❝FLIRTING.❞
"Red?" He called out again, the baritone of his voice reverberating through my ears.
My eyelids fluttered open as I looked at Archer standing over me, worry etched into his brown eyes. I scanned the room and noticed that Luca was no longer here.
"W-where is he?" I asked, fear tainting my voice. Archer shook his head with uncertainty, eyes staring into mine intently. I lifted my head and sway to the right, being light-headed.
With a quick motion, Archer kneels before me, stabilising me by holding onto my other shoulder.
"He went down the fire escape," Lina lets out softly from the doorway.
I heaved a sigh of relief as I dropped my head onto Archer's shoulder, trying to catch a full breath which felt impossible as anxiety had a hold on my chest. Archer's arms droop from my shoulders to my waist as he wrapped his arms around my petite form. "You're okay."
"I'll go check the rooms," Lina speaks from behind me, followed by hastened footsteps that echoed down the living room, disappearing into one of the rooms.
My breathing stabilises and I'm suddenly aware of the heat radiating from Archer's body, right into mine. His arms tighten around me a little. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" He asked in a soft voice, his breath dancing over my neck followed by a soft, unintentional brush of his lips against my skin.
A zap of electricity surges through me and I wonder if he feels it too. But I shouldn't. He's my professor. I convince myself I only feel this way because I was seeking comfort and safety. His arms were exactly that.
"No," I breathed out, pulling away from him because I didn't like how my body reacted to him. Or, more accurately, I didn't like how I liked the way my body reacted to him. His hands rest on the curve of my waist and before I could move away completely, I hear footsteps from outside.
"What's going on?" A voice chimed from the hallway and I jumped.
"It's okay." Archer's grip on my form tightened as he calmed me.
"Um, I'm Jace. I'm his roommate, your neighbour." He said as he stood at the door. He probably noticed my shocked self.
Archer chuckled slightly. "That's Mr Parker." He smiled at me.
"Mr Parker?" Jace cocked his head to the side as he looked at Archer. "Oh, she's a student." He straightened his posture. This was the first time I had a good look at him, with his light brown hair and striking blue eyes.
"Who did this?" Archer asked, completely ignoring Jace's presence. "Should I call the police?"
"No!" I instantly blurted, taking Archer slightly aback. "Sorry, I mean no. It's okay. Thank you, though."
I didn't need the Castillo family being burdened by this and I also didn't want to give Luca another reason to be angry.
Why was he angry?
This was so unlike him, it was odd. Luca had never been the violent nor the obsessive type but things started to get out of hand after the accident. The thought of almost losing me drove him close to the edge and something within him snapped. He started behaving differently, barely allowing me to be my own person or have my own life. I didn't mind overprotective but this was different.
When I didn't listen to him, he'd get aggressive. He even manhandled me once but that was the furthest he went. But, still, it was suffocating and I could see how it was going to ruin the both of us, so I ended it.
This, however, was a first. I don't know if it was the sight of Archer or if it was the fact that he came to his senses that prevented him from hurting me but I hope it's the latter. He may have been obsessive but he had never hurt me.
I've barely even thought about him all week, trying to get my mind focused on school. Being swarmed with the additional assignments Archer gave me to keep me caught up in class have been a good distraction. I didn't want to let myself feel yet. I didn't want to ruin my grades because of Luca, so I just blocked him out. Maybe I shouldn't have and maybe I could've avoided all of this somehow.
"Okay..." Archer looked around, "we'll help you clear up." He said as he got up from the ground, his hands finally leaving me but now I don't like the sudden cold emptiness it left in its wake.
"No, it's fine." I didn't want to burden him with this but he shook his head, turning to look at me.
"I wasn't asking." He said, eyes piercing through mine. "We're helping." He states with a single nod and I nibble onto my lip, stopping myself from disagreeing since he wasn't going to let down.
"I'll start with the rooms," I said as I rushed into one of the rooms, needing the space between my professor and me. Any part of me that was flustered disappears, exasperation coming over me as I looked around my room. "What the hell happened?"
"Luca must've lost it." She looked up at me as she held the broken pieces of my photo frames in her hands. She shows me a picture of us in high school. Me sandwiched between Luca and my childhood friend, Riley King. Lina was on the other side, Jackson (Jax) Vaughn holding her waist, attempting to smash cake onto her face.
This was the night before the party, before everything went to shit between all of us. There were only four of us in the car that night since Luca decided to stay for another round of beer pong. I was designated driver so I drove the rest of us home but we didn't get far. A jeep came barrelling towards us at an intersection.
