by Gemma Weir
By the time we get to the science rooms, her steps are getting shorter and the tension emanating from her is almost palpable. She’s scared, and the caveman inside of me is telling me that I need to find the source of her fear and kill it, but I can’t exactly go around clubbing Carrigan and their parents over the head.
“Want me to make you come?” I blurt a little too loudly.
“What?” she hisses, turning to stare open-mouthed at me.
“You’re stressed. I can see it coming off you in waves. The best ways I know to relieve tension are to smoke weed or to orgasm. I don’t have any weed, so do you want me to make you come? It’ll take the edge off,” I say with a shrug.
When the first giggle curls from her lips, I feel like the fucking king of the world. As more giggles follow, her entire body relaxes, and she wraps her arms around my waist and melts into me. This shouldn’t feel this right, but it does.
“Is that a yes to the orgasm? Because I think I can make you scream before we’re even late for class.”
“No, I don’t want you to make me come. We’re not doing that anymore. We’re friends remember?” she says, laughter still lacing her words.
“We are doing that. In fact, we’ll be doing that later, maybe when we get home from school, and definitely tonight when I want your hot mouth on my dick,” I say, not even looking at her as I drape my arm over her shoulder and walk us straight into chemistry and up to Mr. Ford’s desk.
“Mr. Ford,” I say with a bright faux smile. “Have you met Tallulah? She’s transferred into this class, so now you’ve got both of the Archibald twins to imbue with your scientific wisdom.”
“Ahhh, yes, Miss Archibald. Principal Irvine did inform me that you would be joining us, please find a seat.”
“Thank you, sir,” Tally says politely.
Leading her to the back of the class, I glare at Milton Caldwell who normally sits on the other side of me until he packs up his laptop and moves to another desk in the front row. Then I motion for Tally to take my usual desk, while Watson slides into his and I take the now vacant desk on her other side.
I watch Tally’s eyes move to Carrigan’s usual desk, which is unsurprisingly empty, and I wonder if she’ll show up for class, or if she thinks the texts off their mother will have Tally falling back into line. “You should text your sister and let her know you won’t be covering for her, or better still,” I say, pulling out my own cell and snapping a picture of me kissing Tally’s cheek as she smiles at the camera. “I’ll post this to my Instagram. Carrigan follows me. We really need to get you set up with your own accounts.”
Tally nods, but she’s nibbling on her nail nervously as she watches the doorway.
“Miss Archibald,” Mr. Ford calls.
“Yes, sir,” she answers.
“Would you happen to know where your sister is?”
She shakes her head, a genuinely regretful look on her face. “I’m sorry, sir, I haven’t seen her since before lunch. Me being in this class with her was supposed to be a surprise.”
“Well perhaps you should let her know that in one minute she will be receiving a tardy if she isn’t here.”
“I can give her a call, if you’d like, sir,” Tally says, like the perfect little submissive student.
“If you would,” he says, waving his hand in a ‘go ahead’ motion.
“You sneaky little ghost,” I whisper.
“How am I sneaky?” She asks with an imperious arch of her eyebrow as she pulls her cell from her blazer pocket and brings up her sister’s number.
I open my mouth to speak, but close it again when I hear Carrigan answer Tally’s call.
“What?” I hear her say.
“I have someone who would like to speak to you,” Tally says calmly, standing from her seat and strutting down the classroom to Mr. Ford’s desk and holding the cell out for him to take.
Stifling a laugh, I turn to Watson and find a grin etched across his lips, as he dramatically silently claps. “I fucking love her,” he says.
Mr. Ford’s voice draws my attention and I turn back to the front of the class. “Miss Archibald, this is your chemistry teacher. Would you like to explain what has happened that is more important than you attending my class?”
