"Where have you been?" Mom asked right away. "I've been worried sick!"
I looked up and was surprised to find her face streaked with tears, her makeup a mess. "I went to hang out with Andromeda. A new friend." My response was stiff when I motioned in the direction Andie had driven in. "I just needed to do some homework. She's been helping me, cause I'm struggling."
"She could've come to the house," Mom replied shakily. " You’re grounded, remember?"
"I was going to come home before you did."
"That's no excuse, Tinsley," she insisted as I shuffled inside, dumping my bag on the floor. "Please, darling. We can't keep going like this. Will you come and help me with dinner?"
"Fine." I joined her in the kitchen where she'd put away the groceries, but I could tell she'd been in a rush. "Why were you so worried? I was just down the street at Clancy's."
"I called you," she said. "Seven times."
"Oh," I managed lamely. "I guess my phone must have died."
"Tinsley, I—" She leaned against the counter, running a hand through her honey blond hair with a sigh. "I couldn't focus on work. I had to come back here and speak to you, and you were just gone."
"I'm sorry," I said, putting the cheddar in the fridge. "I didn't think you cared."
"Darling, I always care. And I want to make your life better. If you'd said you wanted to spend time with your friend, I would've said yes."
I stayed quiet as she came over to stand in front of me. Finally, I looked up, our eyes connecting. I felt so bad. Her face was ruined by the tears she'd cried, and I'd never felt more guilty. "I never meant to worry you. I just needed to get away. Sometimes it's all too much."
"I understand. I just wish you'd let me help you. Like I used to. Remember?"
I nodded. It was true—she'd always been there for me, whatever it was I had needed. But now, I pushed her away as if she were useless to me.
"I'm sorry, Mom. I shouldn't have left like that. I could have left a note."
"Not to mention you're grounded," she added, a smile pulling at the corners of her lips.
"Does that mean I can't leave?"
"I- I think it does?" she chuckled.
I'd never been grounded before, but there was a first for everything.
"Look, school starts again the day after tomorrow. You can go places with your new friends, and Estella of course, but please, be honest with me about what's happening."
"Okay." I hated myself for continuing to lie. There was no way I could tell her I was falling for Crispin.
Not after what she'd done.
Chapter Seven
Crispin
So, are we official now? ;)
I stared at the text on my phone, not knowing what to reply. There was no doubt that Estella was gorgeous and totally my type on paper. But, she didn't make me feel the way someone else did. Of course, there was no way Tinsley and I could be together. Estella Hawthorne could be the perfect solution to get my mind off a certain lilac-haired punk.
I closed the message, not wanting to see it anymore. Instead, I checked the time, and then, with my laptop on the bed in front of me, I logged into the chatroom I'd set up after the disastrous meeting. I was the first one online, and I cracked my knuckles, waiting for the others to join me.
checkmate has joined the channel.
Drifter_ has joined the channel.
CrispySnacc: Hey guys. Where's Joker?
checkmate: Held up with something. He'll try to drop by later, though. Anything new?
CrispySnacc: I haven't heard from her since that time in the previous chatroom. Has she contacted anyone?
Drifter_: Not me.
checkmate: Neither.
CrispySnacc: Good. We want her to stay as far away from us as possible, right?
Guest has joined the channel.
Drifter_: Fucking déjà-vu.
CrispySnacc: Fuck. @Guest who are you?
Guest: Still pretending not to know me, Crispy? Tsk, tsk, tsk. You should know by now, I'll never let you get away with what you did to me.
checkmate: We're not going to listen to your empty threats.
Guest: Well, what if I make them not so empty? I've got some tricks up my sleeve, Milo.
Drifter_: We're not scared of you.
Guest: Oh no? Because Crispy looks like he's about to have a coronary.
Nervously, I glanced at my laptop's camera, but I'd taped over that ages ago. Then, I found myself glancing out the window, drawing the curtains to make sure nobody could see inside. I sat back down in front of my laptop, furiously writing a message back.
