Whispers and Wishes (Untouchable Book 4)

by Heather Long

  “Glad we’re here, Angel,” Ian said quietly, and that wasn’t a slip. I could call him on it. I should call him on it.

  But I didn’t want to spoil the mood. Not right now.

  We could figure out next week the next day. As much as I liked having them here, they had parents and homes, and I was pretty sure those people wanted them to come home sooner or later.

  Tiddles made his way up the bed and curled up between Archie and me. Tabby settled half on Jake and half on me. I bet if I turned on the light, Tory would be making herself comfortable on Coop.

  For a minute, my thoughts flitted to Ian. He was sleeping in the corner of my bedroom. He didn’t take the sofa and he hadn’t taken a turn in the bed, even though I had offered. So had the guys. It would be a little awkward, but we weren’t making out, we were just sleeping.

  “FYI,” Archie mumbled. “Change the sheets in the morning.”

  Heat whipped over my face again.

  “Jeremy wants me to bring the laundry ‘round again before the week starts.”

  “So why are you bringing it up now?” Ian asked, a yawn punctuating the words.

  “’Cause he doesn’t want to have to make the bed,” Jake suggested, and it was my turn to yawn.

  “Does Archie even know how to make a bed?” Coop mused.

  “Yes,” Archie stated with a little vehemence. “I do. I’m pretty good at it, too.”

  “Yeah well, you can prove it tomorrow.”

  I didn’t say a word. Archie had figured it out just fine with me giving him a few pointers. When he lifted my hand to press a kiss to it softly in thanks, I smiled into the dark. I rubbed a circle against the side of his hand with my thumb.

  Another yawn stretched my jaw, and the meds swarmed up. We had to make some plans…

  Chapter Eight

  Duck. Duck. Mom

  Monday morning rolled around, and I wasn’t the only one groaning at the sound of the alarm. Though we were two fewer than we’d been Saturday. Archie stayed over along with Coop. Jake and Ian went home because they had football practice early.

  It was weird to crash the night before without them there, but I was glad Coop and Archie stayed, even if I’d half-expected to be on my own.

  “Okay, we need to hit a grocery store today,” Coop said as he studied the contents of the fridge. Honestly, there wasn’t much beyond a Styrofoam container of some leftover fries that no one was going to eat, a splash of milk that wouldn’t do anything for cereal, and some condiments.

  The guys ate a lot.

  “It’s okay…” I began, but Archie nudged me over so he could get to the coffee maker.

  “I’ll send Jeremy a list, and he can pick it up. If I leave the extra key for him at the office, he can swing by and stock everything while we’re at school.”

  I glanced at Coop, and I had a feeling his expression mirrored mine. His eyebrows were high, and his mouth shaped in a little ‘o.’ Closing the fridge, he said, “Arch, maybe we just hit the grocery store after school.”

  We were out of cat food, so I had to go regardless. I’d opened the last cans this morning, and I was pretty proud of myself for getting the can lid open while bracing it with my splint.

  “It’s not a problem,” Archie said, taking a sip of his coffee, then cutting a look toward me. “Unless I can persuade you to bring the cats and come stay at the house for the week. Jeremy would love to spoil you some more.”

  We’d talked about that. “I don’t know if that’s a great idea, especially right now with my mom about to get served with the emancipation papers.”

  “Fair,” Archie admitted and blew out a breath. “Then let’s just make a list for Jeremy. He’s coming by later with the laundry anyway.”

  “Archie, he has a job. He works for your family, and he takes care of everything there…”

  “And he’s offered to help out here,” he pointed out. “You know he adores you, right?”

  “The feeling is mutual.” Still. I shifted and then glanced at my coffee. “I just don’t want to impose.” Or take advantage of everything Archie kept doing. He was covering a lot.

  “Tell you what…” Coop suggested. “Let’s decide at lunch. This is your first day back, it’s probably going to be exhausting. If you’re really tired, we could ask Jere, or you can give me the list and I’ll do it after school. How does that sound?”

  Meeting Coop’s gaze, I read understanding.