He pauses for a minute, a slight scowl forming on his lips. “Ahh, well can I recommend you spend some time this evening Googling time management skills? Now you already have one tardy mark. For every minute more you’re late you’ll receive another one, so I suggest you get a move on.” Then he ends the call and hands the cell back to Tally. “If you could take your seat, Miss Archibald. I hope you’re slightly more prepared than your sister, because we’re going to be starting lab work today and I’m afraid there’s no time to catch up if you don’t already know the material.”
“I’m sure I can keep up, Mr. Ford,” Tally says sweetly, before turning on her heel and sashaying back to her desk.
“That was awesome,” I whisper, pressing a kiss to her temple.
“Would have been if we’d been having a pop quiz. She can fudge her way through an experiment if she picks a competent lab partner,” she says on a sigh.
“This is only day one, baby. She’ll slip sooner or later,” I tell her, settling back in my chair just as Carrigan rushes through the door.
…
When the final bell rings, I spring up from my seat and make a beeline for my locker where we’re all meeting. After being called out by Mr. Ford in chemistry, Carrigan had a scowl etched across her face the entire way through French, one of the subject’s Tally actually doesn’t take for her.
Last class of the day for Tally was statistics with Olly and I’m desperate to know if Carrigan turned up, or if they had to figure out a way to force Carrigan to show.
When I spot my girl laughing with our friend, another spike of unbidden jealousy hits me and again I want to pull her away from Olly and warn him off. Instead, I lean back against my locker, forcing all of my unwanted feelings into my hands and clenching them into tight fists. When he touches her arm, I almost lose my resolve, until she sees me, and her smile widens.
“Hey,” she says.
My fists loosen and I reach out a hand to her, so fucking relieved when she takes it, that I haul her into my body and just hug her, holding her close to me. I can’t help glancing at my friend, wanting him to see the triumph in my eyes, but he’s absorbed by his cell and not even looking at us.
This girl is making me crazy; she’s making me feel things that I’ve never felt before. I’ve shared girls with my boys before. Our circle is small. There are only so many girls our age in the same social sphere, which means if we all refused to get involved with girls our friends had been involved with, the pool would be incredibly fucking small and we’re only eighteen. But the idea of anyone but me touching her makes me feel fucking violent.
Tally is every bit my equal in money and status and position, but where she towers over us all is that she’s not jaded or hardened by this political world we live in. She literally couldn’t care less how many generations back I can count. She doesn’t care how big my trust fund is. She judges a person by the things she sees and the way they treat her.
I started out by being an asshole, but I’d like to think I’ve redeemed myself a little in the last week. Maybe that’s why I’m so fucking jealous, because I know deep down that she deserves better than me.
Pulling her body tighter, I tilt her head back and look down at her, stroking her cheek. “Have I told you how fucking sorry I am for all the shit I pulled with the proposal?”
“You actually haven’t, no,” she says, amused.
Sighing, I press a quick kiss to her lips. “Well, I am. I’m sorry I dragged you into a game you shouldn’t have been forced into playing. But I’m not sorry that we’re doing this now. I’m not sorry that I’m helping you with your sister. I’m not sorry that you’re wearing my ring, or that I get to kiss you and tell people you’re mine. I’m not sorry one little bit, T
ally.”
Her body arches upwards and for the very first time she kisses me without any subterfuge. She presses her lips to mine and lifts her arms to wrap around my neck. I don’t know if this is an acceptance kiss, or an agreement kiss, but I’ll take it no matter what it means, because she’s kissing me and that’s all that matters.
When she eventually pulls back, I let her, even though I don’t want to. Carson and Watson are both here now too and I know it’s time for us to leave, but I just don’t want to deal with whatever shit storm will be waiting for us outside if her mom really does turn up.
“You ready?” I ask quietly.
“Not even slightly, but I’m going to do it anyway,” she says, exhaling slowly.
Looking up, I wait until I have all of the guys’ attention. “Whatever happens, Tally leaves with us.”
They nod and I nod back, taking Tally’s hand in mine, our fingers entwined together. “Let’s go home then.”
