Page 88 of Three Reckless Words

Archer must see the hesitation on my face, and he knows.

His mouth thins into a hard line of judgment.

Holy hell.

I’ve never seen him look so feral before, like he’s perfectly ready to start breaking bones to get his point across.

I want to cry out, to tell Holden to leave and go home without me.

Justgo, before he winds up with a broken nose.

But I’m beyond words as Holden stiffens, glowering back at Archer like a mean alley cat, wild fury replacing the shock in his dark eyes.

“Who the hell are you?” he snaps. “Last I checked, this is between my fiancée and me. Nothing to do with you.”

“Ex-fiancée. She’s made that very clear. I’m her landlord,” Archer throws back.

I almost laugh at how he says it.

Iwantto laugh, or maybe scream. I gave up the fiancée title the moment I left Springfield, and there’s no way I’m taking it back now.

“Oh, herlandlord! Excuse me.” Holden gives a cruel, disparaging smile. “Seriously, man, move the fuck over. You’re getting in the way. This is between us.”

Archer tenses in front of me, his back straight and ready for war, harder than a mountain. “The second you threatened her and got in her face, you made it my business.”

“Fuck off. I’m not threatening anyone,” Holden snaps, and tries to sidestep Archer to catch my eye. “Listen to me, Win. You need to come home now. If you just come back, we can still fix it. Everyone gets scared on their wedding day, right? It’s not the end of the world.”

But it is.

That was the day the Winnie Emberly everyone knew died a fiery death.

“I’m not going back, Holden,” I strain out. “Leave.”

“What? For fuck’s sake…” He snarls out a frustrated breath. “Is this because of the tiara? Look, if you want to wear the stupid thing, fine. Just come—”

I don’t let him finish.

My laugh rips out of me, high-pitched and half-insane. “The tiara? Thetiara? You honestly think I left you because of a dumb fucking tiara?”

He’s cold, frozen, just watching my eyes spin.

I’m sure I look manic and I don’t care.

“All I know is I texted you about it, then you disappeared.” Holden does his best to barge past Archer, but Archer throws up another hand, and Holden halts in place, scowling. “What the hell is it about if it’s not that? Is this like an actual nervous breakdown? There are pills and doctors for that, you know. Good ones.”

Classic Holden.

Another quick fix he thinks he can solve with money.

For the first time since Archer showed up, I think I can breathe again. Something in my chest relaxes as I look at the man I almost married—the man I despise like nothing else on this planet.

“I said I’m not going back with you,” I say evenly. “Not tonight. Not ever.”

He shakes his head wildly.

“So, what? You’re going to piss your life away here in Kansas City? Away from all your friends and family and your career? Everything thatmatters? Jesus. Your parents should havedraggedyou to a shrink the minute you took that leave of absence from my dad’s office. Even he couldn’t believe it.”

Ah yes, the all-powerful, all-knowing, upright senator I don’t work for anymore.

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