Page 80 of Terms Of Un-Endearment
She smiles, and her cheeks grow rosy. “You don’t give yourself enough credit, Arch. You never have.”
I feel my own face grow pink with not only her compliment but also by the fact she called meArch, “You can’t let Valente get away with this. We have to stop them…him.”
Piper stares at me with raised eyebrows. “And you can’t let Malcolm get away with keeping everything you’ve earned. But how do you stop someone who has more money and power than you do?”
“I have no clue. I’ll let you know when I figure it out.” I sound more resigned than hopeful, but that doesn’t mean I won’t try to fight Luca Valente.
“Please do.” Piper sounds even more resigned than I do.
That won’t last. Everything I’ve seen of her in the past week has proven she doesn’t back down when she wants something. I admire that about her.
But I sense now isn’t the time to push her. She needs space to think.
“I remember him being different…my dad,” I say, to change the subject. “Before he gained the title of one of the wealthiest men in the world. I reckon I keep hoping he’ll go back to being that person who cared more about his family than he did about his wealth.”
I gaze at Piper’s eyes, the color of the Brisbane River at golden hour—soft brown with flecks of light. The kind of eyes you could fall into without worrying about how you’d get back out.
She nods. “I can see that. Obviously, I didn’t know Malcolm before Forsythe Tech took off, but when he and Mom were firstmarried, we spent a lot of time together—relatively speaking. Not just the three of us. Malcolm would take me to do stuff on our own. I’ve never met my biological father, and my stepdad before Malcolm wasn’t really interested in me. Even though things went badly with Malcolm, I’m still grateful for those years of...mattering to him. I guess that’s the best way to say it.”
I press my eyes closed, taking in what she’s said. Honestly, I’m relieved. I was beginning to believe I was misremembering how Dad used to be. I feel validated now, knowing Piper has memories of him similar to my own.
“Yeah. That’s a good way to look at it—with gratitude. I had a hard time with all the attention he gave you. To be honest, I hatedyoufor it.” I offer a conciliatory smile, hoping she’ll take it.
“Really? I never noticed.”
I laugh and shake my head. Her quick comebacks always get me on the back foot. There’s no slacking off for one second with Piper around.
I reckon she’s the kind of person a bloke like me who’s used to getting what he wantsshouldhave around, if I don’t want to end up like Dad. Wish I would have figured that out before now, when I’m not sure where I’ll be come Monday.
Chapter 28
Piper
My stomach swirls with anticipation. Archie’s never looked at me the way he is right now…with tenderness. It’s always been the complete opposite. This Archie has me completely off-kilter. I’m actually swimming in the praise he’s given me.
I shouldn’t trust that he means it. I shouldn’t be seriously considering what he’s saying about not letting Valente steal from me—as though I can stop them. I should be as angry at him as I am at Valente.
Instead, I’m tangled in something knotted and sharp, like a thread I can’t pull free. Valente betrayed me, but so did my own expectations. Especially those I’ve had of Archie, who’s turned out to be surprisingly sincere and vulnerable. And most confusing of all…likable.
“So, am I forgiven for peeking at your designs?” he asks.
There’s a slight teasing in his tone that sets me at ease. This is familiar ground. I run my tongue over my bottom lip. “This time, yes. But if it happens again, the footage of you declaring you’ve ‘still got a lot of fight left’ in you goes on Tik Tok. Biceps kissing and all.”
His expression morphs from playful to terrified. “You wouldn’t.”
I shrug and let the grin I’ve been fighting take over my whole face. He pushes away from his seat to stand over me, but the only thing threatening is the desire urging me to trace the faint outline of his abs under his shirt. He’s close enough I could, with his hands on either side of me, grasping the back of my chair.
“We’ve ended our battle. Remember?” The hitch in his voice snags my pulse and sends it racing.
“Did that include blackmail? I thought it was only pranks.” My voice matches the breathlessness of his.
We’re not teasing anymore. We’ve stumbled into dangerous flirting territory.
"Hand over the mobile, Piper," Archie growls.
I should run from whatever this is. Instead, I pull my phone from my pocket, then duck under his arm and hold it up. “Come and get it.”
His lip twitches, and he lunges for my phone.
