Unintended Consequences

Chapter 14

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"Archer?" I asked as I pulled the door open partially to peak out. He stood in the hallway with his fist still raised, ready to bang it against the door. When he saw me his face broke into a slow grin as he slumped forward against the doorframe. His chest invaded my space and I had to pull back slightly to look up at his face.

"Hey," he said with a smile I had never seen on Archer before. His 'smile' was normally more smirk or snark than true happiness. But this was different. As I inspected his face closer I noticed his pupils were large, and the tension that normally resided in his jaw had left.

"Archer... are you drunk?" I asked hesitantly.

"Whaaaaat? Me? No way," he said with another smile. It reminded me of the smiles Oliver gave me when he had a secret he wouldn't share.

"Mhm. Sure. So, what are you doing here?"

"Well, aren't you going to invite me in?" I hesitated for a moment. Was I? Curiosity about what he wanted flooded my mind, but he was drunk and not acting like himself. I stared into his eyes for a moment, as if I could find my answers there. He gazed back at me with both eyebrows raised, waiting for my answer. Just as I took a shaky breath to answer, he slowly stuck out his lower lip into a pout and I burst into laughter.

"Okay come in," I chuckled with a shake of my head as I pulled the door open wider. He strode past me confidently with a proud smile as though he had just won an award. The door to my bedroom was still open, and he bee-lined it right in there with me trailing after him.

When I walked through the door I stopped as he flopped down on my bed and tried to get comfortable against the headboard. In contrast to his size, my room looked like it was meant for a doll. Even sitting up, his feet almost reached the end of my bed and if he reached his arm out I think he'd be able to touch my closet.

"Your bed is too small," he whined as he shifted his bum around.

"No, you're just too big," I rolled my eyes from my spot at the door. My voice pulled his attention back to me and his eyes darkened as he dropped his gaze down my body. Why was he angry? Looking down I realized that I was wearing his hoodie still.

"Oh shoot. Archer I-I'm sorry. I should have given this b-back..." I stuttered as I crossed the room to stand in front of the bed.

"No!" he said somewhat aggressively making my eyebrows snap up. "I mean... keep it. I never wear it anyways."

"But isn't this your team hoodie?" I asked as I tilted my head.

"Yeah, I don't need to advertise that I know those fucks," he said dramatically as he dropped his head back, extending his strong chin to the roof. My brain went fuzzy for a moment as my gaze locked on his jawline. It was impressively sharp, making my mouth water as I gulped.

Glancing back at me, Archer reached out and grabbed my hand to pull me down. There wasn't much room but I managed to tuck my bum on the edge so I could sit facing him. Nerves prickled my skin as I tried to make myself comfortable. This was entirely new territory for me. Having a man in my bed—especially Archer—at such close quarters was intoxicating.

"So... why are you here again?" I asked softly as I tried to hold onto my composure. He let out a sigh as he stared at our hands that were still intertwined. Bringing his other hand over, he fiddled with my fingers as though he was nervous. Concern outweighed anxiety as I asked, "Archer? Are you okay?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah... no, I'm good. I just..." he ended his sentence with a groan as he dropped his forehead on my shoulder. I froze not knowing what to do with this new Archer. "Please don't make me say it, Sweetheart," he mumbled against my shoulder. Oh Lord... there is that name again... He called me that when I broke down after his football game. It had melted my heart then—much like it was doing now. Though it felt more intentional now, less like a slip of the tongue.