Chapter Thirteen #2
Archer and Jude are standing in the middle of the Quad, arguing, their voices raised.
Noah’s a few feet away, watching them, obviously unsure whether to intercede.
Leon has just come out of the office building, and he stops and stares at the unusual commotion.
Hal and Izzy are on their way back from the car park, and they slow and pause on their way past. Fitz is painting a fence, and he straightens and lowers his brush, watching the scene.
“I can’t believe you,” Jude yells to Archer, moving closer to him. “I think of you like a brother!”
Ohhh… shit.
Archer doesn’t move. He’s holding his hands out to the sides as if to show—who, Jude? Everyone watching?—that he’s not being threatening. “I know,” he says.
Jude’s chest heaves with ragged breaths. “How could you do this to me?”
“It’s not about you,” Archer says calmly.
Jude’s eyes flare. “What do you mean it’s not about me? Who the fuck else would it be about?”
“You’d broken up with her, remember?”
Jude looks aghast. “Yeah, for, like, an hour! Jesus, you move fast!”
“It wasn’t like that.” Archer’s trying to stay calm, but I can see he’s getting angry. He’s embarrassed that Jude wants to air their dirty laundry in public.
Jude is obviously past the point of caring, though. “Tell me what it was like, then,” he demands. Despite being about three inches shorter than Archer, he’s right up in his face. “Explain to me exactly how you can end up in bed with your best mate’s girl on the same evening that they break up.”
My face burns as the others in the square glance at me, eyebrows rising. Archer must be able to see me because I’m right in his eyeline, but he doesn’t look over. He keeps his gaze fixed on Jude.
“I don’t need to explain anything to you,” he states. “She’s not an object. She doesn’t belong to you. You don’t own her.”
Stefan grumbles deep in his throat and walks closer to them. “Guys,” he says, “come on, let’s not do this now…”
“Stay out of this,” Jude snaps at him. He looks back at Archer and yells, “She’s my girl!”
“Not anymore,” Archer says.
My hand rises to cover my mouth. Archer glances at me then.
For some reason, I’m shocked that he doesn’t look guilty or regretful.
He holds my gaze for a count of five, and the look in his eyes gives me goosebumps.
He’s not a loud man, or an aggressive one.
He avoids confrontation, and he’s a peacemaker, if anything.
But that look says one thing: You’re mine.
Jude glances over his shoulder and sees me, and I inhale as he turns and marches across the Quad to me. “How could you?” he says as he nears me. He looks really upset. “With Archer, of all people.”
“I’m sorry.” The words are out before I can stop them, and I wince. I don’t need to apologize to him. “Who told you?”
“You were seen in The Driftwood,” he snaps. “Going home with him.”
“I told you I spent the night at his house,” I remind him defensively.
But he says, “They said you were sitting close together. That you were all over each other. And I knew there was something odd about the atmosphere when I turned up the next morning, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
It never entered my head that my best mate might have fucked my girl behind my back.
” He yells the last bit, turning to glare at Archer.
“Jude!” I’m embarrassed and shocked. “Stop this, right now. Archer’s right—you and I had broken up, and what happened after that is none of your business.”
He turns his laser glare back to me, and hurt fills his eyes. “Don’t you get that it doesn’t matter? It was the same fucking day. Obviously the two of you had feelings for each other, or it would never have happened.”
“I’m not going to argue with you about this.” I’m trembling. Arguing with Jude is pointless. He never backs down, and he never admits he’s wrong until much later. This will just escalate and spiral, and I know the only answer is to walk away.
As I turn, though, he grabs me by the shoulder, spins me back, and holds my upper arm. “Don’t walk away from me.”
“Don’t touch me!” I try to yank my arm away, but he’s holding me firmly.
I lift my arm and try to twist it out of his grip, but it’s painfully tight.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Leon and the other guys frown and start heading for us.
I wince. “You’re hurting me!” His fingers are going to leave bruises.
He yanks me toward him, so his face is near mine, and fear flares inside me. “I feel like you’ve stabbed me in the fucking heart,” he whispers, his face full of pain.
