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She let out what sounded like a frustrated sigh. "Is this about Jared?"
"Yes, it is. I need to know that you aremineand onlymine."
She turned over onto her back. "I know. I just have to figure out what I'm going to say to him first. I don't want to hurt him, Archer." Understanding that she had a big heart and wouldn't want to hurt a fly, it still bothered me that she cared so much about this man I only saw as an obstacle that was in my way and it caused my blood to boil.
CHAPTER
10
Sloane
Lying here in Archer's arms as he stroked my skin ever so lightly was the one dream that I'd had these past few months come true. But at the mention of Jared's name it brought this picture-perfect moment crashing down. I cared about him, I really did, but somewhere deep inside, I think I always knew he would only ever be a distraction from what I really wanted.
Archer.
And now that I had him, I couldn't help feeling guilty for using Jared the way I did, or the hurt I'd have to inflict on him yet again. He deserved better than this, and I knew one thing, though, I needed to do this before I chickened out. Reaching for my phone on the nightstand Archer asked. "Are you texting Jared?"
"Yes, I figure I need to get this over with before I chicken out."
A look of irritation crossed his face. "Whywould you chicken out, Sloane? Don't you want to be with me?"
I let out an irritated breath of my own. "Yes, of course I do. I'm just not really crazy about having to hurt someone I've come to care about. Surely even you can understand that?"
"Well, I know that you didn't have a problem telling me to get the fuck out of your life."
Freezing at his comment, I turned to look at him and say something, but my anger kept the words from coming out, so I decide to get out of bed and find my clothes. I felt the enormous need right now to leave and think about if I really wanted him to have the kind of control he was already stealing from me. "What are you doing?"
Grabbing my dress and slipping it over my head, I turned around to answer him. "I'm getting dressed and leaving Archer, even you should recognize something so familiar to your own actions. After all, it's what you do best." Turning back around, I scooped up my shoes and exited the room, leaving him with a hurt and confused expression on his face.
Just like the ones he always used to leave me with.
I heard him rushing down the hall after me before I felt his hand wrap around my arm, bringing me to a stop. "Let go of my arm, right now." I told him between clenched teeth.
Pulling me back towards him so hard it slammed my body into his, he cradled my face. "Are you leaving me? Is this what this is? I let you in. Put all my cards on the fucking table and then you use them like weapons against me?"
My hardness crumbled at the heartbreak I heard cracking through his voice and in his eyes. "No, that's not what this is, Archer. What this is, is unresolved issues you and I have from the past. Your low blow in there about my ending things with you, and my counter blow with your leaving all the time. If we're going to do this. Be this. We need to let the past go and forgive each other for our mistakes. Warranted or not."
