CHAPTER 6:
Where She Sees His Abs
|Fallon|
~~**~~
I placed my books in my locker and sighed softly.
Why did things suddenly seem so complicated?
I should have been happy that Archer had finally decided to help me with my car, instead, I just felt pathetic. It was clear that the only reason he was doing it was because he pitied me.
And if there was one thing I hated in this world more than anything, it was people pitying me.
The sad thing was, I was desperate, and I couldn't turn him down.
The convertible had been my dad's. He'd left it to me in his will, he had wanted me to have it on my eighteenth birthday, which had been exactly a month ago.
My parents had died when I was three.
In a plane crash.
I had been the only survivor.
No, that wasn't right, my younger brother and I had both survived.
A miracle they had called it.
Until a month ago, I hadn't even known my brother existed. The lawyer who was responsible for executing my father's will had told me about my brother when he had come to give me the car.
My father had left him his collection of antique watches, so the lawyer, Mr. Patterson, had looked for him for months before he finally found him. He had been adopted by a nice family in Florida, which was a 40-hour drive from where I lived.
His name had been changed after he'd been adopted which was why he'd been so hard to find.
His name was Jamie Mathews now.
I'd managed to find him on Facebook but hadn't mustered up the courage to send him a friend request or message. I'd just stared at his picture forcing myself to recognize anything about the boy who stood smiling at the camera, who was supposedly supposed to be my flesh and blood. My mind had come up completely blank.
One of the reasons why I was so adamant about getting my car fixed was because I wanted to see my brother in person. I had no idea what I'd even say to him, or if I'd even go and talk to him but I just wanted to see him once, to make sure that he was doing okay, that he was happy.
"Hey."
Archer's voice had me slamming my locker shut in utter panic.
He raised his hands in mock surrender at my reaction.
"How can someone your size sneak up on someone?" I hissed as I clutched my chest trying to get my racing heart under control.
His lips twitched in an almost smile but it disappeared quickly.
"I was wondering if you could show me your car today so I could get a rough idea of how long it would take to fix and what parts I would need to get?" He shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Uh y-yeah, sure," I responded, still reeling over the fact that he'd agreed to help me. "I'll give you my address and you can come whenever you're free."
He studied me intently for a while, making me shuffle my feet out of nervousness.
"I'm free now." He said quietly.
~~**~~
"Would you prefer taking the bus or do you want to walk? It's not that far." I told Archer as I adjusted my bag pack on my shoulder.
"We'll take my car." He said matter-of-factly and started walking in the direction of the parking lot. He took out his car keys and pressed what I assumed was the unlock button.
A car nearby beeped, and its headlights flickered.
My breath suddenly stuttered.
No way.
My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when I saw Archer getting into a black Audi R8, the recent model which came with a 562-horsepower V10 engine.
"Do you plan on getting in?" Archer said coolly from the driver's seat making me realize that I was still staring like a lunatic.
I nodded quickly as I ran my hand over the smooth matte black hood before hurrying over to the passenger's side and getting in.
I gave him the directions, which he entered in the car's GPS, and we drove in silence. Which I didn't mind, since I was too preoccupied with admiring the inside of his car to make conversation.
"You live here?" His hesitant voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Yep," I told him brightly. "It's a little shabby but it's not as bad as it looks."
I could see his jaw clench as he swallowed. I should have been embarrassed but I wasn't.
It was no secret that the neighborhood I lived in was far from cozy, in fact calling it shabby was probably a compliment. With houses that looked like they'd been abandoned for years, cracked sidewalks, and obscene graffiti littering the walls.
Hell, the building I lived in looked like something straight out of a serial killer documentary, with its grey-colored paint that was peeling to its creaking windows and the front door that had what looked like three bullet holes in it. When we'd asked our landlord about it he'd just shrugged and said that he'd found the door lying in a dumpster somewhere and it had seemed like a pity to let it go to waste.
He wasn't in his right state of mind.
Our building didn't have a parking garage either so I had to park my car at the side of the footpath, I usually covered it with a plastic sheet which was tied with a rope, and just hoped that no one stole the wheels or side mirrors.
But this was the only place I could afford so there was no use complaining.
I shrugged, "The orphanages here are pretty low on funds, so as soon as the kids turn eighteen they pretty much have to pack their stuff up and leave, this is the only place I could afford. I live in apartment number twenty-one on the second floor with a couple of other kids."
For a moment he didn't say anything. We were enveloped by another awkward silence, the only sound was of the low purr of the car's engine thrumming beneath us.
"You used to live in an orphanage?" His voice was hoarse. "Your parents-?"
"Died in a plane crash a really long time ago." I finished the sentence for him.
