Page 70 of Call of the Loon

Archer felt his stomach plummet. “Wh-what is going on?”

“We shouldn’t have done that.” She still wouldn’t look him in the eye. “It was mistake.”

“Why? Why do you keep saying that?”

Tears streamed down her cheeks again. “Because you are my best friend. We’re moving way too fast and I feel like I just ruined everything.”

“Tea.” He attempted to reach for her, but she stepped back. Then stepped back again.

He stilled, his skin prickly from the cold—and the distance between them. He held up his hands. “How could you have ruined everything? We both wanted this, remember?”

“I don’t think I actually want this,” she whispered.

He rubbed his face, ignoring the pinch in his nose and cheeks. He wanted to cry, but he wouldn’t let himself in front of her. He didn’t want her to experience how broken she was making him feel.

“I need some time,” she continued.

Then she ran.

Archer had spent too many moments since that night wondering if he should have run after her, forced her to talk about what was really going on. But instead, he stood there, broken hearted, wondering what the fuck he did to ruin it between them so badly.

The Richards left unexpectedly the next morning. And out of respect, he gave her the space she wanted. He waited for her to reach out. She never did.

A truck honked behind him, bringing him back to reality. Archer stepped to the side of the road and sat in the grass, dropping his head in his hands.

It was a mistake. He’d asked her if she felt that way still, right before he kissed her earlier. Practically begged her to say it again. To remind him that he shouldn’t go down that road. But she wouldn’t say it.

That would be lying.

He rubbed his temples. Even after years of telling himself he would never again give Tea Richards his heart, in less than two months, he’d fallen right back into it.

He stood up and wiped the sweat on his forehead with the bottom of his shirt. Kiss or not, Tea still planned on leaving at the end of the summer. Leaving Wild Pines, and leaving him. There was no need to do this to himself all over again. Not when he had a community of people he needed to look after. Not when he had his own plans and dreams he needed to focus on.

He waited for his breathing to even out, then continued at his usual pace.

Tea was sitting on the porch when he returned, knees tucked close. He made it back to Wild Pines a while ago, but went for a walk to cool down and clear his head. He would handle this calmly. He would not let his emotions get in the way.

She lifted her face when she heard his approach. “Hey.”