  “That sounds good,” I said, then glanced at Archie. “I know you want to just fix everything.”

  “I can handle it, babe. You’ve been doing a great job of letting us take care of you. But seriously, if you’re tired, let me text Jeremy. He wants to help, and so do I.” The last three words twisted around my heart. I hated telling Archie no when he got like this.

  “I will, I promise.” It was an easy enough promise to make.

  “So let’s go ahead and make a list?” Coop suggested.

  “Good plan, then we’ll hustle ’cause we need food in case Frankie needs to take her pain meds.”

  Yeah, I really had no interest in taking them at school, but I was bringing them with me. Normally, I’d check them in with the nurse, but that required a parent note as well as the prescription so… “Archie, do you mind if I leave those in your car?”

  “Nope,” he said. “I’ll run out and grab them if you need them.”

  Fifteen minutes later, with a shopping list longer than my arm, we walked out of the apartment. I did not need that much stuff, though Coop and Archie both pointed out they were all likely to be around a lot the next couple of weeks while I needed help. That was going to be a dent in my bank account.

  Yes, Archie would absolutely offer to pay, but that wasn’t fair to him. Not that I started that argument now, he was unlikely to ever stop offering. It was just who he was.

  It was still raining when we headed out. Coop took his own car, while I rode with Archie. I’d be riding with Coop on the way home. Likely Jake the next day. Apparently, we were going to rotate who drove me where the same way we rotated who slept in the bed.

  The closer we got to the school, the more my stomach tightened. With the exceptions of Coop’s sister and mom once, Jeremy a few times, and Rachel’s drop by visit, I hadn’t really spoken to anyone but the guys since leaving the hospital.

  Chills raced up my spine as we pulled into the lot. Archie slanted a look at me. I’d been fine until we stopped for coffee. Unlike the last couple of times, when Archie just took me out for a drive or when Coop took me to the park, we were going to walk into the high school.

  I had to turn my phone back on, and I hadn’t done that yet. Honestly, I wasn’t sure I was ready for any more messages. But I couldn’t turn the other students off if I was standing in front of them.

  It wasn’t until he parked and put a hand on mine that I even realized I was shaking.

  “We can blow this shit off right now,” Archie said without an ounce of hesitation. “I’ll text the guys, and we’re gone. Just say the word.”

  “I can’t.” Not even if I wanted to, which right now, I really kind of did. “I have to be up front about everything. I gotta prove I can take care of myself and handle my responsibilities.”

  “You don’t have to prove shit.”

  I cut a look at him and smiled. The fierceness in his dark brown eyes offered me a lifeline. “I do though, a little bit to me, but also because of the emancipation.”

  Archie sighed and drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. “Fuck.”

  “It’s okay, I can do this.”

  “You don’t have to make yourself.” But even he didn’t press that argument. There were other cars in the lot and kids on the way. It was still raining, chances were football practice had been moved inside, or maybe Coach made them play anyway. They usually could if there was no lightning.

  “Yeah I do,” I told him and squeezed his hand. “You getting my backpack?”

  “Yep, stay there till I get around with the
umbrella.”

  I didn’t roll my eyes, even if I really didn’t want them fussing. I could take the backpack, but that was another fight I just wanted to avoid right now.

  Coop opened my door before Archie made it all the way around. “I got the coffee.”

  I passed him the drink carrier, but kept possession of my own. Then Archie was there with his umbrella. He slipped into his own backpack before he snagged mine.

  One perk of their hands being full? I got out of the car on my own. The walk across the lot turned chilly, and I suppressed a shiver. The ripped jeans I wore seemed like an even better idea than they were my favorites.

  Inside, I waited while they shook out their umbrellas before we headed to the cafeteria. We ran into a few kids in the hall, but most of them barely glanced at me. It was going better than I hoped.

  Unfortunately, that relief proved very short-lived. One step into the cafeteria, and the weight of a dozen gazes landed on me. Archie took point heading for our table, but that meant crossing a good chunk of the open floor space to get there. Despite the spirit stuff emblazoned on the walls and the purple flags here and there, it was almost painfully white and bright in here. Had it always been this way? The railings along the edge were the only other spots of gray.