His knuckles turned white on the steering wheel. His face filled with remorse. "I'm sorry, I had no idea. If I'd known I wouldn't have. . ." he trailed off.
I couldn't stop the chuckle from escaping my lips. "Wouldn't have what? Been such a dick to me?" From the look he gave me I knew I'd hit a bull's-eye.
I shook my head, "I'd rather have someone be a dick to me rather than them showing me kindness because they pitied me." I finished softly.
He ran a hand through his already messy hair. "I'm sorry that happened to you, I can't imagine how tough your life must be."
"It's fine. Like I said, it happened a long time ago." I swallowed. I suddenly had the urge to wrap my arms around myself so I'd feel a little less vulnerable.
He tilted his head to the side and studied me, his green eyes darkening.
"Just because it happened a long time ago doesn't mean you're not allowed to be hurt and angry over it."
I twisted a lock of my hair around my finger.
"You're right but oftentimes hurt and anger can be like anchors pulling you down, they can drown you if you're not careful. Sometimes, it's just better to let go of your anchors and just . . . float." I told him softly.
For a moment he looked startled then his lips curled into a smile.
It was the first time that I'd seen his smile.
And I decided that I liked his smile.
His whole face lit up when he smiled, his eyes crinkled a little at the corners and oh my god he had freaking dimples. My stomach dipped a little as I smiled back at him.
"You are something else, Fallon Chambers." He whispered and before I could comprehend what he'd just said he was already out of the car.
~~
I shouldn't have been so surprised but I was.
Because beneath his oversized hoodies and loose clothes,
Archer Hastings was ripped.
I watched mesmerized as Archer's biceps bunched when he leaned down under the open hood of my car and adjusted something.
He'd ditched his hoodie, saying that he didn't want to get grease on it, and was now bent over my car in a thin white tank top, which fit his body like a second skin, and loose-fitting black sweatpants.
He had really nice arms, with taut muscles and veins running attractively along their length.
I am not checking Archer Hastings out.
I am not.
Only an idiot would be attracted to someone they knew had feelings for someone else.
And even an idiot wouldn't be stupid enough to be attracted to the person they'd willingly offered to help win over the girl he had actual feelings for.
He suddenly turned to look at me and caught me staring.
I could feel the blood rushing to my face in embarrassment.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" He frowned. "Do I have grease on my face?"
I opened my mouth to speak but the words died in my throat and I watched as he lifted the bottom of his tank top to wipe his face, trying to get rid of the imaginary grease stain. Exposing his flat, toned stomach.
Holy
Shit
My eyes followed the well-defined, chiseled lines of his abdomen.
He has washboard abs.
"Is it gone?" He asked.
"W-what?" I whispered.
He gave me a pointed look, "The grease stain, is it gone? Because you're still looking at me funny."
"I uh- you didn't-" I tried pathetically.
Thankfully he let it slide without further questions.
He shut the hood of my car and put his hoodie back on.
"I have a rough idea of where I need to start and the parts that need replacement. I'll start working on this tomorrow." He leaned against the car.
I bit my lower lip. "I'll pay you the amount I initially promised. Hopefully, that will cover the cost of the parts. I'm sorry that's all I can pay you right now."
"That's fine." He responded quietly.
"How long will it take approximately?" I asked.
He contemplated for a while. "Three weeks." He finally answered, "Maybe more, depending on how quickly I can find the parts."
I nodded.
"So, I'll see you tomorrow then?" I smiled at him as I rubbed my bicep awkwardly.
I waved as I turned to walk away.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" His voice stopped me in my tracks.
I gave him a questioning look.
His gaze was focused on me as his lips curled into another one of his lopsided smiles. My breath hitched.
"I kept my side of the bargain. Now it's time you kept yours." Suddenly his expression turned a little unsure, vulnerable.
"You told me you'd turn me into someone girls found attractive." He swallowed.
Oh
Oh
I walked up to him and tilted my head up to meet his gaze.
"You are," I said softly.
"What?" His eyebrows drew together in confusion.
"You're already attractive," I told him.
I heard his sharp intake of breath. He looked shocked. Like no one had even told him how good-looking he was. The thought made me sad.
I sighed softly, "That was never what our agreement was about. I'm sorry if I made you believe that there was something incomplete or unattractive about you." I swallowed. "I agreed to help you win over Caroline because she's into someone I used to date. I can give you tips about certain things but I don't plan on changing anything about you."
"So how are you going to help me then?" His voice seemed a little unsure.
"By getting Caroline to realize that you're better than Chase Michelson," I told him.
He scoffed. "Yeah, like that's going to be easy."
I smiled. "Trust me, it's not going to be that hard."
Because I've been around you just for three days and I already know that you're better than him.