Page 35 of The Serendipity

But when I dropped off the last box, Bellamy shoved one in his mouth immediately, eyes rolling back in his head. I can’t say I mind the encouragement and enthusiasm.

My conclusion is that Bellamy just really loves my cookies.

And I will refuse to be offended that Archer wouldn’t even try them. Or I’ll tell myself not to be offended. My phone buzzes with another text.

Bellamy

Or you could come drop them off when he’s home. Despite what you might think, he’s lonely.

Archer—lonely? This gives me an unwanted squeeze of something a little too like empathy. Loneliness is something I understand. After I rejected Trey’s proposal and before I met Sophie, I had some lean, lonely years.

I had a handful of high school friends who moved back after college. But our friendships weren’t the same as before, and Mel, the one I’d been closest to back in the day, totally ghosted me. Itwas an extra vulnerable time in my life, and even thinking back to it makes me feel a little ill.

As much as I haven’t enjoyed my interactions with Archer, moving to Serendipity Springs from New York would be a transition. And he doesn’t quite fit here, what with his fancy suits and his whole cranky vibe.

Archer seems like an incredibly self-sufficient person. Confident, capable, and cool … but could he be lonely?

And why should I care if he is?

Bellamy

I’m sure he’d love company.

Willa

Not mine.

Bellamy

Especially yours.

Willa

Most especially NOT mine.

Bellamy

Between the two of us, I’m the Archer Gaines expert, and I’m telling you he’d be happy to see YOU.

He might think he’s an expert, but Bellamy is wrong. At least in this regard.

The fact that he’s arguing with me about it makes me think Archer still hasn’t told him about finding me in his closet.

Which makes me wonder …why?

Why would Archer keep this a secret?

And why is Bellamy insisting Archer would be happy to see me?

It doesn’t matter. I’m not coming back here another time, especially now that I know Bellamy won’t be back until next week. Everything in my body is screaming for me to get out of this apartmentnowbefore Archer finds me here.

There’s a pen in a neatly organized drawer, and I add the word “from” above Bellamy’s name on the box.

If I leave the cookies here on the island, hopefully Archer will assume Bellamy left them here before he went.

The only issue is leaving Archer’s door unlocked as I exit. But I don’t have much choice. So I leave, furtively glancing around the hallway, grateful when I don’t run into anyone on the fourth floor.

I had the foresight to give Sophie a key to my place after the original closet incident.

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