Beside Him

Chapter 18// Jealousy Is Best Served Mouldy

My eye twitched as I sat in the back seat of Jay's car.

Ofcourse Archer would go with his girlfriend you f*cking i***t. What did you expect?

"Ri-Ri?" Jay asked slowly, cautiously as he looked at me through the rear view mirror, his and Callum's expressions both utterly worried.

"Yes?" I ground out, my teeth rubbing together.

"You look as if you're gonna murder someone- more specifically me. Please calm down."

By the time we got to the after-party, the sun had set fully. I was most certainly not excited for this party, my earlier happiness now a dark, dark cloud of anger.

Sheer, pure, unadulterated anger.

Why is he still with her? Haven't they bloody broken up yet? Christ.

I practically ran back to my house when Jay had taken me, telling me to change into something more party appropriate.

Blindly, I searched my closet and put on the most revealing dress I owned, a khaki satin one that stuck to me like second skin. Then I put on my white Velentionos with frills.

I did my hair in a rush, pissed that it'd gone back to the natural waves instead of staying straight and did some small braids to keep my bangs away.

I simply put on some blood red lipstick, popping my lips and adding a coat of mascara and one of eyeliner.

Then I was back out the door, my phone and some money as well as gum and perfume in a small purse.

Walking back to Jay's car, I'd sat back inside, my tantrum then starting as I realised that Archer had picked up Barbara instead of me.

Fucking b***h.

I practically ran inside the mansion of whoever was hosting this party.

I smiled at a few people, winking as I made my way inside with Jay behind me and Callum having gone to get us drinks.

"Rivi, slow down, gorgeous." He groaned and pulled me back, then walking in front of me and settling me down on the bar stool.

"Lance'll be here in a bit. Please Rivi, I beg you, behave, yeah?" He pleaded and I rolled my eyes, taking both his and my drink from Callum and chugging it down.

He simply pursed his lips, giving me a stern look before that repeated Jay's speech and then taking Jay's hand and leading him away.

"Aren't you just the definition of beauty today?" Lance said suddenly, right in my ear and I winced, downing another shot.

"Aren't you just the definition of piss take today? Or always?" I asked bitterly, my eyes narrowed.

He smirked.

I couldn't help but notice that Lance wasn't actually that bad looking, with his darkish reddish hair, he had an uncanny resemblance to Archie from riverdale.

Yeah he was pretty cute.

I smirked back as he connected our hands and sat opposite me, his eyes trailing over my body and staying a little longer on my legs than necessary.

I crossed them, glad that the lights made my skin glistened and then bit my lip, twirling my hair around my finger.

"Good game today!" I yelled over the music and he grinned.

"No need to try and console me, beautiful. I know we did sh*t." He too had to yell over the music so I just moved closer, causing him to do the same with a smirk.

"It's pretty difficult to beat Archer King in anything to be fair." He only hummed, a small smile on his face as his eyes flicked to the side and his smirk widened.

"We'll see about that, hotness." Is all he said and I frowned, turning to what he was looking at.

I smirked as I saw Archer leaning in the doorway opposite us, his eyes narrowed to slits at Lance's hand that was placed on my naked thigh.

I raised my hand and waved easily before ignoring him and turning to Lance, who had a drink in his hand. I snatched it off him, to which he only frowned, and downed it myself, feeling the strong liquid travel down my throat and wincing at its bitter taste.

"Let's go dance." I yelled, moving closer to his ear and uncrossing my legs. He nodded and stood up first, pulling my hand behind him.

We came to a stop in the middle of the dance floor, right in Archer's vision, Who now has Barbara clinging to his arm.

I had to admit, she looked beautiful, in her sparkly rainbow sequinned dress that reached her upper thigh. There was a time when we were best friends and I would help her pick out a lovely outfit.

Her long brown hair was straight today and she had it in a sleek ponytail, her makeup not tacky but beautiful.

This did nothing to calm my anger- Why did she have to be so pretty? Why?

I threw my arms around Lance's neck who smirked and leaned down to slowly kiss my ear.

I shivered at the feeling of his mouth on my ear and closed my eyes, pulling myself closer to him as he rested his hands tightly on the small of my back.

"You're so beautiful, Rivi." He groaned, pulling me closer yet to him so I was practically wrapped around him. I shivered again, Archer King now completely forgotten.

"Yeah?" I breathed out, my mouth now moving near his ear as the effects of heavy alcohol took over completely. "What you gonna do about it?"

That must've snapped something in him as he suddenly brought his lips to my neck, causing me to throw my head back and moan at the feeling.

My hands travelled to his hair and I released a breath as he moved lower and lower with his lips.

The music came to a stop suddenly, me being yanked back with so much force I was surprised my arm was still attached to my body.

