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“So how wild is it you and my brother knew each other all along?” he murmurs.
I force a smile when he looks at me. “Wild. We were actually friends—pretty close for a while.” Then I truly smile and add, “I can’t believe I never met you back then.”
He chuckles and smooths his hand over my hair. “My brother and I have never been very close, but I think we both might finally be in the right place for it.”
The way Archer’s voice softens when talking about Benji and the hopefulness in his eyes tightens around my heart. He might possibly be the perfect man.
A soft knock at the door draws both our attentions, and Archer’s arms drop from around me.
“Come in,” he says, moving toward his bag on the bed.
The door slowly opens enough for Benji’s head to appear. His eyes land on me first, and I feel a wave of guilt at the flip in my stomach when they slide over me. Then he looks to his brother.
“You two want to go out for dinner with us? We were just going to hit a little Thai place down the street we like.”
Archer grins and shoots me a look. “What do you think, baby? You love Thai.”
I nod as Archer reaches into his pocket, pulling out his phone which he keeps on silent. His brow draws in as he looks at the screen.
“I better take this,” he says.
Benji opens the door farther, his shoulder leaning against the frame. Archer pats his brother on the shoulder as he passes, and then it’s me and Benji again.
He rests his head to the side, staring at me for another moment. Then he says, “Glad you still love Thai.”
With that, he leaves, and I take a deep breath and drop my head back, looking at the ceiling.
“Please,” I whisper to the Universe, “Please let that be the call I need it to be.”
Funny thing about the Universe: Specifics are very important.
CHAPTER 4
BENJI
Archer leaves the next morning.
A buddy of his is running a free dental clinic for a week in Detroit, and the other dentist pulled out at the last second. Since my brother’s my brother, he jumped at the opportunity to fill in.
He and Charlie fought about it last night. Not loudly. They might have gotten away with it if Charlie hadn’t come down the stairs with red-rimmed eyes. She plopped on the other end of the couch from me, pulled into herself and didn’t say a word for the next two hours while I worked on returning emails and booking shows.
She’d do the same thing after a fight with Mike, go all quiet and reserved, like she could disappear if she stayed still enough.
I fucking hated it then, so it’s no surprise I despise it now.
As messed up as she left me, I can’t forget how I felt about her before it all went to hell. She was my friend above all else, and yesterday in the bathroom, when she was trying to hide her tears and keep everything bottled up inside, I remembered how easily being there for her came before all the bullshit feelings.
I meant what I said, I’ll pretend we left off as friends. I’ll pretend we never made plans to meet. Act like she didn’t blow me off for Mike, and I never saw her kissing him right after those lips had been on mine.
At least I’ll fucking try.
I sigh at the sight of my brother sitting on the concrete steps outside, waiting for his Uber with his bag at his feet, his head hung low.
“So, you’re just leaving?” I ask on my way down, and I drop down beside him. “Damn, man, this savior complex of yours is seriously fucking with your life.”
He licks his lips, his eyes far away in thought, but he nods in agreement. “Sometimes I think the same thing.” Then he forces a tight smile and cocks his head to see me. “Think Charlie will have stopped being pissed by the time I get back?”
I nod, resisting the urge to say anything. What he’s doing is important. She’d never hold it against him.
