"Ugh, what a nightmare," Stells complained as we made way to my car. "I just cannot with her. She is such a nightmare."
She was one to talk. "Why are you so mad at her?"
"She's just annoying me right now. I'll reach out when I feel like spending time with her.” There it was, the full truth, out in the open. She shot me a meaningful look, and I sighed, opening the car door for her.
"Estella, I'm just tutoring her at the request of our teacher."
"Sure." She got in and strapped herself into the seat. "I just don't like you guys spending so much time together. I see how she looks at you, you know?"
My heart shouldn't have skipped a beat, but there was no denying that it had happened. "Like how?"
"Like with those fucking googly eyes," Estella grimaced. "She's so into you. Always has been. Good thing you finally saw which one of is better."
"Yeah," I muttered, closing the car door on the passenger side. "Good fucking thing."
I joined her in the car, and she flicked through my songs while we drove to her house. "You have horrendous taste in music, baby. We're gonna have to make sure you develop some taste."
I remained quiet. Everything about this was wrong, so fucking wrong. I was driving to her house to fuck her for the first time, and all I could think about was another girl.
We pulled up in front of Estella’s ten minutes later, and she ushered me out of the car and into the house. Inside, Estella was careless and rude. She shoved her bag into the maid's hands without saying hello, kicked off her heels on the marble floor and rushed up the stairs to her room, where I assumed the magic would have to happen.
I followed her up the stairs, my heart thumping in my chest as we reached the first floor. I'd been to her house before, but never to this floor, where the bedrooms were. I'd never even been in her goddamn room. So much for being a good boyfriend. Estella picked the second door on the left side of the hallway, leading me inside a space fit for a princess.
Everything in there was pink. Pink walls with pink bedding, a huge pink princess bed, a pink mirror with a pink vanity, and pink pillows everywhere. I sighed at the sight of it. I shouldn't have expected anything else. She was a spoiled little princess, after all. Her parents treated her like their most precious gift. I'd only met her intimidating Dad once, and he was nice enough, but pulled me aside half an hour later, telling me calmly he was going to blow my brains out if I spoiled his untouched daughter.
Yes, Daddy Hawthorne was strict and crazy when it came to his daughters' safety. It was a miracle Romilly got away with her career as an influencer, and Estella was there to pay for her sister's mistakes. Her dad was strict with her, strict to the point of being cruel, and I knew how much pressure she was under in her day-to-day life. I knew things weren't easy for Estella, but at the same time, she seemed to completely disregard the difficulties I had in my own life. Nothing mattered but her—the belle of the ball, the girl that could and would have it all.
"Welcome home," she muttered as she walked into the room, going straight for the elaborate pink French doors leading out onto a balcony with her own private hot tub. She shut the drapes, giving us some privacy, then reached for the belt of her dress and pulled it open with one daring little tug.
I groaned at the sight of her, knowing how fucking mad she'd be when I walked away. But it was plenty clear now that was what I had to do. I couldn't pretend I loved, hell, liked her anymore. Not after the way she'd treated Tinsley. Not knowing Mom might make me pack my shit any minute and leave the city, maybe to never see Tins again.
"Estella, wait." I held an arm out, but she came even closer, fingers wrapping around mine, giving me a seductive smile as she pushed her hair over her shoulder. I didn't want to look at her. Each inch of her olive-toned skin, each strand of glossy dark hair was pure temptation. And as opposed to Tinsley, where I could barely stop myself from sinking my teeth into the forbidden fruit, I didn't see it with Estella. Hell, I didn't even want it. All I wanted was a certain purple-haired girl who'd chosen some lame-ass nobody over me. "I can't touch you."
She recoiled from the impact of the words as if I'd hit her. Her brows furrowed, and her tone was unpleasant when she barked, "Why not?"
"I don't want to."
She let out a laugh, giving me a look of disbelief. "What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean." I ran my fingers through my hair, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders. "There's someone else I like."
Her mouth set into a thin line, and she glared at me as she pulled back. I didn't want to admit how relieved I felt when her hands left my body, her touch replaced by pleasant, cool emptiness.
