vehement

1

My phone dings with a message, and I snap my head down to it, grateful for the distraction. It's a text from my dad, and I panic for a moment until I click on it.

It's a picture of my son with chocolate all around his mouth, which is open in a big, wide smile. I let out a small, genuine laugh.

"Aw, he's so cute!" Edie exclaims, looking over my shoulder.

I notice Archers interest pique and I put my phone away. I smile at Edie and she launches us into a conversation about how aliens are real, swearing that she saw one in her back garden trying to dig up her dead hamster.

"Excuse me, I need the toilet." I whisper to Edie, who gets out of the booth and gives me space to rush down the narrow walkway and to the bathrooms on the second level. I go into the first empty stall I see and pull my phone out.

     I message my favourite cousin.

     ME: ARCHER IS HERE!!!

     SILAS: Who?

     ME: ????

     ME: ARCHER KING????

     SILAS: No idea who you're talking about Amalia.

     ME: THE ex boyfriend!!!!

     SILAS: Oh.

     SILAS: OH?

     SILAS: Are you okay? Do I have to come there and kill him?

     ME:

     ME:

     ME: That's not even the worst thing.

     ME: Silas.

     ME: He's even hotter😖

     Three dots appear, then go. Then they appear again.

     SILAS: Amalia😑

     SILAS: Wait.

     SILAS: Send a pic.

     SILAS: Wait don't.

     SILAS: But..

     SILAS: No. Don't.

     ME: Lol.

     SILAS: He broke you Amalia. Stay away from him.

     My fingers hover over the letters as my mind races to think up a response. But I can't. Unusually, my first instinct is to defend Archer, the loyalty I had to him all those years ago shooting back. However I don't, because as much as I'd like to pretend she isn't, Silas is right.

     I bite my nails, then sigh.

     ME: I know. I will.

     SILAS: Good.

     SILAS: Maybe fuck him once.

     ME: Silas :O

     SILAS: Joking.

     SILAS: Maybe.

     A smile lingers on my face as I open the stall door. Silas always knows how to relax my nerves. I just hope it doesn't change when I go back out to my friends.

     I leave the stall and walk out of the toilets slowly. I'm shoving my phone into the small, white bag I brought when I bump into a hard chest.

I fall back, and I'm about to land on my ass on this sticky club floor when an arm wraps around my waist, saving me from the embarrassment.

I look up into grey eyes and immediately pull away from him. Archer clears his throat, letting me go, and looks down at me. He's so much taller now, so I have to look up in order to meet his eyes again. As soon as I do, I regret it, but I can't seem to glance away. It's like I'm coming home after a long, long day.

"Thanks." I whisper.

He nods, smiling a little bit. I've missed that.

I push the thought away, remembering what Silas said. He broke you, Amalia.

I've barely just fixed myself back up. I don't want to be broken again.

I step back more, then I turn and walk back to the table. I don't look back to see if he's following me, and when I slide back into the booth and he's nowhere to be seen I conclude that he wasn't. I don't think I can talk to him yet—at least not without crying.

Oliver passes me two shot glasses wordlessly, and I send him a thankful glance. I'll need them.

•

I wake up the next day with a pounding head and no recollection of the night prior.

And a massive weight on my chest.

I look up, my eyes widening when I see brown hair on the back of the head of the grown man laying on me like I'm a mattress. Panic twists my voice into an awkward squeak when I say, "hello?"

At the sound of my voice, the man turns his head so I can see who his heavy body belongs to. When I register that it's Archer, my instincts take over and I push him off of me. He doesn't wake up, only rolls over and onto the other side of the bed.

Whatthehellwhatthehellwhatthehell?

I jump out of the bed and curl my arms around the oversized hoodie I have on. I think it's his, but I don't have the time to take it off. I retrieve my bag off the nightstand and ensure I have everything before sliding my heels back on. My dress is still on me beneath the hoodie, assuring me Archer and I didn't do anything, but just laying in a bed with him is enough to freak me out.

I rush out of the room, and I recognise the hallway. We're in the hotel Mia set us up in for yesterday and today, since we're going home later.

I return to my own, finding my hotel key in the bottom of my bag. I furrow my eyebrows as I hastily unlock it. If I had my key, why did I sleep in Archers room? Was I too lazy to walk all the way down to mine? Surely the drunk version of me would've still remembered everything that happened between him and I.

I push into the room, throw my bag on the floor and get more clothes from my suitcase. I take my makeup off, praying that I don't break out because I kept it on all night, and run a bath in the massive bathroom. Once it's full and overfilling with bubbles, I climb in and reprimand myself for being such an idiot by only letting myself stay in for twenty minutes.