Page 46 of The Sounds of Her

“I can manage. But I have things planned too, I’d go insane being alone the whole time.”

“I get it,” he says. “Sometimes we all need space, I guess. I head to my place in LA when I need some alone time.”

“Well, I’m too busy to have that luxury. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job, but while I’ve got the chance, I’m making the most of it.”

“Speaking of your job.”

“You heard that?”

He shrugs. “Not intentionally. You don’t need to tell me anything. Don’t worry.”

My glass is cold as I lift it and take a long sip, savouring the taste. Archer leans both elbows against the bar, holding the beer bottle by the neck. He trimmed his beard for the ceremony, but it’s still thick and for a moment I imagine reaching out to touch it.

He turns to me and that same spark that speared through me last night as we danced makes me shiver.

“You don’t have to go through life so closed off,” he points out.

“What does that mean?”

“Your friends are here, you can talk to them.”

“I’m not ruining anyone’s good time.”

“If they find out you’re sat in here looking like the weight of the world is on your shoulders and haven’t talked to them, it will be worse than whatever that call was about,” he nods to my phone. “You’ll break Jenna’s heart.”

“Oh stop,” I groan. He’s right. Now the wedding is over, I could tell her, but she’s leaving in a couple of days, and she’ll worry. “I can handle this.”

“Just saying, you don’t have to.”

“You want to help?”

“I’m not the world’s worst listener. It’s up to you.” He gets off the stool and saunters out of the door, the opposite one to where everyone else is.

I signal to the bartender, and he comes over and makes me another drink. My phone screen lights up and it’s dad. Again. I shove it into my purse and push off from the bar. I don’t question it, just follow Archer outside. He is standing by the small set of stairs at the front of the building, staring off into the darkness.

Standing back, I watch him for a moment. His shoulders are slumped. He looks… lonely? He has all of his friends around him, I get the sense that he feels alone. Like I do.

Taking a deep breath, I walk to where he is standing. He has another sip of his beer as I stop beside him. Whatever this attraction is between us, I will not act on it. It’s wrong and would cause even more trouble. I’ve made that mistake already with Ciro.

Archer isn’t looking for a relationship, he’s said enough in all of his interviews. Maybe he can listen.

“My parents are trying to force me to marry someone to save their business.”

Archer’s body shifts as he turns to me. I don’t see but feel his eyes on me. “Well, that’s shit.”

I can’t help but laugh. “The shittiest.”

“I presume you’ve told them to get fucked?”

I shake my head and take a huge gulp of my drink. “You don’t know my parents.”

“Sounds like I don’t want to,” he shoves one hand into the pocket of his shorts. “They can’t figure out another way to save their business? Making you marry a random guy seems a little extreme.”

“They’ve got my groom all picked out. He’s going along with it, so he doesn’t get disinherited. Said it would benefit both of us and he’ll do what he can to make me happy. Which is code for he’ll keep his affairs secret. Just what every woman wants to hear from her fiancée.”

Archer blows out a long breath. “He sounds like a fucking asshole.”

“To make things even better, I found out about my upcoming engagement at the same time as the Mayor of New York.”

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