AS WE WANDER TOWARDS the exit, I can feel some kind of strength and calm wash over me.

With each step, I feel stronger, and I could feel Danny trying to hold me back as I try to push the trolley faster, towards what awaited. Towards Archie.

"You ready?" Charlotte asks me before we head through into arrivals.

I give her a quick nod and a smile, looping my arm through hers as we push through the double doors. Following the stream of people in front of us, we come out in JFK airport's huge arrival hall.

It's busy, really busy. People are running towards their loved ones as they spot them, people shouting at airport staff about missing their flights, people in huge groups, waiting for a glimpse of arriving friends or family members. I wasn't really paying attention, I was looking for those familiar buttery, caramel eyes and the brown-haired boy who left all those years ago.

For a few minutes, I don't see him, but as I look directly ahead, my heart stops as he comes into view as a family moves out of their embrace.

He's holding four coffees and a solitary daisy in his hands, and tears prick my eyes as his lock on mine. After hours of feeling unsure and terrified of what to expect, just seeing him standing here fills me with more strength than I've ever had. Without thinking for a second, I abandon Charlotte and Danny as I run as fast as I can, straight into his open arms.

He sniffs as I tighten my grip, lacing and stroking my fingers through the softly shaved hair at the back of his head, stroking his broad shoulders with the other. I close my eyes as he tucks his face into my neck, squeezing me tightly as I feel a tear drop down my cheek. He sniffs again as I pull away, clearing his throat as he wipes his own eyes as we both remember there are two other people here, not just us.

Charlotte and Danny are the only people I could be so open with, and as she puts an arm around me, I know she doesn't blame me for the reaction and I love her so much for it.

"Arch, you're looking great!" she says before he can say anything.

"You've caught me on a good day," he chuckles, giving me the daisy before he turns to give Danny a one-armed hug. "Danny, you look great mate!" He looks at him before he turns back to Charlotte. "And Charlotte. You look beautiful. A blushing bride, in time for December," he adds before he turns to me.

"And me?" I ask, unable to help myself.

He smiles, clearly thinking about what "Tess, there are no words. You look amazing... and it's so good to see you." He bites his lip as he flicks the bottom of my hair, which I had pulled out of its tie after we went through security.

My cheeks redden as I look at the ends. "It needs a cut really."

He smiles but then seems to remember what he's holding. "Flat white for Danny, hot chocolate for Char, espresso for me, and then an oat milk chai for Tess. Extra shot."

"You remembered?" I smile wider, taking a slurp. It was truly delicious.

"Right. We ready to go?" he asks us.

"Definitely!" Danny responds with enough enthusiasm to cover all of us.

Danny puts an arm around my shoulders but I frown as Charlotte keeps Archie back. He laughs at something she said, but a few minutes later, he's leading us to the car park.

***

CHARLOTTE AND DANNY INSIST I sit up front with Archie, despite my protesting. However, once we're on the Interstate, and a conversation strikes up between the three of them, I use it as my time to examine him... to try and work out how much had changed.

I could see bits I remembered, the things I loved, but I can see the differences too. Things that were new.

He has a small scar on his left cheek, which he didn't have before, as well as the small one under his eye I will never forget. His arms, half-hidden by the loose, checked shirt he's wearing, and his frame are bulkier than it was. He's got a heavier build, having clearly visited a gym with weights, and he's much more built out and stronger-looking than before. He's more tanned, probably due to the extended summer the entire world was currently experiencing, but the thing I noticed is how relaxed he seems. It somehow hurts to see him so calm, like seeing me again after nearly five years hasn't meant anything, and I'm being honest, it's beginning to freak me out.

Watching him now, he looks so at ease. He has one hand resting on his leg, the other on the bottom of the steering wheel, wearing his Ray Bans, looking cool, calm and collected, as he always did whilst answering Charlotte's battery of questions.

"How are classes? What's the campus at Columbia like? Are you close? What are your friends like? Is your apartment in the centre of town? How close are you to Broadway? Can we go to a show on Broadway? Where's the nearest coffee place to you? How far is Brooklyn from you? How far is it from here? Can we go there now?"