CrispySnacc: You're not scaring me, little girl. Whatever you think you got on me, it can't hurt me.
Guest: Oh no? Not even telling your mom Tinsley was at your house this weekend?
The thought filled me with anxiety, but I couldn't let the bully see it. That's how they got power—by seeing that someone actually gave a shit.
CrispySnacc: You can stop with the threats because they're all fucking empty.
Guest: We'll see about that...
Drifter_: Can't you kick her out of the chat, Crispy?
CrispySnacc: Trying.
But whatever the hell I tried, nothing worked. It seemed impossible to remove her from the group, and I finally gave up. When I checked the chatroom again, there were some new messages, making my blood run cold.
Guest: Besides, Crispin Dalton isn't the only one I have dirt on. I could bring down each and every one of you if that's what I wanted.
checkmate: I'd like to see you try.
Guest: Oh yeah? You're one to talk, Milo. What about your physics exam? The one at a national level. I don't need to remind you what happened there, do I?
checkmate: You don't know shit.
Guest: I do. I know shit that can get you in a LOT of trouble. But I'm sure you don't want me to tell your little buddies that you're a nasty cheater, do you?
checkmate: Fuck you. You don't know anything.
Guest: We'll see about that.
I jumped in.
CrispySnacc: What do you want @Guest? We already gave you money.
Guest: I don't want your dirty fucking money. You know what I want. I want you to tell the truth.
Drifter_: Never.
Guest: Then I guess you can kiss your perfect lives goodbye. It's time for some of the secrets to come out.
Guest: Last chance, boys. Or I'll start talking.
checkmate: Wait. Do you want more cash?
Guest: As if. Just tell the truth. Is that so hard? Go to the principal, tell him what happened that night. Tell him Pandora Amberly isn't crazy or missing. Tell him you know exactly where she is, and you're going to make sure everything goes back to normal.
Guest: Nothing? Really?
Guest: Fine, then don't blame me for what happens.
Guest: Have fun, boys.
Guest has logged out.
checkmate: What now?
Drifter_: What do we do, @Crispy?
CrispySnacc: Maybe don't make me deal with yet another problem. Figure it out yourselves this time.
CrispySnacc has logged out.
After I logged off, my phone started to ring. I picked it up, groaning when I saw Estella's number on the screen. But the longer I put off my talk with her, the harder it would be to say no. I answered on the third ring, greeted by the sound of her melodic laughter.
"Took you a while, stud," she said. "What were you doing? Nothing improper, I hope."
"Just homework," I lied through my teeth. "What's up?"
"Did you see my text?" she asked it easily as if it didn't matter at all, but I could tell how anxious she was for an answer.
"No, did you text me?" I asked, feigning innocence. "I haven't really checked my phone. Sorry."
"That's okay," she purred. "I just wanted to know where we stand."
"Stand?" I repeated.
"You know." She sounded a little annoyed. "With everything that happened at the party."
> "You kissing me?"
"You kissed me," she insisted, and I laughed louder than I should have.
"Think again, Estella. You were all over me. You and that little friend of yours."
"She has a name." So fierce when it came to defending a friend; I liked that about her.
"Fine, Tinsley. You two were dancing on me like strippers. Who the hell would've been able to resist?"
"Not you," she laughed. "So. You picked me."
Had I? It felt more like Estella had made the choice for both of us.
"And now you're going to hold me to it?" I asked.
"I might," she said. "You do like me. Don't you, Crispin?"
I thought about it for a second, wondering whether there were any feelings behind it at all. Yeah, she was gorgeous, smart, and witty—but we didn't have that spark that ignited a fire deep within me. That spark was rare. And it could always happen later.
"I do like you," I finally replied. "But...there might be someone else I like more."
"Who?" Her tone wasn't nice, having changed in an instant. She was jealous, ready to fight.
"You know who.”
"Tinsley?" She breathed, following up with a moment of silence before she burst out laughing. "You can't be serious, Crispin."
"Why not?"
"Because she's..." she trailed off before sighing. "She's not for you, C."
