In 27 Days (Watty Award Winner 2012)

Chapter 24

That was basically the last thing I was expecting to hear.

"What do you mean, Archer?"

Archer blew out a harsh sigh before getting to his feet, turning his back to me. "I'm a coward, Hadley. That's what I am. I'm too afraid to face everything, to admit that I fall apart all the time and don't even take my freaking antidepressants. I don't know, maybe I am a masochist."

I just sat there, my hands folded in my lap, waiting for him to continue speaking. I doubted I could say anything to him that would make sense, anyways.

"I don't like the way I am," Archer continued in a heated voice. "I think you already know that. But I've been this way for the past six years and I don't know anything else."

"It's never too late to change," I told him quietly. "People change all the time."

"It's not that easy, Hadley," he sighed. "If I could change, believe me, I would. But I'm just...just..."

"You're just what?" I whispered.

"I'm scared."

I sucked in a deep breath, rubbing away a few tears that had started falling. "Scared of what?"

I was afraid to say anything, to break whatever had come over Archer so unexpectedly. I knew he'd never done anything like this before, and while it wasn't easy, some weight would have to be taken off his shoulders by getting everything off his chest. He may not see it, but it'd do him good.

"I'm scared of ending up like my father," Archer answered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm scared that one day I'm going to look into a mirror and see him staring back at me."

"Archer Morales, you will never be like that poor excuse for a human being," I said in a harsh voice. I stood up, gripping his shoulders and spinning him around to face me. I grabbed his face in my hands and made sure our eyes were locked. "You by far are the most amazing man I have ever met. Nobody can come close to doing what you do every day and come out of it completely sane. Believe it or not, Archer, but you're actually a big softie. You care about people. I've never seen somebody love their family so much as you do. Sure, you may put up a good front and rarely ever let your guard down, but I can tell. I really am sorry that you've been through everything that you have, but you need to realize that it's okay to accept help from others. And who knows? Maybe actually taking your antidepressants will help you."

Archer was staring down at me with a baffled look on his face, his hazel eyes wide, his mouth open in surprise.

"You know, for such a small girl, you've sure got a big mouth," he finally said, completely surious.

I blushed bright red, rolling my eyes. "Yeah, well, until further notice, you're stuck with it. Whether you like it or not, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

"You'd just stick around, whether or not the rest of us were miserable or not, right?" Archer said, half-teasing.

"Sweetheart, don't you forget it."

We both managed small, rather pitiful laughs, and for the moment, it seemed like we'd forgotten everything that had occured these past few days, and then it was just the two of us, stading outside of a hospital building in the freezing cold.

I looked up towards Archer expectantly, waiting for him to say something. He was just starting down at me, lips pursed, before he let out a sigh.

I jumped a little in surprise when he reached out a hand and brushed back a strand of my hair from my face.

"You scare me, Hadley."

"I scare you?" I gasped. "What do you mean? What have I done to - "

Archer cut me off with a small laugh, clapping a hand over my mouth. He didn't say anything at first, instead leaning down until he was closer to my level and then said quietly, "You kind of make me feel like myself." He sounded pretty embarrassed, but the words had actually come out of his mouth.