Engaged to a Stranger

22. His Apology

© 2015 by Nique Joaquin. All rights reserved.

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Archer's apartment is a mess. There's broken pieces of glass on the floor, papers litter the place, and there are glasses with foul smelling liquor everywhere.

"Archer, what happened?" I ask, worried.

"It's... I don't want to talk about it yet... Sorry." He says in a weak voice as he runs a hand through his hair.

"...Okay." I say as I make my way past the trashed floor. "Is your bedroom clean?" I asked.

"It... should be. I haven't been in there unless it was to change." He says and I sigh.

"You don't even look like you've had a clean shower. Come." I say as I take his arm and lead him up the stairs to his room.

His room is clean and the bed looks so creaseless that I worry about where he's been and what's caused it.

"Shower. Now." I scold and Archer chuckles softly.

"I don't really feel like it-"

"Shut up and shower," I say. "Otherwise, I'm going to go home. I am not spending the night here with you like this."

"You're spending the night?" He asks.

"It's 11, Archer. Why did I even come here if I was just going to go home?" I asked rhetorically. "Now go shower. I'm gonna go steal a shirt from you for the night." I say and Archer nods.

"Okay." He says and I sigh as I watch him make his way to the bathroom. I quietly make my way to his walk-in closet and pull open a drawer to grab a shirt.

I slip into a plain white shirt, glad that I decided to wear leggings today. I folded my clothes and set them aside, just as I was going to leave, I noticed that Archer's phone was somehow set up on a tripod by the counter along with my bracelet... I arched a brow. I quickly went by the door to listen in on the shower. It was still running and I immediately closed the door to the closet and sighed in relief when I realized that Archer's phone... doesn't have a passcode.

I check on his camera roll and find a long video- and I mean long. It's around an hour long.

I press play and put it on full volume.

Archer is standing in front of a mirror and sighing.

"Okay, okay... Shít. Umm... okay." He says nervously before clearing his throat and looking at the mirror.

"Hey... Darcy... I am so... sorry for... crap. That sounds bad." Archer runs a hand through his hair before shaking his head and starting over.

"Darcy. I called you because I wanted to say that I was sorry for trying to... Damn it." He says, before putting both his hands on the edge of the counter.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come across as an ässhole. I was just trying to get some... transparency.... Crap. Seriously Arch? Transparency?" He hisses at himself.

I watch as Archer frustratedly looks around on the counter. He picks up the bracelet and groans.

"Damn it. I got this. Come on..." He mutters to himself.

"Hey Darce... I am so sorry about what I did. I didn't mean any of it. I didn't mean to look like I didn't trust you. That... wasn't how it was supposed to come out... I... I said things that I didn't want to because I was angry. You were avoiding me like the plague and... shít... I... I thought I was right. I thought that you were one of those people I warned you about. The type that used people for... advantages.