The Art Of Seduction ✓

|47| The Last Time

Second last chapter!

(IMPORTANT)

Thank you so much for your support when I was struggling to write and for your warm words of encouragement. I'll publish the last chapter when I hit my view/vote/comment goal. Till then, please please please do check out how to sleep together.

It has some of the art of seduction cast and also, hints or deepens some of the characters storylines.

Also, after the end of this story, I'll be publishing another new story with the main character as Joey and supporting characters like Kaden and Amber!

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  This is the last time I'm asking you this,

Put my name at the top of your list.

 Taylor Swift, The last Time  

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WE ARRIVED LONG after school ended, our bodies drenched in sweet and a gloomy feeling above all our heads. We lost.

It's the dull ache in our limbs, the sheen of sweat on our skins, the darkness in our eyes.

We got third placing but it was useless since only one team would go on to compete. I didn't feel like myself, letting Rekha do all the pep talking and then we waited for Rahul to pick us up. I didn't speak much because I wanted to leave. 

I was desperate to leave, I wanted to call my dad and tell him to let me go. I was tired of staying here. My heart hurt, my head ached every part of me wanted to go. I didn't want to hide away in Archer's home or risk seeing the man my mum was shagging. I was tired.

There was only so much I could take.

Rekha thought the hunch in my shoulders was only from our defeat today and she gave me a similar pep talk, one that used to be so successful but it wasn't. Not anymore. She didn't know about the divorce much less what followed.

When, I arrived in Archer's home, the house was empty. Something I've grown to loath. I went to my make-shift bed, phone ringing in my hand as I fell ungracefully on the sofa. When dad's voice answered, I let the waves of defeat sweep over me and tears slip from my eyes. 

I hated being alone.

"We lost," I told my father, voice cracking on the t.

"What?"

"Our cheer match, we weren't good enough."

"Oh, baby."

"We didn't do anything wrong dad, we just weren't good enough." I was flat out crying, hearing the sympathy in his voice made me realise how empty I'd grown to be.

"You win some, you lose some love, you just got to keep moving forward." His voice was an anchor to me, pulling me back to where I belonged because I didn't belong here. There was nothing anchoring me to this place. 

I tried to stop crying turning to face the bright fluorescent light. "I know, and dad I'm tired of staying here."

"You want to come here?" Dad's voice was gentle not reluctant.

"Yes, please. I will finish the syllabus by myself there, I just hate living like this." I could feel his hesitation, "I left mum's house because it was uncomfortable with her and I don't think she even noticed, so I'm staying with Allison and Archer now. They're busy and I know they wish I wasn't here. Allison loves me but it's a little strange third wheeling them."