Page 10 of Fallen Legacy

She scowls at her dad. “So, you lot can all talk about fucking and make jokes, but the female in the house isn’t allowed.”

Her dad rolls his eyes. “It’s got nothing to do with you being female. It’s the fact that you’re fifteen and a girl your age shouldn’t be talking about sex.”

Luca places his bunched-up T-shirt in my hands. “Dryers that way,” he says, pointing over to the utility room. His eyes dance with humour.

“Go put it in the dryer yourself,” his dad tells him. “Eliza’s our guest, not your skivvy.”

“I don’t mind,” I protest, but Elle comes and retrieves the shirt from my hands, glaring at Luca. “I’ll do it. You two sit down and eat. Adam, you have a zoom call at eight thirty.”

Luca takes his seat again, and I walk back round to mine and sit down.

“I have swim practice tonight after school,” Damon tells me. “You okay waiting until I’m done?”

“I can walk back,” I suggest, and he scoffs at me. “It’s not that far. I can get the bus.”

This brings a snicker from them all, and I look at them in confusion. Damon sighs and puts me out of my misery. “There are no buses from the school to this side of the bay, princess.”

“I can pick her up,” Luca offers, and I’m not the only one who looks up in surprise. “She can come and help me at the club.”

“No,” Damon says firmly. “Not a chance.”

His brother waggles his eyebrows. “Are you scared I will corrupt your little princess?”

“I don’t mind helping,” I say, wanting to feel like I am not a liability whilst I am here.

“See, she’s happy to help.” Luca stands to his feet and winks at me. “I’ll wait for you at the front of school, princess. Don’t be late.”

* * *

We parkup at school and I breathe a sigh of relief when I see the Aces aren’t over by their cars. I jump when my car door opens and the very person I’ve been hoping to avoid stands there.

“Morning, Scarlet.”

“Go to hell,” I say with a scowl. “What are you doing?”

He smiles at me, and it’s not a sarcastic smile. It’s genuine and warm and it disarms me immediately. “I’m opening the car door for you.” He gestures with his hand for me to exit.

“I’m perfectly capable of opening the door myself,” I hiss, sliding my bag onto my shoulder. I glare at him as I leave the car. Damon leans on the roof of his car, watching us both, and I eyeball him. “Well, are we going inside?”

“Yup,” he says with a quirk of his brow.

I still when Archer closes his hand over mine. “Can we talk, please? Just five minutes of your time. That’s all I’m asking for, Scar.”

“We have nothing to say to each other,” I tell him. My stupid heart twinges in my chest at the feel of his hand on mine. I look down at our joined hands and the electricity that I feel whenever he touches me rushes through me. This hand has explored every inch of my body. I jolt myself out of my head and snatch my hand away, rubbing it on my skirt. “Leave me alone Archer. Just please let me be.” I turn my back on him and fall into step beside Damon.

“I can’t leave you alone, Scarlet. I’m not giving up on us.”

I whirl back around and storm back over to him. He stands there with his hands in his pockets, looking delicious. I jab my finger in his chest. “There is no us. There never was because we built everything we had on secrets and lies.”

He closes his hand over mine and holds it on his chest over his heart. “Do you feel that, Scarlet?” he asks me, referring to his galloping heartbeat. “That’s what you do to me. We both know what we have is real. We both feel it. I’m not letting you go. Not now, never.”

His words pierce through the bubble wrap around my heart. I close my eyes and pull myself together. “We were nothing,” I tell him, my voice void of emotion.

I pull my hand from his chest and walk back over to Damon. I push at his elbow for him to walk. I’m eager to put distance between me and Archer.

“I know you love me, Scarlet. You can try to deny it, but I know it,” he shouts after me and I freeze at his words, my heart stuttering in my chest.

“You, okay?” Silver asks me, noticing how pale I’ve gone. He places a hand on my lower back.

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