“Get off her.” Archer appears beside us and grabs his arm.
Jude releases me, suddenly enough that I lose my balance. I stumble back, trip on something, and fall onto my butt.
Archer growls and propels him a few feet away, but Jude fights back, putting both hands on Archer’s chest and pushing him.
To my surprise, instead of backing off, Archer moves forward and shoves him back, hard.
Infuriated, Jude comes for him. As he does, Archer draws back his hand and gives him a right hook to his chin, and Jude falls to the floor.
“Jesus.” Leon, Hal, and Stefan rush over to separate them, and the Quad is filled with raised voices.
Izzy and Noah run to me and help me up. I’m shaking so hard, I can barely stand, tearful and upset.
“Thanks, Izzy,” Noah says. He smiles at me. “Come on, Beth. Let’s go back to my house and I’ll make you a cup of coffee.”
He places a hand in the middle of my back, and I don’t argue as he leads me around the side of the building. As he goes, he gestures something to Leon, but I don’t see what. I concentrate on walking without falling over, still trembling.
“It’s not far,” Noah says in his calm, gentle voice.
I start crying, though, unable to hold the tears in.
“All right, it’s going to be okay.” He leaves his hand in the middle of my back, gently guiding.
We walk like that past the paddock, with Hector the horse looking over the gate at us, and along the path to where Noah’s house sits on the top of the cliff. He opens the front door, and I bend to say hello to his two German Shepherds, Willow, and Spike, who’s in a doggie wheelchair.
“Hey,” he says as his wife, Abby, walks up. “Beth’s had a shock, and she’s a bit upset.”
“Oh no…” Abby puts her arms around me, and I start crying for real. “Ahhh, come here sweetie.” She leads me into the living room and sits beside me on the sofa.
“I’ll make a coffee,” Noah says, and goes into the kitchen.
Abby hands me a tissue from the box on the coffee table, and I sob into it for a few minutes.
I feel overwhelmingly sad and upset at the thought of Jude and Archer arguing, and how upset Jude was.
I can’t believe Archer hit him. Later, the guilt is going to descend big time, and I know he’s going to regret that.
“Here you go.” Noah puts a tray with two cups of coffee on the table and a plate of homemade cookies, then perches on the edge of the armchair opposite.
“So what happened?” Abby asks as I dry my eyes. “Will you tell me?”
I blow my nose. “Archer and Jude had a fight.”
Her eyebrows shoot up. “Oh my God, why?”
I put my face in my hands. “Jude and I had an argument on Valentine’s Day and broke up.
I was upset and went for a drink in The Driftwood.
Archer found me there, and I ended up going back to his place because I didn’t want to go home.
And one thing led to another, and…” I lower my hands, my brows drawing together.
“Oh,” she says. She exchanges glances with Noah, then looks at me. “I’m not surprised,” she says. “Archer is kinda gorgeous.”
That makes me give a reluctant laugh. Noah shoots her a wry glare. “I don’t know that that was the appropriate response,” he scolds.
Abby shrugs. “I’m not going to criticize a woman for finding comfort after a breakup.”
His lips twist, and I remember that it mirrors their situation, as she left her husband and moved in with Noah, although I think it took a little longer than an hour for them to end up in bed.
“Oh God.” I cover my face again. “What have I done?”
“You haven’t done anything,” Abby says firmly. “The guys should be ashamed of themselves for settling their difference with their fists, but boys will be boys.” She giggles. “I’m not surprised at Jude, but I am at Archer. He’s such a nice boy.”
I laugh again, wiping beneath my eyes. “He is. He leapt to my defense.”
“I’m assuming that Jude was hoping for a reconciliation?” Noah asks.
I nod. “I guess he’s changed his mind now.”
Abby rubs my back. “Were you thinking about getting back with him?”
I shake my head. “It was over anyway. I was planning to tell him tonight.”
“I’m very sorry,” Noah says softly. “You’ve been together a long time, haven’t you?”
