I land against the heat of his hard chest. I inhale the smell of him, salt water and sand. I can almost taste the sweetness of a virgin strawberry daiquiri, my mom’s treat on our yearly beach vacation, though I doubt Archie does anything virgin-related.
I look up at him, confusion slowing my movements. He leans down to seal the deal with a kiss. Oh…no?
I freeze, my eyes going wide, before turning my head just in time so that his mouth meets my cheek, his lips warm against my cool flesh. A shiver sparks low inside me. Archie laughs, wrapping his arms around me in a fierce hug and squeezing me tight.
“You are amazing, beautiful,” he says. “Always keeping me on my toes.”
I laugh because if anything, he is always keeping me on mine.
Then he’s off, blowing me a kiss before bounding down the hallway. I walk back to my dorm, smiling despite the boy blackmailing me.
“Hey, Molly,” I say as I open the door to our room and find her surrounded by books tossed across her bed.
“Hey,” she says, pencil clenched between her teeth as she highlights in a textbook.
“You want to go the football game with me tonight?” I ask, turning to shut the door behind me and shrugging my backpack off.
Molly frowns, shaking her head. “Sports really aren’t my thing. Plus, I’m supposed to video chat with my parents and Attie tonight.”
I nod. Molly would do anything in the world for her little brother.
“I’ll go with,” Raven offers.
I jerk toward the sound, clenching my backpack to my chest. Raven gives me a wave.
“Don’t have a coronary, girl,” Raven says. “I can’t have your demise on my conscience. I wouldn’t be able to handle it.”
Vixson, who’s sprawled on my bed like he owns the place, snorts. Where did he come from?! I need a refresher on paying attention to my surroundings.
Raven finishes separating sour skittles by color on my desk and grabs a pile to chuck into her mouth. “Mmm. Tastes like purple.”
“You really want to go?” I choke out, my heart rate stuttering its way back to normal.
Raven nods. “Hell yeah! No way am I going to miss seeing the look on Aurora’s face when Beckett sweeps you off your feet after the game.” She eyes me from head to toe and exchanges a look with Vixson. “Are you wearing that?”
“Uh...” I look down at my jeans and black blouse.
“The correct answer is no,” Raven offers, grabbing the green sour skittles and popping the entire pile into her mouth. “You are a goddess. Start acting like it.”
I look to Molly for help, but she has her earbuds in now and no idea I’m even still in the room.
“I’m not a goddess,” I say.
Raven tsks at me while Vixson shakes his head.
“Tell her,” Raven says, still chewing as she waves a hand at Vixson.
I look over at him, and for the first time, I really see him. He’s tan with a strong western European forehead and deep-set eyes. Yet, somehow it works for him. He reminds me of Ian with dark hair and high cheekbones.
“You have the two kings of Voclain Academy, Ian and Archie, battling for you, and literally everybody knows it, except you.” He regards me for one long moment. “You really don’t see it, do you?”
“See what?” I ask before lowering my voice. I dare a glance at Molly, who’s not paying me the least bit of attention, before I walk over to them both. “They have some bullshit vendetta against Molly. If they wanted to be friends or whatever, they would stop tormenting her.” I cross my arms over my chest. “I have told them both that.”
Raven whistles and fans herself. “That is so hot. You three could be fuck-enemies. I need a fan, a walk-in freezer, and a portable air conditioning unit.”
“It’s not hot,” I say, though I’m giggling because she’s using one of my notebooks to fan herself. I lower my voice again. “They are mean to Molly. They are bullies.”
Raven frowns and cuts her eyes to Molly, who’s still distracted, before she whisper-adds, “It’s complicated, Harlow. Nothing is black and white. There are a lot of guilty parties involved.”
“Then why won’t someone explain it to me?” I whine.
She eyes Molly sadly before whispering back, “It’s not our story to tell. It’s hers and hers alone.”
I frown, but I let it go because maybe Raven is right. People like to share their own secrets, not have them shared for them.
I walk over to my closet and slide open the door. I stand there for a long moment, eyeing my clothes. What does one wear to a you’re-blackmailing-me-to-be-here not-a-date? Raven stares at me with an “Ooo! Pick me!” bubbly expression, her gaze flicking between the closet and me.
“Please help,” I say, waving her over.
The moment the words leave my mouth, Raven launches herself at my closet.
“Jesus.” Raven eyes a froufrou ivory blouse she pulled out of my closet “Who bought all this crap for you?”
“My mom and my grandmother,” I say, eyeing the ugly but expensive lacy contraption with puffy sleeves and a balloon-like appearance.
“Ah,” she nods, shoving it back inside the closet, “that explains it.” She eyes me from head to toe before looking to Vixson. “Cover your ears, Vixsums.”
He does without hesitation. I wonder how many times a day she asks him to do that.
“We’re about the same size,” she says. “Size 6, right? 8 after a weekend of chocolate-covered pretzels and wine?”
I nod, though I’m not sure about the last part.
“You can stop it now!” she half-shouts at Vixson.
That gets Molly’s attention, who makes sure no one is getting stabbed or something equally horrendous before resuming her studies.
Raven rushes to the door, yanking Vixson up with her. “We’ll be right back!”
I take a seat on my bed and wait. She is quick because five minutes later, they
