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It took us a while to find parking, and Archer did his thing again before I was allowed to get out of the car.
Dropping onto the sand, I took a deep breath of the salty air. I’ve always loved the beach. Living so close to one was a dream come true.
Unpacking my food, I handed Archer his burrito.
When he didn’t take it, I waved it up and down in front of him. “It’s yours. There are jalapeños on it, so if you don’t eat it, I’ll have to throw it out.”
I didn’t often eat spicy food, but Archer put hot sauce on everything.
When he finally reached for the wrapped package, our fingers brushed. I snatched my hand back as soon as he had a hold of his food.
We ate in companionable silence, watching the waves crash onto the beach.
When I couldn’t fit anything else into my stomach, I leaned back, propping myself up on my arms. “That was amazing.”
Again, Archer didn’t reply. But I didn’t care. I was content and on my way into a happy food coma. I didn’t get there, though, because after scanning the beach, Archer stood up.
His attention was on anything but me, his brows furrowed. “Let’s head back. You’re exposed on the beach.”
After packing up, I brushed the sand off my pants. “Of course. Sorry. I was just so excited to get out of the house.”
He took the paper bag from me, and we stopped at a trash can before making our way back to the car.
We drove back in silence, and I gulped in big breaths as soon as I was out of the car. Next time I’d have to turn the radio on. Only taking small breaths was exhausting, but I didn’t want him to think I was a heavy breather.
As soon as we were safely back inside the high walls of the mansion, Archer left with a nod in my direction. I spent the rest of the day hiding in my bedroom, decimating my secret chocolate stash.
5
ARCHER
Even though I’dnever stayed in a more comfortable bed, I couldn’t sleep. I’d dozed off a few times, but never more than twenty minutes at a time.
Despite knowing the cause of my insomnia, I refused to acknowledge it. Thea wouldn’t get this as well. She already took up my every waking thought.
Pushing myself up on my elbow, I punched the fluffy pillow with my other hand, using more force than necessary. Flopping back down, I brushed a hand over my face.
This was pointless. Maybe an hour in the gym would tire me out enough to get at least a few hours of sleep.
Decision made, I pulled on my workout shorts and then my T-shirt. My clothes were still in my bag, and I figured I might as well unpack while I had nothing better to do. Dragging my bag into the closet that was as big as my living room back at my apartment in Chicago, I looked for the best place to put my things.
An entire wall of shelf space was taken up by what looked like paintings. Walking closer, I pulled one down, studying the beautiful sketch of a cat. The name in the corner snagged my attention. Written in familiar script was “Thea.”
I’d always loved her paintings and drawings. She’d been sketching for as long as I could remember. She’d always been talented, and it looked like she’d gotten even better. The details were incredible.
Curious, I pulled down painting after painting, drawing after drawing. There were a lot of landscapes and beaches. A few drawings were of William and another guy. Some paintings were so dark, they made my heart ache.
Thea had always been an empath. Her emotions manifested in her paintings, and what I saw told me she’d gone through a few rough patches. There was even a drawing of Everleigh and a girl. I recognized her boyfriend’s daughter. My niece.
Even though Everleigh thought I didn’t want to have anything to do with her, I always kept tabs on her. I knew about her life as much as someone could who paid a PI to check up on her regularly.
She didn’t understand my decision to keep her out of my life. But I wasn’t the same brother she once knew. I’d changed, and not in a good way. I wanted her as far away from my problems as I could get her.
I carefully stacked the canvases back onto the shelves, then headed to the basement gym to clear my head.
The night was still warm, the sky clear. I could even make out some stars despite the light pollution. It wasn’t as bad this close to the water. And it helped that this area wasn’t as densely populated.
Guess money really can buy everything.
