CHAPTER 21:
Where She Defends Him
~~**~~
T.W: Mention of s*icide
I sighed when I checked the price tag on the bag of cat food. I put three bags in my cart knowing damn well that Spartacus would go through them in less than a week and I'd have to get more. I loved that cat to death but keeping a cat his size was so freaking expensive. Almost all of my savings were spent entirely on him at this point.
After paying for the cat food and a couple of other essentials at the counter I made my way outside, the grocery bags clutched in my hands. My apartment was within walking distance from here so thankfully I wouldn't have to take the overcrowded bus.
I'd only walked a few paces when a familiar voice called out making me freeze in my tracks.
"Fallon." His voice called my name again. My breath hitched.
Archer Hastings stood a couple of feet away. He was wearing one of his signature hoodies, the hood drawn over his head and his hands shoved deep into its pockets.
His eyes were tormented when they met mine.
We hadn't spoken since Colton's party. Which had been exactly a week ago. I'd done my best to ignore him in school and I'd been avoiding his calls and texts.
I swallowed.
I was still mad at him for how he'd behaved.
I started walking past him without saying anything but he grabbed my arm, stopping me.
"Fallon please." He murmured, "This entire week has been torture." His eyes searched my face. My mouth suddenly felt dry. "Please just give me five minutes." He said pleadingly.
My eyes trained on his fingers that were still wrapped around my upper arm.
"Okay," I whispered.
~~**~~
I sat on one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs placed in front of the colorful food truck. Archer came up with two large bowls of noodles. He set both of them down on the table and took the chair across from mine. I wrapped my chilled hands around to bowl to warm them.
Archer stared down at his bowl, not looking at me. He stirred his noodles with the disposable wooden chopsticks they came with.
For a moment we didn't say anything, we just sat there in silence.
He finally raised his eyes to meet mine.
"I'm sorry." He said finally.
I could feel myself soften when I saw the vulnerability behind his gaze.
He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry." He said again. "I shouldn't have treated you that way at the party. You didn't deserve that."
"Why did you?" I asked, my voice soft.
He ran a hand through his hair. "I was jealous and I was insecure." He turned his eyes away from me. "But those were my feelings and I had no right to take them out on you. This isn't a pissing contest and you aren't some shiny trophy that can be won."
I smiled, suddenly feeling incredibly warm inside despite the biting chill of the December air.
"Archer I-" I started to speak but an unfamiliar male voice cut me off.
"Hey, you look familiar, do I know you from somewhere?"
I froze assuming that it was someone who knew about my parents and the plane crash, or one of those nasty reporters but when I turned to look at the man who'd spoken I was surprised to find him looking at Archer instead of me.
"I think you're mistaken." Archer's voice was cold.
When I turned back to look at him. I noticed that he had gone completely still. His expression was stoic but his face was completely drained of color. His hands were clenched into fists but I didn't miss how they trembled slightly.
And then it hit me.
He's scared.
No.
He's terrified.
But I'd seen Archer take on men twice this guy's size.
So why was he scared of him?
The man's face twisted into a nasty sneer. "No, I'm not." He spat. "I remember now. I saw your entire family's face flashing across the news two years back." He stepped closer to where we were sitting. "You're that bastard's brother aren't you?" The man just kept on speaking. "How does it feel to be related to a fucking murderer? That filth must run in your blood too."
I noticed how Archer's shoulders stiffened at his words. The defeated look behind his eyes split me in half.
Before I even knew what I was doing. I was walking up to the asshole who'd put that look on his face.
"Back off," I told him, my voice hard.
The man finally seemed to take notice of me. His beady little eyes gave me a once over before scoffing condescendingly. "Has no one ever taught you that it's ill-advised for women to interrupt when a man is speaking?"
I crossed my arms over my chest. "Has no one ever told you that it's ill-advised to speak to people who have no interest in listening to the bullshit you spew?" I gave him a mocking smile, "Please be a sexist asshole somewhere else, Sir."
His eyes widened in shock before they narrowed. His furious gaze turned to Archer briefly before settling on me. "I'm doing you a favor girl you don't know the kind of people they are."
I chuckled coldly. "I know exactly the kind of person he is. And by judging the brief interaction we've had so far I know he's twice the man you'll ever be." I gave him a steely look. "So back off."
Instead of backing away, he took a step towards me, invading my personal space. "So you're his little bitch then?" He smiled suggestively.
Before I could respond. Archer was on his feet and shoving him away from me. "Careful," Archer warned, his voice conveying his threat.
"Or what?" the man challenged. "You're going to kill me like your brother killed that poor innocent girl?"
Archer took a step back like he'd been physically punched. "My brother never-" He started to say in a strangled voice but the man cut him off.
"I heard he shot himself." He chuckled coldly. "At least he did something right, ridding the world of scum like himself."
With that being said he shoved Archer roughly before walking away without sparing either one of us another glance.
I hurried over to where Archer was standing. His face was blank, he didn't even blink when I called out his name and then suddenly he collapsed onto his knees. Like his legs didn't have the strength to support him anymore.
"Archer!" I cried out in absolute dread but he didn't respond.
I went down on my knees beside him.
I noticed how his eyes moved rapidly and how fast his breathing was. His entire body was shaking.
I recognized it immediately because I'd experienced it so many times myself.
Archer was having a panic attack.
When I had one of these I usually felt overwhelmed by the sounds around me so I secured my hands over his ears to dim out the noise and tilted his head so he was directly looking at me. Not breaking eye contact, I bent my head down so my forehead was against his.
"Focus on me," I whispered.
I started taking deep calming breaths.
"Match my breathing to yours," I instructed.
His breaths finally slowed. His shaking seemed to have stopped as well.
"Everyone I ever cared about leaves. I'm so alone." His was so quiet I almost didn't hear him.
I pulled him to me. I hugged him with everything I had as hot tears leaked out of my eyes and trekked down my cheeks.
"You have me, Archer." I whispered pressing my lips over the top of his head.
"You will always have me."