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As requested, the remainder of the jog was surprisingly quiet, though his mere presence next to me was overwhelming and seemed to be all I could focus on. So much for clearing my head when all I could do was breathe his delicious scent and focus on his nearness.
We stopped for a break at the top of a hill.
Archie leaned his hands against his knees. “You’re pretty fast, Benedict. Impressive.”
“I was trying to lose you,” I teased.
“You’re a brat.” He laughed.
I shook my index finger at him. “You don’t have to force yourself to hang out with me just to prove you’re not an asshole. I told you I wouldn’t assume anything about you anymore.”
“I do feel bad that you thought I was intentionally ignoring you in the past, but that’s not why I’m here. I came because I didn’t want you running alone this early.”
If that was true, it kind of warmed my heart. I looked up and noticed the way the sun caught his eyes, making them appear even icier than they already were. I cleared my throat. “Well…thank you for your concern.”
“Translation: fuck off.” He grinned.
I smiled and shook my head. “No.”
After a minute, we resumed our run, heading back toward the house.
When we stepped inside, our parents were at the kitchen table having coffee. My mother’s jaw dropped at the sight of us together.
“Nice to see you two getting along,” Nora said.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Archie muttered, smirking over at me.
“He was nice enough to accompany me so I didn’t have to run alone,” I said.
“We appreciate that, Archie,” my mom said. “I’ve always worried about her running alone so early. She does it at home, too.”
Archie came up behind me as I popped a coffee pod into the machine, his closeness sending a shiver down my spine. “You wanna shower?”
My face flushed with heat. My thirsty brain interpreted that question entirely incorrectly. But then…duh…we shared a bathroom. I cleared my throat. “I’ll just use my mom’s bathroom. You go ahead.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
Nora smiled over at her son before he disappeared up the stairs. Then she sighed. “It’s so good to have my baby back.”
“I’m sure we’ll feel the same next year once Noelle’s away in Boston,” my dad said.
“Archie needs to start getting serious,” Archer interjected. “This time is precious. I’m afraid he’s wasting it. He needs to call—”
“He just got here!” Nora said. “He’ll call him. Don’t worry.”
Has this guy never heard of summer vacation? I brought my coffee to the table and joined them, reaching for an apple fritter.
To my surprise, Archer turned his attention toward me. “Noelle, your mother tells me you’re majoring in journalism at BU?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“You don’t think that’s a bit of a waste?”
My chewing slowed. “How so?”
“Well, journalists don’t make much money, from what I understand.”
I straightened in my seat. “Someone has to document what’s happening in the world. Whether journalists get paid a lot or not, it’s an important job. You can’t deny that.”
“Just because someone has to do it doesn’t mean you should. Are you going to become a garbage collector because someone needs to take out the trash?”
God, he’s so condescending. “There’s nothing wrong with that, either,” I responded.
I was definitely starting to understand how Archie felt around his dad. I was a confident person, but he had a way of making you feel less-than. I wasn’t entirely sure what my father saw in him. I wondered if Dad mainly associated with Archer because it helped him professionally.
I glanced around the table, but my parents and Nora stayed quiet. It would’ve been nice if someone had come to my defense. But I suspected no one in this room quite knew how to stand up to Archer. So it would have to be me.
I opened my mouth again, unable to help myself. “Even if I don’t end up becoming a journalist, I think a major in journalism shows prospective employers that my writing and communication skills are strong. Those things can be applied to many different industries.” I took another bite of my apple fritter and spoke with my mouth full. “Many people end up majoring in one thing and landing in another field. You don’t have to commit to anything based on your major.”
He shook his head. “If you’re smart, you will. I would consider switching to business. BU has a great school of management.”
Feeling disgusted, I stood up from the table. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I’m going to take a shower.”
Upstairs in my parents’ bathroom, as the water rained down on me, I replayed the conversation in my head. That was only five minutes, but life must be like that for Archie all the time.
• • •
I didn’t see Archie for the rest of that day until dinner. And we didn’t say much to each other during the meal. I mostly just listened as his dad grilled him yet again while I stole glances at Archie’s gorgeous face, broad shoulders, strong forearms. The way the overhead light brought out the gorgeous blond streaks in his hair. Yeah, I was pathetically hot for him.