I can feel her tension as we step outside into the bright afternoon sunlight. Fall is closing in fast and the temperature has dropped, despite how sunny it is. There are a row of town cars idling at the curb and I spot Carson’s family’s limo right at the back, several cars behind the Archibalds’ town car.
Carrigan is stood on the grass with her friends, her smile smug when she catches my attention. This morning she was impressed by her sister’s boldness, but judging by the expression on her face now, she’s pretty pissed off at being forced to live her own life for a change.
Pulling Tally against me, I tip her chin up. “My dad’s coming home to eat with us, then we have a thing tonight. Fitzy’s bringing you some dresses to choose from, okay?”
She nods, but even with her body pressed up against mine, her attention is still on the car that’s now in front of the school steps.
As we watch, the driver opens the rear doors and Vanessa Archibald emerges wearing a tight black fitted dress with a black tailored jacket. Her hair is pulled back into a sleek ponytail at her neck and her eyes are covered by large black sunglasses.
Tally tenses and I desperately want to push her behind me, to form a human wall between my girl and her evil mother, but I can’t. So instead I look at Vanessa, then look away, dismissing her, as I focus on the beautiful ghost in my arms.
“Fuck her,” I whisper, smiling against her lips.
Her sharp exhale is audible. “Don’t let me go, okay?”
“I won’t,” I promise.
Tally turns, pressing her back against my front as I wrap my arms around her waist and rest my chin on her shoulder. We stand and watch as Vanessa stands at the curb glaring at us, tapping the toe of her shoe against the sidewalk impatiently.
I snicker when Tally waves at her mother, making no move to go to her, despite Vanessa obviously expecting her daughter to come to heel like a fucking dog.
After a long, silent showdown, Vanessa strides confidently up the steps to where we’re standing, the guys just ahead of us and slightly to our right-hand side.
“Tallulah,” Vanessa hisses.
“Hello, Mother,” Tally replies.
“We’re leaving.”
“Well, it was nice seeing you,” Tally says sweetly.
“I’m not playing, child. Get in the car. This farce is over,” her mother hisses, her scowl barely even moving her Botox-filled face.
“We’re fine actually. Our car is just a couple behind yours. Mrs. Archibald, but thanks for the offer,” I say with a wide ‘fuck you’ smile to my future mother-in-law.
Ignoring me completely, Vanessa steps closer to us, her long, white-tipped fingernails digging into Tally’s arm as she grabs hold of her and tries to physically pull her out of my embrace. “Get into the goddamn car right now,” she snarls in Tally’s face.
I give an almost imperceptive nod and Olly, Carson, and Wats crowd around. Carson drops his arm across Vanessa’s shoulders, leaning his head down, a wide smile on his face as he speaks so low that only we can hear. “I suggest you get your fucking hands off her right now.”
“Just go home, Mother. I’m not coming with you and I’m not taking Carrigan’s classes anymore. I’ve moved out if you haven’t noticed and I’m never coming back,” Tally says, only a slight tremor audible in her voice.
Vanessa lifts her sunglasses from her face, revealing her furious expression as her lips part.
“Mom,” I say acerbically, cutting her rant off before she even begins. “I can call you Mom, can’t I? Let me explain how this is going to go down. You’re going to take your poisonous hands off my fiancée, then you’re going to turn around and take your old, Botox-filled ass, and get back into your car. You’re going to conveniently forget that you have a second daughter. That shouldn’t be too difficult for you, seeing as you’ve been doing it for the last three years. Then you’re going to delete her cell phone number from your phone and never contact her again.”
“Listen here, you little asshole,” she hisses, but I speak over her, ignoring her completely.
“No, you listen to me. We all know what you and her father did to her. We have witnesses and photographic evidence that I will happily release to the press if you try to contact her again. I will drag your name through the mud until all anyone ever thinks about when they hear the name Archibald is the bruises you put on your child’s face. You are a fucking disgrace,” I spit out, teeth bared, my grip on Tally the only thing that’s stopping me from punching the bitch in the face.
