19. Archie
Archie
T he smile quickly fades as I make my way to the back patio. By the time I sit facing the ocean, I’m numb, wondering what to do next. I don’t see any way around doing what Dad wants unless I’m willing to give up everything he provides and, possibly, what I’ve earned myself.
He holds all the cards, and he’s willing to cut me off, same as he did Frankie and Piper.
Even though I’m the loyal one.
Even though I’m the one who’s worked to preserve our relationship.
I’m staring at the waves when I hear Dex and Britta at the front door. If this is our last night together, I won’t spend it burdening them with my problems. Tonight is about the AFL match. It’s supposed to be a party. Tomorrow, I’ll decide what my next step is with Dad.
I meet them in the kitchen, where they’re setting four large paper bags from Kenzo on the counter. Britta’s cousin, Stella, follows behind with another bag.
“Good to see you again, Stella.” I give her a hug. I met her last summer. Even though she’s just moved permanently to LA, I haven’t seen her since.
“You too, Arch. Did you order everything on the menu?” She holds up her bag and nods to the four Britta and Dex brought.
I shrug. “I wasn’t sure what everyone would want. Thanks for picking it up.”
“You should have let me buy,” Dex says, a bit out of sorts. “I wouldn’t have over-bought. Most of this will end up in the garbage.”
He’s got a point there,
Can I afford to drop a thousand dollars on sushi? I could when I ordered it, but that was before my conversation with Dad.
I’m not ready to confront that particular reality, so when Rhys comes in, wheeling an esky with enough drinks for a much bigger party, I help myself to a couple of them.
“Where’s Piper?” Britta asks. “She’s coming, right? I want her to meet Stella.”
“I need friends here who aren’t old married people.” Stella tilts her head and raises an accusing eyebrow at Britta and Dex.
At the mention of Piper, the urge to talk to her returns with surprising force. My eyes dart in the direction of the front door, as though I could will her to walk through it.
“Dunno where she is. Work I reckon.” I pop open my beer and take a gulp, hoping to cool the heat rushing through me before Britta or Stella notice the flush burning my cheeks.
I walk away and focus on stuffing my face with sushi and beer.
I tell myself it’s to keep from obsessing over the choices I have to make, but it’s thoughts of Piper that fuel every bite and sip.
When Frankie texts to say her flight is delayed until tomorrow, I invite a few more Aussie surfer friends over.
There’s plenty of sushi to go around and a bit more noise might keep my eyes from drifting to the front door, hoping to see Piper walk through it.
My plan fails. Every time someone shows up, and it’s not Piper, my disappointment grows.
When Piper finally comes through the front door, I’ve lost track of time, but the sun has set, and I’ve probably had one too many beers. She looks tired, but in a frustrated way, and I have the impulse to rush to her and ask what’s wrong.
I swing my feet to the floor, but the room tilts.
Dex’s nutritionist didn’t allow him any alcohol in training, so I got out of the habit of drinking more than a beer or two every once in a while.
That’s not the case tonight. As I make my way around the couch to where she is, I realize I’m a bit buzzed.
“Is Frankie here?” she asks when I reach her.
“Her flight got delayed until tomorrow afternoon.”
Her mouth pulls into a frown, urging me to fix it.
“Help yourself to some sushi and bevvys.” I wave my arm in the direction of the food and drinks.
Her nose wrinkles, and I have a vague memory of her not liking sushi.
“No, thanks. Raw fish…” she sticks out her tongue and shakes her head. I’m a bit chuffed that I remembered right. Maybe I know her better than I thought.
With one eye on the match and another on her, I grow uneasy as her eyes graze over the kitchen and her frown deepens at the island covered in open Styrofoam containers of sushi rolls, then the bin spilling over with bottles of Carlton Draught.
After the kitchen, her attention shifts to the family room where rowdy surfers in board shorts and not much else are sprawled across the big couch, shouting at the TV.
I grow more uneasy as Piper’s gaze lands on Rhys, and her face lights up. I wonder if she still has a crush on him. I’m not keen on the feeling of jealousy that follows that idea. Then her eyes land on me—I’m amongst the shirtless, board shorts crew—and there’s a question in them.
Rhys drags his eyes away from the TV long enough to yell over the game, “Good to see you again, Pepper!”
“It’s Piper, mate! Not Pepper!” I call back, a bit defensively.
