Page 109 of A Million To Fall

“What? No. You’re spending the night.”

“No, Archer,” I say, firm now. “Take me home. If you won’t, I’ll call a rideshare.”

“You’re seriously going to leave me here like this? All high and dry?”

I don’t answer.

I just walk out of his room.

thirty-three

Boston

I’m off tonight. Restless. Tense in a way I haven’t been since… well, since Skye.

It’s especially bad because I keep replaying the moment from earlier—when I looked her dead in the eye and said, Glad you’re not alone tonight.

It wasn’t meant for her. It was supposed to be a jab at Archer. But the second it left my mouth, I saw it land on her.

She looked like I had slapped her. Cheap shot. I’m such a dick.

And I walked away before she could answer.

God, I don’t have time for this. I don’t have the luxury of obsessing over how a sentence might have bruised her. I have bigger problems. My siblings. Mrs. Davis. Survival.

And yet, here I am. Spiraling.

Archer’s back. And she’s with him. Right now. Probably in his bed.

There’s this buzzing under my skin—part nausea, part jealousy, part shame. I wish I could turn it off.

Instead I step into the shower and crank the water from scalding hot to freezing. My lungs seize and, for a blissful moment, the shock burns everything else away.

I don’t think about Skye. Or Archer.

I think about nothing. Blessed, empty nothing.

Eventually I shut off the water, dry off, and get dressed. I meander into the kitchen and find Jake rummaging through the fridge. “Are you hungry again already?” I ask, chuckling.

“Nah, just grazing.” He shuts the fridge door, grinning. “Are you working at the gym in the morning?”

“Yep, bright and early. Why? You planning to visit me?”

“Why else would I drag my lazy ass to the gym.” He chuckles. “Yeah, we’re planning on working out, maybe around nine or so.”

“Who’s ‘we’?”

“Me, Pace, Jon—”

“Archer?” His name is like sandpaper against my palate.

“Nope,” Jake says. “He has plans to take Skye to brunch at the country club. Sorry, I know you were really hoping to lay your eyes on his boyish good looks.”

“Oh, yeah, I get hard just thinking about him,” I deadpan.

Jake laughs. “Oof. Keep it in your pants, Boss.” Then his tone shifts into something inquisitive. “So, what’s going on between you and Skye?”

There goes my heart, stuttering in my chest. “Nothing is going on between Skye and me.” I force myself to meet his eyes.