by Joy Penny
“So… life, huh?” said Gavin. “Not exactly what we expected post-college?”
Brielle cradled her head in her palm and let out a light laugh. “I cannot believe we graduated a week ago. I feel ten years older.”
“This stuff with Nora been that bad?”
“No,” she said. “I mean, maybe… That’s the thing. I was barely tuned into her issues. I… was just so wrapped up in my own.”
“Understandable,” said Gavin. “I’ve barely spoken to my grandma since graduation, let alone my sister.”
“Yeah, but you’re not still living with them.” She winced. She didn’t mean to bring up memories of how he hadn’t lived with his sister for years thanks to his bigoted parents. Was there no one without this kind of family drama? “Sorry,” she said.
He shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets, staring at his feet. Brielle wondered if he wanted to say more, but he seemed to be stopping himself. Whatever his issues—or Lilac’s for that matter—perhaps he thought it inappropriate at the moment.
“Hey,” said Brielle, gently putting a hand on his shoulder. “Thanks again. I… I don’t even know why I called you.” She chuckled lamely. “What did I think you could do that I couldn’t, just because you could get here first?”
“It often helps to have someone else present for family drama,” said Gavin. “People tend to hold their tongues a little. Well, some people.” He shrugged. “I don’t mind. You don’t have to feel bad about relying on your friends, Brielle.”
“Yeah, but… You have your own stuff to worry about.”
He grimaced. “I’d rather not think about all of that right now anyway. And this is more important.”
Brielle raised an eyebrow, unsure if she’d consider her sister acting like a bratty teenager that important, really. Especially since they’d likely catch her before she got anywhere, and if she really was about to visit Lita, she didn’t think she’d be in any danger anyway. “Is Lilac okay…?” she asked, remembering Gavin’s anxieties from that morning. That morning. It felt like weeks ago.
A muscle on Gavin’s cheek twitched. “She needs some space right now.” He swallowed, and Brielle felt a bit of a sinking feeling in her stomach. What if Gavin had been right about Lilac’s boss? “What about you? What happened on your date?”
Brielle felt the heat rush to her face—and at the thought of Archer and what she’d done, the heat wasn’t content to just stay confined to the upper portion of her body. “It may have… gone a little better… than expected.”
His eyes widened and he looked around the room for an approaching employee. “I… want to know more, but I’m afraid you’ll just be getting to the good part when someone walks up. Where is the manager, anyway?”
Brielle’s brow furrowed as she scanned her phone for any new messages, but her mom hadn’t texted since confirming Brielle’s detective work and saying she was on her way. How would this evening have played out if her sister hadn’t gone all drama queen to the extreme? She supposed it was too late to go “dinner and a movie” on Archer now that she’d slept with him. She wondered if it had been a good idea to basically define their relationship in terms of a hookup—even if she’d told herself it wasn’t exactly like she was in a good place in her life to commit.
And then there was the fact that he was—had been—a virgin. Would he take their fling to mean more than it did?
Was she so certain it didn’t mean more than she told herself it did?
“Miss Reyes?” A stern-looking woman in an airline uniform approached Brielle and Gavin from behind.
“Yes,” said Brielle, snapping to attention.
“We have your daughter in security; if you’ll follow me.” She turned on her heel.
“Sister,” muttered Brielle, exchanging a look with Gavin. She couldn’t possibly look old enough to have a teenager, could she?
Could she?
Stepping onto the escalator, Gavin studied her face and laughed. “You don’t look forty-five, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
Brielle winced and finished her text to her mom as she stepped in line behind him. The thought was quickly pushed to the back of her mind a few minutes later as she got to the security office and came face-to-face with her sister, a gym bag stuffed under her seat and her arms crossed so tight it looked like she was trying to squeeze the breath out of herself.
At least she’s safe, thought Brielle.
