Page 89 of The Archer and his Rosebud

“You’re looking a little rough, Bunhead.”Ty flips around the empty chair across from me, straddling it like the douche he’s turned out to be. “What’s wrong? Lost your killer boyfriend?”

Not rising to his bait, my gaze wanders the dining hall to see who’s nearby. Meeting Ty on campus isn’t ideal, but I’m between classes, and I hoped a public forum would keep him civil. That might have been too much to ask.

“If you googled him and read the articles, you know the truth, Ty.” That’s what I’d done since Ty blew in with the accusations. Not because I don’t trust what Archer confessed, I wanted to know what Ty and his parents have seen, what they might take from what they’ve learned. While the first reports made Archer look like the jilted husband, the ones after he went to trial gave the truth as Archer recited to me.

“Should we make a list of people who got off scot-free for their crimes?”

“You’re unbelievable. Where is the guy I dated? The one I thought I loved. This isn’t you.”

In a flash of decency, he looks away. “So, you broke up with him, I assume.”

“You know what, Archer Thomas is twice the man you’ll ever be.”

“Don’t push me, Willa.”

“He stepped in when he barely knew me. When he saw the struggle of a new single mom. Brought me food, nursed me back to health when I got sick, took care of Clem when I needed help—” I could mention how Archer’s paid the exorbitant cost of her formula for months, but that might provide more ammo against me.

Ty leans across the table, seething. “He killed a man.”

“To protect his sons and ex-wife. You wanted to get rid of yours, and he killed to save his. Tells me a whole lot more about who you are compared to Archer.Heis Clem’s father in every sense but the one you can claim.” His face darkens, but I meet his tone word for word.

“He is going to cost you your child.”

Sinking back in my chair, I cross my arms. “No, Ty, he isn’t. Because he loves us too much for that. He let us go. Before I could even talk about what your threats meant for our relationship, Archer walked away to protect Clementine.” I brush stray hairs from my face, folding my hands in my lap to keep from slugging Ty across his arrogant face. “And if you’re a good man, you’ll do the same. Let her go. You don’t want her. Admit it.”

“I want my name on the birth certificate. Legally, she’s mine.”

God, he’s as difficult as putting on a sports bra after showering. “You’ll be responsible for child support for the next seventeen years if you do that. Are you up for the task?”

“Please, you know I’m not worried about money, Willa.”

“Whatareyou worried about? Your pride? Your reputation when people realize you abandoned your unborn child without a second thought?”

His palms slam against the table, turning heads, and he quiets his tone. “I’m worried about the kind of men you will bring into her life. I’m worried about how you might raise her. I have a right to have a say in how she’s brought up. She’s a Reynolds.”

Taken aback, my head cocks. The hell she is. This doesn’t sound like Ty at all. He’s worried about how I might raise her? If he was, he’d actually try to spend time with her rather than fight with me.

“So, you get your name on her birth certificate, then what?” I shrug. “You want joint custody? To keep her a few days a week on your own? A child sort of hampers your ability to party and get laid, Ty. She changes everything.” He shifts, his jaw working with his lips pinched. “Oh, I know. You were expecting me to do all the hard work while you foot the bill before riding in when she’s an adult and doesn’t need you. You know, after your starter wife marriage fails and your other kids hate you. Let me burst your bubble right now, that doesn’t work. I should know.”

Lines crease his forehead, his eyes growing confused. “Your dad reached out?”

Ty knows all about Dad’s abandoning us, a man I still don’t think I’m going to allow in my life. I might feel consoled by the concern on Ty’s face if he wasn’t trying to insert himself into Clem’s life. “Don’t act like you care about me all of a sudden.”

He tosses a hand in the air, his head shaking. “You think I don’t care? C’mon, Willa. I didn’t date you for nine months for no reason. We had a great time together. I didn’t break it off with you because of who you are. I just didn’t want to be tied down. And I certainly didn’t expect to become a father.”

A huff of quiet laughter passes my lips. “Ahhh, but now you’re ready to be one?”

Ty swallows. He’s so full of it. There’s something he’s not telling me.

“I realize I can’t fight you from being declared her biological father. I doubt I can even fight you being given visitation rights, but you can’t take her from me. Your argument against Archer won’t hold up, and you know it. I’m a good mother, Ty. I will do anything for her.” I take an undaunted breath. “Which is why I’ve decided to move back to Michigan.”

His eyes jump to attention. “You what?”

“You can’t stop me. I guess you could try, but my family is there. I have a safe place to live with my mom. With that financial stability, I can finish school and make a better life for myself. That translates to a better life for Clementine, which courts typically rule in favor of in these cases.” Yes, I researched that too. “A judge will allow me to move, especially since you’ve not been in her life up until this point. So, go ahead and legalize your DNA contribution tomydaughter. If they order visitation rights, we can work out a travel plan.”

“You can’t do that, Willa.”

I lean forward, splaying my hands on the tabletop. “Try me.”

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