by Gemma Weir
When I pull away, I’m still smiling pleasantly as his mouth falls open in shock. “Don’t you want to congratulate us, Freddie?” I ask, my voice laced with a steel-like tone that brooks no argument.
He clears his throat. “Of course. Congratulations.” He glances down at Tally, then looks away like she’s nothing to him.
I pull her a little tighter to me, wanting to protect her from them, even though I’m the cause of all of this. When Freddie steps back, Carrigan and her mother step forward, both of their faces showing matching anger and disgust, like the two ugly sisters from the story Cinderella.
“Tally, sweetheart, I’m sure your sister and Mom are just dying to see the ring,” I say sweetly.
When she doesn’t move, I run my fingers along her arm and then slide my palm under her limp hand and lift it up, my thumb caressing back and forth over her soft creamy skin. I have to swallow a laugh as both Carrigan and Mrs. Archibald’s eyes widen when they take in the huge sparkly rock now adorning Tally’s ring finger. The gold shines against her skin and it fits perfectly despite me not having it sized.
When Carrigan’s eyes harden and narrow to slits, I smile widely at her and speak before she has a chance to. “I just wanted to thank you.”
“What?” both her and her mother say at the same time.
“Well after all, you being too sick to come to dinner on Friday is the reason that Tallulah and I met. It was love at first sight and I just knew in that instant that she was the girl of my dreams and it’s all thanks to you. If she’d never attended in your place, I might never have even known she existed, so thank you. Your beautiful sister has made me the happiest man alive.”
Mrs. Archibald’s face turns a purple color as she twists to glare at Carrigan, who splutters. “But Tallulah said.”
I interrupt her again. “We had originally planned to keep our love a secret. Tally thought it was all too quick, but I just couldn’t do it. I want the entire world to know the girl who’s captured my heart and now well, the cat’s out of the bag.”
Carrigan’s eyes move to her sister whose cheek is pressed against my chest and I feel Tally tense at the pure hatred that’s pouring from Carrigan in waves.
“Ladies, if you’ll excuse us for just a moment,” I say, dismissing them both as I steer Tally out of the room and down the hallway until we’re out of sight and hearing distance. Then I let go of her and flash her a conspiratorial smile.
Her eyes are wide and angry and something that I can’t quite identify. She lifts her finger to point at me, her lips parting, then closing again. She takes a step back, then moves forward, her single finger point being replaced by both hands lifted in front of her, before they fall to her sides.
I think she might actually be so angry she can’t speak. I’d been wondering why she hadn’t been shouting at me since I dropped the diamond bomb, but I think she’s so furious her brain is about to implode.
“Look, I know you’re mad and you’re probably wondering why I just did what I did.”
She inhales sharply, closing her eyes for a split-second before she opens them again, her eyes brighter than I’ve seen them so far. “I’m more than mad, Arlo. Do you have any idea how much shit you just caused for me? Do you even care?”
Her voice gets louder until she’s just shy of yelling and I grab her arm and pull her further away from the living room. “Look, you’re just gonna have to play along, not forever obviously, but just until graduation.”
“Why?” She cries.
“Because I am not a fucking political pawn and I refuse to be treated like one.” I shrug.
“But what about me? You dragged me into this and you never even asked,” she cries.
I shrug again. “Little ghost, what the fuck else were you doing other than hiding? I’m making your life better.”
“You’re supposed to be getting engaged to my sister, not me. You’re never supposed to have ever met me,” she cries, pulling away from me to pace back and forth along the hall.
“And why is that?” I snap. “Why haven’t we met? I’ve lost count of how many different parties and events I’ve attended that your parents and Cruelligan have been at, so explain why we were never supposed to have met.”
Her head snaps up to look at me and she freezes. “Because I’m...”
“Don’t give me that antisocial bullshit. I’ve spent time with you today, we both know you’re not antisocial. You’re not a recluse or a weirdo, so why is it your family have tried so hard to make sure no one remembers you?”
