Chapter 50

I’m utterly exhausted on Saturday morning. So much so that I take Mia for her breakfast then fall back asleep as she plays around the room. I wake up to her hands tapping me on the face to tell me its lunch time. I shuffle down to the kitchen.

Neil and Steven come in. They both go quiet when they notice me then shuffle around the kitchen like I’m not there. They leave without even addressing Mia and I sigh. Mia looks pretty miffed about it too.

After lunch, exhaustion sweeps over me again. It’s more mental than physical. The past week has been rough. Between Coach White, my physics failures and then everything that happened Thursday and Friday with the brothers, I’m spent. I lay on my bed as I watch Mia play with her toys.

After a while, she gets bored again. The boredom turns into fussiness and I decide we need to get out of the nursery. We step out into the hallway containing the bedrooms. I look to my right and look at the door I’ve never used. I figure now is good as ever to try and see what’s behind it.

I knock twice on the door before pushing it open. Inside is a dimly lit library. There are walls upon walls of books. Some look new and some look as if they’d been there for centuries. I wonder how old the pyramid actually is.

We find a section with an array of colorful books. Sure enough, they’re all children’s books. I let Mia pick out a few and then wander back down the aisles towards a cluster of chairs. I set Mia in the smallest one and have her pick which book she wants first.

I’m barely into the first page when someone comes around the corner of a shelf. To surprise (and dismay) it’s Archer. I immediately stop reading when I see him. Mia turns to follow my line of sight and squeals when she sees Archer.

She wobbles over to him and he plucks her off the ground. “Hi lady,” he says, softly. “How are you today?” Mia says something and Archer nods like he understands it.

“Yes, of course,” He says. He sets her down and looks at the book in my hand. He raises an eyebrow. “Barbietopia?”

I shrug and give the book to Mia. She starts flipping through the pages. I get out of the chair and jut my chin at him.

“What’s that?”

“Oh,” Archer looks in his hands. He runs a hand through his hair. He’s clearly uncomfortable. “It’s a – uh book on mates.” He looks back at me. “I was thinking about our conversation. Wanted to know more.”

I can’t believe it but Archer actually seems a bit embarrassed to be holding the book

“Oh,” I say. “That’s…nice. What did you find?”

He raises the book slightly. “Not much that I didn’t already know,” He looks around the room. “There’s books in here from the 1700s. I was hoping they’d tell me something I don’t know or provide a different perspective. But nothing.”

“Wow,” I say, looking around.

“Yeah,” he says. “But I think maybe you were right. Maybe I should give it another chance.”

I blink a few times in shock. I’m taken aback by the whole situation. The last time we spoke, he was barking at me in an alpha tone and yelling at me. Now he’s mentioning the tender moment we had in his car.

It makes no sense. I snort and shake my head. Archer looks at me with confusion. “What?” he says.

“I don’t get you,” I say. “One moment you’re screaming at me. The next your speaking to me like we’re friends.”

“Do you not want me to be nice?” he asks. It’s pushing a bit, becoming slightly hostile.

“I do!” I say. I groan and pull at my hair. “Of course I do. I just can’t keep track of when you’re going to be nice and when you’re going to be angry.”

“There’s a simple solution,” Archer drops the book on the table to cross his arms over his chest. “Don’t piss me off and I won’t have a reason to be mad.”

“Oh please,” I scoff. “You’re the kind of guy who would get mad if I made the bed wrong.”

“If it’s wrong and I’ve corrected you before, yes,” Archer says. He’s clearly thinking it through. “I’d be mad.”

“Do you ever listen to yourself?” I say, incredulously. “Like you sound insane!”

“Watch it,” he growls. “I’m still your boss.”

“You keep saying that,” I snap. “But when I was inducted into the Court, they said we were advisors to the Hayes. Not their personal punching bags!”

“You work for me,” Archer says, taking one step towards me. He annunciates each of his words. “Therefore, I am your boss.”

I step towards him. “I am your advisor,” I retort. “And I’m advising you to stop being such a dick.”

“Do you ever get tired of being so defiant?” Archer sneers.

“Do you ever get tired of pretending to be right all the time?”

Archer throws his hands up. “Gods, you are insufferable.”

“And you’re an asshole!” I throw back.

Archer storms around one of the bookshelves. I stomp after him. He’s not getting away. Not this time.

“Other people exist in this world besides you,” I snap. “I know you may not think it because it’s not what you’ve been told, but it’s true. Therefore, you are not always right. Not when I’m the one who’s got more childcare experience than you!”

Archer whirls around. He’s seething again. He jabs a finger towards me. “Mia is my responsibility,” he spits. “I don’t give a shit how long your mom made you work for her. I know what’s best for her.”

“Do you?!” I shout. “You could barely fucking hold her before I showed up!”

“And you’d already pissed me off before I even knew who you were!” He snaps. “Did you get sent her to piss me off?”

“Did you pick me to torment me?”

“You’re a narcissistic bitch.”

“That’s bold coming from you!”

“I can’t stand you.”

“I hate you!!”

I’m waiting to feel his fist collide with my cheek but it never comes. Instead, I feel his hands on my waist and hot on my mouth.

Archer Hayes is kissing me.