Always, Arlo [Published]

Chapter 33

Bye, Morgans.

"Stand." Is all Arlo says before he gets up from his seat, everyone is too busy around us talking and eating food to notice what's going down.

Arlo gestures with his head towards the door and without saying any words he walks towards the exit. Marlin follows behind him with what looks like sweat pooling on his forehead.

I get to my feet almost immediately, shaking my head with confusion. How the fuck did that escalate so fast?

I look around the room, quickly skimming the people around me but everyone seems to be unaware of everything that is going on. I take this opportunity to leave, once my parents are too focused on Venice and Linden.

I speed walk my way out of the venue.

My feet hurt like hell in these heels but as soon as I make it into the hallway and the doors close behind me with a thump, I start to run to the exit. My heels clacking below me, causing me to waddle with every step instead of letting me be able run to my best ability.

Once I reach the outside lot, I can see Arlo standing face to face with Marlin, his arms are crossed and he's dead silent. His facial expression is blank, completely unmoving. Not even a twitch of an eyebrow, nothing. On the other hand Marlin is nonstop blabbering, he's moving around way too much for someone who wants to look unopposed.

As I get closer I can hear his pleas clearly.

"C'mon man, you can't take a joke?" Marlin says in distress. He's trying his hardest to not seem bothered but everything about his body language tells you he's scared now. Arlo inhales in a breath that turns into a chuckle.

He's amused.

"Why are you even apologizing? We were laughing at her and what? You don't care about her or Arlo so what's with the pleading?" Daphne interjects behind Marlin, unimpressed with his cowardliness. She rolls her narrowed icy blue eyes as she watches this unfold in front of her. 

"Daphne you're not helping the situation!" Marlin snaps, redirecting his focus onto her now. She jerks her head back, taken off guard by his disrespectful unexpected tone.

"I'm not being helpful?! I'm saying exactly what you told me verbatim. Man up and stop being a bitch since you swear left and right that you don't care about Valentina. If you don't care you would beat his ass for getting sly with you!" Daphne says as she starts getting loud, Marlin's anger only multiplies. I used to fear getting loud with him like that because I knew he had a gross tempter and right now she's awakening it in him.