“How dare you,” she cries.
“I’m Arlo Lexington. I can do whatever the hell I please.”
“Goodbye, Mother,” Tally says, her voice full of quiet strength.
Vanessa glares, her lips twisted into an ugly snarl as she spins around, stomping toward Carrigan and ushering her into the car before they finally drive away.
Seventeen
Tallulah
Fuck, Fuck, Fuck. My chest feels tight as I watch my mother walk away from me and leave. It’s what I wanted, but now that it’s happening, there’s this odd sense of horror at knowing she’s leaving and that I’m not going with her.
“Come on,” Arlo says, releasing his hold on my waist and steering me with a hand at the base of my spine over to our car that’s now at the curb.
The driver opens the door and I climb in, holding down the back of my skirt as I shuffle along the bench seat to the far corner. Pulling my backpack into my chest, I hug it tightly as a strange numbness settles over me. She walked away and I don’t have to go back there. I think a part of me thought they’d figure out a way to make me fall back in line; maybe they still will. But for right this minute they’ve backed down and I’ve won.
“Are you okay?” Arlo asks, pulling me close to him and pressing a kiss to the top of my head.
“I don’t really know,” I tell him honestly.
“Round one goes to Tally,” Carson grins. “You won, babe, so let’s celebrate the victory.”
I nod, still feeling shellshocked. “Where are we tonight?”
All eyes turn to Olly and I follow suit, smiling a little when he huffs and pulls his cell from his pants.
“Tonight, we’re at a charity auction,” he says. “Tomorrow, we have an informal dinner with our families. Wednesday and Thursday we don’t have plans, then we have parties Friday and Saturday night.”
“I thought we had dinner with your dad tonight?” I ask, turning to look at Arlo.
“We do; the auction is a cocktail event, not a dinner,” he says, “But we can cancel if you’re not up for it.”
“No, I’m fine. I’m just glad I’m ahead with all my classes, because there’s not going to be any time to do homework this week,” I say, forcing a smile.
His eyes narrow a little, but he doesn’t call me out on my lie until it’s just me and him. “Come on,” he says, pulling me through the front door, not sparing Susan a glance as he drags me up to his bedroom and closes the door behind us.
“Arlo, what are you doing?” I ask, as he pulls
my blazer from my shoulders, letting it drop to the floor. He loosens my tie, sliding it from beneath my collar, not pausing as it flutters from his fingers.
“Arlo, I thought we agreed we weren’t going to do this anymore,” I say, turning into his lips as he briefly presses them against mine.
“I never agreed to anything.”
He removes my blouse and unzips my skirt, watching as it pools at my feet, and then I’m standing there in nothing but my bra, panties, black heeled pumps, and the knee-high socks the school insists we wear.
I know I should tell him no or try to get him to understand why we should be keeping our relationship platonic, but I want him to touch me. My mom’s appearance at school has rocked me more than I’m willing to admit to, and his touch grounds me.
I don’t utter a single word of complaint as he drops to his knees, peeling my panties down my legs. I rest my hand on his shoulder as he lifts first one foot, then the other free of the black lace, before he pushes them into his back pocket and tips his head back to look at me.
Dark eyes stare back at me, not releasing my gaze as he presses a wet kiss against my inner thigh. His fingers dip into my hips as he licks a path along my skin, the cool air making goose bumps rise, following the path of his tongue.
He looks at me not blinking as his mouth touches my pussy, licking and sucking at my sex and clit. My legs tremble as my breathing gets short, and I fight the urge to hold his head between my legs, wanting more.
“Spread your legs,” he growls and I comply without thought, parting my legs, one hand on his shoulder, the other buried in his hair.
“Oh fuck,” I gasp, as a thick finger slides into me and his tongue laps across my clit.
