Chapter 58
I’m brought back to reality when movement to my right breaks me from my trance. Archer, who is sitting across from me at the stone table, is smirking while chewing a bite of his lunch.
“Got something on your mind Liv?” He asks as his brows jump up for a second. He slowly licks his lips and continues to stare at me, a grin playing on his lips. His head drops and stares at me from underneath his lashes.
My thighs clench as I realize I was staring at him, again. I can’t help it. I can’t stop thinking about a few days ago in his room. I’ve thought about it from sun up to sun down, every single day.
Silas chuckles beside me and stabs his fork into his food.
I cross my arms and sigh. “Shut up.” I mumble.
As I’m about to get back to my lunch two more people join our table. I look over and lose my appetite immediately. Rafe is sitting down and he’s brought Maddison along.
Silas and Archer share a look.
“Uhm…hi?” Silas says, looking at Maddison like the sea monster she is.
My stomach turns as I watch her cuddle up next to Rafe linking her arm with his.
“We knew you were drunk but you’ve got to have sobered up by now right?” Silas asks, looking at Rafe with what’s supposed to be concern but looks more like disgust.
“Shut up dude.” Rafe mumbles at him without looking away from his food.
“Aw, are you mad?” My gaze swings to Madison. She’s grinning at me like a damn hyena.
“Mad?” I question.
Her free hand glides over Rafe's chest and then back to grip his bicep. “Yeah. Since he’s mine now?”
I crease my brows and squint at her in confusion. “Why would I be mad about that?”
“Well, I’m sure you wanted to complete the set but now you can only have two out of three.” Her smile is wicked now, she knows exactly what she’s doing. “You do know they only agree to share you so they get what they want?”
“Maddison..”
“Hush.” Maddison cuts Rafe off.
My pulse is racing and I'm fighting the urge to cry. Because she's right. Why would they want to share?
“If they really cared they wouldn’t share you. They’d fight to win you.” She rests her head-on Rafe's shoulder and her expression turns into the most innocent thing I've ever seen. “That’s why you’re mad. Because it’s just me and Rafe.”
I push up from the table aggressively, ready to tell her something, anything but I just can’t. So I turn and leave. I can hear arguing behind me but I don’t care, I just want to go.
I’m in my room sitting against my headboard with my knees to my chest. My eyes hurt, my head is pounding and I think I went through every tissue in the entire house. Maddison is cruel but she’s right. I was mad that Rafe picked her. He hates her and he still picked her.
Then my mind wanders to what else she said. I sigh. Of course they both want me. I’ve made myself completely available to both of them. I rub my eyes with the palm of my hands. I truly couldn’t cry anymore even if I wanted to and trust me, I want to.
A noise outside on my balcony pulls my attention. I crawl to the end of my bed and peek outside to see Archer struggling with his hoodie that’s gotten caught on the edge of the lattice attached to one side of the stone railing.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
His head snaps up and one edge of his mouth picks up. “Well, I was trying to come comfort you but this piece of wood is holding me hostage.” He yanks his hoodie once more and finally pulls it free. He turns and walks inside and sits on the edge of my bed.
I lean back against the headboard and stare at him.
He reaches out and brushes a thumb gently across my cheek. He sighs and looks at me like his whole world is crumbling.
“You know what she said is not true.” He says.
I just shrug and pull my knees back to my chest and hug them tightly.
“Well, it’s not. That’s me telling you it’s not.” His hand drops to my arm and he strokes it lightly. “We’re willing to share because it fits the things we like. We also share so you don’t have to choose. And because sharing you is better than not having you at all.”
I examine his face quietly. They did this so I didn’t have to choose. I smirk and try to hide a laugh.
“What?” He asks, a smile playing on his lips.
“It fits the things you like.” I say.
“Oh it definitely does.” He responds, a little heat in his voice.
My smile fades. “That’s not all that’s bothering me.” I tell him. He questions me with his expression.
“At the party. I gave Rafe a gift. He wasn’t happy about it.” I can feel the pressure in my throat again. The memory of his words bringing back the stinging in my eyes.
“Yeah, you mentioned that the other night.” Archer says.
I take a shaky breath and exhale slowly. “He said having his two best friends wasn’t enough for me. That I was trying to convince him to be with me too. And…” My words trail off, my lip wobbles and a few tears fall.
“And..?” Archer pushes.
“He asked what made me think he would want me?” The words come out rushed and strangled as the tears fall heavily again.
I expect Archer to reach for me, comfort me but after a moment he doesn’t.
I calm myself so I can look at him. He’s furious.
His eyes dark, the pulse in his neck jumping.
Then he slowly closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
“Just because he said that doesn't mean he meant it.” He says, running a hand through his hair.
“Well, after that is when he got with Maddison. So, maybe he did mean it.” I say as I wipe my cheeks. I shake my head. “Who cares anyway.”