Thankfully, none of us were seriously injured, though, I still had a scar on my temple from cracking my head on the window. After two years, it's a faint white and barely noticeable since it's usually hidden behind my hair.
Lina and Jax came out unscratched as they were in the backseat. Riley had a deep cut on his right arm thanks to the windshield breaking through. All these scars a reminder of what changed amongst us.
That and having a dead man on our thoughts had shifted something between us. Or maybe it was just me. I sort of withdrew into myself after the accident, building a wall within myself. I compartmentalised a lot since then, focusing only on what I needed to, to get out of that town.
The fact that Luca constantly picked a fight for keeping in contact with Riley or Jax didn't help so I took the cowards way out and cut all contact with them just so I wouldn't have to argue with Luca.
So, even though all of us survived the accident, most of our relationships didn't. My friendship with Lina was the only one that managed to pull through.
Maybe it's time I reach out to the guys, especially with all that's going on with Luca.
"Be careful, don't cut yourself." I pointed at the glass shards that laid next to her as I breathed out frustratedly.
My entire room was trashed, shelves toppled over, broken figurines and a smashed laptop.
"Give me a second, I'll go check my room." She got up and left me.
I slumped onto the floor as I opened up my laptop, staring at it hopelessly. I groaned as I thought about how much it would cost to get it repaired. I couldn't afford to spend much this year since my savings were depleting. I didn't want to have to go back to my parents for help either because, like me, they thought the accident was my fault. Another relationship that car crash had destroyed.
A knock on the door pulls me out of my head. "Help has arrived!" The male chimed as he entered.
Archer came in with a black trash bag. "Where'd you get that?" I looked at him as I frowned. I don't remember having any sort of plastic in the apartment thanks to Lina's determination to save the world. It wasn't a bad thing though.
"My apartment. You do remember that I live right across from you, right?" He chuckled but stops abruptly when he starts taking in the mess that was my room.
"Right." I let out bluntly as I set my laptop aside and attempted to clear the room. We worked in silence until I hear a low curse from Archer.
"Are you okay?" I looked back at him, worry building up within me.
"Yeah, fine." He chuckled but I see him clutching onto his hand, blood dripping from his palm. I had forgotten to warn him about the broken pieces of glass on the ground.
"Oh my God!" I gasped as I rushed towards him, analysing the cut. It wasn't deep enough to cause serious concern but it drew enough blood that it needed a first aid kit. "You're worse than a child," I mutter under my breath and I catch him looking at me with a smile. "Wait here."
I hastily made my way to the kitchen where I got my first-aid kit. I pass a quick glance at Lina who was cleaning the living room alongside Jace.
"Here," I sat down cross-legged in front in front of Archer, motioning for him to do the same and he does. Weird for him to have listened to me. He was usually insistent on having his way with everything.
I got that from the one hour sessions we had before class. I can tell he's more comfortable with me than the other students because I was his neighbour but I couldn't say the same. I still hated how my body reacted around his.
His eyes remained on the palm of his hand as I set the first-aid kit to our side. "Does it hurt?" I tilted my head, trying to meet his gaze.
His eyes then darted up to meet mine. "Not that bad." He said with slight amusement.
I brought his hand into mine where I wiped the cut. "This'll sting," I warned him before wiping his cut, cleaning it.
He groaned as he gripped firmly onto my leg with his free hand. My eyes instantly widened as I watched my professor's fingers wrap around my ankle as he tightened his grip.
"I'm sorry." I snapped myself back to reality as I realised I was pressing onto the wound a little too hard, being to engrossed in his touch.
I wrapped the gauze bandage around his palm and he let out a chuckle.
"What's so funny?" My brows furrowed, the sound of his laugh pulling a smile on my lips.
"It's cute." His gaze meets mine.
"Hm?" I hummed, hoping he'd elaborate on it.
"It's cute, how you worry so much over a little cut." His eyes now staring intently into mine.
His grip on my ankle loosened as his finger subtly traced upwards, to my calves and now my knee.
I felt my stomach knot up as the warmth of his touch rushes through every part of me.
"You're cute." He said slightly over a whisper as he got up, using my knee as somewhat of a support.
Archer walked out of the room as I sat on the ground, completely floored by his words.
Was my professor just flirting with me?
No, no. That's not possible. He was just trying to make me feel better after having a shitty day. I think.
...