Chapter 19 #2
By lunch, I’m not hungry at all. The stress of managing Archie—who, to his credit, hasn’t done anything to distract my classes or trip me up—and the fear of getting questions I can’t answer have ruined my appetite.
But it’s clear Archie isn’t having it.
It’s possible he heard my stomach rumble because as I try to head to my office, he takes my arm and steers me toward the parking circle where Mellie’s truck is parked.
‘No,’ I try, but he fixes me with a hard stare. I sigh heavily. ‘I’m not hungry.’
‘I don’t like when you lie,’ he tells me with something in his eyes that tells me he’s actually bothered. ‘You need to take care of yourself. You’re still healing.’
I swallow heavily, then resign myself to following him over to the short line at Mellie’s window. He brightens when he sees me, waving with an enthusiasm he probably won’t keep once he realizes that Archie isn’t the man he envisioned me with.
Though, to be fair, Mellie has started softening on the idea of Deaf and hearing relationships now that he’s with Rhett and has softened about Thom and Dex being with our friends.
But he also comes from a generationally Deaf family, which means he will ask questions, and Archie probably won’t see a reason not to answer him honestly.
I yank on his arm as we queue up behind a couple of art students who are wearing smocks covered in paint. ‘Don’t tell Mellie about the stalker.’
Archie frowns. ‘Mellie?’
I gesture to the food truck. ‘He’s a friend, but I don’t want him to know.’
Archie blows out a puff of air, then nods. ‘Yes. Less people who know, less danger.’
Pragmatic of him, I suppose. And I appreciate that he’ll take the reason maybe not to lie directly, but to withhold the whole truth.
When I step up to the front of the line, Mellie cocks his head, a smirk on his face. ‘Who you?’ he asks Archie.
Archie just blinks at him and then says, ‘We fuck.’
I groan, putting my head in my hands, peering up at Mellie, who looks far too happy.
‘Really?’ he asks, his finger scrunching up and down.
‘Yes. Once, but will more soon.’
I sigh and then nudge Archie to the side. ‘Ignore that. Please.’
‘Never. Tell me details. How did you two meet?’
Archie peers over at me, and I give him a look, one that says See what you did? But he doesn’t quite get what I’m trying to convey and instead looks over at the menu.
‘We met at the graveyard,’ Archie answers, half his attention on the food options.
Mellie’s grin gets wider. ‘Which one?’
‘The Presbyterian one.’
Eyes wide, Mellie glances at me for a second, then looks back at Archie. ‘That’s a weird place to meet. Why there?’
I make a face but answer as honestly as I can without giving him any real details that might put him in danger. ‘We just ran into each other there.’
‘And then you started to fuck?’ He signs this low so the people behind us can’t see. If any of them are my students, I will die. ‘And why do you have a bruise on your neck?’
I touch the spot gingerly and then add, ‘We can discuss this more later.’
‘He’s not hurting you, right?’
‘No!’ I snap and then shake my head. ‘No. But there’s a line, and I don’t want any nosy students seeing what I’m going to say, so can we just order and discuss this over a beer sometime?’
He looks unsure, wanting to know everything right now, but eventually nods. ‘Yeah, fine. What you want?’
Archie lifts his hands. ‘Turkey, white bread. No mayo. Plain.’
Mellie arches his eyebrow, probably wondering why he’s ordering something so simple when the choices on the menu are abundant, but he says nothing and then turns his gaze to me.
‘Just give me the Chef Special.’
‘The Holy Melt?’
I let out a small laugh. ‘Yeah, whatever that is, I’ll take it.’
Mellie gives us a salute and then gets to work, waving me off when I attempt to pay. Archie stares at me long and hard after that.
‘Why don’t you have to pay? Have you two fucked?’
I roll my eyes. ‘No. Never. Not interested. Despite what you may think of me, I don’t go around fucking everyone. We’re just friends.’
‘I don’t think you fuck everyone. I think you’re pretty, and it wouldn’t surprise me if you’ve had relationships with other pretty people.’
That makes my heart pitter-patter. ‘Thank you, but I prefer to keep that pretty person as my friend. And plus, he owes me. One time when I was in the Bay Area, I found a large wheel of cheese and brought it home for him. Do you know how much I had to pay for an overweight bag to get that home on a plane?’
‘What kind?’
‘Parmesan.’
He shudders. ‘I don’t like Parmesan.’
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like all kinds of cheese, but then again, Archie is different, and I like his kind of different. Even when he tells Mellie about how we’re fucking. I could go forever without that nosy bitch knowing that about me.
I turn a little, blocking everyone out, and lower my hands. ‘Next time, please keep our…personal life personal.’
He blinks at me and then nods. ‘Okay. Are you upset with me?’
I shake my head and step a little closer to him. Not too close, but enough that I can smell the clean scent of him and feel the warmth coming off his skin. ‘No, I’m not mad. I’m actually really glad you’re here.’
His eyes soften, and his fingers brush my waist. ‘Same.’
‘I feel safe.’
‘I know.’
Mellie waves at us a moment later, and our sandwiches come out in small disposable baskets. He slides them across the counter and then points to the drink menu.
‘Want?’
I shake my head. ‘I have water.’
Archie stares at the menu and then back at Mellie. ‘Iced tea. Plain.’
Mellie salutes him, and a moment later, a glass bottle appears. Archie nods his thanks and then grabs the baskets, stalking away toward an empty bench. I’m left to follow, leaving Mellie with his customers. I’m glad he’s doing well here and that he’s found his place.
I can’t wait to find mine and to really feel like I belong. And I can only hope that when I do, it’s with Archie still at my side.