“Bullshit. That bitch got everything she deserved.”
“Shut up!”
“You still haven’t found her,” Estella purred.
"You don't have to rub it in," Andie told her coolly.
“How well did you really know her if you don’t even know where she is?”
"We're going to find her. And as for those vicious rumors someone has been spreading...we know how to deal with people like that in my family."
"Yeah?" Estella raised her brows. "How might that be?"
I rushed to step between them.
"Inca," I managed to get out. "Inca's hair. That's what we were doing. Can we get back to it, please?"
They reluctantly stepped apart, allowing me to breathe a sigh of relief. Jesus, they were like wild dogs attacking one another.
I twisted and curled Inca’s hair until it fell down her back in full waves. She looked like a different person without her glasses, and she had the face of a porcelain doll. Andromeda worked some serious magic with barely any makeup. She stained Inca's lips with a dark pink lipstick, marked her brows, and applied tons of mascara on her naturally thick lashes.
"I don't think you need blush," she said, and Inca giggled. "You'll take care of that all by yourself. Look, you're already turning pink."
Moments later, Inca and I laughed as Estella attempted to open the champagne bottle, narrowly missing the window with the cork. She poured us a flute each, and we toasted, though Andie looked more and more uncomfortable as the minutes ticked by.
"To new adventures!" Estella grinned. "And you girls’ first party!"
We clinked glasses, and I could barely fight the heat off my cheeks. I was nervous. Crispin would definitely find a way to torment me tonight. I tried to keep him off my mind as I sat down at the vanity table. Andromeda did my makeup while Estella and Inca complimented my hair.
"The purple really suits you," Inca said softly.
"I still don't know how they let you break school protocol." Estella shook her head. "I got in trouble for taking an inch off my skirt!"
"I'm pretty sure a hefty sum was involved," I sighed. "Mom must've pulled some strings."
"I wish my parents would do that," Inca muttered, blushing when we all looked at her. "I'm um, I'm at Wildwood on a scholarship."
"Oh," I nodded. Things made more sense now—why Estella had called her a pet project, why she was so meek and obedient around my best friend. "Well, you must have worked your butt off to get in! That's amazing, Inca."
"Thanks. It would be a lot easier if I had my parents' support."
"Well, you have me now." Estella shifted the conversation. "I'll help in any way I can. As for you, Tins…when you're Tinsley Sullivan, you can get away with anything,"
"Not anything," I whispered.
"I think we should do something fun with your hair," Estella said, changing the topic effortlessly one more time. It seemed like every topic we settled on was equipped with barbed wire, hurting my feelings. "Maybe space buns?"
"That sounds cute." I gave her a grateful smile.
She was a sweet friend, always making sure I was comfortable in my own skin. She knew I was a little quirky, and she worked with it to make sure I was at my absolute best. Inca and Estella pinned up my hair into matching buns, giving me a center part, while Andie painted my eyelids a creamy silver, adding fake lashes and the same lipstick Inca wore. The effect was cute, natural, and a little bit daring.
"I have an idea," Andie said once the girls finished. She pulled out a jar of silver, glittery powder, and I gave Estella a warning look when she rolled her eyes. "Space roots." Andromeda grinned, slathering my part with a silver sheen. And she finished the hairstyle with some stars pinned into my hair. Now, my blond roots were covered, my hair up in cute buns, and the part shined, sparkly and beautiful.
"I love it!" I exclaimed, giving them all a group hug. "Thanks for letting me be myself."
We broke apart, and Andie and I went to get dressed while Inca helped Estella with her hair and makeup. She was a total control freak, so I knew she wouldn't let Andie touch her. I changed in the bathroom, knocking on the door and asking Andromeda if she was ready yet.
"I need a couple more minutes!" she called out, and I told her I'd meet her back downstairs.
Once I walked into the sun room, I realized the girls had been gossiping. They shot me guilty looks when I walked into the room.
"Alright, spill it," I sighed. "What have I done now?"
"Not you," Inca managed. "It's that other girl."
"Andromeda?" I raised my eyebrows. "What's about her?"
