Chapter 44
There’s not a single damn feeling better than waking up and knowing, I got the girl. Not just any girl either.
Olivia fucking Lovelace.
My chest rises with a deep breath, heavy with satisfaction. The sheets are a little too warm, my skin a little too sensitive, and I swear I can still smell her perfume.
And to top it all off? I get to watch her with my best friend.
That thought hits me hard and sweet, right between the hips. A grin spreads across my face as I shift under the covers, eyes still shut, lazy and content. I slide my hand down, slipping it past the waistband of my boxers and curling my fingers around my already hard cock.
Yeah. There it is. My hips twitch a little as I grip tighter, dragging my fist slow and steady.
Liv, straddling Archer’s lap, those pretty little fingers tangled in his hair.
Her lips on his, wet and hungry. His hands gripping her hips like he owns them.
I could see it all again if I just concentrated.
The way she whimpered when he bit her bottom lip.
The way his fingers dug into her thighs while I watched like it was the fucking hottest show on earth.
I’ve always known I was into voyeurism, but watching them? My girl and my best friend? That did something to me. Twisted it up and made it personal. Made it mine.
My breath hitches as my hand starts pumping faster now. I bite my lip. Just enough to try and contain the groan threatening to slip. I told Liv I could taste Archer on her.
That wasn't a lie. Okay…maybe it was just the peppermint candy he’d been sucking on, but still, my brain made the leap and I didn’t stop it.
Hell, I liked it. My back arches just a bit, the tension coiling low in my stomach, building fast now.
Liv's lips. Archer’s grip. My name on her tongue while she breaks apart for both of us.
That’s it.
My fist tightens and I stroke one last time before I’m gone, cuming hard with a shudder and a groan I don’t bother stifling.
Silence falls, just the hum of the fan overhead and my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. My other hand rakes through my hair as I catch my breath, grinning like a smug bastard.
I spot her the second I turn the corner. She’s sitting on the low stone wall near the courtyard, ankles crossed, eyes on her phone. The breeze moves her hair a little, and for a second, she looks like something out of a painting. Still and pretty.
The tension in my shoulders fades as I walk up. Her gaze lifts, and that smile spreads across her face before she can stop it.
“Hey, baby,” I say, sliding into the spot beside her. “You waiting for me?”
She lifts a brow. “Maybe.”
Her voice is light and teasing. I reach for her hand and link my fingers with hers. Her palm fits against mine like it belongs there. I lean in and kiss her cheek. She’s cool from the air, but the blush that rises is warm enough to make me smile.
“I missed you,” I murmur.
“We had class.”
“Yeah, and I survived the whole period thinking about this. About you.”
She lets out a small laugh. I watch her when she smiles, the way her lashes lower like she doesn’t know how much power she holds when she’s soft.
Then Archer’s voice cuts in. “Morning, sweetheart.”
He slides onto her other side without hesitation. His presence is calm and solid, like it always is. He leans in and kisses her cheek too. I don’t miss the way she tenses, even if it’s subtle.
“You good?” he asks.
Liv nods but doesn’t say anything right away. I look down at her hand. She’s fidgeting again. I don’t say anything but I slide my hand under hers so it settles on her ring, that I wear every day, She spins of softly.
“I’m fine,” she says. “I think.”
“You’re nervous,” I say, watching her closely.
“I’m not—”
“You are,” Archer and I say at the same time.
She groans and presses one hand over her face. “Okay, fine. I am.”
I brush my thumb across her knuckles. “You worried about what people are going to think?”
She hesitates, then shrugs. “Yes. I mean... no. But also, yeah.”
Archer laughs. “Very decisive.”
She shoots him a look, but I see the uncertainty in her eyes. I glance around. A few people are definitely staring. Until they catch me looking back at them.
“Liv,” I say, quiet enough that it’s only for her. “Most of them don’t even know what they think. They follow whoever’s loudest and hope they don’t get called out.”
“They’re not judging you,” Archer adds. “They’re jealous. That’s the difference.”
“Yeah,” I say. “They either wish they were you or wish they had you.”
Her expression softens, but she doesn’t respond right away. I kiss her cheek again.
“We’re not worried about them, so you shouldn’t be either.” I tell her.
She looks from me to Archer. Her hand tightens around mine.
“Okay,” she says quietly.
“You sure?” Archer asks.
She leans into me just a little, like she’s finally letting herself feel safe. “Yeah. I’m sure.”
She shifts slightly, and Archer uses the moment to tuck a loose piece of her hair behind her ear. His touch is soft, almost careful, like he’s not used to being gentle but wants to get it right. Liv glances at him, eyes wide, and he gives her a half smile.
