Her eyes

Chapter 29

When Archer came back he was holding a heating pad, some chocolates, medicine and a water bottle. He urged me to swallow both pills informing me that they weren't dangerous to take together.

My throat burned with emotion, I was usually more receptive to a good crying session when I was on my period, but I suspected this was mostly because he was being so sweet and kind to me. Growing up as I had, resulted in me not being used to kindness and on the off chance that I did receive some, I always got emotional.

When I had taken everything he had ordered me to, he laid down beside me, because I was a needy person when my hormones were out of whack, I instantly settled my head on his chest my forehead against his strong neck and he embraced me rubbing my back soothingly. I could hear his heart beating in his chest and I wanted to thank it for it's work in keeping him here, with me.

We didn't speak for a while, and my mind drifted. I think I had more than just a crush on Archer. If any girl could build her perfect man, he was it. He was everything I had ever wanted, maybe I'd never had a crush or any type of romantic feelings towards anyone, because this is what I had been waiting for all along.

I was falling in love with him, and he wasn't helping with being so good to me. I was however very scared that if my feelings continued, I would ruin everything. And what if he didn't feel the same way? Our whole friendship would go down the drain, all because I couldn't keep myself in check.

My thoughts were cut of from a strong cramp that radiated down to my legs, I inhaled sharply and wishing for the pain killers to kick in. Archer startled, " Layla? What's wrong?" He asked panicked.

"N-nothing it was just a cramp, it'll be over soon." I turned my face more towards his neck and breathed in his scent, it calmed me a little and gave me something else to focus on.

"What can I do for you? Tell me what to do?" He urged still worried, he was rubbing my lower back  now and applied more pressure, it felt so good I let out an involuntary moan that made Archer freeze.

"That feels so good, please don't stop." I sighed my eyelids starting to grow heavy, hopefully if I fell asleep I would wake up feeling a little better.

"Like this?" He asked continuing in the same pattern he had before.

"Yes." I gave my confirmation half asleep.

                                         •••

When I woke up for the second time that day, Archer was still beside me rubbing my back just as he had before. I felt much better now but I could feel the need for another painkiller kicking in.

"Morning, again." Archer said lowly as if he was still trying not to disturb me.

"Morning, have you been rubbing my back all this time?" I asked bemused.

"Yeah, you said it felt good." He said now also confused.

"You didn't have to, you could've stopped when I fell asleep." I replied looking at his shadowed face in the semi darkness.

"I didn't mind, do you feel better now?" He still hadn't stopped running his hands over my back.

"Yeah, much. Thank you." He kissed my temple and my stomach did a somersault.

"Come on, I've grown an appetite from rubbing your back all day." He laughed jumping out of bed.

"What time is it?" I asked for the second time that day.

"It's almost two pm" he said coming to my side to pull me up.

I giggled "I can get up by myself Archer"

"I know but you were being so slow I half debated taking a bite out of you." He lightly bit my arm covered by his shirt,

I shrieked in laughter, "Get  away from me you hungry cow." I pretended to shoo him away.

"Race you" he said disappearing behind the door much like Kimberly had.

"Hey, that's cheating." I ran after him, and when I'd gotten to the threshold of his bedroom door strong arms grabbed a hold of my waist and lifted me up into the air. I let out an blood curling scream.

Archer somehow got us both downstairs with me screaming his ears off all while he was laughing and when he put me down on the kitchen island I was out of breath, and he was still laughing,

"Don't ever carry me down those cursed floating stairs again" I said my heart beating erratically, "we could've fallen!"

"I wouldn't have dropped you baby," my stomach flipped as soon as that word was out of his pretty lips, "but fine," he raised both hands in surrender, "your screams were loud enough to probably have shattered the cursed floating stairs," He chuckled pretending to rub his ears, "and then we would've really fallen." He put extra emphasis on 'then'.

I finally laughed now that the immediate danger was over, "you're an idiot," I shook my head "and I don't know who thought it would be a good idea to make stairs out of glass anyways."

"Probably the archie-tect," he laughed at his own dad joke. I tried keeping a straight face for a few seconds but burst out laughing from bad it was.

"You're ridiculous." I said finally.

"What do you want to eat?" He asked me,

"Hmm I don't know" I hummed shrugging.

He went to the fridge looking at what he had, "Lasagna or steak?" He gave me the option to choose,

"Lasagna."

"Whatever the lady likes," he laughed and started pulling out the ingredients he would need.

"I want to help." I said, I didn't want to just sit here and watch him do all the work.

"Yeah?" He pulled out some vegetables, "you can hack these as small as you're able to make them."

I hopped down from the island as he passed me a cutting board, some celery and carrots along with mushrooms, lastly he gave me a big kitchen knife.

I started with skinning the carrots and then slicing them, "We're not in a medieval tavern making broth." He laughed and grabbed the knife I was holding and showed me how to cut them correctly.

"Oh, sorry" my cheeks heated slightly,

"No worries, It's not your fault I wasn't clear in my directions" he went back to his station where he had made a volcano of flour and cracked some eggs in the middle of it.

"What are you doing?" I asked intrigued.

"I'm making the lasagna sheets." He said whisking everything together with a fork.

"From scratch?" I asked perplexed.

"Yeah, the food tastes better this way." He shrugged.

"You really do have a talent Mr. Ramsey." I hummed but I was genuinely impressed.