How to Stay Afloat

~21: Where She Defends Him~

CHAPTER 21:

Where She Defends Him

~~**~~

T.W: Mention of s*icide

I sighed when I checked the price tag on the bag of cat food. I put three bags in my cart knowing damn well that Spartacus would go through them in less than a week and I'd have to get more. I loved that cat to death but keeping a cat his size was so freaking expensive. Almost all of my savings were spent entirely on him at this point.

After paying for the cat food and a couple of other essentials at the counter I made my way outside, the grocery bags clutched in my hands. My apartment was within walking distance from here so thankfully I wouldn't have to take the overcrowded bus.

I'd only walked a few paces when a familiar voice called out making me freeze in my tracks.

"Fallon." His voice called my name again. My breath hitched.

Archer Hastings stood a couple of feet away. He was wearing one of his signature hoodies, the hood drawn over his head and his hands shoved deep into its pockets.

His eyes were tormented when they met mine.

We hadn't spoken since Colton's party. Which had been exactly a week ago. I'd done my best to ignore him in school and I'd been avoiding his calls and texts.

I swallowed.

I was still mad at him for how he'd behaved.

I started walking past him without saying anything but he grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"Fallon please." He murmured, "This entire week has been torture." His eyes searched my face. My mouth suddenly felt dry. "Please just give me five minutes." He said pleadingly.

My eyes trained on his fingers that were still wrapped around my upper arm.

"Okay," I whispered.

~~**~~

I sat on one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs placed in front of the colorful food truck. Archer came up with two large bowls of noodles. He set both of them down on the table and took the chair across from mine. I wrapped my chilled hands around to bowl to warm them.

Archer stared down at his bowl, not looking at me. He stirred his noodles with the disposable wooden chopsticks they came with.

For a moment we didn't say anything, we just sat there in silence.

He finally raised his eyes to meet mine.

"I'm sorry." He said finally.

I could feel myself soften when I saw the vulnerability behind his gaze.

He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry." He said again. "I shouldn't have treated you that way at the party. You didn't deserve that."

"Why did you?" I asked, my voice soft.

He ran a hand through his hair. "I was jealous and I was insecure." He turned his eyes away from me. "But those were my feelings and I had no right to take them out on you. This isn't a pissing contest and you aren't some shiny trophy that can be won."

I smiled, suddenly feeling incredibly warm inside despite the biting chill of the December air.

"Archer I-" I started to speak but an unfamiliar male voice cut me off.

"Hey, you look familiar, do I know you from somewhere?"

I froze assuming that it was someone who knew about my parents and the plane crash, or one of those nasty reporters but when I turned to look at the man who'd spoken I was surprised to find him looking at Archer instead of me.