Page 24 of Take My Place

Great.

Chapter Nine

“It’ll be okay, you know. You don’t have anything to be nervous about.”

Romy places a hand on my knee to stop my leg bouncing up and down with stress. I manage to talk my way out of going back to the Academy for another week, claiming I need time to adjust to being back in King Town, but Ben puts his foot down when I ask for another extension.

“You’re an Archaic,” he reminds me. “You need to live up to the name. Go back to the Academy and establish your authority. You and Romy are engaged. You’re a power couple. You should be ruling that school, but you can’t do that while you’re hiding away. It’s time you stepped out and showed everyone what you’re made of. If not, we’ll have to rethink your living arrangements. Perhaps some time with your father is what you need to teach you appropriate behaviour.”The second Ben mentions my father I knew I was out of options.

So here I am, sitting in the back of a bulletproof limo with Romy, joining the queue of expensive cars waiting to pull up outside the Academy to drop off students.

“I just never thought I’d be coming back here, you know?” I say. “I only came to the Academy because my father insisted. He even picked my subjects for me. This place symbolises everything I ran from. Now I’m going to have to deal with the snide comments, pointed glances and whispers behind my back. I haven’t got any friends in this place.”

“You’re not alone. You got me,” Romy says. “If anyone tries to give you any grief, they’ll have me to answer to.”

“Thanks, but I’d rather fight my own battles,” I tell him. “I don’t like the idea of hiding behind some man.”

“I’m not just ‘some man.’ I’m your fiancé,” Romy reminds me. “But it’s not like that. We’re together now. If someone comes for you, they come for me and vice versa. If I was in trouble you’d come and help, wouldn’t you?”

“Well, yes…”

“Right. It’s the same for me.”

But it isn’t. Much as I appreciate Romy trying to support me, he doesn’t understand. He isn’t the stranger. He grew up in this town and understood its strange ways. He’d never put himself in a position where he needed me to back him up. As an heir, and a particularly charming one at that, he has power and status.

I don’t. I am a nobody, someone who is used to fighting for every little scrap she has. I have always been on the alert for a fight because in my experience, someone always wanted to try and take away what is mine. Add into the mix the fact that I’d been away for a few months, I was under no illusions I was going to be welcomed back with open arms. With the exception of Archer and Declan, no one is going to be happy to see me walk through those doors.

“Are you ready?” Romy smiles reassuringly as our driver pulls up in front of the steps and comes round to open the door for us.

I take a deep breath and nod at him.

Romy gets out first, then turns to offer me his hand to help me out. I am perfectly capable of getting out of a car by myself, but appearances matter, here more than anywhere else, so I take his hand and gaze at him as if he were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen as I step out and stand next to him.

Impulsively, Romy leans over and kisses me, cupping the back of my head.

“Get a room!” someone jeers, deliberately shoving me in the back as they walk past.

“Hey!” I protest, turning to see who pushed me, but whoever it was, they knew how to blend into a crowd. It could have been anyone.

“They’re just jealous assholes,” Romy says, taking my hand and holding it tight. “They wish they could have you.”

I raise a eyebrow. “Really?”

“You’re a catch, Ivy Archaic,” Romy grins. “And don’t you ever forget it. I know I’ll always be grateful you said yes.”

We walk up the steps to the Academy, and I lean into him. If I’m honest, it feels good having someone on my side, even though I can’t fully trust Romy. If I’d learned one thing over the past few months, it is that everyone has an agenda.

Even attractive young men who profess undying love.

“Hey! Ivy!”

I turn to see Declan hurrying towards me, guitar case in hand.

“Hi, Declan. Good to see you.”

“Ivy! You’re back!” He dumps his guitar on the floor and draws me into a giant hug that takes my breath away. “Music class hasn’t been the same without you.”

“Yeah, well, I still don’t know if I’m going to be allowed back into class with you or if I’ve missed so much I’ll have to redo the year,” I admit, ignoring the dark look Romy is sending at Declan for daring to hug me in public. “I’ve been told I’m going to have to sit through a load of assessments and then they’ll decide what to do with me.”

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