“I wanted to s-show you something.”
“What is it?”
She moved past me, her elbow ever so lightly brushing my stomach when she did. I felt the friction we created, strong enough to make sparks fly. She didn’t look at me to see if I felt it, too. She didn’t need to. Clearing her throat, Tinsley pulled a thick photo album of her bookcase and motioned for me to sit next to her on the bed. She climbed on top of the white covers, crossing her legs, and opening the album on her lap. I sat down next to her, trying so hard to focus on the album, but my gaze kept escaping to her skin. So pale, so exposed, so vulnerable. I hated myself for what I wanted to do to her. I was betraying Estella with every minute I spent with Tinsley.
“It’s an album of all the clippings I found in magazines, tabloids, printouts from website. Anything I could find,” she confessed, opening the pale pink album and showing me various articles.
Titles like “The Sullivans: Liars, cheats, homewreckers?” or “Tinsley Sullivan’s mother wrecks a marriage!” and “Like mother like daughter” jumped out at me, and I felt shame burning every inch of my skin. I was part of this. Part of the witch hunt. Though I’d never spoken of the scandal in public, I hadn’t said anything about it not being Tinsley’s fault, either.
“Why are you so fixated on this?”
“I just…” She cocked her head to the side and smoothed the picture she’d pasted in the album. “I just thought I should see what people were saying about me. It can’t be as bad as what I think of myself.”
“Tins,” I muttered, but she wouldn’t look at me.
She just flipped the page, where another title stared at me. “Starlet Tinsley Sullivan’s father ABANDONS mother and child!” She closed the album, slamming the pages shut. Neither of us said a word. But we both knew I wasn’t the only one with Daddy issues.
“I’d better go,” I said, getting up again and slinging my backpack on my shoulder. “If you have any more questions about the quiz, or our homework, gimme a call, okay, crybaby?”
“Yeah. I don’t cry that often, anymore, you know? You really shouldn’t call me that, anymore.”
“You like it.”
“Says who?”
“Says this.” I poked her cheek where bright pink color was blooming. “You’re blushing.”
“Careful, Crispin. Boys that tease always pay for it.”
I grinned just as she took a step forward. I tried to move out of her way, but misjudged her going for the door, trapping us only inches apart. It was like an eruption had gone off in the pit of my stomach. The need to touch her, feel her, was overwhelming.
“Move,” I commanded, and she looked up at me, a slow sigh escaping her lips; she was no longer the bratty little princess from before. “Tins. You’re in the way.”
“I’m not,” she muttered, her eyes moved from my eyes to my lips, then stared at the floor. “I’m not in the way. I’m in the right place at the right time.” She stepped on her tiptoes as alarm bells went off in my head.
I knew I had to move. Get out of her way. She was going to kiss me. And I was going to fucking burst in my jeans if she did. I was frozen, her breath kissing my lips as she exhaled. She closed her eyes and moved closer. The perfect, pretty little teenage princess, waiting for her high school sweetheart to kiss those lips…and fall in love.
I grabbed her hips. Firmly. “Move,” I hissed as her eyes flew open, grabbing her and carrying her to her bookshelf, out of my way.
I set her down, her body trembling under my fingertips. It was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do, prying my fingers off her. “Don’t you ever try that again,” I told her, turning my back on her and leaving her room with my cock painfully hard between my legs.
It was over.
Chapter Fourteen
Crispin
"Ugh. How much longer do we have to stay?" Estella tapped her long nail on her chin, rolling her eyes as we stood in a corner of the packed gallery. "I really didn't want to come here, Crispin. I told you I just don't care about this stuff."
Even though she was getting on my last nerve, I forced myself to bite back the reply I was desperate to give her, reassuring her by squeezing her hip. "Just stay patient, baby. I'll take you out for milkshakes at Clancy's later just like I promised."