“My family is none of your business,” she snaps.
“Your family are a fucking nightmare,” I hiss back. “Look, maybe I shouldn’t have dragged you into this, but I was never going to marry your sister. My dad wants an alliance with your family, and I gave him one, you.”
“What if I’m unstable, or a drug addict? What if I already have a boyfriend?” she cries, stepping closer to me and punctuating each point by stabbing me in the chest with her finger.
Smiling, I arch an eyebrow at her. “I don’t give a crap what kind of psycho you are, that’s not my problem. You’re a means to an end, but this can be a quid pro quo situation for both of us. You can stop living a weird recluse life and I can piss your family off and appease my dad. Win, win.”
“Win fucking win,” she growls.
I can’t help but smile. The more time I’ve spent with her today, the more the timid little mouse shield has dissolved and I love the angry firecracker that’s beneath it.
“Why are you smiling? You just royally fucked me over. Yeah, Arlo, this is all so much fucking fun. Except you get to laugh it up and I have to go home with them. I have to deal with the fact that you just told my family that I’ve stolen my sister’s future fiancé right from under her nose to ruin all of the plans my parents have been making.”
The smile falls from my lips and I watch the panic build in her.
“Yeah, douchebag, this is all hilarious.”
Scoffing lightly, I roll my eyes. “You’re being dramatic.”
Her eyes narrow and she glares at me, before she spins on her heel and marches back toward the living room, muttering loudly beneath her breath. “This is ridiculous. I’ll have to tell them the truth, you are such a fucking dick.”
Closing the distance between us in two short strides, I grab her arm and spin her around, slamming her back into the wall before I pin her arms at her sides and press my chest against hers, holding her in place. Her eyes widen and I can see fear in her strange violet depths.
“I’m sorry, little ghost, but I’m not going to let you fuck this up for me.”
“You can’t stop me from telling the truth,” she says, her voice weak as the pulse in her neck flutters.
“I didn’t want it to come to this, but if you go in there and tell them our engagement is fake, then I’ll tell them it was all your idea. That you approached me, that you told me that you were sick of being in your sister’s shadow, that you wanted to get revenge on her and embarrass her and your family.”
Her gasp is barely audible and for the briefest of seconds I almost feel bad.
“Who are they going to believe, little ghost? You, the girl no one even knew existed, hidden in the shadows, jealous of her sister shining in the spotlight. Or me, the one everyone knows and loves,” I crow, a knowing smile spreading across my lips.
“You’re all the same,” she whispers.
“What?”
“You, Carrigan, my parents, you’re all the same.”
“I’m nothing like your family,” I hiss.
Closing her eyes, she inhales a shaky breath before opening them again. “The fact that I don’t have a choice but to agree to this says you’re a lot more alike than you think.”
I shake my head, releasing one of her wrists so I can run my knuckles over her cheek. “Don’t look so sad, little ghost. This is going to be fun.”
“For you maybe.”
My laugh is light and triumphant. “I’
m glad we’ve got that sorted, my darling fiancée. Now let’s get back in there and wow our audience with how in love we are.”
This has quite possibly been the longest day of my life and it’s not over yet, because all of these well-wishers just don’t seem to want to leave. I’m at Arlo’s side playing the dutiful little fiancée and his arm is wrapped around me, like it has been since he walked me back into the lion’s den.
I risk a glance at him and I’m amazed by how cool and calm he is. Either he’s an incredibly good actor, or all this subterfuge and all these lies he’s been spouting all night just don’t bother him at all.
He seems genuinely happy and jovial as he moves me from one group to the next, always avoiding my family and occasionally stopping to chat to one of his friends. Watson and Carson seem to think this whole charade is incredibly entertaining, but when Arlo isn’t looking, I can see the sympathy for me in Olly’s eyes.
