Chapter Thirty One – My Heart Needs a GPS
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I can't believe it's been over two years since I started this. Thirty one chapters later, it's officially about seven chapters away from completion. I Don't Like Badboys...Seriously is coming to an end. I'm so glad to have had you guys along for the ride, and a usual, I hope you enjoy the chapter! :)
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Recap:
I saw blonde messy hair.
Emerald green eyes.
Someone who looked a lot like Hunter.
I hated coincidences, and having so many in one day was surely a cruel joke made by fate.
I was staring at Hunter, who was staring at me.
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"Hey Archer!" Someone hollered. We both turned to see a tall brunette walk over with some other guys.
"Oh hey Beck," he replied with a grin.
"They want some pictures," she said, gesturing to the camera and backdrop set up.
Archer looked at me questioningly. "Go," I grinned, nudging him. We unlinked arms and he walked off with the others. I watched as they stood next to each other, smiling and posing while the cameras flashed. This was a whole new world.
I turned back and saw Hunter set down the light stand. "Hey," he said, walking over with his hands in his pockets. He was in a black suit with a white shirt inside and a black tie. His usually unruly blonde hair was more combed than usual, albeit still messy.
"Hi," I replied, grabbing the silk sash, twisting it around my index finger. "Why'd you skip school yesterday?" I grinned, with a forced laugh. Oh my, this was so awkward.
He turned and flicked his chin in the direction of the cameras. "Helping out my dad setting up this thing. They're short staffed and I have nothing better to do."
This was the first time he'd mentioned his dad in any more depth than the fact that he had one. "What does your dad do?" I asked.
"He's in charge of advertising, so he's coordinating the photo shoots for the magazine."
I looked back at where Archer was taking photos. A reporter came over to them and they shook hands. The reporter flipped open his notebook and pulled out a pen. They were laughing and talking and the girl occasionally touched his arm. This was his crowd: the upper class – heirs and heiresses. He interacted so naturally. The other model he was with – Beck – was beautiful. She was also so natural with it all. Her wavy hair fell so perfectly on her back.
Archer noticed me, grinning and gave me a small wave. I felt my face flush red and I looked away, my eyes landing straight on Hunter instead.
"You look great," Hunter grinned.
My face heated up again; that was twice in one night. One more and that would be a record.
"You clean up pretty well too," I replied.
Archer came over and he and Hunter gave brief 'hellos'. Archer escorted me away after we farewelled Hunter.
Was I sweating out of my elbow? My entire body was tense as Archer led me through the crowd. He nodded and exchanged brief pleasantries with other people as we walked past. A server with a tray of champagne walked over to us and offered a glass.
"No thanks," I replied with a smile.
Archer took one off the tray and sipped it. "Still not drinking?" He grinned.
"Not legal," I grinned.
"Goody goody," he teased.
I rolled my eyes. The live ensemble started playing and couples began filling the dance floor. People stepped back and forth, dresses swirling about while the women twirled.
"Let's dance," he said, taking my hand and leading me to the dance floor.
"I can't dance and you know it," I hissed, dodging the couples around us while I stood there as a roadblock.
"Come on, it's easy."
I held his right hand and he placed my left on his shoulder while he rested his left on my waist. The warmth flooded from his fingertips to my skin and I tried my best to look calm.
"And forward, and back, forward, back," he said aloud. I moved my feet to the sound of his instructions, staring at the ground the entire time to avoid screwing up. He laughed at the intense concentration I needed to perform such simple steps, but I also found myself laughing.
I looked up at him, trying to catch a glimpse of that grin. Unexpectedly, he looked right into my eyes and I quickly looked away, at the same time stepping on his foot.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, quickly letting go his hand and shoulder.
"It's okay; you only stabbed me with your heel. Totally fine," he grinned.
"Let's just stop dancing. It's probably the safest thing to do," I said, weaving through the people that were still successfully dancing without impaling their partners.
I grabbed a glass of punch and quickly drank it all to quench my thirst. I noticed a set of double glass doors leading out from the main ballroom.
"Let's go out," he said.
I looked at him and he pointed to the double doors. We walked over to the door and I stared outside into the garden. The doors led to a balcony, and I had to make sure there were no couples making out. Luckily, there were no couples making out; there was not a person in sight.
"Are we even allowed to go out there?" I asked.
Archer pushed down on the silver door handles and the door opened. "I guess so. It's not locked," he shrugged, grinning as he entered the open night air.
"Feeling a little rebellious tonight are we?" I joked, leaning against the white railing.
"You bet," he winked.
"Exams are coming up. You ready?" I asked.
It was a little sad that all my ice breakers were about school, but what was sadder was that it was depressingly relevant. Exams were coming up in a matter of weeks, exams that would determine the course of our lives.
I'd always thought that Archer would inherit the family business and live off of it with ease, but now, I wasn't so sure. "I am not ready," he laughed. "But I'm sure you are."
"I wish," I mumbled. "What do you want to do in uni?"
"Law maybe? Who knows?"
He turned around and faced out into the garden, resting his palms on the railing as he took in breaths of the fresh air. "You know what I hate?" He asked.
"No."
Besides his dad right now, I really wasn't sure.
"Regret," he said. He turned to look at me. "And if I don't do what my heart is telling me to right now, I'm going to feel regret, for a very long time."
His dark brown eyes glossed in the moonlight, and my mind flashed back to the emerald green of Hunter's when we were out on the balcony before.
"You're the only girl I'm actually friends with," he began.
"Seriously?" I raised an eyebrow, forcing a laugh. "I seriously doubt that."
"Well, I'm being serious when I say this." I turned to face him and he smiled. "I think I love you."
He took a few steps forward, each thud of his foot against the ground resonating with my heart beat. Before today, at least a hundred times in the past, I'd imagined something like this happening, brushing it off as impossibility. But unless my ears were really deceiving me, this was reality. I could feel my heart melting, the closer he got, until he was a mere thirty centimetres away from me.
He held a hand up to my cheek and moved closer. My eyes widened as I watched him, his face, moving closer and closer. My heart thudded against my chest and my chest felt faint. Twenty centimetres away, ten, five, three, two.
Just as his lips were about to brush mine, I clamped my eyes shut and buried my chin into my neck, smashing my forehead into his face.
"I'm so sorry!" I shrieked, stepping backwards quickly. I sure had a knack for injuring cute guys didn't I?
He laughed, rubbing his chin. "All good. I think you only dislocated my jaw."
My fingertips were buzzing to the beat of my heart, my head in the clouds as we made our way back inside. I don't think I managed to hold a proper conversation for the rest of the night.
On our way out, I caught sight of Hunter who was still handling the light stand from earlier. We exchanged nothing, said nothing. He was helping the others pack up the camera gear. Archer took my arm and escorted me back out of the ballroom, following the others.
I think I love you.
I nearly kissed Archer, and I could tell,
in my heart, things would never be the same again.
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