"God, I just can't with that girl," Estella muttered. “She’s fucking useless. A goddamn weirdo.”
"Can't you at least try to be nice?" I begged. "What has she done to you to make you hate her this much?"
She gave me a pointed look, rolling her eyes. "Her sister isn't a nice person. She paints that girl like a saint, but she was far from it."
"Says who?" I demanded.
"Says me," she stuck out her tongue. "Whose side are you on anyway, Tins? We're supposed to be best friends. Remember?"
It was my turn to roll my eyes, and I approached the vanity table, admiring Estella's reflection in the mirror. "You are gorgeous, but stop trashing my friends. Jealousy doesn't look good on you."
"I'm not jealous!" she cried out. "Seriously, why would I be jealous of that train wreck?" She started counting on her fingers, saying, "I'm prettier, richer, better at school, and I can get any guy I want. What does she have, Tins? Nothing."
"I don't want to listen to this." I moved away from the vanity.
Estella was such a beautiful girl, but her looks didn't make her straight-forward personality any easier to deal with.
"Do you guys want a drink?" I offered.
"Diet Coke," Estella replied, applying shimmery glitter to her collarbone.
"I'll just have a regular Coke, thanks,” Inca threw in.
"No, babe," Estella interrupted. "Diet, remember? You don't want to be bloated at the party."
"Oh." Inca appeared sheepish. "Okay, a Diet Coke for me, too, then."
I walked out of the room, nearly bumping into Andie on my way out. "Hey," I managed. "Do you want a drink, too?"
"I'll come with you," she whispered.
It only took me a couple of seconds to realize she'd heard us talking about her.
Shit. She’s going to be upset.
"I'm sorry about that, Andie," I told her honestly. "They don't know what they're talking about."
"Estella is a bully." She shrugged in response, opening the mini fridge in the living room and pulling out some bottles. "It's what she does, right? But I don't have to listen to it much less believe the nasty stuff she says about me."
"You're right," I said, nodding as I took some of the drinks off her hands. "Why should her opinion matter? Nobody else thinks that, Andie. You’re so sweet—you made my first few days at school so much better. Just ignore Estella.”
"It would make life a lot easier that’s for sure.”
We headed back into the sun room, where Estella shot Andie a dirty look before taking her Diet Coke from me with a grin.
"Time to get dressed!" she said in a sing-song voice.
Back in the living room, we rifled through stacks of clothes. Andie laughed at some of Estella's more questionable choices, but I could tell something else was up.
"Are you okay?" I asked her.
She shrugged. "I used to do this kind of stuff with my sister."
"I'm sorry." I squeezed her. "Hey, you wanna get together tomorrow? You can tell me more about her."
"Yeah." She gave me a grateful smile. "I'd love that."
"Great."
She finally picked a dress. The simple black bandeau was tight and short in all the right places.
"I brought my own shoes." She produced a pair of silver stilettos. "Never get a chance to wear them."
"I love those," I told her, rifling in a stack of fab
rics to find something for myself. "Ugh, I don't know what to wear."
"I think we should go matchy-matchy tonight," Estella called out from the other room. "I bought three of the same dress. Check that box by the couch."
She didn’t get four dresses, just three? Wow, way to single Andie out. This was super awkward.
I shot Andromeda an apologetic look before heading to the couch. I found the box, unfolding the pale pink tissue paper until I found three adorable pink satin dresses with a cowl neck and diamanté straps. "I love them!" I grinned, worry making my heart pound as I wondered how on earth I was supposed to wear a sleeveless dress. "But there are only three, Estella."
"Yup," she said pointedly. "For me, you, and Inca. Sorry, Andromeda, I don't think they make them in your size."
I gave my new friend a quick check, but she stared defiantly at Estella.
"That's cool. I was born to stand out, anyway, not blend in."
Estella didn't say another word. Thank fuck.
An hour later, we were finally ready, the three of us in the pink dresses and Andie in her black one.
I'd tried on pair after pair of heels until finally admitting failure. There was no way I could wear those without breaking a leg. Despite Estella's whining, I put on my checkered cherry-print Vans slip-ons. I’d also worn Estella’s long-sleeve black mesh top under the dress, but thankfully, none of the girls commented on it.