That seemed to shut her up for a while, and she wandered off to another corner to peruse more of the art. Wildwood Academy's own Harlem Hawke, the head cheerleader, had scored an art show in one of the most prestigious galleries downtown. Only a couple of students had been invited to the showing, and I was pretty sure Tinsley had been one of them. Her sudden friendship with Finn Bannon had not escaped me, and I fucking hated the guy with every smile he elicited from my forbidden fruit. Not that there was anything particularly wrong with him. We had even been close at one point, until Mom had convinced me I couldn't be associated with boys like him from the wrong part of town.
I'd seen Tinsley and Finn eating lunch together a couple times over the past week, during which time she'd avoided our table, preferring to sit with that girl, Andie and Loner Boy. I watched them day after day out of the corner of my eye, jealousy bubbling in the pit of my stomach when I saw the two of them together. I hated seeing Tins with another boy but knew I didn't have the right to complain. Still, jealous, sick thoughts filled my head, and I knew my relationship with Estella was coming to a screeching halt. She must have sensed it, too, and her moods changed as unexpectedly as her outfits. She was the most hot and cold girl I'd ever been with, constantly switching between bitterness mixed with barely held back rage and doting on me whenever she was especially pleased with something I'd done.
While my thoughts were filled with my gorgeous girlfriend, the door to the gallery opened once again, and in they walked. My eyes were glued to them from the beginning, and what a pair they made. Finn wore his school blazer and designer jeans while Tinsley had opted for a slinky, long-sleeve black dress paired with her cherry Vans. She'd worn her hair up in a messy bun, with lilac tendrils escaping its hold and framing her pretty face.
By then, a mere sight of my girl was enough for my cock to twitch needily in my pants, and I hated myself for the reaction she never failed to get out of me. I pretended to busy myself with a canapé tray, running into Inca on my way to get out of Tins's field of vision.
"Hello, Crispin," she said shyly. "Try the shrimp cocktail. It's delicious."
"Thanks." I grabbed one of them, my eyes going back to where Finn and Tins stood, laughing over a conversation I couldn't hear despite how hard I tried. It occurred to me that Tinsley might have confided in Inca instead of my girlfriend, and I decided to use the opportunity to dig deeper. "Hey, what's going on with those two? Are they dating or what?"
Was I imagining the bitterness in Inca's smile as she shrugged?
"I guess they've been spending a lot of time together," she muttered. "I don't really know. Tinsley doesn't exactly talk to me, anymore."
"Seems to be the case with most of us."
"Does that bother you?" She waited for my reply, and I just looked up at her, shrugging. "Come on, Crispin. Are you ever going to admit you have feelings for that girl? It's unfair to everyone, especially Estella."
"Has she said anything about it?" I asked, and she shook her head.
"But she doesn't really need to, does she? You spend hours just staring at her, looking for excuses to tease and torture her. This isn't first grade, Crispin. She's not going to like you more because you're being a prick to her."
That was where she was wrong. "Well, well, well, and here you had me thinking you didn't have a personality. What's it take for you to open up, Inca?"
She blushed, staring at the floor. "I guess I'm just quieter around people who prefer to be the center of attention."
"And by that you mean Estella."
She nodded. "It's easier to hide in the shadows than stand in the spotlight."
"Ain't that the truth," I groaned, nodding my approval. "All right, thanks for the help
. I'm going to see what's going on between those two lovebirds." Even saying the word out loud stung, and my lips formed a thin line as I made a beeline for Tinsley, narrowly avoiding my girlfriend.
"Crybaby."
She stopped mid-laugh, shifting her attention from Finn and giving me a troubled look.
"What do you want, Crispin?" Her voice sounded tired, like she'd been up all night. Talking to him?
I glanced at Finn, giving him a curt nod which he returned. The amused smirk on his face didn't escape me, but I knew better than to acknowledge it. He would likely deny it, and why should he answer? He was a free man, and Tinsley was single. I, on the other hand, was very much not.
"You here on a date or what?" I came right out and asked, motioning to Finn. "Really? This is the best you can do?"
"Calm your tits, Dalton," Finn hissed. "Don't make me punch that grin off your face. Remember that's happened before."
I glared at him, giving him a warning that signaled him not to speak about that night.
"What's it to you, anyway?"
"I’m just a little protective of Tins," I answered. "You know she's like my little sister."