“What are you doing here?” Nora stared up at Brielle and then Gavin, trying to send daggers at them with her eyes. She looked like an angry toddler painted up to slightly resemble a mature college-aged woman. If the situation weren’t such a hassle, Brielle might have laughed.
“I really shouldn’t have bothered you with all this,” said Brielle, gesturing around her at the airport as they exited the security room. Her mom was still back there with Nora, trying to get all the paperwork sorted out to get a partial refund on the ticket. Brielle clapped her hands together and cringed. “I’m sorry.”
“Are you kidding? That was… interesting.” Gavin chuckled, shoving his hands back into his pockets.
His presence had kept things a little less heated than they might have otherwise been once her mom had shown up. Maybe the security guards alone would have been good for that, but like Brielle had guessed, Gavin had taken charge immediately, sitting next to Nora and letting her vent without judgment. Brielle had had to bite her tongue and feign interest in her phone to keep from commenting more than once, but Gavin had taken it like a champ and tried to slowly, but surely, get Nora to acknowledge that she was going about everything the wrong way.
That she was almost eighteen and she could travel on her own at that point, but until then, it was best to save. And there would be a language program next summer—a goal to work toward this year.
And that if she wanted to keep on good terms with her mom and sister, she couldn’t go behind their backs like this.
Basically, Gavin had been the subtle educational YouTube video she hoped he would be. But she still felt bad for making him come.
“It’s been a long day,” said Brielle, cradling her head at the onset of a headache. “I feel like we should catch up, but also that we haven’t even been separated that long…”
He gave her a hug, holding her tight against his chest and squeezing her. “One of these days, I need to give you a tour of the whole city.”
“I’ve been to Chicago before.” Brielle laughed as she pulled away, her hands still on Gavin’s back.
“It’s different when you do more than just go to a museum and back,” said Gavin. “I don’t even know if I’ll ever have time to get to a museum…”
“I’m looking into museum jobs.” Her phone buzzed in her purse and she let go of Gavin to fish it out. “Well, sort of. Not many openings, but I may know someone who can get me in front of people at the Natural History…” She stopped.
Gavin peered down at her, but he likely couldn’t see the screen. “What is it?”
“I got a text from…” Brielle looked up, toward the elevator. Sure enough, Archer was wheeling over toward her, his phone in his lap. Their eyes met and he waved. She waved back.
“Oh. My. God.” Gavin stared at him, slack-jawed. “Is that seriously the hot young comic artist you’re banging?”
“We’re not… Well, we…” She swallowed and shoved the phone into her pocket, staring at Archer as he wheeled toward her. Too late, she realized she should probably move toward him. But shock made her lose control of her limbs for just a little bit.
Archer slowed down, his face falling slightly, but she waved at him and remembered to smile, and he started wheeling over faster.
“He is so gorgeous,” whispered Gavin into her ear.
She pinched his forearm as Archer drew closer, embarrassed and unable to stop picturing him mostly naked on the floor beneath her.
Archer cleared his throat as he pulled up in front of them. “I’m sorry I… I probably shouldn’t hav
e come, right?”
His faltering smile seemed to keep switching between ashamed and smarmy and Brielle didn’t know if he was trying to be charming or was genuinely embarrassed. Or probably both.
“No,” said Brielle. It was like she’d slapped Archer. Her eyes widened as she flapped her hands. “No, I mean… No, I don’t mind, really! Um, but what are you doing here?”
“I…” Even as he spoke to Brielle, Archer stared at Gavin. “How’s your sister?”
“Her sister.” Gavin nodded at Brielle.
Archer shook his head. “Uh, yeah, of course… I meant… Oh, it’s kind of hot in here, isn’t it?” He fanned himself with his hand.
Brielle bent down to get a closer look at his face. He’d lost some color. “Are you okay? Did Pauline drive you here…?” She looked back and forth to find the woman.
“My dad did,” he said, wincing. “And he’s waiting in the car. He had some business to conduct.”
“In the car?” asked Gavin.
