Page 100 of Empire of Ache & Ruin

Rubbing my arms against the chilly wind, I amble toward the terrace next. I step outside, and vertigo hits me instantly. Parts of the floor and wall are missing. I hold on to the door to find my bearings. When I have my balance, I peek at the three-story drop beneath me.

“I told you this room is off-limits.” Archer’s voice booms in my chest.

I gasp in surprise and spin to look at him, letting go of the door in the process. Vertigo hits me again and I sway forward toward the gaping hole in the middle of the terrace. The look of horror on his face is the last thing I see before he crushes me against his bare chest. He brings me inside and slams the doors shut.

“What the hell are you doing here?” The fire in his eyes is enough to make me want to run off. “You could’ve gotten hurt. You could’ve fallen to your death.”

“I’m sorry.” I don’t know what I’m apologizing for. I’m not sorry to intrude on this part of his life. “I saw the men were gone. I thought?—”

“You thought this was a perfect time to snoop around.” He furrows his brows.

“No. I came looking for you.” I should’ve prepared a better lie. “How did you know I was here?”

“I didn’t.” He shakes his head once, studying me. “I couldn’t remember if I left the terrace door open or not. I came to check.”

“Do you come here a lot?” Asking him questions feels more organic after last night.

“Every day.” He swallows.

He’s not yelling at me to leave. I don’t want to say the wrong thing and have him shut me out again. I feel for him because it’s obvious he lived something tragic here. But I need to know.

“What happened here, Archer?” I push him a little more.

“I told you.” He stalks toward a chair that is in fair condition despite the smoke stains. He lowers himself onto it and drops his head between his hands. “A fire.”

The fire from twenty years ago. The one that left those burn scars on his back. His mom and he survived. But what about his father? Did he die here? Placing a hand over my mouth, I amble closer to him.

“Why is it still like this?” I reach for his cheek. To my surprise, he leans toward my palm.

“As a reminder of what’s truly important.” He glances up at me with unshed tears.

“It was your father, wasn’t it? He…” I can’t even bring myself to say the word.

“Yes.” He glares at me. “He died here.” The cold in his eyes makes me step back.

“I’m so sorry, Archer.”

He scoffs, shaking his head. “You’re not the one who needs to repent.”

“Tell me what happened.” I search his face for a small sign that says that he wants me here, that he wants to share this with me. He’s not sending me away, so I have to believe he wants to get this heavy load off his shoulders.

“Why?” His jaw clenches.

The pain I see in his eyes guts me. “No one should have to carry something like this alone.”

He glares at me with so much hatred, while taking in ragged breaths. “You’re right. No one should pay for the greed of a madman. That’s what I’ve had to live with for the last twenty years. Because even when I didn’t remember every detail, I still knew. I still woke up in the middle of the night hearing my mother’s screams.”

“Archer.” I gasp, bracing my hands on his shoulders.

“I couldn’t save him. He was trapped in here. And there was nothing we could do. I tried so hard to tear down the doors, but I couldn’t.” He presses his thumb and index finger to his eyes.

“I’m so sorry.”

“In the end, he jumped out. The fall was impossible to survive. I think he wanted to end it on his own terms.” He hugs me to him, burying his face in my stomach. “I couldn’t help him.”

“None of that was your fault. You were just a little kid.” I hold him tighter to me.

What else can I say? His father has been dead for twenty years. Nothing can be done to change that. Why does he need this room to remind him of that awful day? I have so many questions swirling in my head. But seeing Archer like this is devastating. His hands feel cold through my sweater. And I can’t even look into his eyes.

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