Page 86 of The Puck Chase

“I thought you were out of town,” Archer says, not seeming concerned in any way with Reign’s trespassing.

“I came home early,” he replies, waving him off. “Why were the police here?” he asks, and Archer groans, as Josh’s stare hardens at his question.

“For fuck sake, Alexander,” Archer curses, but before he can even yell at his friend, I cut him off.

“My father killed himself,” I announce, and once again silence descends around us, as I drop back onto the sofa and inhale a deep breath.

Hallie appears at the bottom of the stairs having no doubt heard all the drama, as Archer takes a seat at my side, pulling my hand into his. I can feel all of their stares on me, varying from pity to worry, but unsurprisingly, it appears that doesn’t include my goalie.

“I thought we hated your father?” Reign asks, taking a seat across from me, looking between us all, and this time both Archer and Josh curse, but of course it doesn’t stop him. “He killed your brother, right?” he muses, and Josh whips around to glare at him in shock, as Hallie reaches his side looking completely mortified.

“How the fuck do you know that?” Archer spits in shock, and if I could currently feel anything, maybe Reign’s words might have hurt, or maybe even confused me, as to why he knows that, but still, I feel nothing.

He only shrugs in response. “My father ran background checks on the entire team when I got here,” he replies casually, and Archer stares at him in disbelief, but again Reign only ignores him, focusing on me. “Do you want a cup of tea, Daemon?”

“He just found out his father is dead, Alexander, he doesn’t want a cup of fucking tea,” Archer spits, but again I cut him off.

“Actually, a cup of tea would be good,” I reply honestly, and his answering smile is nothing short of smug, as he rises back to his feet and straightens his clothes.

“Seems I know your boyfriend better than you do,” he purrs at Archer, before turning on his heels and walking out.

“He’s fucking crazy,” Josh curses, staring after him like he’s some sort of mythical creature he’s never seen before.

“You get used to him,” Nova replies, causing Josh’s stare to cut to him, and it hardens completely.

“Like I got used to you?” he taunts back, his tone laced in sarcasm and hatred, but Nova just smirks.

“If your sister can get used to my dick, then you should be fine,” he tosses back with a wink, and Hallie hides a smile at the corner of her mouth.

“Nova, I swear to god,” Josh starts, stepping toward him, but Archer jumps to his feet.

“Will both of you shut the fuck up,” he shouts, silencing them both, before turning and dropping to his knees at my feet. “What do you need, baby, tell me and I’ll sort it for you,” he pleads, looking desperate to fix everything, and it’s only now that I realize he already has.

Despite my father’s death, he had already gone out of his way to seek out his stepfather’s help on my behalf. He not only foiled my father’s plans of getting out of prison, but he also ensured my safety from him. Something no one has ever done before, and for the first time since I met him, I finally truly understand the feeling he evokes inside of me. It was never hate, it was always the opposite. Archer Gray came along, and suddenly all my blackness felt a little more, well, Gray.

Ignoring everyone else in the room, I pull him in for a kiss, loving the way his body instantly responds, before I pull back and meet his stare. “I’ve got everything I need right here,” I tell him honestly, and his answering smile is enough to erase anything else.

We share another kiss, before he pulls away to call David and let him know what has happened, no doubt trying to contain anyrepercussions, and by the time he returns, Reign appears too. To no one's surprise, he brought his full pink tea set, quickly making himself at home in our kitchen, and making us all a cup of tea, whether we wanted one or not.

“Okay, what are we toasting to?” he asks, pointedly looking my way, and like the fucked up person I am, I toast to my father’s death, but what’s even better, is Archer toasts right along with me.

Who knew that my biggest rival would become my biggest supporter, and I couldn’t love him more.

The last couple of weeks have been a blur, between classes and dealing with my father’s death. After the prison did their standard investigation, his body was released. When nobody claimed it, he was cremated, his ashes being scattered unnamed, into a garden not far from where I am standing now. Not that I’m here for him.

I stare down at my brother’s grave in silence, with Archer standing firm at my side. He’s been my rock the last two weeks, only leaving me to attend his own classes, and honestly I don’t know what I would have done without him. I’m not sad my father is dead, but I do have some unresolved feelings that I am trying to work on. I’m meeting with a therapist for the first time next week, one that Archer found for me, and he’s even agreed to come with me for that.

“We did it, Ry, he can’t hurt us anymore, we’re finally free,” I tell my little brother, and I would give anything to have him here with me. “I’m sorry I failed you,” I add softly, my voice breaking, but before I can say anything else, a voice cuts me off.

“You didn’t fail him, I did,” Jasper starts, and my head whips around to find him standing a few feet behind us. He looks between Archer and me, and I can see the desperation in his stare, as he adds, “Looks like we had the same idea, kid.”

Archer squeezes my hand, and somehow I know he’s asking whether this is okay, and I squeeze it back gently before he sighs. “I’ll give you two a minute,” he says, and I don’t miss the stern glare he aims at my brother, as he pushes past him to give us some privacy.

“I didn’t know you knew where this place was,” I grit at my brother, before turning my focus back to Ryan’s headstone.

Jasper moves until we are standing shoulder to shoulder, staring solemnly at our brother’s grave, as he replies, “I come here every Sunday morning after church.”

My gaze cuts to him now, truly taking in the changes in him as he has gone from boy to man, before I say, “You’re not Catholic.”

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