34. Delilah
Chapter thirty-four
Delilah
“ D -do I look okay?” I asked Kimi as I flattened my black lace dress and looked into the mirror.
She didn’t say anything, and I glanced over at her. She smiled as she cursed in Japanese. I giggled at her as she wiped a fake tear.
“Archer is a lucky man,” she whispered, fixing my hair, which fell over my shoulders.
Grabbing my clutch, I heard a knock at the door, and Avery peeked into the room.
“Mr. Lockwood is waiting for you outside.”
Kimi looked at her watch and rolled her eyes. “It’s 6:57. He can give the girl three more minutes.”
I gave Kimi one last hug before leaving the room to go outside. Kimi’s parents weren’t home, and I took this as an opportunity to say I was “sleeping” over so I could go on my date. My mother saw through my bluff immediately, as she knew our sleepover schedule, but my father took the bait as if it were candy for a toddler.
Stepping outside, I watched Archer through the car window. He glanced down at his watch continuously, waiting for it to hit exactly seven PM. I also noticed he had something in his other hand that looked to be a gift.
My assumptions were correct as he quickly exited the car and gazed at me hungrily, his eyes filled with growing desire and lust. A blush rose to the tips of my ears, and he cleared his throat after a few moments.
“You are gorgeous, Princess,” he uttered as if it was a fact, and I giggled.
“You’re not too shabby yourself, Archer.”
He neared me and placed a kiss on my lips that almost caused my knees to give out. I clutched his suit in my fists as his kiss seemed never-ending. He pulled away after a moment, and I tilted my head.
“What’s that in your hand?” I asked with fake curiosity, and he chuckled.
He lowered his mouth to my ear, and I bit my lip as he whispered, “I like to spoil my princess. That’s not wrong of me, is it?”
I quickly shook my head as I could feel myself growing flustered. He hummed in approval, and I let out a small gasp as he placed a kiss on my neck.
“...And if I know my princess, I know she likes to be spoiled—”
He went to say something else when we heard a voice.
“Don’t have sex on my front lawn, please,” Kimi yelled, effectively ruining the moment, and I rolled my eyes as Archer practically growled. He looked up at Kimiko, who had a smile on her face.
“Have her back by ten, please.”
Archer pulled me closer to him. “She’s mine! You hear me, Masahiko?”
“Once again... I want her home by ten! Do you hear me, Lockwood?!”
“Sterling should come to calm you down. You seem a bit tense.”
She glared at him as she stepped back and slammed the window shut.
I placed my hands on Archer’s cheeks, and he gave me a look.
“You guys need to find some common ground. And if I’m not mistaken, that common ground is me. Stop fighting each other.”
“We’ll talk about the nuisance—that is your best friend—later. Our reservation is at seven thirty,” he muttered, escorting me inside the car, and his driver drove off after a moment or so.
He handed me my present, and I hesitated to take it as my heart raced. He waited patiently for me as I opened it slowly and smiled as the diamond tennis bracelet glistened from the moment I saw it.
“It’s beautiful, Archer.”
He picked it up and slowly placed it around my wrist. I watched as he clasped it, and after he pulled away, I began to read the small pendant hanging from it.
I gave him a look. “Really? ‘A.L.?’ You even placed your initial on me to lay an even bigger claim than you’ve already established?”
He bit his lip as he grabbed my hand and shrugged.
“This will suffice until I propose.”
A blush rose to my cheeks as I glanced down at the bracelet again. Part of me felt a rush of warmth at the gesture, but another part hesitated, unsure if I was ready for the weight of what it implied. Especially given our unconventional relationship, it was a lot to process.
His hand lifted my chin, and I sighed heavily. “Archer, I-I… that statement is a lot to digest. We only just started dating.”
“Well, if it wasn’t clear before, Princess… I’m dating to marry. But if you need me to, I’ll pretend that I’m willing to take things slow,” he muttered, and I blushed deeper as I pushed him away.
“You’re impossible. Do you know that?”
He furrowed his eyebrows. “Hmmm. That’s the first time I think I’ve ever heard anyone say that about me.”
I laughed. “Yeah, sure it is.”
He broke out into a smirk, and I giggled again as he placed a kiss on my lips.
We felt the car come to a complete stop, and we pulled away from each other. Archer opened the door and held his hand out for me to take. I took it slowly, and he helped me out as he noticed my difficulty with my dress and heels.
We walked to the entrance and were taken to our table. He pulled my chair out for me, and I thanked him as I sat. He took his seat in front of me, and I smiled.
“It’s beautiful here,” I said, looking around as the classical music filled our ears. He nodded in agreement, but I could tell he wasn’t as concerned about the decor. After a few minutes of looking at the menu, the waiter took our orders, and it was just the two of us again.
“Tell me about yourself, Archer,” I started, and he chuckled.
