Why would I need this?I think but don’t say out loud.
“Okay, I should head down,” Freya says, stretching her arms over her head.
“Come here, Chef,” Archer replies, holding his arms out for a hug. As she throws herself against him, squeezing his waist tight, I realize they must have truly bonded with each other. When they separate, he squeezes her shoulder. “Call me sometime. We’ll grab a drink.”
“Stay out of trouble,” she replies, like they’re old friends or something.
Hoisting her bag on her shoulder, she brushes past me and heads toward the door. Looking back at Archer, I know I should probably say something. He notices my hesitation, so he lifts a hand and gives me an awkward wave.
I do the same in return, although it feels wrong.
Then I follow Freya out the door of his apartment. “Let me help you with that,” I say, but she pulls away.
“I’ve got it, Julian.” Her tone is cold and emotionless, exactly what I deserve. “See you later.”
“I’ll walk you down.”
She holds up a hand to stop me, then heads out alone. Before disappearing through the stairwell door, she turns back toward me and gives me a sympathetic smile.
“You know…I saw the way you opened up in there. You’re not as cold and heartless as you want everyone to believe, Julian. Maybe next time you get stuck in an elevator with two perfectly nice people, try not to be so opposed to forming a connection. You might surprise yourself.”
With that, she turns away from me and disappears through the door.
Letting her words wash over me, I head up the stairs toward my own apartment. Getting inside, I check on Onyx first. She has a fresh water dish that stays replenished at all times, but her food bowl is empty, which means she missed dinner.
She meows angrily the moment I step inside.
“I’m sorry,” I mutter to her, hanging my jacket on the hook by the door. As she brushes against my leg, I pick her up and nuzzle a kiss against her cheek. “You poor thing.”
Taking her into the kitchen, I set her down as I prepare her dinner from the fridge—freshly made of course.
“You wouldn’t believe the night I’ve had,” I mumble as I empty the food into her glass dish.
She meows loudly again as if she’s commiserating too.
“I was stuck in the elevator all fucking night with these two…”
Meow.
“They were…insufferable. Talked the whole time. And it was freezing. So cold I had to…cuddle.” A shiver runs down my spine as I push the dish toward Onyx. She wastes no time devouring her early breakfast/late dinner.
Going to the sink, I remove my rings. I must be exhausted, because my movements are stiff and slow. I just hear her voice and the way it gets high-pitched when she’s angry. I see his smile and the way his face forms thin wrinkles when he smiles.
I wash my hands at the sink before running my fingers through my hair. When I’m done, I go back to the mirror by the door, the same one I checked my appearance in this morning. I look nothing like the man who stood here nearly twenty-four hours ago. There are dark circles under my eyes. My hair needs a wash and a comb. My shirt is wrinkled and my pants dirty from sitting on the floor all night.
The armor I slipped on this morning has faded. The untouchable facade is gone. And all that’s left is this—a man alone in his apartment, talking to his cat.
And when I pull out my phone, looking for any notifications, perhaps from people who might have been looking for me while I was missing all night, there is only one, a text.
A group chat.
Rule #8: There’s nothing wrong with a little indulgence.
Archer
My shoulders burn as I slam my gloved fist into the padsin Rex’s hands. Left, right, right, left, left. Even when the ache becomes unbearable and my muscles begin to shake, I don’t stop.
“All right, break,” Rex says, lowering the pads.
