Page 89 of Delilah In Discretion

And I’m the bossy one, huh, Princess?

I walked into the coffee shop, and Archer sent me a text telling me how far away he was. When I had got home around midnight yesterday, my family was ecstatic to see me. They crushed me with their hugs and kisses.

We only had a few days before school officially started back up, and I would, unfortunately, start working for Calvin to return the favor of him giving my father peace of mind... It was times like these that I wished anyone else could take my position as the mediator between them.

My mother was usually in charge of being the peacekeeper, but after I turned about thirteen, she unofficially passed that jobover to me, just as she had unofficially gotten the job in the first place.

Calvin is… different. He has twisted intentions and a messed-up view of life, but in order to be happy, I had to learn him, understand the intent behind his actions, play his game. I had to make him happy so my father could be satisfied and so I could, therefore, be happy—a truly unhealthy way of living.

I stood by the counter, waiting for my name to be called, and I couldn’t help but feel like I was being watched. Giving into my thoughts, I looked around to see Luca on the nearby wall with his eyes fixed on me. He had about a hundred different emotions moving across his face. He seemed happy to see me, but at the same time, it was like I was the last person he was expecting as well.

I looked away from him as I waited for my drink, and I could hear him approach me.

“Hello, doll,” he said, and I peered up at him. The look on his face was indescribable. He looked confused, but I couldn’t decipher any possibilities as to why.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” I asked him, and he seemed to snap out of whatever he was doing and return to as normal as he could act.

“Such a beautiful individual like yourself should be used to the stares of men, wouldn’t you think so?”

I tilted my head. “Even if they act as creepy as you do?” I asked innocently, and he chuckled, but it was dry and serious.

“You do things to men, Delilah. There’s just something about you that can make any man fall to his knees and be at your beck and call... Yet here I am, and you continue to ignore me.” He whispered the last part, but I still heard him.

I went to answer, but another voice entered our conversation, causing me to turn my head.

“It’s impolite to harass women, Luca,” Archer said as he wrapped his arm around my waist, causing a blush to rise to my face.

Luca chuckled as he watched the small gesture and looked away. “But apparently when you do it, it’s cute and sweet… However, I must say, you did have an unfair advantage over me: over ten years of desperation,” he remarked.

Archer laughed, but I could tell he was anything but humored by Luca’s words.

“You think you’re in any place to talk, Crawford?” he started, but I grabbed his arm.

“Archer,” I simply said, and he looked down at me as I shook my head.

Luca chuckled once again. “So I guess I wasn’t entirely wrong. You’re a couple now. How cute,” he remarked.

This time, I couldn’t hold Archer back as he stepped closer to Luca.

“I would hope you know that this isn’t any of your concern.”

“Oh, I am quite aware that it is none ofmyconcern.” Luca spoke with satire lacing his voice.

Archer glared at him. “Exactly. None of your concern, so I’m sure you know to keep your mouth shut about this.”

Luca shrugged. “I will, for now.”

Archer didn’t bother staying any longer as he grabbed my hand and practically dragged me out of the coffee shop.

We walked toward his car, and he opened the passenger side for me with unneeded force. I looked over to him, and he looked at me as if asking why I wasn’t getting in the car.

“Archer, you need to calm down,” I told him.

He responded angrily, “I am calm.”

I rolled my eyes at him. Closing the car door, I walked closer to him and placed my hands on the sides of his face. He watchedme intently as I did so, and I slowly rubbed my thumbs on his cheeks.

“What are you doing?” he whispered, and I shrugged.

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