Fighting for Life | ✓

20 | Late night visit

My mother gave me an angry look when I reached home. But I ignored her and went straight upstairs.

I was angry at myself. I don't know what came into me when I talked to Archer the way I did. It was really rude of me to throw that on his face.

I am stupid. And that confirmed it. That guy was trying to help me, and I talked to him that way?

No wonder I had no friends. Everyone repels from me. It's just a matter of time before he and Harvey and Iris leaves me too. I mean, who would like to stick with a mess like me?

I'm a total fuck up. I mess everything up. Look at my family—they were the ones constantly good things in my life and look where that ended us. I bet they want nothing to do with me now.

It's a matter of time that I'll mess something up and, the people I've come to call my friends will leave me too.

I didn't realize I fell asleep until I woke up from some sound. No, better yet, some knocks. On my window.

I got up and glanced at the clock resting on my study table. It showed 10:38 at night. Whoa, I slept a lot more than I realized.

Someone knocked again on the window. Who could have been at this time? And at my window? I opened the curtains to reveal Archer. I stared at him questioningly, but he gestured to open the window.

I let him in, and soon he made himself comfortable on my bed and wrapped himself in my blankets. It was cold out there.

"What are you doing here in this cold? Have you gone mad?" I scolded him and went to increase the temperature of the heat in my room.

"I wanted to talk," he said and shuffled a little and made space for me beside him, "Come here,"

I went and snuggled beside him as warmth engulfed me. He wrapped the blanket around us and pulled me closer. Our arms were around each other, and I rested my head on his shoulder.

"What did you wanted to talk about?" I whispered

"I want to say sorry for earlier. I shouldn't have pushed you," he said quietly

"It's okay, I shouldn't have brought your parents in between either, I'm sorry," I said

He didn't reply. Instead, he just tightened his hold on me, and we stayed like that. Not saying a word, and letting the silence do its job, hearing each other's breathing.

"I feel lonely," I broke the silence.

Archer tightened his hold on me, "No, you are not lonely. I'm here with you. Your parents are with you, Arianna. Harper is, Iris, me, all of us are with you,"

I tried to pull away from him a little to look in his eyes, but he squeezed me in harder, not letting me pull away.

"No, you don't get it. I feel lonely between my own family. I think they love me to death, yes, but they don't get me. I feel like I'm only here provided with all this luxury and all because they feel obligated to do so," I said

"No, Arianna, your parents do love you. Don't think like that way, Aria," he whispered with brokenness laced in his voice.

It's like his words are telling one thing, but his tone, his voice betrays him. It feels like me saying these things are breaking his heart.

"They never told me they loved me, Archer. Not once. They say it's a luxury they are letting me even study. They didn't even want me out of the house for more than one hour, even if it meant me failing in Biology," I whispered in his shoulder.

"They couldn't care less if I failed or passed. My family believes girls are supposed to do domestic chores, and education isn't necessary to do those. Then why waste money on girls when they are going to end up in house anyway?" I was talking so quietly that it would be a wonder how Archer heard me.