Page 38 of A Million To Fall

She sighs. “I want to hug you so badly.”

“I know, but no touching, remember?” I smile, even though I feel hollow inside.

On my way out, I stop at the front desk and hand over my last twenty bucks for my mom’s commissary account.

Then I drive back to Rochester. I don’t stop for food. Gas and that twenty ate up my entire budget for the day. It’s fine. I don’t have an appetite anyway.

seventeen

Skye

My plane lands in Minneapolis just before noon, and despite my exhaustion, I’m excited—to be home for the summer, and to spend some quality time with my parents, friends, and Archer.

“There she is,” Archer calls out, striding toward me the second I step into the terminal. He pulls me into a tight hug. “God, I missed you, baby.”

I smile. “I missed you, too.”

Even with our rule of never going longer than two weeks without seeing each other, attending school in different states these past couple of years hasn’t been easy.

I could’ve stayed closer to home—attended the University of Minnesota with Archer, Lily, and Pacey—but the moment I toured Northwestern in April of my senior year, Chicago in full bloom, I had made my decision. Archer wasn’t thrilled, but I’ve managed to keep things mostly tension-free—morning and night calls, constant little updates throughout the day so he never worries too much. I thought my dad was protective growing up, but even he never hovered like this.

Archer takes my bag and leads me to his sleek, dark blue BMW M5—a graduation present from his parents. It’s nicer than the lifted truck he still uses for hunting or trips to the mountains.

“We’re all getting together tonight,” he says once we’re on the road.

“Who’s ‘we’?”

“Everyone. Jake, Pacey, Jonathan, Lily—you know, the whole crew.”

“Oh. Okay. What are we doing?” As excited as I am to see everyone, I was kind of hoping to spend this first evening back in my pajamas, sprawled on the couch, with not a single care in the world. It’s been a long few weeks with finals, packing up my dorm, and travel. I’d kill for a quiet night. But this is good, too.

Archer exhales sharply. “I don’t know. Grab food or something.”

“Sorry.” I know Archer gets irritated when I interrogate him too much.

Forty minutes later, he pulls into my parents’ driveway. I practically leap out of the car, then race into the house.

“Hi baby!” my mom cries, wrapping me in a tight hug the second I’m within reach. “Oh, I missed you so much.”

“Don’t mind me,” Archer calls from behind me, lugging my suitcase. “Just over here playing bellhop.”

My mom laughs. “Such a helpful and handsome young man.”

She unravels her arms from around me, and my dad steps up, pulling me into his arms. “Welcome home, Skye.”

“Didn’t expect to see you this afternoon, Dad. Did you leave the office early just to greet me?”

He chuckles. “Not exactly. I’m meeting with Stillwater royalty in thirty minutes and thought I’d stop by home in hopes of catching you.” He and Archer exchange knowing grins.

“Stillwater royalty…” I echo, connecting the dots. “Archer’s dad?”

My dad nods. “And his father. Some business organization reshuffling for the Longfellow family estate.”

I’m still hung up on Stillwater royalty.

“Sounds riveting,” I mutter.

“It is to me,” my dad says with yet another chuckle. “I love my job.”