“It’s the thing often standing between everyone and their dreams, Archer. Most of us have to actually work for things, you know? And some of us have to work even harder than others.” My voice is laced with humor, but beneath that is a hint of resentment. Neither of them will probably ever know what that’s like—work.
Nothing in my life has ever been handed to me, and certainly nothing in my parents’ lives was ever handed to them. My dad is still farming at fifty-nine, and my mom is still teaching at a university. They came to the United States as children with nothing, and now they are thriving, something they did all on their own. They might not have an inheritance to pass down to me or my brothers and sisters, but what they did pass down was more fulfilling—work ethic.
One that I wonder if these boys will ever grasp.
“What about you?” Julian asks, changing the focus of our conversation to Archer.
“What about me?”
“Well, you asked her to spill her dreams and secrets, so why don’t you go now?” Julian’s voice still has a rasp to it and a biting tone that makes him sound almost evil.
Archer only smiles, a cunning grin that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand. “Me? That’s easy. I don’t have any dreams or secrets.”
“Everyone has dreams and secrets,” Julian retorts.
Archer drags in a heavy breath and lets it out with a moaning sigh. “Okay…let’s see. Well, I already told you my family owns an aviation company.”
“No, you didn’t,” I say, interrupting him.
“Yeah, you only said they built a company that you inherit your money from,” Julian adds.
“Well, now you know.”
Watching Archer’s expression, I can see a hint of hesitance—or is it shame—on his face when he speaks about his father and brother’s business. It makes me wonder if he feels some sort of obligation or disappointment that he’s not also in that business.
“But that’s notyourdream,” I say, giving his hand a squeeze.
“God, no.”
Julian and I don’t speak, letting Archer finish. It takes him a moment, turmoil brewing behind his eyes as he stares straight ahead, focusing on nothing at all.
“There’s a fighter in Paris I’ve been trying to find. He has a mean reputation, worse than you can imagine. Worse than I’ve ever fought before. Right now, that’s my dream. Find him and beat him.”
The muscles in my brows knit together as I stare at this beautiful man with scars and bruises dirtying his perfect face, and I try to understand him, but I can’t.
“Why would you do that?” I whisper.
“Because I want to prove I’m the best.”
“What makes you think you would win?” Julian asks.
Archer only smiles. “Because I always win.”
“No one always wins,” Julian argues.
“I do.”
They glare at each other, fire burning between them as if they’re speaking a language I don’t understand.
“So you…fight people for fun?” I ask, breaking the tension.
“Yes,” Archer replies casually.
“Boxing?”
“Not quite.”
“What do you mean not quite?” He doesn’t make sense to me, and I don’t understand why I want him to so badly. There is something so mysterious that he feels just out of reach. I’ll never fully know Archer, and after today, he’ll be out of my life forever.