"You're lying to yourself," Estella said, nodding a moment later as if she were agreeing with her own words. "I think you're just confused, Crispin. I think you know which of the two of us is the girl for you."
"Yeah," I muttered, feeling miserable. I raised my eyes to hers, hoping she could tell how sorry I was for leading her on and fucking with her head. "I do know which one is the right girl."
That seemed to upset her even more, and she pouted, her plump bottom lip trembling. But she never let herself cry. Instead, she pushed her chin up defiantly, glaring at me with an ice-cold stare.
"Fine," she spat out. "If I really don't mean anything to you."
"Of course you do."
"Prove it."
"How?" I sighed in frustration. "You're so demanding. I don't know how to give you what you want without letting someone else down."
"Oh, so that's what this is all about." She sounded so bitter. "Letting her down. As if she's the only person who matters in this situation, Crispin!" She got up in my face again, stabbing me in the chest with her pointy, glittery nails. "You only ever saw her. You never cared about me, no matter what I did, how I tried to get your attention. And now you're saying no to me for the last time. You better understand that. I'm never letting you hurt me again."
"Good," I muttered. "That's the last thing I want, Stells. I hate seeing you hurt. You don't deserve that, especially from me."
"Ugh," she cried out, turning around with a swish and angrily wiping at her face. "You will not make me cry. I will not cry for you. Never in a million years."
"Don't." My voice was gentle as I laid a hand on her shoulder, and she tensed beneath my touch. "It's not worth crying over me."
"Tell that to my best friend."
"Tinsley's been crying over me?"
"Don't!" she hissed right away, turning toward me like a fury before taking a calming breath and shakily letting go of the anger. "Don't you dare say her name to me, Crispin. That girl has been beating me at my own game since the very beginning."
"What do you mean?"
"You know we both auditioned for the role of Devin Mooney?" She let out a sad laugh, shaking her head. "I should've known then that the war was lost already. But I didn't want to believe it, not until she stole you, too."
Now, a single tear rolled down Estella’s cheek, and I hated myself even more as I saw her ignore it, not wanting to admit how much I'd upset her.
"I'm sorry. Truly. I wish you knew how much I regret doing this.”
"Forget it," she spat out. "But you can do something for me now."
"Like what?"
"Like," she gave me a sweet smile. "Like, not telling anybody we broke up."
I furrowed my brows. "Why not?"
"Because I am not about to let all of Wildwood know Crispin Dalton dumped me," she hissed. "No, no. You're going to play along, and we'll officially break up at prom. I'm not letting Tinsley humiliate me once again."
"I don't want to do that," I confessed. "It's just fake."
"Don't call me fake," she said, her gaze burning me. Jesus, if looks could kill, I'd be a pile of ash right about now. "You have no idea what I'm capable of, Crispin. You know that little band of misfits?"
I tensed. "What are you talking about?"
She took a step closer, a sly smile on her lips as she said, "Wel
l, the Lords of Wildwood of course. And the story of how they got together. What they did. What happened before Wildwood."
"What the hell do you know about that?" My hands formed fists at my sides.
"More than you want me to. And I'm ready to spill all the secrets unless you do as I say."
"You don't know shit about that night," I hissed. "You don't know what happened. Wait..." Something dawned on me, and I came closer, hovering above her. "Are you Guest?"
"What?" She looked confused. "What the hell is that?"
"Nothing," I muttered. Another dead fucking end. "Fucking forget it."
"Don't think I can forget something as horrible as what you did to Pandora Amberly," Estella said loudly, and I hushed her, my eyes blazing with rage.
"I'm telling Tinsley the truth," I said after a pause. "I'm not keeping anything from her."
"Fine," she spat out. "But she's the only one. Nobody else can find out before the dance after the lacrosse game in two weeks."
"How are we supposed to hang out then?"
"Not my problem." She shrugged. "Now do we have a deal?"
"Deal." We shook hands.