“What is it that you want to know that you don’t know already, Delilah?”
“What makes you happy?” I asked him, and he looked into my eyes and pondered his answers.
“Other than you... Some aspects of school and work and Sterling, although he counts for only 0.01% of my happiness.”
I laughed at his answer, and he grabbed my hand from across the table and tilted his head. “Why do you ask?”
I bit my lip. “Does your family make you happy?”
He sighed, “Vivienne is tolerable and loving. My father is out for his interest most of the time, and my brother—I wish I could say better things about him—we’re not exactly on the best of terms as of lately.” He left the conversation there and I decided not to pry further as the subject clearly bothered him
“What makes you happy, Princess?” he continued, and I smiled.
“A lot of things used to make me happy. My family, my dancing... but I think being with you has shown me a different kind of happiness: one that I knew I always wanted to feel with you, but due to the unfortunate circumstance of you making me afraid of you, I couldn’t experience that joy until recently.”
“So I’m the most important factor in your happiness?” he asked, taking a sip of water.
I sighed. “Please don’t tell me that’s all you gained from that.”
He smiled. “You know I’m just kidding.”
“Eh, at some point, I just forget. You draw a very thin line between your actual thoughts and jokes,” I joked.
We continued our small banter-like conversation as our dishes arrived. The rich aroma of spices and savory herbs filled the air, immediately making me eye the rather enticing garlic mashed potatoes and garnished veggies in anticipation.
Archer chuckled at my reaction and soon began to eat.
While I ate, I couldn’t help but people-watch every so often. Everyone ate with their silver spoons in one hand and their napkin in the other. Though I had no place to judge, I would prefer if I could hear laughter other than mine and Archer’s or feel some kind of excitement.
After a moment, Archer stood, and I looked up at him quickly. “I’ll be right back.”
I watched him with curiosity as he approached our waiter and started talking. The look on the waiter’s face had changed to one of slight fear and uncertainty as he explained something to Archer. I could tell Archer didn’t like the answer he received as he opened his wallet and handed the man a few hundred-dollar bills. The waiter then looked around discreetly and gave Archer a key.
Archer returned to our table and held his hand out to me.
“Come with me.”
Grabbing his hand cautiously, I narrowed my eyes. “The waiter looked scared… Did you threaten or bribe him for whatever we’re about to do?”
“A little bit of both. I noticed these people sucking the life out of you and decided we should have some fun.”
“And what are we about to do, Archer?”
“Trust me, Princess.”
I rolled my eyes at him as he watched me with a smile as he moved with my hand in his. The people looked at us in curiosity as we squeezed in between the tables, and I tried to contain my giggles as we went up the stairs.
We neared a door that said “Employees Only,” and Archer looked around playfully.
“Keep a lookout,” he whispered, and I pretended to look around as he unlocked the door with the key. He grabbed my hand again and pulled me up the stairs.
I was expecting a boring rooftop, but my jaw dropped as the roof held a gorgeous rose garden. We slowed down as I looked around and gazed at the beautiful flowers. I let go of Archer’s hand as I approached the ledge slowly.
The view of the city made me speechless. New York was full of life and excitement, but the city felt different tonight—even more stunning. I turned back to look at Archer, and he held the same look of appreciation—only his eyes were fixated on me and nothing else.
“Getting in trouble on a rooftop wasn’t on my bucket list for tonight.”
He bit his lip. “Seeing you smile… is worth the risk.” He walked towards me slowly, and I intertwined both my hands in one of his as his other hand caressed my face.
“Even at the top of a building with one of the best views and standing in the middle of a garden, you still manage to keep me under your spell... You’re the most gorgeous flower in this garden. Nothing compares to you.” He whispered the last part, and I smiled as I brought his face down to my height for another kiss. He pulled me closer, and I sighed as he laced his fingers in my hair, deepening it further.
After a moment, we pulled away, and I continued to look into his eyes. “You sure know how to make a girl fall for you, Archer.”
“Well, you’re not just a girl, Princess,” he said with a wink, and I rolled my eyes at his words.
After about fifteen more minutes, he walked me back downstairs and led us to the door. The same waiter approached us, and Archer returned the key with a few extra hundred-dollar bills.
The drive back to Kimi’s was short, but it felt like forever, and I enjoyed every second. We reached her home, and Archer escorted me to the door.
Before he was able to even speak, Kimiko ripped the door open and glared at Archer.
“I’ve been worried sick! Do you know what time it is?” she asked, looking at the both of us as if we were children.
“It’s only ten fifteen, Kim-Kim.”
She rolled her eyes and grabbed my hand. “Fifteen minutes too late, if anything. I’m watching you, Lockwood.”
Archer crossed his arms. “Oh no, I’m shaking in my Armani suit. How will I ever feel safe again?” he said stoically, and I rolled my eyes at the two of them as I bid him goodbye and went inside.
