Page 104 of Delilah In Discretion

She shook her head. “Once you let him say it once, it’s all downhill from there,” she muttered.

My phone buzzed. I looked down at it, and my eyebrows furrowed.

“Who is it?” Mom asked, and I tilted my head.

“It’s... Archer,” I muttered and picked up the phone. “Archer?” I said, and I didn’t hear anything for a moment. However, I did hear heavy breathing and something breaking in the background.

I looked at my mother and whispered, “I think something’s wrong.” Returning to the phone, I spoke again. “Archer? What’s wrong?”

He was silent for a moment.

“Delilah...I think I’m going to break my hand,”he said with a disturbing calmness, and my heart sank as his tone was unsettling.

“Why would you do that?!” I asked him, panic rising in my voice, and he sighed.

“Remember when I told you Stephan and I don’t get along anymore? Unfortunately, he proved it even more tonight.”

“I don’t understand... What’s going on—”

He cut me off and spoke again with a slight tremble in his voice.“No more questions. I just... need you here with me, Princess. Please.”

“O-okay, I’ll be right there,”I replied.

He told me he was at his penthouse before the call ended, and I looked over to my mother, who was listening in. She seemed as speechless as I was.

“Something’s wrong. I... I don’t understand,” I whispered, and she nodded towards my car in the driveway.

“Go. He clearly needs you. I’ll tell Kimi. Keep me posted as much as you can.”

I gave her a quick hug and ran to grab my keys and phone before hopping into my car to leave.

I eventually reached his building and went to the elevator, my palms sweaty. Reaching his floor, I entered his penthouse, which was only slightly trashed, but I could see many things had been broken or damaged beyond repair.

I looked around for him, and my heart clenched as he sat on the kitchen floor with tears in his eyes.

“Archer,” I whispered.

He did his best to keep a straight face as he ran his hands through his hair. “All I’ve ever wanted was for him to view me as his brother—someone he could love, someone he could confide in. I know I’m stubborn, but was it really that much of a burden for him to love me?” he said as his voice croaked from his emotions.

I shook my head as I sat in front of him. “Archer. I don’t want you to hurt yourself. You’re not a burden. If he doesn’t see what any reasonable person does, then he can go to hell,” I said angrily. He looked up at me as I continued, “You are better than he will ever be, and just because he can’t see that does not mean I don’t. You shouldn’t be hurting because he’s angry at himself and decided to take his bitterness out on you,” I finished, and before he could say anything, I wrapped my arms around his neck, causing him to fully break down in my arms as he wrapped his own around my body and pulled me closer to him. I shushed him softly as I tried to keep myself from crying as well.

“I’ll be here for you. You don’t need him. He doesn’t deserve you,” I whispered, trying to keep my voice from cracking.

He didn’t say anything else as I ran my fingers through his hair soothingly.

I opened my eyes slowly as I looked around the room. Recalling the events of last night, I remembered Archer and me sitting on the kitchen floor. Somehow, we ended up cuddling in his bed, but he wasn’t in the room anymore.

I sat up slowly and walked into his bathroom to freshen up quickly. I looked into the mirror and tilted my head, realizing I had also changed into one of his button-down shirts.

Taking my hair out of its ponytail, I ran my fingers through it as I walked into the hall.

I heard the subtle sound of a violin playing, and I smiled softly as I entered the living room. After a few more notes, I heard him sigh, and he relaxed as I watched his shirtless back.

“...I hate the violin,” he muttered, and I grinned as I walked over and wrapped my arms around him from behind.

“Interestingly enough, I remember you liked it precisely because Kimiko did, and you got to see me at your practice.”

“It was the only reason I kept up with the lessons. Couldn’t let Kimiko enter the next level... then I’d never get to see you.”

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