Page 103
Lyle
He tossed his phone back and forth in his hand. He didn’t hate the idea of teaching classes online. Obviously not ideal, but at least it was something to get him started. He sat there on the couch, imagining what the next season of his life looked like, forcing himself to think through that season without Tea for nine months of the year. Getting his stuff out of his storage unit, alone. Finding an apartment, alone. Experiencing another brutal Minnesota winter. Alone.
It was impossible.
He typed out an email and sent it as his door creaked open. He looked up to find Tea in his cabin.
He stood up from the couch. “I can’t do it.”
She stood before him, silent.
“Long distance,” he continued. “I can’t, Tea. I watched you walk away at the end of every single summer for eighteen years of my life. I don’t want to do that anymore. It’s too hard.”
She sniffled, then wiped a tear with the back of her sweatshirt sleeve. “I have to go with her, Archer. Being in Chicago so far from her during all of this…I can’t leave her alone again, not with everything going on. I’m sorry.”
Archer worked his jaw, watching as she cried in front of him. Tears filled his own eyes. Right now, he was his own demise. He was the one causing the pain. Yet deep in his gut, in the heart of who he was down to his core, Archer Vincent knew this couldn’t be it. It was always him and Tea. Always.
Their stars were aligned in every universe.
He knew he would never experience love in the ways he’d grown to deeply love Theresa Richards. Now that he had her again, was even more deeply in love with her than his teenage under-developed brain could have comprehended, he refused to believe this was the end.
He grinded his teeth, moving his jaw back and forth, blinking away the water in his eyes. He nodded. “Okay.”
“Okay? We’ll do long distance—?”
He shook his head. “No. Here’s what’s going to happen.”
Before she could stop him, Archer cupped her cheeks and brought her close.
She sucked in a breath, but she didn’t stop him. Didn’t hesitate or pull away.
He scanned her face. “You are going to leave, because that’s what you think you want.”
“It is what I want.”
“No, it’s not. You told me—” His voice cracked. He cleared it and shook his head. “You think we should take some space? I’m not going to give it to you. I want to be in your space. I’m not going to let you hold me at a distance, afraid to take the leap. You’re going to leave, and you will be unhappy. Because deep down, you know we are meant to be together. I know you feel the way I do and you won’t admit the truth.”
She swallowed. “I told you the truth.”
He clenched his jaw. “I don’t think leaving your mom alone is the real reason. You’re not admitting what’s really going on.”
“Which is—”
“You’re scared, Tea. You’re scared to be with me fully because like you said, our future together is not guaranteed. I could get cancer or COVID or get in an accident, and it scares you to put your heart on the line again.”
He knew he hit the mark when she didn’t respond, her eyes locked on his.
He squeezed, then brushed his thumbs across her jawline. “I know I’m right. So I will wait. I will wait for however long it takes you to realize you’re making a mistake. And when you do, you’ll come back. You’ll stop forcing yourself to be miserable and finally be happy again.”
“We could be happy,” she whispered, her tone desperate. “Next summer…”
“I’m not living like that anymore, Tea. I want you. All of you. And I know that you want the same.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because even when mates leave their nest, they always return to each other. They always come back home.”
She closed her eyes. Archer leaned down, his lips practically brushing hers. “You told me you wanted a place to call yours. Let me be that for you, Sweet Tea. I’ll take care of you. I’ll create that space for you. I’ll be your home.”
