Page 26 of My Darling Mayhem

I hated this. "If he offers, then I'll accept."

And I'd gladly cancel on Brian, which meant Archer was the lesser of two evils.

Great.

"Promise?" Cruz lit up like a cute little Christmas tree, all smiles and raised brows.

I held my pinky out. "Promise."

The bus was supposed to come in ten minutes; there was no chance that I'd likely even see Archer in that time, so our little promise meant nothing.

"Let's go outside so Archer knows we need a ride."

I stood up and rolled my eyes so my son wouldn't see. This was ridiculous.

Even still, I grabbed my keys, laptop bag, and phone and then opened our front door.

"But if we don't see Archer, we're just heading to the bus stop, okay?"

Cruz nodded and pushed open the door. I wore a tight wrap around my ankle and boots to accommodate the thickness. Skinny jeans stretched up my legs, where a simple floral tank flared at my hips, which I covered with a small, cropped leather jacket. It still hurt like a bitch to put any pressure on my foot, so I grabbed one of the crutches to help me as I limped down the drive away.

Cruz slowed his steps, and I assumed it was for me. Then I looked up and realized he was watching Archer's house, waiting to see if he'd drive out. I just kept hobbling down the drive, knowing that even if he did arrive, he'd never offer me a ride after how things ended between us the other day.

We turned the corner from our drive and started down the sidewalk, and my son kept peeking over his shoulder with an eager expression.

I hated this.

How was it possible that he was already attached to Archer? He had no male role models in his life, so it didn't surprise me that he wanted to be around Kane's cooler older brother, but the fear I had over his heart getting broken was terrifying. It was entirely out of my control, and I had no idea what to do to protect him.

Suddenly, the sound of someone's garage door opening and the loud growl of a diesel truck reverberated down the street.

Cruz turned excitedly. "Here he comes!"

I glanced up, seeing the white streaks left behind by planes cut through the cornflower blue sky. Fall was drawing closer, which meant the days were colder, but summer clung to the sweet, humid air. My jacket was a tad too warm, but I looked cute, so it would stay on no matter how warm I got.

"Cruz," I lightly warned as the truck started down the street, slowly but with enough speed that he'd pass us within seconds.

My son waved, smiling brightly at Archer, and my stomach flipped around. I prayed that this idiot would stop and say hello to my son. A warm greeting would likely mean the world to him even if he didn't offer a ride.

The truck slowed, and my chest thrummed with anticipation.

Cruz stepped closer to the curb as Archer came to a complete stop and rolled his window down.

"You riding the bus today, Cruz?"

My son glanced up the road, where his stop was, and back at Archer. "Yeah, my mom can't drive yet."

The diesel truck idled loudly as Archer's gaze fell upon me. His blue eyes were shrewd and calculating.

"And how's your mom getting to work?"

Cruz tilted his head up to me as if he wanted to know if it was okay that he answered. I nodded at him with a smile.

"She's getting a ride with a coworker."

My eyes drifted over to the driver's seat again, hating how nice Archer's hair looked, even if it was as wild as always; something about how rugged it was seemed to suit him. I saw it in his eyes: that challenge. The words he'd delivered yesterday went unchallenged, and without my response, it made me curious if he wanted one.

Archer moved his arm, and the truck was placed into park.

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