  The bruising on my cheek had gone down, but it was still visible. The stitches there had at least dissolved, so they didn’t stand out. I could have tried to do cosmetics or called Rachel to help, but I hadn’t really thought about it until right this moment.

  The rolling hush gave way to a sweep of whispers across the room, and Archie dropped our bags before he nudged out a chair for me. One that put my back to the majority of the room, and in this case, I took the escape. Archie settled in the chair next to me while Coop shifted to move opposite us.

  My hand was shaking a little as I set my coffee down.

  “You good?” Coop asked, and I gave him a little smile. I wasn’t, but I would be. I couldn’t even put my finger on the source of my unease. It would hardly be the first time I was the butt of gossip. The last few weeks had been a crash course in public humiliation.

  I could totally do this, even if the ice on my skin and the rapid race of my heart tried to make a liar out of me. “I’m good. I have my coffee, and I’m back on routine. That’s pretty cool.”

  I didn’t even have to drop the doctor’s note off at the attendance office, the guys had made sure to deliver it last week. So really, we were just back to normal.

  Coop slid a breakfast burrito over to me. “Fair, but say something if that changes, okay?”

  Sure. I’d get right on that. Faking it until I could make it.

  “Right on time,” Coop said, but even as he skipped his gaze past me, Archie’s remained fixed on me.

  Glancing at him sideways, I raised my brows, and the corners of his lips tipped upwards. Not a real smile. The worry on his face pulled at me, and I bumped his knee with mine.

  The other drawback of being at school meant we needed to keep our distance again. His smile deepened, and he mouthed, ‘It’s going to be okay,’ more than said it aloud.

  Warmth fisted in my chest. Yeah, it was going to be okay.

  Jake all but fell into the chair on my other side, breaking the spell, and I glanced at him to find his hair damp and his expression a little wild-eyed. “I think it’s official.”

  “Agreed,” Ian said as he slumped next to Coop. They both reached for their coffee, and they both looked exhausted.

  “What’s official?” Archie asked as he bumped my knee and then nodded to my burrito. Yeah, yeah. I needed to eat. I stuck my tongue out at him, and he grinned.

  I took a bite of my burrito while Archie watched before I looked back at Jake. He groaned. “Coach hates us.”

  Ian chuckled. “He hates you more.”

  “Oh yeah,” Jake said as he stretched. “I’m going to hurt tomorrow.”

  I frowned. “What did he do?”

  “Just made us run several different patterns in the rain after we ran two miles and did fifty pushups, crunches, and burpees.”

  They were the only reason I even knew what a burpee was.

  “Someone’s getting flabby,” Coop said with a slow grin.

  I hid a snicker as Jake and Ian both glared at Coop.

  “Well, one perk I see,” Archie said. “At least you’re both on the same side in wanting to beat up Coop.”

  “Yep,” Ian and Jake said in the exact same tone. There was a beat, then all four of them cracked up and some of the unease drifted away. This was normal.

  “Oh my god, Frankie!”

  Dammit, I shouldn’t have thought I was out of the woods so soon. The tension in my gut ratcheted up to a hundred, and I shifted in the chair.

  “Crap,” Jake muttered as he twisted until he faced the direction Cheryl came from, one arm against me so he was more or less between me and her.

  I hadn’t spoken to or seen Cheryl since Homecoming.

  Since she gave me her bottle of water and wandered off.

  Since her boyfriend attacked me.

  Wide eyes wet with tears, Cheryl flew right across the cafeteria like a laser-guided missile. A flash of chestnut hair behind her promised Rachel was in hot pursuit, but there was no way to avoid Cheryl, and the whole cafeteria was watching,

  Coop rose, and so did Archie, but Jake blocked her even as Archie shifted closer.

  “I can’t believe you’re here,” Cheryl said, her voice equal parts ragged upset and thrilled. “I’ve tried to call you like three hundred times.”

  “Cheryl,” Rachel said before I could. “Ease up.”