"And you are?"
"More than she is! I mean for God's sake, Crispin. Do you really want to hook up with the girl who's responsible for your family falling apart?"
"Tinsley didn't do anything wrong. Just because her mom made some bad decisions doesn't mean she's at fault."
"Yeah, sure." I could practically imagine her rolling her eyes. "Tell that to your mom, C." She was right, and we both knew it.
There was no way my mom would have accepted Tinsley as my girlfriend. She hated the Sullivans, and there would be no getting around that. I needed to pick—either stay loyal to my family or betray them and choose the right girl.
"You don't think I should go for it?" I asked Estella.
"No, I don't." Her answer was plain and pointed. "Besides, Tinsley's too good for you."
"And you aren't?"
"I'm not sure you've noticed, but I'm not the nicest person at Wildwood. You and me, we could be the power couple the Academy needs. We could change the world, Crispin."
"Maybe I'd rather stay single."
"Oh yeah?" She didn't sound disappointed, but her voice dropped an octave until it was low, throaty and seductive. "You don't want me, C? Don't you remember the party?"
I did remember the party. I remembered it all too well. But when I thought about that night, I didn't think about Estella at all, even though she'd been the one to end up in my arms, and the one I'd kissed. All I could think about was Tinsley Sullivan. And I'd never wanted to taste her forbidden fruit more than right then and there.
"I need to go, Stells. I can't deal with this right now."
"But I want an answer." Her stubborn insistence didn’t stop there. "I can't show up at school on Monday, pretending like nothing ever happened. You need to tell me what you want."
"I want—" I thought about it for a second, coming up empty. "I just want some time off."
"Fine." Her mood shifted in an instant, and she barked out a “bye” before disconnecting the call.
I lay on the bed with my phone in my hand and my heart beating fast. What the hell was I supposed to do next? I scrolled through Instagram, once again finding myself on Tinsley's page. I noticed she'd just posted a picture a couple of minutes earlier and inspected the image closely. It was her and that quirky girl, Andromeda, sitting in an old Camaro, laughing with Tinsley's feet on the dashboard. I smiled to myself. I liked that she'd made a friend.
I knew I was making a mistake before I even hit call. But I couldn't help myself.
She took so long to answer, I almost stopped the call. "Why are you calling, Crispin?” Her voice was cold, and I knew I'd fucked up.
"Saw your picture," I told her. "You don't match your nail polish on your feet to your hands?"
"What the hell? That's a weird question to call me about at eleven on Sunday morning." She didn’t add, after hooking up with my best friend last night, but her tone said it all.
"Deal with it." I tried to diffuse the situation. "What are you doing, crybaby?"
"I just got out of the shower. You couldn't have picked a worse time to call."
"No?" I asked, smiling to myself. "What are you wearing?"
"Fuck off, Crispin.”
"You're naked," I realized. "Aren't you?"
"Not anymore," she muttered, and I could hear rustling, presumably as she wrapped herself up in a towel. "There. No more inappropriate questions, please. Wait while I dry myself off, jerk."
I heard her put down the phone, and my heart rate sped up when I imagined her standing there, inches away from the phone, dripping wet and naked. My cock jumped to attention. I remembered how she'd touched me, how her fingers had cupped my balls and ever so gently caressed my cock. Fuck. And now I was hard as hell.
"There," she said a moment later. "Can I please go now? Or do you have more idiotic questions to ask?"
"Just one," I said, palming my cock. "Show me your nail polish. Toes and hands."
"Why would I?"
"I want to see if it matches today," I answered.
She hesitated before claiming, "You're fucking weird. Okay, but I want something in return.”
“Like what?”
“Like… I want you to stop torturing me at school.”
“I don’t torture you.”
“You do, Crispin.” I could imagine her glaring. “Promise you’ll be nicer, and I’ll show you.”
“Fine, whatever.”
“Good. I'm turning on the camera."
