Page 22 of Archer
After pondering for a few seconds, I tried again. “I meant it as a compliment, Rose. Honest. You’re just so hot…”Probably not a good time to start objectifying her, Archer, I told myself. “Ugh, why are women so difficult?”
Finally, the perfect apology came to my mind. Excited, I swung my legs over the bed and grabbed a pair of jeans from the floor and threw on a plain grey t-shirt with a bit of a v-neck. Checking out my reflection in the mirror, I scowled at my disheveled, haggard appearance. Shrugging, I decided it wasn’t a big deal. My chances with Rose were forever ruined. I could put on forty pounds and grow a mullet and it still wouldn’t make any difference on our relationship.
Nervous, I slowly turned the doorknob, using the last seconds to pep myself up. Apologizing for my screw-ups wasn’t an activity I particularly liked, but I knew I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t. With the knob turned all the way to the left, I took one last breath before slowly opening it and sliding out. As expected, her door was open, and I figured she’d be in the kitchen dining on the blueberry jelly she had taken a liking to.
Walking past her door I had my head down. If it weren’t for hearing the gentle rustling fabric, I would have missed everything, but the near inaudible noise caught my attention right in time. I looked up and inside her room, and I froze in my step as my jaw dropped to the floor.
Lying on her bed with her legs spread apart and cheeks a similar shade of red as the brick wall behind her was Rose. Eyes closed, her hand was far underneath the waistband of her shorts and her hips squirming around in sync with her wrist’s movements. Shallow breathing came through a dazed smile on her pink pouty lips and I shook my head in disbelief.
She’s playing with herself right in the open! What the fuck!
My jeans tightened as my blood pulsed through me. I knew I should walk away; it was invasive to stand there. But I was shocked. Catching her pleasuring herself was the last thing I expected that morning. Still, it was wrong to watch. Using every ounce of strength I had inside, I pulled my eyes away and pushed off the floor to walk away.
The floor sent a loud, echoing creak through the silent house. I winced.
“Archer, what the hell?” Rose’s voice screeched through the house. “You fucking creep!”
A furious, malicious energy radiated off her, and blades shot through her blue eyes as she jumped off the bed, marching toward me. I held my palms to my chest, shaking my head, and backing away, saying, “No, no, no. It was an accident. I didn’t—”
Instead of hitting me like I was expecting, she interrupted me by slamming her bedroom door in my face. “Leave me alone, you psycho!” she screamed from behind the door. I stood there, my mouth gaping open and shut as I tried to think of a magical combination of words to reverse all the damage I had done. Instead, I breathed out in defeat.
“I’m sorry, Rose. For everything.” With that I turned to the kitchen, deciding I’d chug back some coffee before leaving the house for the day. It’d be the least mortifying option for both of us.
Chapter Twelve
Rose
Behind the door, I stood panting as I listened to Archer’s footsteps leave and go toward the kitchen. As soon as I heard the faucet turn on, I ran to flop on the bed with my face pressed into the pillow, and gave a low, strenuous, and agonizing moan as the humiliation flashed before my eyes.
“Why?” I asked the air, but I didn’t even know what I was asking. Just… Why did I have the worst luck in history? Why did I have to be stuck in this stupid, scary, screwed up, life-or-death situation? And why did I have to be so clueless and forget to close the door behind me before masturbating for the first time? Especially when I was sharing the house with a man I hardly knew.
A pang of guilt pinched in my stomach, making me wince. “Why’d I have to freak out so bad?”
When he apologized, he sounded honest. I didn’t need to be so harsh to himagain. Rubbing my eyes, I tried—and failed—to push my headache away, then decided to do the adult thing and confront the issue. Trudging across the cold hardwood floors with my bare feet, I opened the door and sauntered toward the kitchen with my head hung low.
I was greeted by the scent of fresh coffee and the gurgling of the maker as it seeped into the pot, drops of steam sizzling on the burner. Facing the sink, Archer stood with his hands on the countertops, all his muscles tensed up, and unaware of me entering the room. Not letting myself talk myself out of it, I cleared my throat.
Archer whipped around, his eyebrows nearly hitting his hairline as he said, “Rose.” Before I had a chance to explain myself, he began blurting out, “I’m so sorry. So sorry. I was about to lea—”
“Archer,” I said, cutting him off. “I’m sorry.”
Clamping his mouth shut, he pulled his neck back, looking more shocked than before. “You’resorry?”
“Yeah, actually.” I balled my fists and began knocking them on top of one another, unsure of what to do with my hands, as I walked toward the kitchen. When I reached the opposite side of the breakfast island as him, I unclenched a fist to rub my shoulder. “I, um. I think I forgot to shut the door behind me. I’m sorry for screaming at you again.” At the last second, I decided to add, “And for calling you a creep.”
“Yeah.” He ran a hand through his hair that looked like it could use a shower and twitched his mouth into a small, lopsided grin as he said, “It’s not nice calling someone a creep.”
When I chuckled, I also exhaled with relief that he chose to use a joking tone. “I know.”
“I was just walking by, honest. I… I shouldn’t have stopped but fuck.” He threw his hands in the air. “I’m a man and I was surprised! Right before you stopped me, I was gonna leave, but can you blame me for being a little caught off guard?”
While smiling, I rolled my eyes and took a seat on one of the island’s tall stools. “I suppose not.”
Turning his back toward me, he reached into the cupboard and grabbed two coffee mugs, filling them each. He sat one in front of me along with the milk and sugar, then grabbed his and sat across from me. Just like when I first walked in on him in the kitchen, he tensed his shoulders. “Actually, the reason I got up in the first place was because I wanted to, um, apologize to you…”
“Oh?” I said as I added the sugar to my coffee, stirring the teaspoon as I watched him with intrigue.
“For last night.” He weaved his fingers together on top of the marble tabletop and looked away from me. “I shouldn’t have said any of the stuff about… you know…”