"Now get the hell out of my room." She picked up a magazine and sat on her bed, giving me a sneer when I didn't move. "What are you waiting for, douche? I said scram."
"For what it's worth," I muttered. "I'm truly sorry for this mess."
"No, you aren't," she hissed. "Now get out of my sight. And don't forget. Not a word of this to anyone but Tinsley."
"Thank you." With my hand on the door handle, I held up the peace sign with two fingers. "Truce?"
She flipped me off. "Dream on, Dalton."
Chapter Fifteen
Tinsley
"You look beautiful."
I turned away from the mirror to face Mom, letting the smile take over my face. "You really think so?"
She nodded, taking a step forward and brushing her hand over the collar of my dress. "You do. You look so grown up. I can't believe you're officially eighteen."
"It does seem weird," I laughed nervously. "In my head I'm still the kid who went to audition for the role of Devin Mooney."
"And got it." Mom winked. "And aced the role for nine whole years."
"Yeah."
She must have sensed the sadness in my voice because she moved away, a tell-tale flush coloring her cheeks. "Well, everything is prepared downstairs. They're ready for you. I'll be heading out now, and I'll be back tomorrow morning. Please don't do anything stupid, okay?"
I gave her a grateful smile, nodding my approval. I didn't expect Mom to let us have the house to ourselves the night of my eighteenth birthday party, but I was grateful that she trusted me enough to let me stay there by myself. We kissed each other's cheeks, and she was gone in the next few seconds. I took another deep breath, scrutinizing my appearance in the full-length mirror in my bedroom. Mom was right—I looked good. Grown up in a way I had never expected. My reflection stared back at me with an uncertain grin on her lips. I was excited, there was no denying it. The party would be a lot of fun. Besides, I was looking my very best—if Crispin was ever going to make a move, my look for the night should make things a little easier for him.
I wore a long-sleeved white blazer dress with strappy black heels. My purple hair was curled into perfect voluminous waves, and Andie had done my makeup, daring with bright lipstick, but subtle on the eyes with big lashes—no liner or shadow.
While my relationships had been strained recently, the party was making the rounds at Wildwood. I'd invited a few people who I knew would get the word out, including Estella, Inca, and Andromeda. My new friend was ecstatic, helping me go over the plans again and again and making sure everything was perfect for the big night. She'd batted her eyelashes at Mom, convincing her we'd all be on our best behavior and ensuring we'd have the house for ourselves.
She was already waiting for me downstairs, and I left my room in a rush to join her in the beautifully decorated front hall. Mom had gone all out, and the house looked gorgeous in a lilac-and-silver theme, with hearts on everything, from the napkins to my huge heart-shaped three-tiered cake, and even balloons.
"Hey, birthday girl!" Andie called out as I came down the stairs. "Looking gorgeous!"
"Thanks. I'm so nervous. Do you think people will actually show up?" Just as I spoke, we heard an approaching car and rushed to the door, peeking out to see several cars pulling up in front of our house. "It's early," I furrowed my brows. "You sure they're here for this?"
"Oh, I'm sure," Andie snickered. "Everyone's been talking about the party, Tins! It's going to be a full house tonight; you'll see."
I could barely hide my excitement as we welcomed our first guests. Inca showed up with her sullen younger brother, Orion.
"Where's Estella?" I asked after we exchanged hugs.
"Oh..." Inca shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She looked pretty in a poufy pink dress, although I noticed it made her look a lot younger. "You didn't hear?"
"Hear what?"
"She..." She cleared her throat, awkwardly looking around the room. "She and Crispin broke up."
"W-What?" Emotions flooded me, gluing me to the spot where I was standing.
“Please don’t tell her I told you. I don’t think she wanted me to know, either. It just kind of came out.”
"Of course… Is she okay?"
"I think so. Last I heard, she was drunk..."
"Great. Thanks for telling me, Inca."
Since my best friend apparently decided not to.. Why hadn’t Estella called me? I checked my phone to make sure I hadn't missed a call, but apart from some messages asking about directions to the house, there was nothing. Didn’t she want me to help her? Guilt reverberated through my body as I remembered the tutoring lesson I'd had with Crispin a few days ago.