I nearly choked, managing to cover up the sound with a cough. Suddenly, we were on a video call. I was displayed on my bed with the phone strategically placed so she wouldn't notice the bulge in my jeans. And there she was with her lavender hair wrapped up in a towel turban without a stitch of makeup on.
She was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. "Nice face.” Great job on that compliment. Jackass.
She stuck out her tongue while I drank in every inch of her. She wore a grey cotton robe with lace.
"Nails," I reminded her.
She stuck up her hand. Her nails were silver.
"Now toes."
The camera panned down, exposing her bare legs under the robe. My cock twitched again. Her toes were painted white.
“Little rebel. I like it.”
She panned back to her face, glaring at me. "Why are you annoying me, anyway?" she asked.
"We haven't spoken since the party," I reminded her.
"So?" she laughed. "That was yesterday, Crispin. We don’t talk every day. What, am I supposed to report back to you now?"
Yes. No. Maybe.
"Yes," I said.
"Why?"
Because I wanted to know what you were doing with every second of your day, so I could imagine it and touch my cock while you were on the phone with me. My hand went to my cock, caressing the length and toying with the thick head through my jeans. "Because I like making fun of you.”
"Wow, great reasoning." She rolled her eyes, placing the phone on the sink and taking a step back. "Done now? I have to get ready."
"Estella wants to be my girlfriend." The words left my lips before I could stop them.
Tinsley froze, glancing at me with a traitorous blush in her cheeks, then picking up the phone and staring right at me. "Do you want her to be your girlfriend?"
No. I wanted her. Only her.
"Maybe," I answered. "What do you want, crybaby?"
She hesitated, biting her bottom lip and making me twitch wildly.
Holy shit, those little lip bites of hers were going to be the fucking end of me.
"I want you to leave me alone," she muttered, not meeting my eyes.
My cock protested, throbbing in my pants and demanding her attention.
"You do?" I asked, hoping she'd change her mind. "You want me to be with her?"
"If it makes you happy," she said softly.
It wouldn't. You'd make me happy. But I can't have you.
"Maybe I'll do it then," I said.
"Maybe you should."
"Maybe I will."
"Maybe you... Ugh, Crispin, my mom's calling me," she said, glancing to the door. "Do what you want. And you should see someone about your foot fetish."
"I don’t have a—"
She cut the call before I could finish the sentence, and my heart started to pound again. I tossed my phone to the side and lay there with my head full of conflicting thoughts. I didn't even notice I was touching myself until a moment later. And by then it was too late—I'd pulled down my jeans and boxers, letting my cock free.
A thick bead of precum bubbled on my tip, and I swiped it with my thumb, groaning when I remembered a half-naked Tinsley in her robe. "Fucking, crybaby," I muttered to myself.
I started jerking my cock. Slow, teasing motions at first, pretending I wasn't thinking about her. That this was just another lone session of pleasing my cock and making it blow. But it wasn't. It was about Tinsley just like it always was. Her face danced in front of my eyes, void of makeup, so innocent and pretty. Her gorgeous purple hair, her lips, the bottom one jutting out just a little and driving me wild, making me want to bite down on the bee-stung flesh.
I bit my own lip then, teeth digging into the skin as I worked my cock. My thoughts were filled with her, and the more I tried to think about something, anything else, the more she became etched on my mind.
Teasing my head, I groaned at the thought of her between my legs. I would hold her lavender hair up behind her head, gently guiding her over my length and showing her what she had to do to make us both feel amazing. I'd make her part her lips and take me inch by motherfucking inch until my whole cock was lodged deep inside her throat, throbbing inside her and begging for the release I knew she would give me.
"Fuck," I muttered to myself as I played with my cock more and more.
I needed to come. The need to spill, thinking of her took over, and I jerked faster and faster. Tinsley's name was a dying whisper on my lips. I thought of how she'd suck me, how her innocent eyes would connect with mine, her tongue teasing the slit in my cock and coaxing out every last drop of thick, creamy cum.
Boys That Tease: A Bully Romance (Lords Of Wildwood Book 1) Page 10
