Page 13 of A Million To Fall

He hesitates for a moment.

“Are… are you and Archer… together?”

I swallow, heat rushing up my neck. “I, uh, I don’t know. We’re not official, or anything,” I say. “At least… I don’t think we are,” I add too quickly. Why am I qualifying my answer? “Why do you ask?”

He opens his mouth, then closes it, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip. Suddenly, it’s like lightning hits me—an image of me kissing him flashing in my mind’s eye. Not Archer. Boston. And, god, it’s so vivid it feels like a memory.

“It’s nothing,” Boston says with a shake of his head. “Just… be careful, okay?”

I don’t know why I do it—maybe because he looks so serious, or because that weird vision of us is still messing with my head—but I wrap my arms around his neck and hug him tightly. it feels… familiar. And right. I inhale deeply, his wild, heady scent winding into my nostrils, making the edges of my brain go fuzzy.

Boston doesn’t move, his arms slack by his sides, like he’s too surprised to react. Or maybe he’s too respectful to hug a girl he knows is at this party with another guy.

Oh god, what am I doing? I back off fast, plastering a smile onto my face like this wasn’t awkward as hell just now. “See you Monday?” I ask, already hurrying away from him.

By the time I find Archer—his fingers lacing with mine automatically—Boston is gone.

eight

Boston

Iget home before curfew. The apartment is dark and quiet when I unlock the door.

It’s comforting.

No TV blaring. No sounds from my mom’s bedroom or shadows moving under her door.

Only peace.

I check on Cassie and Bronx. They’re dead asleep.

Good.

I crawl into bed and stare at the ceiling, replaying the party in my head on a loop. I can’t believe how beautiful Skye looked.

I can’t believe she was there with Archer.

I roll onto my side, shove my hands under the pillow, and exhale deeply.

I thought I had time—to maybe work up the nerve to tell her how I feel, to stop pretending I didn’t want her like that.

Turns out, I’m already too late.

Not exactly the best feeling to drift off to sleep to. But I do.

Only to jolt awake to a bloodcurdling scream ripping through the apartment. It’s punctuated by a loud crash.

“Boss?” Cassie’s voice floats shapeless through the room.

“It’s okay, Cass,” I whisper automatically. “Stay in bed.”

I’m already moving, tiptoeing out of my room and down the carpeted hallway.

The moment I round the corner into the living room, I stop cold.

There’s shitface, his hand around my mom’s throat, pinning her to the wall.

Four huge dudes stand around. Massive. Tattooed. All watching like they’ve got front-row seats to a UFC fight. The shelf that held framed photos of my siblings and me is on the ground, splintered into pieces, shards of glass scattered on the carpet.