“We’re from Chicago, too,” Ford says, nodding at Tatum. “Originally. We’re in Tampa now.”
I glance at Archer to see whether he’s affected by thewe. It’s the elephant in the room, but he doesn’t even flinch.
I feel like we need to have a conversation. Like he hasn’t really had anybody to talk to about this whole situation—breaking up with his long-term girlfriend only for her to marryhis brotherfive minutes later. It must feel like a huge betrayal from both of them, and even though it’s been months at this point, I can’t imagine he isn’t affected by it.
We manage to make it through the meal. The alcohol helps, and Ford and Tatum are done with their meal before we finish ours.
“See you around,” Archer says. Is that like this dude’s catchphrase or something? Tatum gives him a long look like she’s studying him before they leave—hand-in-hand.
I watch as Archer’s eyes dart to their hands.
“Was that hard?” I ask softly.
He drains what’s left in his glass. “Not here.”
I press my lips together and nod, assumingnot heremeansmaybe somewhere later.
“Why have you been avoiding me?” I ask, changing tracks completely.
“Also not here,” he mutters.
“Then what the fuck do you want to talk about?” I demand.
My sharp tone catches his attention. His head swivels toward me, and then he blows out a breath. He orders one more round, charges the meal to his room, and once our drinks are delivered, he gets up from his chair.
He holds a hand out to me. “Come on.”
I grab his hand and scramble out of my chair. It’s not that I’m desperate for him, or whatever, and I hate that it probably makes me look weak to take the crumb he’s dropping for me, but the truth is…I really like him, and seeing his ex has to be a blow. I want to be here for him even though he’s been avoiding me. He has his reasons, and if I go with him now, maybe he’ll reveal those reasons to me. It just might take a little creative digging.
He takes me up to his room and settles onto the couch. I pick the chair that’s adjacent to the couch so as not to disturb him—and so as not to get too close, because we both know that when we get too close, we’re combustible. And right now, I need him to talk. To unload some of the hurt he’s carrying.
“Talk to me,” I say softly, and I repeat my question from earlier. “Was that hard?”
He presses his lips together. “It wasn’t easy. Why’d you tell them you’re my girlfriend?”
“Why didn’t you deny it?” I counter.
He blows out a breath. “Did I tell you I tried to stop their wedding?”
I shake my head.
“It was the last time I saw either of them. I was too late.” He shrugs. “Tatum was off planning weddings, probably waiting that whole time for one of them to be ours. But I never proposed. We were together a long time, and I don’t really have a good reason why I never proposed other than the fact that we were comfortable. I was scared of changing our dynamic. We were both busy building our own careers and doing our own thing until that became theonlything.”
“Why did she marry your brother?”
He blows out a breath. “It’s complicated.”
“So uncomplicate it.”
He shrugs. “She always ran to him. She ended things with me a few times over the years, and she would always get her head back on straight at Ford’s. They were close friends. But this time, it was me ending it. I assumed it would be temporary like it always was.”
I nod as I wait for him to go on.
“She had this big idea to create a luxury destination wedding brand, and she wanted to invest in properties. She and my brother each went in half on a property in Tampa, and the woman they bought from put in some clause that they’d get the money for the property back if theirs was the first wedding to take place there.”
My brows dip. “What?”
“They had a few weeks to pull together a wedding when they got this clause, and they went ahead with it. She said something to me about how she was finally withsomeone who believed in her and supported her vision, and it’s not that I didn’t. I just didn’t want her getting tangled up with my family. I know how that can ruin a person better than anybody. And now she owns multiple properties with my brother, and she’s using my oldest brother to help her renovate them since he's the CEO of our family’s real estate development firm.”