The four of us stood in front of the mirror, admiring ourselves from different angles. My heart beat impossibly fast, and I finally admitted just how excited I was.
Tonight could change everything. Maybe Crispin would finally…
What, Tins?
I didn’t even know what I wanted him to do. I just wanted things to start moving some-fucking-where. This purgatory where we were stuck between tentative friends and enemies was freaking killing me.
Surely this wasn’t how he really felt about me. He can’t just be over all those feelings we used to have for each other.
The memory of his cruel, handsome face appeared in my mind; his mouth twisted as he called me names.
Maybe this was exactly how he felt.
Maybe it was too late already.
Chapter Five
Tinsley
We arrived at the party fashionably late just as Estella had insisted. By then, I was a ball of nerves, struggling to stop myself from chewing my freshly manicured lilac nails.
"Would you stop that!" Estella leaned forward from the back seat, slapping my hand from my lips. "Such a bad habit, honestly, Tins."
I shot her an apologetic look just as Andromeda pulled up to the gates leading to the Dalton mansion. She pressed the button for the bell, and the iron gates opened. It was like a fairytale except for the nerves and fear that crippled me, rendering me speechless as we arrived at the gorgeous home. Cars were all over the driveway, and Andie parked the Camaro in one of the only free spots. Loud music blasted from inside the house, accompanied by shrieks and laughter.
So, this was what a high school party looked like. I was like a fish out of water. Let's hope I survived it.
We all linked arms—Estella and I were in the middle with Inca on Estella's side and Andie on mine. We strolled that way into the house booming with music, and my heart threatened to hammer right out of my chest with each step we took. As soon as we were inside, my eyes scanned the room for Crispin.
The place was packed. Wildwood was home to about five-hundred students, and it seemed as though every one of them were gathered in Crispin Dalton's house. People were staring at us. At first, I thought it was because of the scandal, because they knew what had happened. But a few moments later, I realized it wasn’t even me. It was Estella.
She was like the sun, giving life to every room she entered. Estella was nothing short of drop-dead-gorgeous; there was no denying it. Every guy in that place stared—their eyes glued to her sexy figure and beautiful face—and she knew it, and she worked it, using their attention to flaunt herself even more.
Estella Hawthorne was born to live in the limelight. Yet, I was the former child star. It seemed all wrong. Maybe we'd find a way to balance things, again.
"I think I'm going to head into the kitchen," I said to Estella, and she nodded, planting a kiss on my cheek.
"I'm going to introduce Inca around," she said.
Inca had been getting some stares of her own. Guys noticed her new look, and there was no denying that the makeover had worked. Though, I wasn't quite so sure Inca cared for it. She seemed nervous.
"Andie, want to come with me?" I asked my friend, and she nodded right away.
We kept our arms linked as we wandered into the huge kitchen. The shiny white counters and marble tabletops gleamed as the light came through the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the pool. I had to stop myself from leaning over the twenty-person table that spanned the length of the dining room to smell the expensive flowers that adorned the center. Stylishly mismatched chairs lined the table, and an expensive flower arrangement sat smack dab in the center of the marble.
"I'm not drinking," Andromeda told me as she pulled out one of the chairs down the side of the table. "I want to drive us all back."
"I don't really want to drink, either." God, it felt good to be honest about that. "That champagne from before went straight to my head."
Without sitting, she pushed the chair back in and beelined for the fridge. "Let's see if they have some good snacks."
We giggled and opened the huge four-door built-in refrigerator and freezer. A moment later, Andie pulled out a tub of ice cream with a big grin on her face. "Caramel pecan with blondie chunks," she groaned. "Where have you been all my life?"
We dug around the drawers for two spoons and sat down at the dining table, passing the tub of deliciousness between us. People came in and out, and we huddled together, whispering secrets to one another.
"So, about you and Crispin. You need to tell me anything else?" Andromeda cut straight to the point.
"Shhh." I smacked her hand with the spoon. "God, Andie, scream it from the rooftops why don’t you?"