Her face turns pink. Possibly from excitement over a huge rockstar saying hello to her. Or it could be embarrassment that he got her name wrong. Either way, she’s staring at Rhys, looking a bit ga-ga.
Dex gets up from the couch to greet her. “Hi, Piper! It’s been a while.” He throws his arm around her shoulder in a side hug. Britta and Stella come inside through the open back door.
“How was the coffee this morning? Sorry I had to run,” Britta says, wrapping Piper in a hug that Piper returns as if they’ve known each other for a lifetime.
Another wave of jealousy washes over me at how comfortable they are with each other. Pretty sure I’ve never hugged Piper in my life. Strange part is, I sort of want to now.
“The coffee was the best I’ve had, thank you so much.”
“You bet,” Britta says, then looks at me with an accusing look. “It’s the least I could do. Good coffee makes everything better.”
Piper laughs. “Facts.”
Britta introduces Stella to Piper, and she gets to hug Piper too, which seems even more unfair.
“Isn’t Frothed amazing? Did you love the vibe?” Stella asks.
“Loved it. I noticed a sign on my way out about helping to end homelessness…what’s that about?”
My attention is divided between the game and the conversation happening around me as Britta and Dex both explain how Frothed employs and trains people experiencing housing insecurity.
Stella joins in to tell Piper about the agencies that Frothed partners with to get people resources they need to stay off the streets.
Piper has lots of questions about how Britta got involved with the homeless community. I’m familiar with the story, but I’m more interested in Piper’s thoughts than the thirty-two men fighting over a football. Probably because my team is losing.
“Oy, mates!” Rhys yells over his shoulder toward us—the three women talking and me lurking on the other side of the island. “Take a seat and watch the match or go somewhere else to yap.” He slides over to create more room on the couch.
“We’ve talked about this behavior, Rhys,” Stella calls back. “Remember your manners. You’re not the most important person here.”
The room breaks out into laughter. All but Rhys, whose glare only makes us laugh harder. It’s not a teasing glare, and I’m reminded how he and Stella have never quite got on. She’s as unimpressed with his celebrity as most people are impressed by it, and she doesn’t hesitate to remind him.
“You want the seat next to the beast, Piper?” Stella teases, gesturing toward the empty place next to Rhys.
Without thinking, I step between Piper and the couch, blocking her way even though she’s made no move to sit next to Rhys. “Let me make you a plate of food. You’ll love this sushi. What’s your favorite? I reckon I ordered every roll.”
Even my muddled brain picks up on the surprise on Piper’s face. But, like an idiot, I grab a plate and begin loading it.
“I said I don’t like sushi. Remember?” she asks slowly.
“Oh, yeah.” I set down the plate.
Britta sends me a questioning look while Stella smirks, as if she knows what’s going on in my head. Which is bonkers, really, ’cause all I’m thinking is it’d be nice to chat with Piper too—if Britta and Stella would give her a second to breathe.
We didn’t really get to finish our conversation this morning, and a lot has happened since then. If Dad cut her off like she said he did, she’ll understand my predicament. She’s the only person here who’s been through the same thing. She’s got the experience to talk me through it.
I insert myself between Piper and Britta and tug Piper away from Britta. “Can we chat for a second?”
She ticks her head to the side with a question and studies me before nodding once. I lead her down the hallway toward the gym. We’re almost there when she asks, “Is this about the deed?”
“Not entirely.” I shake my head as we walk into the room, and I shut the door behind us. “I’ve been wondering about what you said this morning…about Dad. He didn’t pay for any of your college?”
Her brows knit together. With a sigh, she sits on a nearby weight bench. “I got no financial support. And because he monitored Mom’s spending, she wasn’t able to help me out, either.”
I rub at a knot on my neck. Now that I’ve got her alone, I’m not sure how to talk to her in a way that won’t prompt her to suit up for battle. “He told me you and Cynthia cost him tens of thousands of dollars every month.”
Piper responds with a long stare.
“I’m not saying I don’t believe you.” I put my hands up in surrender, so she knows I don’t want to fight. “I’m just trying to put all the pieces together, including why you’re so against my idea for your mum to get a cash settlement instead of this house.”
Piper grips the weight bench and takes a deep breath.
“I don’t know what Malcolm spent for Mom’s expenses, only that he paid bills and invoices, and didn’t give her money to use on her own.
As for me, I worked to pay my living expenses and took out student loans to pay for school.
” She points in the direction of the garage.
“The kind of money I owe could buy two of your Mercedes Sprinters.”