Page 51 of The Puck Chase

Aurora - Any idea where he got them?

Despite the accusation, my smile is almost instant, and I can’t help but wonder if Archer is aware what a matchmaker his little sister is.

Daemon - Nope. I have no knowledge of that. Maybe you should ask him…

Aurora - I did, and based on the shit-eating grin he gave me when he told me to mind my business, it wasn’t hard to figure it out

An unfamiliar fluttering feeling pulses around my stomach, as I read her response multiple times.

Daemon - Then maybe you should mind your business

Aurora - I can see why my brother has a crush on you

Aurora - Merry Christmas future brother in law…

Aurora - **Image attached**

The picture is a sketch she has drawn of Archer, and me, and it’s probably the best thing she has ever shown me. And I’m not being biased based on her inspiration. The art and technique is truly awe-inspiring, and I instantly save it into the private folder I have of all things Archer on my phone.

We text back and forth a little more, until she tells me she is going to bed, and with no more incoming messages from Archer, I switch over toInstagram. Scrolling up and down, finding nothing of interest, until I head back to the top and refresh the page, allowing a fresh post from Archer to pop up. It’s a picture of a book in his lap, his fingers looking as if they are caressing the spine, but that’s not what has me sitting up in bed in surprise. No, it’s the fact that the book in question is fucking mine.

My eyes flick to my bookshelf, only now noting the gap there, and I curse inwardly, knowing he must have stolen it when I left him in my room last week. And I can’t help but shake my head athis audacity, especially when I glance back down to the caption, reading the words he paired it with.

@theARCHERgray: Merry Christmas to my favorite liar…

This prick.

He gets a kick out of getting under my skin and pissing me off, it’s a game to him, it always has been. He probably expects me to text him right now, and have me at his beck and call. Well clearly, he doesn’t know me very well, because it takes two to play a game, and I always play to win. Slipping out of bed, I grab my black hoodie, pulling it on to go with my sweats, before I quietly make my way downstairs, with only one goal in mind.

It’s almost midnight, and my house is quiet since Levi and Landon have gone home, and Josh and Hallie are both asleep, and let’s just say I hope Archer’s is the same. After speaking with Hallie earlier, I know Nova is at Maddie’s house, and of course I know Archer has gone home, but what about the other two? Opening my front door, I flick my stare across the street, assessing the dark house silently, before coming to only one conclusion.

Fuck it.

Reign must be with his parents, and Harper is hardly ever here, surely they have both gone home for Christmas, right? Without wasting any time, I am across the street and creeping up the steps before I can second guess myself, my eyes flashing across my surroundings to ensure no one sees me. I tell myself if the door is locked, then I’ll go home and forget why I came here, but when my hand slowly reaches out and turns the knob, the door silently pushes open.

I expect one of the guys has left the door unlocked because they were drunk, or just forgot to lock it when they left, knowingthat campus security does nightly patrols. So when I slip inside and close the door behind me, I am feeling particularly smug, especially given the late hour. That feeling lasts approximately two-seconds, when I spot Alexander Reign spread out on the sofa, with a full tea set laid out on the coffee table in front of him. There is a girl on her knees between his thighs, sucking him off, as Reign drinks from a pink tea cup, watching the girl with mild interest, as her head bobs back and forth, and when he spots me, he smiles.

“Forbes? Is that you?” He asks, not looking surprised to see me in the slightest, as he takes a sip from his cup, and with nowhere to hide, I have no choice but to respond.

“Reign,” I say by way of greeting, glancing around the rest of the house to see if anyone else is here, but coming up empty. “I didn’t think you’d be here,” I add, and his knowing smirk only grows.

“Clearly,” he drawls, in that accent of his, sipping more of his tea. “You know Arch isn’t here, right?” He adds, flicking his eyes between me and the girl, and for some reason looking more interested in me.

“Erm, yeah, I know,” I reply carefully, still eying him, and wondering how the fuck I am going to explain myself to him.

“Then, why are you here?” He groans in a bored tone, using his free hand to fist the girl's hair, with his eyes still on mine. “Or are you here to join my friend here?” he asks with a knowing smirk, and I contemplate lying, but then I remember who I’m talking to, and that the truth is probably easier.

“Archer stole something from me, so I’m here to break into his room and steal something back,” I reply blandly, expecting him to tell me to fuck off. Yet instead, his smile gets even wider, as he instantly taps the girl’s head twice in quick succession.

“Sorry, honey, it seems my night just got more interesting,” he purrs, pushing her off of him, and rising to his feet. My eyesinstantly drop to the length between his legs, before I meet his stare once more, and he winks, before leaning down and slipping some money from his pocket into the girl's bra and pulling on a pair of sweats. “You can see yourself out,” he adds, finishing the rest of his tea, and then making his way toward me. “Shall we,” he grins, moving over to the stairs, and I look between him and the girl, and have no choice but to follow.

“Was that a hooker?” I ask, when I reach his side, and he flicks his stare to me, completely bemused.

“No,” he replies, moving up the stairs, and I’m even more confused by the fuckers who live in this house than I normally am.

“So you were just drinking tea and getting head off some random girl?” I dare to ask, as we reach the top of the stairs, and he shrugs.

“Of course, they are two of my favorite pastimes, so why not indulge? It’s a holiday after all,” he grins, leading me right to Archer’s door and pushing inside without pause. “So, what are we stealing?”

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