Tinsley snorted, and I glared at her. "Yeah, right."
"You don't think I've been taking care of you this whole time?" I asked her. "You'd be so fucked without me, Tinsley."
"I'm sure." She rolled her eyes, turning them to Finn and silently begging him to take her away.
I couldn't bear the thought of her leaving, of not leaving a mark on their perfect little date. "You know, I was her first kiss?" I motioned to Tinsley. "Hope she's learned some new tricks since then."
"Crispin!" Tins called out, horrified. "Could you please not go there? Especially here and now. This is not the time or the place."
"Just saying," I shrugged, my expression cruel. "You have gotten some practice since then, haven't you, crybaby?"
"None of your business," she muttered, but from the flush in her cheeks, I could instantly tell her little shy act was bullshit.
"Oh my God." I laughed out loud, glancing between the two of them incredulously. "Don't tell me I'm still your first and only kiss?"
"Shut up," Tinsley begged. "Just, please, Crispin, give it up."
"Oh, okay," I grinned. "I'll give it up. She probably won't though, man." My last remark was meant for Finn, and Tinsley visibly winced when the words left my lips. "Anyway, you two have a fun night. I'm sure you'll have about as much fun together as a Christian couple in their 90s."
"Fuck you," Tinsley hissed while Finn put an arm around her and gently guided her away.
"Not cool, man," he told me over his shoulder. "Not cool at all."
I watched them leave, my heart pounding from the rush of adrenaline I'd felt when I confronted Tinsley. But just as fast as the blood had started pumping through my veins, it stopped, and I was left feeling empty and alone. Just then, an arm wrapped around mine, a seductive voice whispered into my ear, "Hello, handsome. Ready to go home now? I've got a special treat for you."
I groaned inwardly but made sure a grin was plastered to my lips as I turned to face Estella. "Baby, I'd love to, but I need to be home early tonight. Mom needs my help with India."
"Again?" Stells whined, rolling her eyes. "You can't be with that kid twenty-four seven, Crispy. I need you, too."
"She's my sister," I reminded her. "And she's five, Stells."
"So?" she insisted. "What, does family come before me now?"
"Ummm..."
"Good," she said with a self-satisfied smile. "The answer is, of course, I come first, right, baby?"
I bit my tongue, giving her a curt nod. Such a bully when Tins was around, and such a pushover for Estella. God, sometimes I hated myself.
"What were you talking about to the misfit club over there?" Estella asked next, motioning to Finn and Tinsley.
"Watch it," I reminded her. "I thought Tins was your best friend."
"Was being the operative word," Estella reminded me.
"You're going to cut her out because of one little problem?"
"More like a few," she said. "She's always been jealous of me, you know that, right?"
I’d always thought it was the other way around, actually.
"Well, it's not my decision to make, but you need to think about Tinsley, too," I reminded her. "She's new at Wildwood. I'm sure she could really use your help. You can't just abandon her."
"She has friends," Stells shrugged. "Awkward Andromeda and Loner Boy. Should be enough for her. She's like, cool by association anyway, from those few weeks of hanging out with me." She flipped her hair. "She should really be grateful for that, actually."
God, she was a fucking piece of work.
“Anyway, wanna get out of here already?” she asked. “Come on. My place. Mom and Dad are away, and Romilly is out doing something, so it would just be the two of us.”
Exactly what was I afraid of?
“You’re running out of excuses, you know,” Estella reminded me with her signature pout. “You can’t keep putting all this off forever. Sooner or later you’re going to have to, you know…” She glanced around us, blushing as she hissed, “Fuck me.”
"I don't know if I can make it tonight."
"You have to!"
"Why would I have to, Estella?" I was getting annoyed. "I have my own business to take care of. I can't just be available for everything you decide we should be doing."
"Crispin, I am literally never home alone," she pouted. "You can't tell me you're going to blow off this opportunity to spend time with your kid sister who's literally around all the time!"
"Don't argue with me," I said. "If Mom needs me, I'm not going to say no just because you threw a tantrum that was worse than any my little sister throws."