  “You didn’t tell me she was coming back today,” Cheryl continued whirling to Rachel. “We could have done something, we should do something…” She swung back to me. “We’re definitely doing something. Lunch? No that’s a time limit…”

  “Cheryl, timeout,” Ian said, his tone firm, and Cheryl snapped a look at him. “Back off. It’s Frankie’s first day, and we’re taking it easy.”

  “Well, no duh,” Cheryl said with an exasperated look. “But we’re like best friends, and I’ve been worried, and you guys haven’t let me see her or given her my messages, have you?”

  I caught Rachel’s eye, and she rolled hers. “Cher, come on, let’s go finish breakfast. We’ll catch up with Frankie after she’s had some time to be back.”

  “You got to see her,” Cheryl answered, whirling on Rachel. “I haven’t, and my boyfriend is the one who ended up arrested.”

  All the air seemed to back up into my chest.

  “Hey, Cheryl,” Coop said as he caught her arm. “Let’s chat. Rach, you busy?”

  “Nope,” she said, then tossed me another look. Any other time, it would have been funny. She wore the same look the guys had all week—worry for me, and at the same time, looking for reassurance that I was okay.

  I gave her a tight smile, even as Cheryl complained—loudly—all the way back across the cafeteria. She was upset that I didn’t want to talk to her, and at the same time, the words had all died before I could even utter one.

  Aware of scrutiny from the nearby tables, I turned back to my breakfast burrito and coffee. The fact that I had zero appetite, however, made the prospect of eating unpleasant.

  “Hey,” Jake said, as he shifted again, but his arm stayed along the back of my chair. The heat of it was a physical presence, even though he wasn’t quite touching me. “Cheryl’s a little high strung about all of this.”

  “That’s a bit of an understatement. I don’t think she’s a total idiot but…”

  “But what?”

  Ian sighed. “It was a long week for her last week. She got hit with a lot of questions, and I’m pretty sure it was overwhelming.” But he didn’t sound sympathetic, if anything, he sounded more irritated.

  “And she’s milking it,” Jake muttered. “But that’s not your problem.”

  Honestly, I had no idea what to say to Cheryl at the moment.

  Nothing.


  “Actually, I think I just want to head to class before the bell.”

  “You sure?” Archie asked, and at my nod, he started cleaning up. “Okay. Let’s go. I’ve got your bag, and we’re all going to take care of making sure you get from class to class, okay?”

  Yeah, we’d had this discussion. I didn’t need to have it again. Maybe I was imagining it, but there were so many people looking at me right now, I was ready to take Archie up on his offer to ditch.

  I might not even make it through our first class.

  “We’ll see you soon, Baby Girl,” Jake said, pitching his voice lower. “Your phone is on, right?”

  I nodded and patted my back pocket. “I’ve got it set to vibrate.”

  The corner of his mouth twitched, and I could almost read the dirty thoughts dancing across his mind.

  “Hush,” I murmured before he could vocalize even one, and he grinned.

  “You’re no fun.”

  “I’m lots of fun,” I countered.

  “Yeah,” he said grinning wider. “You are.” That smile didn’t quite make it all the way to his eyes. The worry kept darkening his pale blue eyes. “Like I said, see you soon.”

  Coop was already on his way back as Archie grabbed my bag, and I lifted my chin toward him.

  “We’ll tell him,” Ian promised. “And I’ll see you in an hour.”

  Not even leaving the cafeteria behind could help me shake the itchy feeling between my shoulder blades. Archie stopped about a dozen feet from our classroom door. The hall was mostly quiet, and there was one kid all the way down at the opposite end.

  “Tell me right now,” Archie said when I glanced at him. “You sure you’re good?”

  “Nope,” I admitted. “I think I started to freak out a little.”

  “You want to go?” He shot a glance to the watch on his wrist. “We have time to get out before the bell rings.”

  “I can do this, just stay close?”

  “So close, you’re going to wonder if we’re attached.”

  I snorted, but the promise helped.

  It helped through government when the kids seemed to spend more time staring at me than the teacher. It helped when the bell rang, and he had to keep people from stopping me. More kids than I knew said hi to me or called my name.