“Yeah. Two-and-a-half years.” I sigh. “If I’m honest, though, I think it’s been going wrong for some time. It’s like doing a jigsaw puzzle up close. Sometimes you don’t see the whole picture until you move back, you know?”
Abby nods. “Oh yeah.”
I rub my nose. “He doesn’t want kids. And I do.”
“Ohhh…” Abby sighs. “That’s a big hurdle.”
“An insurmountable one, really. I mean, I don’t want to force him to have children if he doesn’t want them. And I don’t think he should ask me to go without them.”
“No, of course not.”
“We’re incompatible. I wish I’d realized before now, that’s all. I feel as if I’ve wasted all that time, especially when…” I trail off.
Abby tips her head to the side. “When you could have been with someone else?”
I frown. “Maybe. I didn’t know that Archer felt that way about me, though.”
“I did,” Noah says. “He doesn’t take his eyes off you when you’re in the room.”
My face turns volcanic. “Oh…”
“So you and Jude are over,” Abby says. “Have you moved out already?”
“Well, I’m staying with my sister right now.” I pull a face. “I need to find myself somewhere else, even if it’s only temporary.” I blow out a breath. “There’s just so much to sort out. The house, all my belongings, finding somewhere else to live, as well as all the emotional stuff.”
“Do you have anywhere lined up?” Noah asks.
“No, not yet. I haven’t even started looking.”
He looks at Abby, and she nods and says, “Well, we have the cottage if you need somewhere to stay.”
I stare at them. “Oh! Really?”
“Yeah,” Noah says, “we had it built last year. Mainly for guests—we have family in other parts of the country who come up from time to time.”
Abby smiles. “It’s small but it has a lovely view.”
I swallow hard. “Oh, that would be amazing. I swear I’ll look for somewhere else long term. I just need a place for a week or two.”
“You can use it for as long as you need,” Noah says gently.
My eyes fill with tears at their generosity. “Thank you so much.”
“We’re a family here, right?”
I sniff and nod. “It’s such a nice place to work.”
“I’m glad you think so.” He checks his watch. “Look, I’m going to head over to the Ark. I’m supposed to be meeting the guys to talk about staffing.” He looks at me. “I know Archer’s offered you a job. Do you think it would make things easier for you to move to PAWS now rather than stay at the Ark?”
“You mean because of proximity to Jude?” I hesitate. “I don’t know how Archer would feel about that after what’s happened.” I fight not to let the tears fall
“Why don’t you let me talk to him and Stefan,” Noah says. “We’ll work something out, don’t worry. Have the rest of the day off, too. Take some time to get yourself together.”
I can only nod my thanks. “Sorry,” I squeak, and give a half laugh as I rub my nose.
“It’s okay,” he says. “You’re going through some big changes. Be kind to yourself.” He gets to his feet. “Abby can show you the cottage and make arrangements for you to move in. But you know where I am, and my number if you need anything.”
“Thank you,” I say with feeling.
“No worries.” He rests his hand on my shoulder as he passes, then heads out of the door.
I pick up my coffee and sip it, then give Abby a wan smile. “Thank you so much for this. Noah’s so kind.”
“He sees himself as the father of the family,” she says.
“Even though he’s only a few years older than Leon and his cousins.
He likes everyone to know they can come to him for support.
” She gestures at the plate of biscuits.
“Go on, help yourself. I made them this morning, and they’re not bad, if I say so myself. ”
I take one and nibble it, looking out at the view. Beyond the big garden, the Pacific sparkles in the sunshine. It’s the same color as Archer’s eyes.
The thought takes my breath away as I remember the way he looked at me as if to say, You’re mine. I thought that if Jude found out about what happened, Archer would immediately say he was sorry and be wracked by guilt. I’m sure that will come.
She’s my girl!
Not anymore.
Archer’s words fill me with a warmth I can’t ignore. But I know what’s happened has driven a huge wedge between him and Jude, and Archer is such an honorable guy that I don’t know how it will affect his feelings for me. He might not want me at PAWS. And Jude won’t want me at the Ark.
I sit there in the peace and quiet, sipping my coffee and fighting tears, and hoping I haven’t ruined everything.