As the first guests wish us goodnight and leave, I’m both excited for the night to be done and dreading leaving with my parents. I’m fairly confident that they’re going to flay me alive, and regardless of how or what happened they will see this as the ultimate betrayal.
They might not have been speaking loudly, but I heard what my dad said to Arlo earlier and as much as I might not let his complete dismissal visibly wound me, I still felt it like a knife to the chest. If I was a different person, maybe I’d be happy about what Arlo is forcing me to do, but even though I hate what they’ve become and how they treat me, they’re still my family.
“Tallulah, our car is waiting,” my mother announces as she appears at my side.
I nod and move to pull away from Arlo’s hold, but instead of releasing me, he pulls me in tighter to him. “Vanessa, have you met our friends? This is Watson Hilborn, Oliver Montgomery, and Carson Windsor.”
“Of course, nice to see you again, boys,” she says so nicely, I actually blink to check it’s still my mom talking.
“We were actually just talking about sailing tomorrow,” Olly says, winking at me, before turning to look at my mom.
“Yeah, we figured that Tally might as well just stay here tonight so we can get an early start in the morning,” Arlo says in a voice that dares her to argue.
“I’m not sure that’s appropriate,” Mom says stiffly.
Arlo laughs, but the sound is cold as his arm becomes a band of steel around my back. “Vanessa, she is my fiancée and she has her own room.”
Mom’s hostile gaze turns to me for the first time. “Tallulah, I’m sure you’d rather come home. You don’t have any of your things here with you.”
I open my mouth to speak, but Arlo speaks for me. “Fitzy is sending clothes here for her in the morning. I can see that you don’t want to lose her, Vanessa, but you’re going to have to learn to share now that we’re engaged.”
“Come on, Mrs. A, we’re excited for a day on the water. Let Tally stay. I promise we’ll have her home before you know it,” Watson coos, flashing her his dimpled smile.
My mom smiles at Watson, then turns her cold, angry gaze on me. “I’ll see you tomorrow night,” she says pointedly.
I nod, not bothering to speak as my mom waves sweetly at the guys, then turns and walks away.
One by one the rest of the guests leave, until it’s only me, Arlo, Mr. Lexington, Watson, Carson, and Olly left. The terrace doors are still open with large patio heaters keeping the seating area warm, even in the cooling fall temperatures.
Mr. Lexington fills a glass with whiskey, loosens his tie, and sighs loudly. “Anyone else joining me for a drink?”
“You got any beer, Mr. L?” Watson asks, pulling his tie and jacket off and undoing the top button on his shirt.
“Yeah there’s some in the wet bar,” Mr. Lexington calls as he moves onto the terrace and flops down into a chair.
Carson, Watson, and Arlo all head for the patio and I pause, unsure what to do. Should I follow them, or leave? My first instinct is to leave, and my feet move before I even fully decide to go.
“Where are you going?” Olly asks, touching my arm lightly.
“Err, I was,” I awkwardly point toward the door to the hallway.
“Come have a drink with us,” he urges, smiling that reassuring smile he’s shown me more than once today.
“I don’t—” I start as Olly reaches out and takes my hand.
“Come on, we need to get to know you better,” he urges, tipping his head toward the terrace again.
“You making a play for my girl?” Arlo growls from the shadow of the door, his voice rough.
Olly laughs. “Maybe. She’s too good for your miserable ass,” he barbs straight back, pulling me forward and winking.
A laugh, the first genuine laugh of the night falls from my lips, and I smile at Olly, wondering if maybe, just maybe, he could be the good in all this chaos. When he looks at me, I get the feeling that he doesn’t just see a pawn to be moved around to his advantage and if he doesn’t want or need anything from me, he could just be a friend.
I let him pull me onto the terrace and over to the elaborate wet bar that’s set up on the far side. Releasing me, he leans down to open the refrigerator that’s built in under a counter. “What do you want to drink? There’s soda, wine, champagne, mixers.”
“I’ll have a beer please.”
Olly straightens quickly and looks at me quizzically. “A beer?”