“On the phone.” Archer drummed his fingers atop one of his armrests. “I’m fine.” He swallowed.
“Oh, well… Thanks to the airline’s help, we got my sister before she boarded.” She gestured over her shoulder. “My mom’s still with her, but she told me to head on home first.”
“You don’t need a ride because you drove yourself…” Archer’s phone screen lit up as it buzzed from his lap, but he ignored it. “I, uh… You know, I don’t know why I came…”
“So…” said Gavin after a moment’s silence. Brielle could feel his eyes boring into her the whole while. Extending his hand, he bent forward a little to reach toward Archer. “I’m Gavin, Brielle’s friend from college.”
Seemingly glad for the distraction, Archer took the man’s hand firmly and shook it. “Archer. Archer Ward.”
“Oh, I know.” He bumped against Brielle. “This one won’t stop talking about you every time I check in with her.”
“Shut up,” said Brielle, but she was laughing. “He’s the one who said you were hot, by the way.”
“Are you two talking about me behind my back before he even got to meet me? I’m flattered.” Resting his fingertips atop his chest, Gavin chuckled.
“Oh,” said Archer, and strangely, his face lit up as he studied Gavin. “You’re that friend.”
“The one and only.” He turned to Brielle. “Well, I should get going. Fewer late night trains.”
“Right,” said Brielle. She wrung her hands as Gavin kissed her on the cheek. She didn’t know how she felt about being left alone with Archer just then, in just about the last place she’d expected to see him. “Thanks so much for everything. See you online?”
“And in person soon, too, I hope,” he said, tapping her nose lightly. “Nice to meet you, handsome,” he said to Archer, and then he left before Archer could even do more than say, “You too…”
Brielle and Archer stared at each other. Running a hand over the back of his head, Archer looked almost sheepish. “Would you believe I happened to be in the neighborhood?”
A joke. He was, despite stern appearances, surprisingly prone to them. She couldn’t believe how much he’d changed in her eyes in less than a week—in so many different ways.
But this didn’t seem like a good sign. He was clearly following her around like a puppy because she’d been his first. And she felt so bad about it. Just because it’d been a few months since she’d last been with Daniel. But Archer had been so hot and willing...
I don’t need a relationship right now. She should have just kept her pants on, especially after he’d confessed he’d never been kissed. “You wanted to help me,” she said, a smile skirting her lips. “That’s sweet of you.”
Relief seemed to wash over Archer’s face. “I don’t know what I thought I could accomplish,” he said. “I just thought maybe… You’d need some support.”
Brielle reached forward to grab hold of his hand and squeezed it. “Thank you,” she said.
“But then I should have thought how you’d already asked your friend—”
“No, thank you. I mean it. I… I would have asked you to come along if I thought you could. I know that’s dumb and that we hardly knew each other, but I didn’t like feeling like I was just walking out on you after—”
“Bri?” said a voice. Both Brielle and Archer turned, their hands still clenched together. Brielle’s mom readjusted the strap on her purse and looked from Brielle’s face to her hand and back. “I thought you were headed home.”
From behind her, Nora snorted.
Brielle dropped Archer’s hand like it was a hot potato.
Chapter Nineteen
Brielle’s mother looked tired, haggard—absolutely on her last straw. Considering the sullen teen behind her—the one with both hands clutching a gym bag, staring at them like she was seconds from popping invisible popcorn into her mouth—was probably the sister who’d started this whole mess, it made sense.
But Archer couldn’t help but feel that this slightly plump, attractive older woman was studying him like he was to blame for everything.
“I was,” said Brielle, and Archer suddenly remembered her mother had said something about her heading home. “I ran into Archer on the way out.” She gestured to him and then clasped her hands together. “Mom, Nora, this is Archer. Archer, my mom—Leah Clark—and my sister, Nora.”
Archer rolled his shoulders and extended his hand. It took Ms. Clark an extra minute to move forward to take it. “Archer Ward?” she asked. She really did look like she’d just finished running a marathon.
