Archer pays, and I don’t even pretend to fight him on it, because I’m still puzzling over all of the things he’s admitted.
It’s not an unrequited love thing like I have going on, but the fact that he was so hurt—that I hurt him like that—has me feeling all sorts of ways.
All the feels, as they say.
We head out of the restaurant and into the warm night air, both of us letting our feet lead us toward my place.
“I’m sorry,” I say softly, not able to look at him while I admit it. “I didn’t know you were upset. If anything, I’d assumed you were relieved that I wasn’t hanging around anymore, that I was out of the picture so you and Enzo could go around and go on dates and be high school boys.”
Out of the corner of my eye, he shakes his head and sighs. “I never cared about any of that.”
I shrug. “How was I supposed to know that? I was a teenage girl.”
He smirks, and I turn to look at him. “Do you remember seeing me out with any girl?”
I pause to think. “I remember seeing loads of girls around you.”
“That’s definitely not the same thing and usually, that was your brother’s doing.”
My brotherwassomething of a ladies’ man back in high school, and I doubt it’s much different now. But that wasn’t the point.
“So what are you trying to tell me?”
“All I’m asking is that you let me be your friend again. I want to get to know the adult you, and I want you to know adult me.”
I smile softly. The words are not those of my fantasy, but they’re so perfectly Archer. He’s pushing without being overbearing and I love him for that.
“Okay.” I stop and open my arms for a hug. “Deal.”
He steps up to me and wraps his arms around me, enveloping me in his masculine scent, and I try really hard not to be disappointed that I’m back in the friend zone again.
I try… but I fail.
Chapter Thirteen
“You don’t tell your sister’s boyfriends that you’ll hurt them. You befriend them, then, when they do something stupid that’s when you hurt them. They don’t see it coming.” – Enzo
ARCHER
I was currently packing for my three-night camping trip with Viviana, deciding on what I was going to bring and frankly, being far too picky about what I’d need.
I shake my head and run my hands through my hair, letting out a long sigh as I think over what we talked about the other night.
I’d showed up hoping I could take her out, talk about this weekend. But instead I couldn’t stand not knowing where we stood, or if there was more to her not wanting to be around me.
I saw it in her eyes though, she was just as upset about the split as I was.
Split… Shaking my head, I let my arms drop and get back to packing.
I acted like we’d been a couple and broken up. It wasn’t necessarily true, it just felt that way.
“Hey.” I turn to the knock on my doorframe and see Enzo standing there, he looks wiped.
“Hey, what’s up?” I hastily roll another T-shirt and toss it into my bag.
“Just checking in.” He lets out a yawn and then, seemingly noticing my bag, he frowns. “Where you going?”
“Camping,” I say, picking up more things to pack. “Some retreat thing for the marketing company that your sister has to do.”