“Yeah if you have one, or I’ll just have a soda if you don’t,” I say with a small shrug.
Bending back down, Olly grabs five bottles from the cooler, placing them on the counter as he opens each bottle in turn. Reaching for a glass, he calls. “Anyone need a glass?”
A chorus of no’s sing back and then he looks to me, “You want a glass, right?”
I shake my head. “The bottle’s fine.”
“Are you sure? Because honestly I’ve never seen your sister—”
I cut him off. “I’m not my sister,” I say firmly.
“No, you’re not,” Arlo says from behind me, his arm snaking around my waist and pulling me back against his chest until our bodies are flush.
Olly’s eyes narrow for a second, then his expression becomes neutral again and he hands a bottle of beer to me first, then offers them to the other guys one by one.
For a moment the terrace patio is silent apart from the clinking of the ice cubes in Mr. Lexington’s glass as he swirls his whiskey around.
I flinch when Arlo’s lips press against my neck, the heat of his skin on mine scorching me. “Come sit with me,” he whispers against my ear as he presses me forward and toward the huge sectional couch where Watson and Carson are sitting.
Stepping forward, I sit down on the cushions next to Carson, but far enough away that I’m not touching him and leaving plenty of room for Arlo to sit next to me. A startled cry falls from my lips as he sits, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me back into him, my back nestled into the curve of his shoulder as he lazily draws circles over my exposed collarbone.
I try to relax, but the idea of being in his arms, of being in anyone’s arms is unsettling. Yes, I’ve enjoyed the way he kisses me, but cuddling, that’s so much more intimate than a brief, orchestrated kiss.
Last summer, my parents agreed to let me go and visit a distant aunt in Italy and I used the months of freedom to explore the beautiful country, anonymous and unknown. I introduced myself by my middle name and for those three glorious months I was just Marie, in a place where the people had no idea who I was, or more importantly who I wasn’t.
The men around me start a conversation, but I tune them out, instead listening to the sounds of the night. After a while, I relax a little, and let my back rest against Arlo, enjoying his body heat.
“Well, kids, I have an early round of golf in the morning, so I’ll say goodnight.” Mr. Lexington says, placing his empty glass on the table and standing. “Arlo, Tallulah, congratulations. I might be a pushy bastard and I might have tried a little too hard for
a political alliance between our two families, but I’m truly happy you’ve found each other. I’m cynical, bitter, and divorced, but there’s nothing better than being young and in love, so enjoy it. Not that you need it, but you have my blessing.” When he turns his gaze on me, his smile is warm and genuine. “Tallulah, sweetheart. Our home is your home, welcome to the family.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, feeling a little choked up at his words.
“Goodnight everyone,” he says, squeezing Arlo’s shoulder before he disappears into the house.
We all stay silent for a few moments, then the guys look at each other and a ring of laughter starts with Watson, spreading through the others until I can feel the vibrations in Arlo’s chest at my back.
Lifting myself from the cocoon of his arms, I twist around and find a wide grin etched across his face as he laughs openly, his eyes crinkling at the sides.
“Oh my god,” Carson cries, “I can’t believe you got away with it. You fucking got down on one knee,” he says, laughing so much he’s wiping tears from his eyes.
“Did you see Tally’s mom’s face,” Watson crows.
“And Carrigan,” Olly adds, “I’ve never seen her green with envy before. I wish I’d taken a picture.”
“You all think this is funny?” I ask, a little incredulous.
“It’s hilarious,” Watson laughs. “Tonight, Arlo got himself out of a life sentence, it’s epic.”
“But it’s all fake,” I say.
“And that’s the best thing about it,” Arlo says, his voice rough and low.
Shaking my head, I reach for my beer and take a long pull, grateful that I’m not having to drink the disgusting champagne that’s been forced into my hand at every turn tonight.
“What’s with the beer?” Carson asks, tipping his own bottle toward mine in question.
