“My thoughts exactly,” Clayton growls and drops his bag to the floor to take a fighter’s stance. “You keep wasting my fucking time.”
“Relax. We’re not going to fight today.” I chew my lip ring, savoring the bite of metal on flesh as I rein in the urge to lunge across the aisle. It’s truly not my intention to fight, but I couldbe convinced quite easily. Especially after Harper refused to take the bait all lesson, leaving me pent-up. I swear I need her hostility as much as I need her sweet pussy, but I digress.
“We’re going to resolve this the civilized way. Take a seat,” I demand. Clayton scoffs but he lowers onto a stool across the aisle, crossing his arms and raising a bored brow. “I’m going to offer you a one-time deal which expires the moment you step out of this room. We both have something the other wants, so a simple trade should suffice.”
“What the hell could I have that you would want? You’ve already have everything.” Clay’s eyes narrow, his distaste for me palpable.
“Apparently not,” I drawl, resting my forearms on the desk. “Having everything makes it impossible to really want anything. Nothing holds my interest. Except lately, I’ve found a rare possession that I’ve decided I want to keep.”
Clayton’s shoulders bunch as he realizes exactly what, or rather who, I’m referring to.
“She’s not a possession. You can’t own her.” My lips curl into a slow smile. Oh, but I can.
Clayton lives in a fake version of the world, where people’s choices aren’t dictated by others. I’ve had every decision made for me my entire life. My future is already set on who I’m supposed to marry, what job I’ll have, where I’ll live. I’m a dog on a chain, living out his last few years of freedom until his master jerks on the leash. That’s if I haven’t managed to destroy my father and everything he stands for by then.
And then Harper appears. Sweet, unfathomable Harper. The temptress who has shifted my perception, who has given me an out from the world I despise. She’s smart, beautiful, stubborn in a way that makes me yearn for a moment of her attention. Imagine if I had all of it. Imagine if, after I’ve burnt my father’smansion to the ground with him inside it, she was standing by my side, bathed in ash and desire.
My mind runs away with me, much like it has been lately, and Clayton clears his throat. Oh yeah, loose ends to tie up.
“Your mom has extortionate debts, is that right? And the care home fees. They must be a killer.” A tick beats in his jaw, causing my smirk to widen. Rule 101 in destroying your enemy,know everything. “And even if you do graduate, that juvie record will haunt you everywhere you go. It looks like I’m not the only one with a noose around his neck.”
“What exactly is it you’re offering?” Clayton frowns, his posture guarded. I lift my shoulders in a shrug, pretending that I haven’t already set this plan in motion by calling the bank and a solicitor this morning.
“Your mom’s debts cleared and her care fees paid up for the next five years. I’ll have your record redacted, and your scholarship moved to an online,off-campus, program. All you have to do it pack your shit and fuck off before nightfall.”
I watch the weight of my words pass through his face. The way his eyes flicker, thoughts running a million miles a minute. This is more than he could have ever hoped for. An easy solution to all of his problems. Releasing his arms to let them hang by his side, Clayton inhales deeply.
“No.”
For a moment, I stare at him, waiting for the word to rearrange itself into a hell yeah. I expected hesitation. A flicker of doubt at the very least. Maybe even greed, demanding more. Yet he simply holds my gaze, far too steadily for a man who just threw away the chance at a fresh start.
“Apparently, you don’t understand,” I say mockingly. “I’m handing you a fucking life raft while you’re already drowning.” Clayton leans forward, his black eyes burning into mine.
“No, Rhys, it’s you who doesn’t understand. Some of us don’t sit around waiting to be handed everything, and not everyone can be bought. I haven’t come this far just to throw it all away.”
“Throw what away?!” I throw my head back and cackle. “You have nothing. You are nothing.”
“It might look that way to you,” Clayton stands and gives me a look that’s too close to pity for my liking. Why the fuck would he be pitying me? “But I’d rather lose it all than sell out to you.”
Something inside me twists violently. For the first time in years, I feel off balance. People bend to me. They always bend, just before they break. Yet Clayton stands there like a brick wall, steady, immovable, making my carefully laid plan look pathetic.
“You’re even stupider than I thought,” I force out, though the edge of my voice betrays the rambling grasp for control I can’t quite reach. “You would sacrifice your future, everything you’ve ever fought for, just to play house with Harper? You’re not even in the same league as me.”
“Maybe not,” Clayton admits, though there’s no shame in his features. “But I have integrity, something Harperadores. So, if we’re done here, I have a lunch to get to.”
I sit frozen, rage boiling in my chest, fighting against the bitter taste of shock. Who even is this man? He’s not the bull-headed jock I first met, not the immovable asshole who always rose to my challenges. No, Clayton has changed, and I have a feeling I know why. Harper got to him, exactly the same way she’s dug her claws into me.
Shouldering his bag, Clayton tries to walk away from me. He must have missed the memo. No one makes me look like a fool. Shooting around the table, I shove him hard in the chest, forcing him a step back. I’ve tried to be civil, generous even, but Clayton seems to have forgotten who he’s dealing with. I’ll happily remind him.
Slamming my shoulder into his ribs, I drive him onto Peterson’s desk with enough force to rattle the glassware. I snatch the metal pointer, pressing it against his throat until his face reddens and his breath catches. Clayton grits his teeth, jams his leg between us, and boots me across the room. My back skids along the polished floor, a white-hot sting cutting through me in a way that almost feels good. He’s on me instantly, hauling me up by the scruff of my Gucci collar.
“As if I’d ever trust you with her,” he growls, slamming me down hard. I chuckle, sprawled on the floor, watching him stride away muttering about Harper being too special.
“I didn’t realize you were so selfish.” The words stop him dead, a tremor of fury passing through his shoulders before he spins back toward me. Grinning, I stand and make a show of brushing dust from my sleeves. “I’m giving you an out. A clean fix to all your problems, and as an added bonus, you’d never see me again. All you’d have to do is leave behind a girl you barely know.”
“And read about her ‘accidental death’in the papers when you finally go too far?” His eyes burn a hole through me. It appears I’m not the only one who is possessive. “Not happening. One day I’ll pay off my mom’s debts myself, through hard work and perseverance. Right now, I have a real shot at turning my life around and finding happiness with someone. I won’t let you ruin that for any amount of money.”
