Page 77 of Fallen Legacy

“Eliza. To what do we owe the pleasure?” Chester asks me, as he leans back in his chair and looks me over slowly.

“My eyes are up here, Chester. I need a word.” I gesture with my head for him to follow me.

With a slow eye roll he stands and joins me where I hope no one can hear us. “Do you need me to break into Wilbur’s office again?”

I glare at him, and he chuckles in response. “Well, spit it out.”

I double check that no one is listening before I lean into his ear. “Is Georgie, okay? It’s just I saw her this morning in the girls’ toilets, and she seemed really upset.”

Chester shrugs his shoulders. “How the fuck would I know? Her daddy probably refused to buy her a new pony. Do I look like I spend my time talking to her when I’m with her?”

“Probably not, no,” I say with a defeated sigh. I should have known I’m wasting my time talking to Chester. “Forget it.”

I head over to our table and sit down beside Archer. I could feel him watching me talking to Chester. “Do I need to hurt him for anything?”

I look up at him in confusion and follow his eyes to where Chester is lording it over his table. “Oh no, I was just asking him if Georgie is okay.”

“You were asking about Georgie’s welfare?” he asks me, his tone oozing with surprise.

I offer him a deadpan look. “Yes, I might not like the girl, but she was in the loo’s this morning in absolute bits. She was full on sobbing like a baby.”

Archer frowns for a beat then shrugs. “I’m sure it will be some drama over nothing.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” I agree. I spot Georgie enter the cafeteria and take a seat beside Chester, who throws his arm over her without even a hello. She just sits there and stares off into space as if her thoughts are a million miles away from where she is right now.

My last class of the day ends ten minutes early as we have a test, and we can leave once we’re finished. I head to my locker and swap over the books I’ll need for my homework tonight. I decide to head out and wait by Archer’s car for him. I have my head down, lost in my own thoughts, as I round the corner to the side car park. I’m not looking where I’m going, and I walk smack straight into a hard body.

I look up, ready to apologise, but blink in surprise when I find Archer’s dad. He has his hand gripped around Georgie’s arm like he’s trying to get her to go with him. I look from Phil to Georgie and back again.

“Everything okay here?” I ask, pointing my question particularly at Georgie.

“Eliza. What a pleasant surprise,” Phil says, releasing his firm grip on Georgie’s elbow and adjusting his tie, trying to make the move look casual.

“Phil, what are you doing here?” I question him, making it clear I am concerned about Georgie.

“I’m meeting Callum up at the clubhouse, and he asked me to pick Georgie up on the way. Isn’t that right?” he adds, his dark eyes fixed on Georgie.

“Yes, that’s right.” Georgie swallows and she gestures towards her silver Mercedes up on the car park. “Dad must have forgotten I’d driven here today, so I’ll head over there now.”

“Great,” Phil says, his eye studying Georgie. He blinks as if remembering he has an audience. “How are you enjoying being engaged to my son?”

“It’s just fine,” I reply, finding his question strange.

“I bet it is,” he says, but I’m not sure if he’s talking to me or himself here. “Well, I should go meet Callum. I don’t want to keep him waiting.” He gives Georgie one last look before turning on his heels and striding over to his car.

Both Georgie and I remain quiet as we watch him climb in and drive away. When I turn back to look at Georgie, she’s staring after Phil’s car with tears in her eyes.

“Georgie, is everything okay? Was Phil hurting you?”

Georgie snaps out of her trance and scowls at me coldly. “Why don’t you mind your own and stay out of other people’s business?” She taps the end of her nose with her finger before she turns her back on me and heads over to her car. I stay where I am and watch her as she climbs inside. She briefly rests her head on the steering wheel before she starts the engine and pulls out of school.

What on earth was that all about?

I wait on the bonnet of Archer’s car and scroll through my social media accounts. Archer comes out some ten minutes later with Rafe and Seb on either side of him. Vee has drama club tonight, so she’s staying behind.

Archer looks up, and when he spots me waiting for him, he breaks out into a smirk. That smirk that undoes me every time. It blindsides me and makes me feel all these emotions that I’m too scared to read into.

“Hey, Scar.” He strides up to me and steps between my legs, wrapping his arms around my waist. He nuzzles into my neck. His day-old stubble prickling against my skin. “Hmm, you smell good enough to eat,” he whispers quietly into my ear, and I giggle like some love-struck fool.

---