âAMANDA!â
I've been doing better ever since I opened up to Archer. Not wanting to leave me alone that night, he called another professor from school to fill his shoes for class.
We then spent the entire day in my living room, talking and nothing else. We got to know each other better and I learned more about Archer and how he's more emotional than he lets on.
I'd catch him watching me when I spoke with a look in his eyes that I couldn't distinguish but it'd make my heart swim in warmth. I could tell I was falling for him more deeply and weirdly enough, it wasn't as scary as I thought it'd be.
Loving him was becoming second nature to me.
The past couple months have been smooth sailing between us. He's been helping me deal with Riley's passing and helping me move on from the past.
He had also taken a quick pause on Vintage Love in class. He said he didn't want me stressing out about it for now. I thought it was weird, how he changed the entire class structure for me but I wasn't complaining.
We started analysing that book again this week and to say I was having a hard time with it was an understatement.
"Shouldn't you be getting ready for that art gallery?" Lina asked, walking into my room.
"Yes, but I'm trying to figure this out," I said as I stared at the book.
"How hard can it be to read a book?" She responded, eyes narrowing at me.
"It's not just reading, it's annotating and trying to look for the story that's beyond the words."
"You literature students are weird." She said as she plopped herself onto my bed.
"Ugh, just leave me be." I groaned.
Ever since Archer started talking about the seesaw theory, the book became more complex. There were so many missing parts to the story, as though the author had yet to finish it.
"You're going to be late." She sang from my bed. I could tell she was trying to agitate me.
"Why do you even care that much?" I finally dropped my book, turning around to look at her.
A grin painted over her lips as she sat up, "You still haven't told me what's up between you and Mr Kane. So you guys are dating right?"
I was pretty sure that we were but we haven't gone to the part of labelling our relationship yet and I didn't know what to tell Lina when I was at a loss myself. I stayed quiet for a bit, thinking about how to approach the situation when Lina groans.
"Come on, don't let this be another doughnut issue." She said and I frowned.
"What does that even mean?" I look at her, perplexed.
"Remember the first day of freshman year in high school, when they gave out doughnuts?"
"Mmhmm." I nodded, waiting for her to make sense.
"There was a last glazed doughnut but you were too shy to stand up and take it even though you were starving." She said and I started laughing because I knew where she was going with this.
"Then freakin' Elizabeth Taylor took it and you practically starved for the rest of the day."
"This is such a dumb comparison." I shook my head.
"It isn't!" She approached me. "Go and get your doughnut before someone else does."
I continued laughing as my head shook from left to right, "I can't believe you just compared my love life to a doughnut." I said and she chuckled.
"I'm serious though!" She nudged me slightly.
"I know, I know. Now get out. I need to get dressed."
⢠⢠â¢
"So, Mr Caldwell thinks we're dating?" I looked over at him from the passenger's seat.
"Yep. So we're free to do whatever we want." His left hand slowly reaches for my thigh but I smack it.
Even though we've been spending time together, we've only ever been with each other our apartments. After Jace had walked in on us the first time, we decided it'd be best if we kept our relationship lowkey in public.
So the fact that we could be us, openly, was a relief.
"Focus on the road," I smirked at him.
He smiles as he lets his hand slip from my thigh but a shadow crosses his face. He gets that way whenever reminded of what I went through. Archer places both hands on the steering wheel, eyes glueing back to the road.
I simply looked out the window as he drove. My eyes gazed upon the velvety night sky that was dotted with little diamonds that glistened.
"We're here." He spoke out, breaking the silence between us after awhile. He stopped in front of a building that seemed grander than the last.
We stepped out into the cool night, arms interlocked with each other's. "It's nice to be out like this in the open," I said as I looked up at him, a warm smile playing on my lips.
My smile's reflected on his lips and he kisses the top of my forehead right before walking into the building. He pulls me along with him and as we walk in, a low curse rumbles out of his lips.
"What's wrong?" I looked to him but his eyes were focused ahead of us.
Before he could respond, he pulls his hand away from me and puts distance between us and my brows pinch together. "Archer-"
"Amanda!" Archer speaks over me and that's when I see a taller woman approach us. I've seen her before, around campus. She had straight, silky hair that flowed right below her shoulders and wore a dress that fitted her like a glove. I could tell she was around Archer's age, maybe just a year or two younger.
"Archer, hey!" She replied, tilting her head to the side, her hair flowing gracefully with the motion.
"Elreda," He finally turned around, "This is Ms Field. She's from the English language and literature department too." He said, staring intently into my eyes, trying to communicate with me.
I got the hint, I had to be just a student for tonight.
"This is Elreda, a student of mine," Archer said, smiling brightly at her.
The way she batted her eyelashes at him got on my nerves. She reached out her hand the next second and caressed his arm, "I didn't know you'd be here." A coy smile lingering on her lips.
"Mr Caldwell invited me," Archer stated and he leans back slightly, away from her touch but she doesn't get the hint.