Then Archer was stood in front of me, the entire room silent as they watched on. His muscles were taught and rigid, his hands fisted and jaw locked.

I didn't even have time to appreciate how damn eatable he looked in that black leather jacket before a punch was thrown.

Not by Archer though, but by Lance.

I frowned and quickly attempted to move between them but Archer secured his hand on my wrist behind his back, raising his other hand at Lance.

The chant of "fight-fight-fight" immediately broke out and that's exactly what happened.

Archer let go of my wrist, allowing me to quickly move between them, my alcohol ridden state causing me to slow down and have to take my frikking heels off first.

And it's a wonder that girls don't wear heels. These are so damn useless I swear.

Well they're pretty...

Still.

They make my tiny legs look all long and tanned-

Stay focused!

Alcohol, am I right?

I looked at Archer with wide eyes as he threw punch after punch to Lance, his voice a low growl as he did.

I yelped and moved closer, stopping suddenly and putting my hand onto Archer's raised fist who stopped immediately and growled, dropping his fist and standing up as Lance lay practically dead on the floor.

Even the strongest falter in front of Archer King.

"Archie," I breathed out, my eyes solely focused on his bleeding knuckles as people began to surround Lance.

Why the f*ck is my heart feeling like it's about to go in cardiac arrest?

"You- you sho- should g-get that clean- cleaned up." I stuttered out and then flinched.

Fucking stuttering dumbass.

His eyes immediately softened and he stepped forward, his eyes flashing with worry and a slight hint of panic as I flinched back from his touch.

No! God, no Archer I'm not scared of you! I'm scared of your touch, of what you make me feel and why...

"Princess... f*ck— let's get out of here." Without waiting for a response he gently, ever so gently took my wrist, the flicking of his eyes showing his nervousness, along with the clench of his jaw.

He sighed as I sat stoic in his passenger seat, his scent taking over my every power as he sat in beside me.

I kept my mouth shut, my eyes ahead as we sat in silence for a while. Not because I didn't wanna look at him, but because I didn't wanna do something I'd regret, like kiss the living daylights out of him.

He has a girlfriend. He has a girlfriend. You hate cheaters, he has a girlfriend.

He sighed again before suddenly reaching over to me.

I bit my lip and tensed as his hair moved right under my nose, tickling me to no ends.

Our proximity nearly killed me, along with the slight darkening of his eyes as he too noticed it.

I immediately moved my gaze away, hearing the click of the seat belt. I frowned and looked down as he moved back to his seat.

He'd done my seat belt.

I licked my lips as he began driving, putting on the radio, which made me fight a smile, remembering our playful argument at whether driving in silence was better than music.

Always with music. Always.

He put it on for me. He'd put the radio on for me, he hated music distracting him while he drove.

He put in on for me.

I blinked and we were outside Lolly's house, in the driveway where his house was just a few metres away.

I tensed as he undid my seatbelt, the silence now getting suffocating.

Then he looked away, waiting for me to get out and busying himself with another task, in this case bandaging up his hands.

I gritted my teeth as he moved to the compartment in front of me, opening it to reveal tons of medical supplies.

I saw a white parchment of paper in there and I frowned when I noticed the cartoons on it- familiar.

Before I could remember where I'd seen it before, he'd closed it again, taking out an anaesthetic wipe and cleaning his knuckles with it, wincing every now and then, the sound daggers to my heart.

"Stop." I whispered. He did immediately, freezing in place and snapping his head up to me with his eyes wide.

All I could describe him as right now, was absolutely adorable.

He frowned as if scolding himself, and I caught the words 'hallucinating' and 'batshit crazy'.

I held in a smile, turning in my seat and taking his hand gently in both of mine.

He tensed, his eyes following my every move as I ripped open the gauze wrapped with my teeth and then wrapped it gently around his knuckles, pausing every time in case he winced.

He didn't.

Not once.

Christ, what are you doing to me Archie?

"There you go," I whispered after what felt like years. I cleared my throat. "All done."

His eyes were still on me as I turned and attempted to get out of the car.

"Thank you," He said suddenly and then licked his lips, looking down. I nodded once and made another move to leave but halted as he stuttered out another sentence. "I broke up with her," He said. I closed my eyes, tight. "W-with Barbara."

That one little stutter did things to my heart that I didn't even think were possible.

I nodded once and got out, slamming his car door shut and then legging it into Lolly's house, closing the door and then pressing my back onto it.

I can't be in love with him. No, it's just impossible, it doesn't work like that.

He doesn't get to have s*x with everything with a pulse and then beat up anyone that tries to talk to me.

It's not fair.

He can't claim me as his own like some sort of rabid beast.

He just can't.

I'll show him. I'll show him exactly what I can do. I will find myself another boyfriend. I will get him out of my thoughts.

I have to.