Maybe that was the reason she hadn’t told me. She must hate me. She probably thought he broke up with her because of me.
Despite the negative thoughts, it was nearly impossible to ignore the flutter of my heart, thinking that Crispin was available now. It meant he was single. Would he make his move now?
For an hour or so, I forgot all about Estella, while Crispin was still in the back of my mind as I welcomed guests, hugged people, stacked birthday presents on the dining table, and handed out welcome drinks. It was a booze-free party. Mom had made sure of that, though I'd already seen more than one bottle of vodka circulating around the party. I knew the kids would bring their own alcohol, but I was determined not to drink. I didn't need to. I'd been riding the high of finding out Crispin was single, and I didn't need anything else to make my day better.
Still, feelings of intense guilt flooded my body, reminding me of just how bad of a friend I was being to Estella. Finally, two hours into the party, I pulled out my phone, found a private corner, and dialed her number. She answered on the second ring, and from the hello alone, I could tell she was drunk. She slurred the word, giggling at something, and I heard voices in the background as well.
"Are you okay? Inca told me what happened. I'm here for you, whatever you need."
"Thanks! I'm totally so fine. I'm doing great."
"Where are you?"
"Out partying." Laughter interrupted our call for a few seconds, and then she was back. "Sorry, that was Natan. He's being dumb."
"Natan? As in, Natan Earnshaw?"
"The one and only," Estella purred.
"Babe, are you coming to my party?"
"What party?" She sounded like this was the first time she had heard about it.
"My birthday party." I tried to stay patient, keeping a level head. "Estella, it's my birthday. I turned eighteen. I'm having a party at my place, remember?"
"Oh," she said carelessly. "Natan, wanna hit up a birthday party later?"
"For who?" I heard from the background.
"Tins. My best friend?"
"Oh. Little homewrecker?"
I winced at the words, then Estella covered up her speaker, an
d I only heard muffled speaking until she came back on the line.
"Yeah, maybe later we'll swing by," she purred next. "Is you know who there?"
"Crispin?" I asked, masking my sigh with a fake cough as I looked around the house. "No, he hasn't shown up."
"Oh." She sounded disappointed. "Well, let me know if he does. Toodles!"
With that, she ended the call, leaving me dumbfounded. What was she doing with Natan? Why was she so dismissive? Didn’t she care about me at all?
And yet again, the guilt told me to just leave it. I was being a bad friend, lusting after Crispin. But there was nothing to be done. I needed to move on. Since neither of them had bothered to show for the party, I might as well. On my way out of the hallway, I grabbed a half-empty bottle of liquor someone had left on the counter and took a swig. I winced at the strange mix of alcohol and chocolate but kept drinking. It was my party. I deserved to have fun.
I walked out of the kitchen and into the garden behind the house. The trees were wrapped in fairy lights, there were lights in the pool, and the feeling behind the house was quieter. Romantic. I groaned inwardly at the thought before kicking my heels off and walking to the pool, the bottle still in my hand.
"Hey, crybaby."
I looked over my shoulder. The second I saw him, my heart skipped a beat. Just for him. "Hey."
He lingered on the steps leading down from the living room to the garden, and my heart sped up in my chest. He came. He came. He came!
"Having a good birthday?"
"Pretty good." I motioned to the bottle in my hand. "Loving it."
He laughed out loud, coming toward me and picking up my heels on the way. "You planning on being somebody's Cinderella tonight?"
"Not likely."
"How come?"
I stared at him, my mind trying to decide how I should deal with his question. I couldn't tell him the truth. That the party had faded into the background the second I saw him standing there, wearing his lacrosse jacket and that goddamn smirk on his face. That I suddenly didn't care about anything or anyone other than Crispin Dalton standing in my back yard, watching me with those slate-grey eyes that made me feel warm and tingly inside.
Boys That Tease: A Bully Romance (Lords Of Wildwood Book 1) Page 17
