Page 57 of The Proximity Effect

“It’s not that simple.” Archer’s voice had an edge to it. “My mom worked three jobs to put me through law school. She...” He swallowed hard, and I caught a glimpse of the weight he’d been carrying. “She cleaned offices at night, worked as a receptionist during the day, and worked retail on the weekends. All so I could have the opportunities she never did, and it literally killed her.”

The room fell silent except for the hum of the heating system. I thought about my own path with the easy privilege of having the funds to let me chase my dreams, even when those dreams crashed and burned.

“You know what’s funny?” I pushed my empty plate aside. “When I was seven, I wanted to be an astronaut. My mombought me a telescope, and every night, she’d bundle up and sit outside with me while I looked at the stars.”

Archer and Liam exchanged confused glances, probably wondering if I’d finally lost it. I rarely talked about either of my parents and didn’t share a ton of fond memories. I chose to keep them tucked away since they hurt so much. Money didn’t change everyone, but it had changed my parents.

I cleared my throat. “One night, I saw this really bright star and got super excited. Turns out it was an airplane, but my mom... she acted like I’d discovered a whole new galaxy. She wasn’t encouraging me to be an astronaut; she was encouraging me to dream, to explore, to be passionate about something.”

Little did she know that that brief moment of encouragement would stick with me and help me follow my own path… even if that path was at times very curvy and filled with obstacles.

I leaned forward, meeting Archer’s gaze. “Your mom didn’t work three jobs so you could be chained to a desk, man. She did it so you could have choices. The kind of choices she never had. And right now? You’re choosing to honor an obligation to your firm over the last request of someone who believed in you enough to trust you with his legacy. He trusted all three of us and wanted us to have this opportunity we missed out on when we were being stupid.”

Archer’s expression shifted from defensive to stunned, while Liam’s eyebrows had practically disappeared into his hairline.

Archer stared at his laptop like it held the secrets of the universe. “I never thought about it that way. I’ve been so focused on not wasting her sacrifice that I forgot about the reason behind it.”

“Plus,” I added, because I couldn’t resist lightening the mood, “I’m pretty sure your mom would want you to have time to appreciate those piercings of yours. Speaking of which, how many exactly?—”

“We are not discussing my piercings.” But there was a smile playing at the corners of his mouth now.

“Fine, keep your secrets.” I stood up, grabbing the tray of our dishes. I’d know soon enough anyway.

Chapter 20

Traumatized Raccoon in an Air Vent

Tessa

I’d been cooking and prepping since dawn, determined to have enough food ready for the impending snowstorm since guests wouldn’t be able to leave the resort. My feet ached, but there was a satisfaction in knowing I’d done everything possible to prepare.

Passing through the lobby, I looked outside for the first time in hours, and the sky looked like someone had draped a gray wool blanket over the world, with snow already falling. My nipples instantly pebbled at the thought of going out in that. It was one thing for there to be snow on the ground, but when it hit my skin and soaked through my clothes, it made it about a hundred times colder.

What was I thinking moving here?

Brushing off the doubts I had about the weather—which was only a few months out of the year—I headed in the direction where I’d seen Evan carrying a stack of boxes.

The guys had been busy all day, and I’d barely had time to talk to them. Archer, Liam, and Evan seemed to be getting along. I’d caught a brief glimpse of them earlier at the front desk, and they’d been laughing. I’d been a little worried that things would implode after my night with Archer and Liam, but so far, things seemed to be better between them.

I found Evan in one of the supply closets, muscling a box onto a high shelf. His shirt rode up as he stretched, revealing a tantalizing strip of skin.

“Need a hand?” I tried not to ogle him too obviously but failed.

He grinned over his shoulder. “I’ve got it covered. But feel free to keep admiring the view.”

“So modest.” I leaned against the doorframe, watching him work. “Are you guys staying in the cabin tonight? Because I was wondering if you’d all like to stay with me? The storm’s supposed to be pretty bad, and safety in numbers, and all that...”

Evan finished pushing the box onto the shelf and turned around fully. “Safety in numbers, huh? Is that what we’re calling it now?”

“Well, I was trying to be subtle about it, but if you prefer ‘hey, want to have a foursome?’ that works too.” I hardly survived two of them at once and didn’t know how I’d handle three. How would that even work logistically?

He took a step closer. “Maybe now I’ll finally get answers about Archer’s piercings. How many barbells can one dick?—”

“Five.” My cheeks heated as Evan’s eyes widened comically. “It’s important you know these things from my hands-on research. For science.”

“For science.” He was now close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body and see his dilated pupils. “You know, I’ve always been a big supporter of the scientific method. Especially the experimentation phase.”

I hooked my fingers into his belt loops, pulling him closer. “The experiments are my favorite part.”

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