"Why don't you?" She giggled, and I stared at her with a blank expression, making her groan. "Tinsley, you're pretty, smart, and accomplished. What guy wouldn't want you?"
"Crispin," I whispered. "Not after what happened."
"I see the way he looks at you." She wagged her spoon at me. "There's something there."
"There's nothing," I muttered to myself, though I could barely keep the smile off my face. "It's nothing."
She shot me a meaningful look that turned teasing as she raised her eyes. "Oh, hello, Crispin."
I rushed to get up and managed to rattle the big oval vase filled with fresh flowers. I tried to catch it before it shattered, but as I reached for it, the glass broke on the edge of the table. I groaned in pain, and in seconds, Crispin was next to me, lifting my trembling hand. His touch rendered me speechless. Sparks exploded from where our skin met, and I wasn’t sure whether it was from the pain or the pleasure of his holding my hand.
He smelled like green apples, and I could barely look at him. "Open your palm," he said. "Let me see if you're hurt."
I peeked into his eyes, and a flash of heat ignited my body from the inside as our gazes connected. From the blue button-up shirt to the dark jeans, he looked good enough to eat. I forced my attention to my hand, too scared of the forbidden attraction between us.
"You've cut it." Crispin pried a piece of glass from my palm. "Not too bad, but we'll need to patch you up. Come on."
Wide-eyed, I stared at Andromeda over his shoulder. She winked at me.
"You okay?" Crispin still hadn’t let go of me.
"Yeah, thanks for helping me. You didn’t have to.”
We made our way out the kitchen and through the living room, moving past dancing bodies and stares that followed us all the way to the bottom of the stairs.
"No problem," he ground out, as if doing something nice for me pained him. "Are you…
crying?"
"Oh— I...um—" I wiped at my eyes and grimaced. "I'm a loser. I have the world's lowest pain tolerance."
"Jesus fuck, Tins,” he muttered. “You really make this easy for me.”
"Shut up.”
He took my non-injured hand and pulled me toward the stairs. We took each step in silence. The tension between us was thick enough to cut with a knife. I was desperate for more. For him to make a move, maybe slide his hand from my palm to the small of my back. But the moment never came. Instead, he guided me into his bedroom, shooing a sheepish couple off his bed.
As they left, I took a longer look at the boy. He was cute, squarely built, and handsome, but I instantly recognized him—the guy who’d pushed me on the first day of school. Now, he shot me a wide grin before he slapped his girl on the butt. They closed the door behind them.
Crispin shook his head. "Those Earnshaw boys. Stay away from them, crybaby."
Noted.
Still, my breath hitched when he used my new nickname. "Why do you say that? Who are they?" I took a moment to drink in our surroundings.
He motioned to the couple that had just left, saying, "That was Natan. I'm sure you'll learn all about him soon enough."
I'd never been in a boy's room. The masculinity of it all was a bit overwhelming, or maybe that was just Crispin. Tall bookshelves lined the walls, although I couldn’t make out any of the titles. And framed posters hung on every inch of free space. It was all neat and tidy, except for the unmade bed. The dark blue bedding appeared soft, and I wondered whether his pillow smelled like green apples since the scent likely came from his shampoo.
"Come here." His command snapped me out of my inspection, and I followed the sound of his voice into the bathroom on the far-right end of the room.
I didn’t glance into the mirror or hop up on the bathroom counter. Instead, I placed my palm in Crispin’s outstretched hand and hissed when he wiped down my cut.
"It's not that bad. Relax." He rolled his eyes, grabbed a Band-Aid, and placed it over the cut. "See? All better now. And I don’t think it needs stitches.”
"Thank you." I tried to remain quiet, afraid the vast bathroom would swallow not only my voice but me. The tension was overwhelming—it ate at me, festering. The need to be touched by him had me leaned right up to the edge of sanity. Neither of us moved, not wanting to end the moment. I scrambled for something to say. "Hey, do you have any memorabilia from the set?"
Boys That Tease: A Bully Romance (Lords Of Wildwood Book 1) Page 7
