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Then I hear bleating. There’s no other way to describe the sound that comes from Marlow, who can’t talk, let alone stand on his own.
“Get the fuck up,” Archer barks, grunting as he tries to haul him up.
“Arrrrtsch…” Marlow growls like a freaking pirate, then laughs drunkenly as Archer finally pulls him up and wraps Marlow’s arm around his neck.
“Come on. Bedroom.”
I watch in shock. Marlow is lit. The guy can hold his liquor, but his drunk state is less than macho. And holy shit is he incapacitated.
“Do you need help?” I ask, approaching carefully, trying to gauge Archer’s mood.
“I’m fine,” he blurts without looking at me as they both stumble toward the bedroom.
I follow. Any other time, I would’ve laughed, but this time, it’s serious. What Marlow said. What Archer thought.
Archer drops Marlow onto the bed and pulls off his sneakers.
“Love yooooou, maaaaan…” Marlow drawls drunkenly, then laughs, hiccups, and goes quiet.
Archer turns around slowly to meet my gaze.
“Archer, let’s talk,” I say quietly, searching his face to figure out how he feels.
“Come.” He motions toward the living room, walks past me, and I follow with a heavy heart like I’m going to the principal’s office.
He sits me down on the couch and pulls my phone out of his pocket.
Shit. Again.
He stabs the screen, and Marlow’s voice message starts playing, his voice low, drunk, and slurring.
“Baby… I really miss you…”
“Archer, that’s not—”
“Shhhh.” Archer presses his forefinger to his lips, silencing me.
There are inarticulate sounds in the message, something being dropped, a muffled, “Shit.” I figured, now that I glance around and see bottles of beer and booze, ashtrays, a broken bowl, the smell of tobacco and cannabis too strong, that Marlow let really really loose.
“I… I… I wanna see you… Right now… Talk. Les’ talk, baby…”
What’s with baby?Jesus, Marlow.His drunk voice is full of gasps and grunts.
“I can’t deal with this. You an’ I, we go waaaay back. An’… An’ I never forgot tha’ night.”
My heart twists. What night?
“Les’ talk. I miss you. I’ve missed you all this time, Ray-Ray.”
My heart slams in my chest at the name, and my eyes snap up at Archer, a smile twitching on his lips.
“Jesus…”
Archer ends the message, tosses the phone aside, and just stares at me.
The relief inside me is so great that I laugh nervously. But a bigger realization assaults me like a hard blow—Archer thought I had something going on behind his back.
The thought cuts off my laughter, and I try really hard not to show it, but bitterness creeps in like a snake, making my eyes burn.
