Chapter 57
As Archer walked away to talk to Cole, unease crept through me. He approached Cole with a determined look on his face, his jaw tight. Their history was complicated, but Archer looked angry. Cole had moved out, but I thought they were still friends.
More people approached the booth and wanted to know what was going on. I jumped right into my usual spiel about the project, trying to focus on the positive impact of the library and how sad it would be to lose the benefits to the community. As I spoke passionately about our mission, I could sense the curiosity and interest of the listeners. It felt empowering to know that our cause resonated with so many people.
However, my mind kept wandering back to Archer and Cole. I stole glances in their direction whenever I could, trying to gauge the situation without being too obvious. Eventually, they moved away and I couldn’t see them.
Lauren and Rylee were talking to a few people as well. I felt like I had talked to a million folks already. Everyone was thrilled with the event. Some suggested that we should make it an annual tradition. I didn’t know how that was going to work if the library was sold.
Karen was standing next to me when the last group walked away. “That would be a really good idea,” Karen said. “Making this a yearly event.”
“A fundraiser for a library that doesn’t exist?”
“No, not that,” she said. “It could be a community outreach thing. Maybe you could give away some books.”
Karen’s idea sparked hope in me. Maybe there was a way to keep the spirit of the library alive even if we lost the physical building. “That’s not a bad idea,” I said. “I like it.”
“We’ll see how it goes,” Karen said. “We’re not giving up the library just yet.”
“No, we aren’t, even if I don’t get to work at it. But there’s something more pressing.”
“What?”
“Can you guys watch the booth and guard that donation box with your lives? I have to pee.”
“Go,” Karen said. “We’ve got this, right, ladies?”
“Got it,” Rylee called out.
“You should go and mingle with the vendors and guests,” Karen said. “Not everyone here is going to come by the booth. Get out there and spread the word.”
I groaned. “You guys, I’m not good at that kind of thing.”
“You’ll do fine,” Rylee said. “Just speak nerd to them. You’ve already been doing it.”
I rolled my eyes and walked away. They were right. It was important for me to be visible and accessible to everyone in attendance. I quickly made my way to the line for the ladies’ room. There were several port-a-potties but I preferred an actual toilet.
“You’re the one that organized this,” a woman said.
I smiled. “My boyfriend and I did.”
“Why are they tearing down the library?”
“There is a developer that wants to put up an apartment building,” I told her. “A big one with luxury apartments.”
“In this neighborhood?” she asked. “Why? This isn’t a swanky neighborhood.”
I shrugged. “I think they’re trying to gentrify the area. Raise property values, push out the locals, turn everything into rental properties.”
“Typical rich jerks, trying to squeeze every last penny out of regular folks,” she said. “What can I do to help?”
“Spread the word, sign petitions, attend city council meetings. We need all the support we can get.”
“I’ll do what I can,” she promised as we reached the front of the line.
After using the restroom, I made my way back to our booth. As I approached, I noticed Archer and Cole standing off to the side, deep in conversation. I could tell by Archer’s stance he wasn’t happy. Cole had a smug expression on his face. Something felt off. I started to make my way to where they stood in what looked like a face-off. Cole was saying something, his lips twisted into a sneer. I quickened my pace, determined to intervene before things escalated any further.
Just as I reached them, Archer pressed a finger to Cole’s chest, his words sharp and cutting. “Get the hell out of here,” he spat, his tone leaving no room for argument.
I froze in place, my breath catching in my throat. Archer had never sounded so menacing. He didn’t seem to notice my presence, his attention fully focused on Cole, who stood before him with a defiant glint in his eyes. I didn’t think either of them saw anything around them. They were sizing each other up like a couple of wild animals preparing for a fight. The tension crackled between them. I was afraid to move. I didn’t want to set them off.
But before I could step in and defuse the situation, Cole let out a low, mocking chuckle that made my skin crawl. “Or what, Archer? You’ll hit me?” he taunted, his voice dripping with disdain.
Archer’s jaw clenched tightly, his fists balling up at his sides. “You know I won’t, but don’t push me,” he warned through gritted teeth.
“You’re the same desperate kid you were back in the cell,” Cole sneered. “Just because you’re on the outside now with your rich family and flashy shit doesn’t change that. You never would have gotten by without me. You should show some fucking gratitude.”
Archer fought to keep his composure. “And you should show some respect for the kids and families here,” he retorted, his voice cold and controlled. “Don’t bring your shit here. This isn’t the prison yard. We’ll deal with this later.”
Cole glanced over and saw me. He muttered something under his breath before walking away.
Archer turned around and spotted me. Anger simmered beneath the surface, his features drawn tight with frustration and resentment.
