Shifting Gears

9. We've All Got Issues

Clay and Greyson were closer now, their eyes shooting daggers at one another. The former said icily, "If you don't stop conning my sister into thinking that you're an 'okay' guy, I'll—"

"What?" Greyson challenged, his deep voice provoking my brother. "Give me a pep-talk, telling me I'm not good enough?"

Clay retorted, "I'm not your father, so no."

Greyson sat back on his heels as people around us exchanged quick glances, a hush falling over the crowd. My mouth was slightly ajar at my brother's comment. I didn't know Greyson's family history, probably no one around here did. But the way my brother said it, with a pointed tone, made me think that somehow Clay was privy to Greyson's family life.

Greyson didn't show any reaction to it other than his face freezing, silently staring at Clay.

Finally, my brother's enemy said calmly, after a deep breath, "I'm not 'conning' anybody. I don't need to fake a smile. I do what I want."

His tone made me look at him, eyes narrowed. It sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

"Yeah, well, you'll just have to hope it's enough."

"Does that mean 'good luck'?"

"You're gonna need it."

"Alright, come on," I said, grabbing my brother's arm and starting to drag him away. "You two are acting like toddlers."

"Hope you're ready for this race, Lawson," Greyson called to my brother's back as I pulled him away. "Would be pretty bad if you gave your dad another reason to hate motocross. He might make you a business man like himself if you lose too many times."

"Oh, shut up," I said lowly to Greyson. His green eyes flitted to me, unreadable. "You have daddy issues, my brother has daddy issues, big hurrah. Now shut up and walk away."

Greyson cocked his head at me, and I felt my little fists clench as his smirk deepened. I huffed in disbelief. This was so unlike the person who I was with last night. He could just flip a switch, apparently, and I hated it.

"Your sister tell you she's at my place every week?" Greyson taunted, his eyes now focused on my brother's tense back. "Stayed pretty late yesterday. It's a fun time, maybe I'll find out if she's as good of a rider as you."

My jaw hit the floor. Anger kicked the air out of me, and I stared with wide eyes at Greyson. He was an entirely different person. Was he just saying what he could to get Clay on edge?

If so, he was successful.

Reid tried to reach out and grab my brother's arm, but Clay had already pulled out of my grasp and marched back to where Greyson smugly stood.

If you hadn't picked up on it already, if you wanted to set Clay ablaze with anger, you say something about his sister. It's like dropping a lit match in a puddle of gasoline.

Clay stopped with barely any room between them, and the daggers he glared at his enemy were sharp and angry. His voice was low, radiating with rage. "I understand if perhaps you feel like you need to prove yourself—but people here are smarter. They can see through you, and your insults and words, and you end up just proving to everyone you really are an egoistic jerk. Just how thick are you?"

Greyson's smirk grew. "Ask your sister."

My jaw dropped even more, if possible. He was being pelted by daggers glared at him by the siblings, but he stood his ground.

Clay's voice dropped even more. "Stay away from my friends, stay away from me, and stay away from my sister. We all know no good comes out of you, Ryvers, and that's one thing you don't have to prove to us. We know your caliber is made out of nothing but a guy who wants a good time and loves to hurt people, and you don't care how bad you hurt them, because you're gone the next day."