How to Stay Afloat

~34: Where He Decides to Ask Her to Prom~

My head whipped in his direction as I took an involuntary step towards him.

"I dare you to finish that sentence." I grit out.

The asshole just chuckled again completely unfazed by my anger.

He lifted his hands in mock surrender. "Chill the fuck out Hastings I was joking." His lips twisted into a sly smirk. "I've already asked someone to the prom and it's not your girl."

~~**~~

It was close to ten PM when I finally came home.

I unlocked the apartment door and sighed in frustration when it refused to budge. After a couple of pushes it finally opened with a loud creak.

I made a mental reminder to fix the door first thing tomorrow morning. It was a hazard. I didn't want Fallon getting hurt because of it.

There's a trick to opening it, you know?" Fallon's soft voice came from the living room. Her eyes lit up when she saw me and her lips pulled up into a breathtaking smile, and, even though it was night time I felt like I had been submerged in sunshine.

She got up from where she was sitting on the couch and started walking towards me and all my exhaustion, every conflicting thought and emotion I'd felt throughout the day suddenly seemed to melt away.

"This is why nothing else matters." A voice inside my head whispered.

No scholarship, no amount of money, nothing can make you feel the way you feel when you're around her.

She put her arms around my waist and hugged me. She rested her chin on my chest and looked up at me adorably, "You have to pull the door towards you first and then push it open for it to open."

I kissed the top of her head before planting my nose into her hair and inhaling her scent into my lungs. I was addicted to her smell. She smelled like lavender.

"I'll fix it tomorrow," I murmured.

She stepped back from me, making me instantly miss her warmth.

"There might still be some hot water left for you to shower." She told me.

I raised my eyebrows in mock offense, "Is this your way of telling me that I stink?"

She scrunched her nose, "Maybe." She teased.

I chuckled before making a beeline for the washroom. I was grimy from working all day at the garage and pretty sure I smelled like shit too. Fallon trailed after me.

I stripped out of my dirty overalls and put them in the laundry hamper. I watched Fallon's eyes heat when I reached for the bottom of my tank top.

"Want to join me?" I asked as I tugged off the tank top and reached for my boxers.

I bit my lip, trying to stop myself from smiling as I watched the pretty blush on her cheeks spread down her neck.

"I took a shower like an hour ago." She breathed, backing up as I walked towards her.

My hands grasped the hem of the oversized T-shirt she was wearing.

"Take another one," I growled.

My lips twisted into a sly smirk. "Don't worry, we won't be wasting any water."

~~**~~

We were lying on the bed after we'd had ramen for dinner. Our hair was still damp from the shower.

I noticed that Fallon was unusually silent.

I twisted my body so I was facing her.

"What's going on in there?" I whispered as I pressed a forefinger to her forehead.

Her eyes ran across my face and she bit her lip seemingly contemplating something.

Finally, she spoke, "Your mother came here today."

Her words had me sitting up in shock.

"What?" I demanded.

She slowly sat up and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. I watched her throat move as she swallowed. "Your mother came here looking for you today."

I could feel the blood rushing in my ears. My heart was pounding. "Was my father with her?" I asked through clenched teeth.

She shook her head quickly. "No, it was just her."

Some of my worry seemed to ease.

"What did she want?" I asked, my voice was a little calmer now.

Fallon sighed and turned her head to stare out the window. "She was just worried about you Archer. She's your mother. We talked for a long time actually. She told me about Jordan, and about your childhood" Her lips tilted up into a rueful smile. "She also tried to give me money and asked me to convince you to move out of this apartment."

My entire body stiffened in disbelief. I felt nauseous all of a sudden. I shook my head in disgust. "You know, they made Jordan's life a living hell when he started going out with Shanaya."

Fallon gave me a small nod. "Your mother mentioned that." She whispered.

"Did she also tell you that the reason they didn't want him to marry Shanaya was that she came from a broken family and had no money to inherit?" I shook my head. "They wanted him to marry someone with a strong financial background and powerful social ties to further strengthen our family's position. They even picked out a list of acceptable women for him to pursue. Jordan ended up breaking up with Shanaya but he was never the same after that, he was never happy again."

Fallon looked appalled by my words, rightfully so.

"The funny thing is, after everything that happened with Jordan, I actually believed that they had changed." I chuckled humorlessly.

I turned to look at her and my expression softened. I ran my thumb along her jaw affectionately. "This must be hard for you," I murmured, "Me talking about how I want nothing to do with my parents when you never even got the chance to know yours."

Her lips tilted up into a soft smile, I could see the torment in her eyes. "This isn't about me, Archer." She shook her head. "And I'm not going to make it about myself by giving you some bullshit about how you're lucky compared to me for having parents. I'm not a child, I understand that parents can be unfit and abusive. I'm not going to tell you what to do because you can make your own decisions." She sighed. "I just don't want you to have any regrets."

I cupped her face in my hands and brushed my lips against hers.

She still seemed a little shaken. Her eyebrows were furrowed together like she was contemplating something.

I clasped the back of her neck with my hand and brought her close so her forehead rested against mine.

"The only regret I could possibly have in my life would be losing someone as breathtaking as you, Fallon Chambers."

~~**~~