I quickly went upstairs into Kimiko’s room to freshen up and changed into a simple long-sleeved shirt and black tights. Pulling my hair into a ponytail as I descended the steps, I flinched as I entered the kitchen, seeing my mother sitting at the kitchen island.
She grinned as she sipped her tea and glanced at me from head to toe. “How did it go?” she asked, and I sighed.
“Fine, Mom. It was fine,” I said with a small blush as I remembered our bits of slight intimacy, and she giggled.
“Well, the blush on your face tells one story, and the diamond bracelet on your wrist is definitely helping give all the details of it,” she observed, and I ignored her as I grabbed a bottle of water. “I’m glad you had fun,” she said genuinely, and I groaned as her eyes were pleading to give her some details.
“Ugh. Fine, I’ll tell you.”
She squealed happily, and as Kimi entered the room and took a seat beside her, I could only roll my eyes as they both stared at me expectantly.
Archer
As I walked into the house, the soft hum of conversation from the living room caught my attention. My father and Vivienne were sprawled on the couch, their voices carrying through the open door. I paused, deciding to listen for a moment before making my presence known.
“When are you going to stop being so bad?” Vivienne asked, her tone a mix of frustration and affection.
“Is ‘never’ a viable answer?” My father chuckled, clearly amused, and she pouted as she caressed his face.
“Try a little… for me? I have friends that I’d like to keep, you know.”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ll see what I can do.”
She sighed softly. “I’ve heard that many times, Cal… but it’s fine. Just don’t be surprised when I’ve had enough and want my own space away from it all.”
“You can’t leave me, sugar… even if you tried, I’d find you.”
She rolled her eyes playfully. “Yeah, I know... learned that the hard way ,” she muttered, and he leaned up, placing a small kiss on her lips.
Having heard enough of their conversation, I made my way to the stairs, but Vivienne spotted me and spoke.
“Hi, Archer. You’re home late.”
I cleared my throat by the steps. “I was busy. Had a few matters to take care of.”
“I’m sure you probably got a lot done in that tux,” my father chuckled sarcastically, but Vivienne sent a small slap to his forehead, cutting him off.
She looked back at me and smiled genuinely. “Whoever you were with, hon, I hope you guys had a good time.”
My father muttered under his breath, “I could think of a few people he’d be with.” She sent him another look, and he pouted slightly as he looked away from her.
I said nothing more as I began to leave, but I paused as I heard a voice.
“This family is a fucking joke.”
The mood instantly went south, and I turned to my right as Stephan approached them, taking a drink of scotch and slamming the glass down on the table.
“Stephan—” I began, but he only glared at me and snarled before I could speak any further.
“You don’t even care about me. Fuck you,” he seethed.
My father and Vivienne quickly came over to us.
“Stephan, stop it right now,” Vivienne said with a small tremble in her voice.
Stephan let out a dry chuckle. “You even got my mother on your side. My own flesh and blood. For some reason, I’m always the suck-up and tryhard older brother, so why bother anymore, hmm? You get everything handed to you on a silver fucking platter, while I’m left picking up the pieces,” he seethed.
I remained silent as he approached me slowly.
“It’s the same old fucking story. Archer gets everything he wants, and I’m left dealing with the aftermath. Well, guess what, little brother… you will never be anything to me—” he began.
Our father spoke up in a rage. “Stephan, that’s enough.”
He glanced over to our father and then back to me. He nodded his head. “Oh, that’s right. Let’s not upset the golden boy of the family. Heaven forbid he doesn’t get his way. He can get angered rather quickly, and he’s far too precious... and pathetic. You wanted a relationship with me; well, that ship fucking sailed a long time ago. And you know, I used to think the problem was with me, but look at you—still obsessed and fixated on some girl that our father uses to—”
“That’s enough, Stephan!” my father screamed, and it went silent to the point where you could hear a pin drop. Stepping forward as he let go of Vivienne’s shaking hands, he pointed to the door. “You need to get yourself together. We can talk in private if you want, but taking it out on Archer is just unacceptable—especially in front of your mother. In the meantime, you need to leave. Now.”
Stephan smiled as he grabbed his jacket and looked over to me. Neither of us uttered another word, and I stood silently as Stephan left, slamming the door in the process.
Vivienne held back her small sob. “Archer. I’m so sorry.”
My jaw clenched slightly as I nodded my head. I ran my hand through my hair, trying to steady myself.
“I’m going to stay in my penthouse for a while,” I muttered, and my father ran his hands down his face as Vivienne grabbed my hand. Even her warm embrace wasn’t enough to soothe me.
“Let me know when you get in safely,” my father said, and I nodded as I squeezed Vivienne’s hand one last time before I made my way to the door silently.