For a second, Archer thought Brielle’s mother was a fan of his. He laughed when he realized the truth. She owns the cleaning company. “Yes. Nice to meet you. Brielle’s been… great. She’s been a great job. I mean, she did a great job.” His throat went dry. Where was he going with this? Was he trying to compliment her as a worker, despite the fact that he’d just slept with her? But he didn’t want her to think she was being let go because of anything she’d done. Not that he was even sure his mother had canceled the service yet.
“I just got a call to cancel the account,” said Brielle’s mom, frowning. Nora’s eyes lit up, though she tried to mask her sudden spike in interest with a forced look of boredom.
Brielle stared at him, her lips slightly parted.
“Right, well, it wasn’t that she wasn’t good at it. Because she was.” Archer felt like an idiot. He could speak in front of a crowd of fans, but put him in front of someone he didn’t know well and expect him to speak one-on-one and he grew a second tongue he didn’t know how to handle. “My mother is just concerned I was relying on her too much.”
“She said something about my ‘maid’ fraternizing with you too much.” There was no missing the look that passed between her and Brielle. Her mom shook her head, cradling her forehead. “I can’t deal with this today. I’ll see you at home, Bri.” She smiled awkwardly. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Ward. Thank you for your business. I’m sorry it wasn’t satisfactory.”
“No, it was—” started Archer, but Brielle’s mom had already moved around him toward the exit to the parking garage.
Nora lingered a beat, staring Archer up and down. He winced under her gaze. Sometimes he could tell when someone was biting their tongue. Maybe the girl knew she’d already bitten off more than she could chew with her antics for the evening.
“Nora!”
The girl stared at Brielle and nodded, heading off without a word.
“Sorry about that,” said Brielle after a beat. “So, um… That was why, huh? It wasn’t about you cleaning up after yourself—it really was about me ‘fraternizing’ with you?”
He imagined his mother’s face from the night before, hurt but haughty, the perfect recipe for swearing revenge. “My mother can be unreasonable…”
“I thought she liked me after last night,” said Brielle. “Sort of. Enough to refer me to someone at the museum anyway.”
Archer had almost forgotten all about the
museum. And how the fact that he’d been able to text Brielle—that this whole unforgettable, amazing day had happened—was because his mother had forgotten entirely about her promise to make a few calls to aid with Brielle’s job prospects. “She did,” lied Archer, but he had a feeling she’d dislike any woman she thought he might be remotely interested in, despite all her talk about setting him up. She probably only said those things because she hoped he never would take her up on them. “I mean, it was more about her and me. It’s true that she didn’t like that I was relying on you too much.”
Chewing her lip, Brielle broke into a faltering smile. “Well, you are pretty tidy. I don’t think you need a daily house cleaning.” She tapped her fingers on her thigh, again drawing Archer’s attention to those form-fitting jeans. “But you never even told her last night that we were…” She stopped, maybe trying to think of how to define them.
He wanted her to define them. But she wouldn’t finish her sentence.
“She blamed the ‘fraternizing’ for canceling when calling your mother no doubt, but really, it was about me. Her and me.” Archer swallowed. He wondered if she could smell the mommy issues that stank all over him. “We’ve had… problems when it comes to her ignoring my privacy.”
“You didn’t expect her to show last night, did you?”
“No,” he admitted. “And things kind of went south from there, once you left.” Eager to change the subject, he started scrolling through his phone screen for nothing in particular. “Is… your friend from last night okay?”
“I don’t even know.” She shook her head and looked off behind him. “So much has happened, I can’t even believe it’s only been twenty-four hours.”
“But your sister was stopped,” he said. “That’s good.” He really had no skills when it came to this communication thing, did he?
“Yeah,” said Brielle. She paused. “Did you really come here just to… offer me moral support?”
He tried to smile, but he was pretty sure the best he offered was a lopsided grin. “Stupid, wasn’t it?”