I felt a pang of sympathy for him. Whatever history he and Cole shared, it was clear that it wasn’t a healthy friendship. I knew there were demons lurking in his past that he was still struggling to overcome. I had done my best not to push the man. He told me about Samantha and how he ended up in prison. I was sure there was a lot of stuff that happened while he was locked up. The kind of things he probably wouldn’t want to talk to me about.
“Are you okay?” I asked softly.
“I’m fine,” he said.
“What was that all about?”
He let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping with exhaustion. “It’s nothing,” he muttered. “Just an old ghost from my past. It’s not a big deal. It’s over.”
I could see the turmoil raging within him. “You can talk to me,” I told him. “I’ll listen. No judgment.”
“I’m good,” he said. “I’m going to get something to drink. Want anything?”
He started to walk away, but I wasn’t going to let him carry this on his own. I caught his arm before he could get too far. “Hey, I’m here,” I said. “We’re together, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then we tell each other things,” I said softly. “You lean on me. I lean on you. All of this is your way of helping me. Let me help you. Talk to me, Archer. You’re not alone. You’re not behind bars. You can trust me.”
His sigh spoke volumes. I could hear the resignation in his voice. “He needs cash,” he muttered, his voice heavy with surrender.
My brow furrowed in confusion. “Okay, and you have cash,” I pointed out, my mind racing to understand the problem. As far as I knew, Archer was very wealthy and had been helping Cole out. So why was this an issue? Maybe Cole wanted a lot of money.
“It’s complicated,” he replied cryptically, his words leaving me with more questions than answers.
“I can handle complicated.”
He shook his head. I could sense that he was holding something back. Didn’t he trust me? Did I trust him?
A feeling of unease settled in the pit of my stomach. We couldn’t have a good relationship if he couldn’t tell me what was going on. But maybe it wasn’t any of my business. Before I could press him further, we were interrupted by a couple I knew from the library. They had two little kids that I was very fond of.
“Mary Ellen, do you want to get a unicorn on your face?” the little girl asked hopefully.
“Go,” Archer said quietly. “I’ll be at the booth.”
“Okay.”
The little girl took my hand and led me toward the face-painting booth. Before I knew it, the simple unicorn I was thinking I would get turned into a very elaborate butterfly on the side of my face.
“It’s so pretty,” Cali cooed.
She was sitting next to me getting a butterfly on her cheek as well. “I like yours,” I said.
“We’re going to match.”
“Yes we are.” I smiled. “Are you having fun so far?”
“Yes! My mom said they are tearing down our library. How come? They don’t like it? Or are they mean?”
I glanced at the innocent face of the little girl, her eyes wide with curiosity and concern. How could I explain the complexities of the situation to her? The library held a special place in all our hearts, but it seemed that progress had deemed it necessary to make way for something new.
“Well, sometimes things have to change to make room for something better,” I began, choosing my words carefully. “It doesn’t mean they don’t like it or that they’re mean. It just means that they want to build something new and different. So they can make more money than they already have.”
Cali pondered my words for a moment before nodding thoughtfully. “But we don’t want them to take the library.”
“No, we don’t.” I smiled. “Maybe they won’t. Maybe they will. No matter what, you have to keep reading and getting smarter. There are other libraries. I hope your mom will be able to take you to visit them.”
She let out an audible sigh. “I like our library.”
I smiled. “Me too.”
Cali’s mom came by to get her daughter and I returned to my booth. Archer was standing just outside the booth like a sentry while Lauren and Karen talked to some people about the library and what was going on. Before, he had been relaxed and happy. Now he stood with his arms crossed and his eyes constantly darting toward the parking lot. Something was definitely amiss, and I was determined to get to the bottom of it.
As soon as I had a moment alone, I made my way back to Archer’s side, my expression determined.
“Hey.” I smiled and slid my arm around his waist. “How’s it going?”
“Good. Nice butterfly.”
I laughed. “I thought I wanted a unicorn, but I was convinced butterflies were the way to go.”
“I like it,” he said with a half-smile.
“Is everything okay?”
He nodded. “It’s good. I think it might be a good idea to switch out donation boxes. The first one is full and I don’t want to risk it getting stolen.”
I nodded in understanding, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to it than just a simple switch of donation boxes. Archer’s demeanor had shifted, and his usual openness with me was gone. He was guarded, clearly worried about something. His eyes scanned the surroundings with a vigilance that seemed out of place for a simple charity event.
As he carefully locked the full donation box and replaced it with an empty one, I decided to push a little further. “Archer, you know you can tell me anything, right?” I said softly.
Archer paused for a moment, his eyes meeting mine. “I know. It’s fine.”