"Oh, me too. He's a family friend." She said, leaning closer to Archer who doesn't move away this time. She takes the chance to trail her fingers lower, as though she was doing it absentmindedly but her intentions were obvious.
I knew this was a hard situation but I couldn't help the frustration building up in me.
Obviously Archer shared a mutual friend with this gorgeous woman. That was just my luck.
"Of course he is." I hissed under my breath spitefully.
"I'm sorry?" Her eyes dart to meet mine.
"Nothing. I just said that I'll be at the buffet if anyone needs me." I smiled as I tried walking away.
I didn't need to witness her flirting with him so openly. She didn't know he was attached so I couldn't really blame her. Archer, however, could do something about it.
"Wait, excuse me." Archer finally left Amanda's side and approached me. "Red." He called out, standing in front of me.
"Yes, Mr Kane." I let out bluntly and he winces. He hated when I addressed him that way.
"Come on, don't be like that." His eyes pleaded with mine.
"Like what?" I turned back on my heel, walking towards the buffet.
"You know I can't let another professor see us together." He said, trying to get me to understand him.
"But you can stop a bitch from touching you." I picked up a plate, throwing food onto it.
Okay, calling her a bitch was uncalled for. It wasn't really an attack on her, though. I'm sure she's a nice person, heck, I'm sure he'd be better with her. Maybe that's why I'm frustrated. I knew just how easy it'll be to have me replaced.
But he already had half of my heart and I don't think I'd be able to take being replaced.
"Red!" He gasped as he looked at me, not expecting the attitude but I couldn't help it. He didn't have to let her touch him that way. I could see her intentions from a mile away. I'm sure he could too, which just haves me wondering if he didn't mind her touch.
"You should go. You don't want Amanda getting suspicious, now do you?" I said, finally looking back at him.
His expression dropped, I could tell what I said had hurt him and regret crashes over me instantly.
"Shit, Archer. Wait!" I tried stopping him but he walked away whilst shaking his head.
I just sabotaged my own relationship with him. "Ugh," I groaned, looking at the plateful of food in my hands and instantly losing my appetite. I placed the plate on the table, planning on coming back to it later, and walked around in hopes of finding Archer.
Instead, I come across Mr Caldwell who instantly hooks his arm with mine. Thanks to my heels, I had a few inches on him. "Elreda! What are you doing, walking around alone?" He asks but by with the speed he's speaking, he doesn't want an answer. "I saw Archer at the bar, we should join him." He says and practically drags me without letting me get a word out.
And then I come to an abrupt halt when we find him. Mr Caldwell jerks back and almost crashes into me when I stop walking. But I couldn't do anything about it. My limbs felt numb.
Archer was talking to Amanda. She had her hand on his knee that was inching upward but that's not what got to me. It was the fact that he had his hand on top of hers that had my blood going cold.
My eyes stung at the sight and I wondered if all it took was a few words from me to ruin what we had. Like the bond between us was that weak in the first place. I exhaled slowly, emptying out my lungs as my eyes looked up to the ceiling, trying to prevent my tears from falling.
I licked my lips, trying my best to stay calm and not act irrationally. I continued my walk towards them as Mr Caldwell looked at us cautiously.
Archer glanced at Mr Caldwell and then caught sight of me. His grip on her hand got a little tighter as he pried her hand off of his leg and placed it on the bar top before them. His eyes were wide and round as he stared at me, mouth agape as though he was trying to say something.
"Archer, I found your date." Mr Caldwell grumbled and looked at Archer disapprovingly.
Without missing a beat, Amanda responds. "I think you're mistaken." She starts off as she glanced at me dismissively. "She's just his student."
"Is that right?" Mr Caldwell looked to Archer and he remained frozen, staring right into my eyes. I'm sure he could catch the tears that brimmed my lids.
He started to shake his head and I didn't know if it was because of what I had just seen or if he was going to disagree with Mr Caldwell and Amanda. I didn't wait to find out.
"Yes," I spoke out. "I'm just his student," I say as Mr Caldwell beamed, looking between Archer and Amanda.
"Then I guess you can thank me for bringing Amanda," Mr Caldwell chortled placing a hand on Archer's shoulder.
"That's what I was just saying," Amanda laughs lightly. "He had owed me a drink ever since I filled in for him a few months ago. I was starting to think he wasn't a man of his word."
A dark feeling brewed in the pit of my stomach and I knew I had to leave. He called her to fill in for me then and promised to take her out?
"Mr Kane," I start, staring into the eyes that never left mine from the moment I stepped before them. "It's late. I think I'll get going. I'll see you in school." I said, swallowing the lump in my throat.
"Elreda," Archer called out from behind.
"Let the poor student go," Amanda giggled. "It's a school night, she probably has homework. I know the other professors aren't as thoughtful as you are."
I simply walked, without turning around even though I wanted to. I walked out of the art gallery standing at the street trying to flag down a cab.
I needed to clear my mind so I went to the first place I thought of, the cabin.