Agreements With Mr Rich Boy | ✓

42 | It's An Act

I stared at her, still more than three quarters of the way down her seat as she tried to conceal herself. "Like you, you mean?"

She righted herself. "Oh, shut up."

Archer leant down to me first, eyes alight as he kissed me on the cheek in greeting.

It's an act.

It's an act.

It's an act.

I stiffened.

He must have felt it because once he'd got up, he looked at me with his eyebrow raised in confusion. I looked away, unable to bear making eye contact. Looking at him, his looks undeniable, I just couldn't bring my mind away from him and Annalise. No wonder he was still hurt over her.

"What are you doing here?" Autumn asked when she realised I wasn't about to initiate conversation.

He raised the bag in his hand, some designer name brandishing it. "Mum said to bring this back, remember?"

"Oh my god," Autumn said. "I completely forgot. You are a life saver."

"Yeah, yeah," he said, standing far too close to me for my liking. Yet, a small part of me wanted him to be closer, until no space separate us. No. Dangerous territory. "You owe me." He paused for a moment, like he was going to say more but thought better of it. "I should get back."

He pointed over to Noah, who had a drink in either hand and didn't look like he was about to come over anytime soon.

"See you in a bit."

Again, he looked at me and again, I looked away. I really needed to train myself to make eye contact with him without it leading to feelings I wasn't prepared to face.

"You going to tell me what that was about then?" Autumn, so much like her brother, had her eyebrow raised in question. It'd be a struggle looking at her soon, too. "This isn't about Annalise, is it?"

"No," I lied. "Anyway, I'm not the only one. So much for 'everything is sorted' between you and Noah."

That morning, when she'd finally got up, Noah had made his excuses and disappeared off. I'd asked her then how things were, just to be met with a dismissive answer.

"Touché."

***

I don't quite remember how I'd let Autumn manipulate me, or as she calls it 'gently persuade' me, to come to this club. Only, that that was where we'd ended up.

The music was loud and insufferable, but for once, I didn't mind it all that much. The throbbing in my ears seemed to aid in numbing the pinches I felt every time a girl showed an interest in Archer. The alcohol had much the same effect.

It wasn't like he was reciprocating their interest, but a few times he had to lean down to their level to hear what they were saying. Just the closeness of him and someone else was enough to make my chest ache strangely.

"Shot, please," I said, sliding my money over to the bar tender. I looked over at Archer again, his athletic build and handsome features drawing yet another girl out of the crowd. I watched as her friends giggled, one pushing her forward into him. "Make it a strong one."