"Whatever," she rolled her eyes, her gaze burning with silent fire when it connected with mine again. "Seriously, you are so hard to get along with sometimes."
"Me?" I snorted. "Try again, baby." I left her standing there, but she followed me to a waiter handing out drinks. He gave me a skeptical look when I grabbed a flute of champagne, but didn't stop me, and I downed the drink in one go, sticking the glass back on his platter.
"I swear, it's like you don't even want to get your hands on me," Estella whined. "Do you know how many guys would kill to get with me, Crispin? And you barely touch me."
"I touch you just fine."
"Oh yeah?" She shook her head in disbelief, a trace of sadness on her pretty face. "You barely even kiss me, Crispin. There's a peck or two in public, but when we're alone, you just act like we're friends. Like you don't even give a damn."
"Of course I give a damn."
"Doesn't look like it. So, are you coming or not?"
I looked up at her, knowing the future of our relationship lay in the next words I delivered. "Fine," I muttered. "I'll drive you home and come in for an hour or so, but then I really need to go. Mom's going to be waiting."
Disregarding everything after my confirmation, Estella clapped her hands in excitement and rushed to hug me. I held on to her tight, sexy body with shaky hands, wanting to just come out and say it. I didn’t want her. I never had. All I wanted was Tinsley Sullivan, her new nemesis.
There was one thing I knew for sure as Estella tugged on my arm and started dragging me out of the gallery. She was going to flip when I told her the truth, and it wasn't going to end well for me or Tinsley. She was a jealous girl, stricken with envy even when she really had no reason to worry. The truth was, she wasn't just beautiful and loaded—she had a striking personality hidden beneath layers upon layers of lies, deceit, and pretending to be someone she thought other people would like. I'd seen glimpses of her personality before, and I appreciated every moment she got vulnerable for me, cherishing her true self like a gift. But it seemed as if she had no interest in letting anybody else see that side of her. It was probably a defense mechanism, but still, it made me split her into two girls—Estella, the sexy temptress who could ruin your life
with the click of her fingers, and Stells, the vulnerable, pretty, honest girl whom I could actually see a future with—in a world where Tinsley didn't exist.
Because the truth was, as long as Tinsley Sullivan was around, I only had eyes for one girl, and it sure as hell wasn't the brunette bombshell that clung to my arm.
"Come on, let's go," Stells whined as she pulled me past Inca without even giving her a second glance. "Ugh, look at them."
I followed her gaze to the front of the gallery where Finn and Tins had just left the room. They stood outside in the chilly evening, handing a cigarette back and forth. The sight of Tinsley filling her lungs with poison filled me with rage. He should be taking better care of her. He shouldn't be letting her smoke. Goddamn, he's nothing but a bad influence.
"We're gonna have to go past them to leave," Estella muttered. "Don't even acknowledge them."
I sighed inwardly and let her drag me out of the building. Tinsley looked up when the door closed behind us. Her eyes first found mine, then switched to Estella, her expression changing from tense worry to genuine happiness when she saw her friend.
"Hey, Stells! I've seriously missed you these past few days, what have you been up to?"
"Crispy, do you hear anything?" Estella faked a smile. "I don't. Let's keep going."
"Wait, you guys..." Tinsley reached out, but Estella pulled her hand away with a sneer.
"Don't fucking touch me."
"What?" Tins looked shocked, looking at me for support. "Why not?"
"Stells, you're being a bitch," I told my girlfriend. "No need to be rude."
"Yeah," Tinsley nodded. "Especially since I've legit done nothing wrong."
"We're fighting right now," Estella informed her with a saccharine smile.
"We are?"
"Yup. I don't wanna see you or talk to you."
"Um. Okay..."
"Come on, C. We need to get the hell out of this dump."
I let her pull me away, shooting Tins an apologetic look that she didn't acknowledge. She just shook her head, and the last thing I saw were Finn's arms pulling her in, making my stomach twist with jealousy. Why did he get to do that? It should’ve been me.
Boys That Tease: A Bully Romance (Lords Of Wildwood Book 1) Page 16
