Page 56 of Comeback
“I get that, but…” I trail off because I’m not sure what argument I want to make. This isn’t a big deal? I might die if you don’t put your hands back underneath my skirt?
It occurs to me maybe he isn’t quite so into this as I am. Maybe this was just a drunken party make out to get himself out of his dry slump.
“We should get back before he comes to find us.” He starts again, but I reach for his arm and stop him. Again. He’s wearing a cocky smirk. I’m sure I’m doing great things for his ego right now, literally stopping him from leaving my side. Then again, he’s probably used to this. He has to be. Archer is seriously hot. His slump isn’t for lack of willing participants.
He steps to me and brushes his lips over mine again, then steps back.
“I left because my mom is sick,” I blurt out.
The smirk on his face slowly falls and his brows tug together.
“She was diagnosed with breast cancer in December. I went back home to be there for surgery and chemo.” I drove her to doctor’s appointments and kept her company when she was too sick to leave the house.
“Fuck, Sabrina. I’m sorry. I had no idea.” His mouth pulls down at the corners as a flash of sympathy crosses his face.
I nod, smashing my lips together and swallowing around the emotion trying to clog my throat. I’m not sure why I’m tellinghim all this now. Maybe because I don’t want him to think the worst of me anymore.
“They caught it early and it hadn’t spread. She was lucky.”Iwas lucky. I can’t imagine not having her in my life. I need her too much still.
“Why didn’t you tell Brogan?” he asks quietly.
“We’d just connected and were still getting to know one another. Also, I didn’t think. I packed up my car and I drove home as soon as I found out.”
He nods, giving me a smile that’s filled with sympathy and understanding, but maybe still a little disappointment too. “I get that, but it’s been months.”
I hear the unspoken question. Why haven’t I told him in the months since I found out?
“You’re the first person I’ve told outside of Olivia. It just…” I swallow. “I was scared and talking about it made it all that more real. Then too much time went by, and I worried about how he’d react to me not telling him. And the truth is I still hate talking about it.”
“I understand.”
“You do?”
“Of course. Brogan will too. Family is everything to us. That’s why he was so hurt. You’re his family now too.”
A pang of guilt hits me square in the chest.
So you don’t think I’m a terrible human and an even worse sister?I sign the question instead of asking it out loud. Somewhere along the line, his opinion of me started to matter.
One side of his mouth quirks up. He shakes his head before he says, “No.”
“Are you sure?”
“If I did, it’d be a whole lot easier.” He stares hard at me. “Come on. We better go.”
This time, I don’t stop him.
16
ARCHER
The studio door is open and as I step closer, I catch the faint notes of music filtering out. None of that prepares me for the sight that greets me.
Sabrina is dancing in the middle of the space. With a broom clutched in both hands, she sings into one end like it’s a microphone. A little girl with white-blonde hair mimics her.
I’m standing and staring at the sight, warmth spreading through my chest, when another woman steps in front of me. I startle, both because I hadn’t even noticed her and because of the glare she aims at me.
“Hi.” I force a smile and try to appear friendly. The music is too loud for her to hear me, probably, so I lift my right hand in a wave for good measure.