I know that look. It’s the one he gives when he doesn’t know how to say something out loud. He’s better with actions.
“You cold?” I ask her.
“A little.”
I reach out and zip her hoodie halfway up, then tug the sleeves over her hands until only her fingers peek out. Her lips part like she might say something, but instead she bumps her shoulder into mine.
“You’re spoiled,” he says. “You’ve got two guys here trying to warm you up, and I don’t hear a single thank-you.”
Liv smirks. “Thank you.”
“Louder,” I tease.
She tilts her face toward me, and for a second I think she’s going to say something sarcastic. Instead, she presses a kiss to my jaw. Then, without skipping a beat, she turns and does the same to Archer’s cheek.
He looks slightly stunned.
“Better?” she asks.
Archer clears his throat. “That’ll do.”
I can’t help the grin that spreads across my face. Her touch still lingers on my skin, and judging by the way Archer keeps blinking like he’s trying to process it, I’m not the only one feeling wrecked over it.
Morella’s voice cuts through the moment like a blade.
“Well damn.”
We all look up as she approaches, backpack slung over one shoulder, eyebrows raised so high they practically reach her hairline.
“What exactly am I walking in on?”
Liv instantly stiffens.
Archer leans back a little but doesn’t move his arm. I don’t let go of Liv’s hand either.
“Morning, Morella,” I say with a smile.
“Oh no, don’t give me that look. I know what that look means. That’s your ‘yeah, we’re doing something reckless and no, we’re not sorry’ face.”
Liv’s cheeks flush again. She opens her mouth, probably to explain something, but Morella cuts her off.
“I leave you alone for two minutes and now you’ve got Silas on one side and Archer on the other? Liv, babe, are you okay? Blink twice if you’ve been corrupted.”
“Stop,” Liv groans, hiding her face in her sleeve.
“She’s fine,” I say, nudging her side gently.
Archer finally speaks up, calm as ever. “We’re not exactly trying to hide it, Morella.”
Morella blinks. “Wait, hold on. Is this... like... a thing?”
Liv peeks up at her with an expression somewhere between terrified and sheepish.
Morella blinks again. “Oh my God. It is.”
She sits on the ledge next to Archer, wide-eyed but grinning.
“I mean... okay. I wasn’t expecting it, but I’m not mad. Liv, you realize you’ve got the entire school’s fantasy lineup flanking you right now, right?”
“Not the full lineup,” Liv whispers.
I raise my eyebrow at Liv’s comment. “Morella’s not wrong.”
Liv covers her face again. Morella bumps Archer’s arm with her elbow.
“You good with this?”
He nods once. “Yeah.”
“Silas?”
I shrug. “Better than good.”
She looks back at Liv, who finally lifts her head.
Morella softens. “Alright then. As long as it’s what you want.”
Liv nods. “It is.”
Morella gives her a smile that’s surprisingly warm. “Then I’ll shut up. For now.”
She leans in and whispers to Liv, “But if either of them breaks your heart, I know where the bodies go.”
I can’t help laughing at that. Morella leans away from Liv and crosses her legs. Liv laughs softly under her breath. It’s that laugh she only lets out when she feels safe. That sound does something to my chest.
Before anyone can reply, footsteps crunch across the courtyard behind us. The kind that makes people glance up before the guy even says a word.
Rafe slows when he sees us. Me holding Liv’s hand, Archer still close on her other side, Morella perched on the ledge looking entirely too entertained. He takes it in with one look, and the scoff he lets out echos loudly.
“Really?” he says motioning his finger back and forth between the three of us. “Is this... is this actually happening?”
Morella beams at him like Christmas came early. “Oh, big time.”
Rafe drags a hand through his hair, the scowl forming before he even opens his mouth again. “This is ridiculous.”
“Don’t be such a prude,” Morella says, elbowing Archer. “It’s not like we’re sacrificing goats in a circle. They’re holding hands. It’s cute.”
“It’s weird,” Rafe replies.
“Oh please, Rafe.” She raises her brows. “You’re just jealous.”
He freezes. “Excuse me?”
Morella grins wider. “You’d be lucky if someone as amazing as Liv wanted you and you know that. That’s why it makes you so mad.”
Liv makes a strangled sound and covers her mouth with the back of her sleeve. Archer shifts, not laughing exactly, but I can see the ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Rafe looks at her like she’s speaking in tongues. “Yeah. That’s not happening.”
His tone cuts through the lightness of the moment like ice water to the chest. Liv stiffens beside me, and I feel her fingers twitch in my grip.
Morella blinks, still smiling, but it falters. “Oh come on. Don’t act like this is some crime.”
“It’s not a crime,” Rafe says flatly. “It’s just dumb.”