It's safe to say that my best friend is excited, and I am glad she's asking loads of questions because they were beginning to distract me away from how outrageously calm he is. Charlotte had never been to New York, neither of us had, so it's not surprise she's excited. I was too, I knew I was, but right now the pure panic of seeing Archie again was currently eclipsing everything else I'm feeling... hugely so.

Jamie, my subconscious tells me.

Jamie. Yes, I'll think of Jamie.

Jamie had asked me a year ago if I had wanted to go to New York. He asked me if I wanted to go for New Year with his family, but I had said no, not wanting to leave Dad. Although Dad wasn't the reason, I think I knew that Jamie knew I wasn't being entirely honest.

The real reason was that, to me, it somehow felt wrong visiting the city with Jamie when I'd made that promise to someone else all those years ago. It was ridiculous, and so stupid, but that was how my brain worked. Of course, Jamie being Jamie, he selflessly accepted my weird excuses and stayed home instead, spending New Year with Dad and me.

I really missed him.

"So, what's first?" Danny asks when Charlotte finally takes a breath.

I try to keep up with the conversation. "What first today?" I check.

"First it's breakfast," Archie answers with a laugh, removing his sunglasses as he smirks in my direction.

His buttery eyes are just as mesmerising as I remember, and even though I'm sitting down, I can feel my legs start to shake. Despite my subconscious reminding me about the engagement ring sitting on my fourth finger, my body seems to be having a mind of its own.

Jamie. You're with Jamie. Stop it. Remember what you promised yourself. Stop being an idiot.

I chant the mantra in my head as Archie starts talking about the cafes and nearby diners that him and Ollie usually go to on their way to college, and I swear I repeat it about eighty times before I realise we've slowed down, coming to a stop outside a huge, automatic gate beneath a building that must have about eighty floors.

"This is your place?" Charlotte asks, taking the words right out of my mouth.

This is the part I could never get used to. To me he's just plain old Archie, the boy who tripped over his feet and lost his front teeth around the same time I did. To the world, he is one of the youngest billionaires. He may have a large house, or a penthouse apartment, but I know he gives so much of his money and his time to charity, because he cares. The fact his cheeks redden at Charlotte's comment means he's still the same humble boy he always was. The boy I loved.

He doesn't answer, but as the gates open, we're met with rows of spaces, a few populated by very nice cars, including a bright red Ferrari. He weaves through the spaces before he parks next to dark blue Defender, the brand new one. Even without looking at his smirk, I knew this car was his as well, as it's been his favourite car since forever.

He checks his phone before he gets out of the car, tapping a message, no doubt to Millie to say that we were here. He smiles as he sees me watching before he hops down and opens the boot. I jump down to grab my bag too but he beats me to it, but I freeze and jump when I feel his hand on my hip as he moves me out of the way of the boot coming down. The zing of electricity shoots through me, and for a moment I'm thirteen again, realising that the feeling only came from him... Realising that I loved him.

He holds his hand up defensively as I pull away from him, but the damage has already been done.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, trying to alleviate some of the hurt in his eyes as well as the panic in my chest. "Sorry, I just got an electric shock."

I knew it wasn't one, just like he knew it wasn't one. It was what we had always had before.

He takes pity on me, not drawing attention to it. Instead, he just nods, walking away in front of me, leading us all inside, but I can feel panic rising again.

Same as in the airport, I couldn't breathe. In this prolonged period of being in a small space with him, his smell, all these memories, it all suddenly felt like way too much for me to handle.

When the lift doors closed, that tension seems to heighten and by the time I get to the top, I am having a full blown panic attack. Knowing the door was probably open in Archie's apartment, as soon as the lift doors open, I burst forward and inside, trying to find an empty room for me to freak out in.

Sprinting to the right, I hoped to find a bathroom but instead, I find a large bedroom. Still not able to breathe, I open the inner door, hoping to find a bathroom inside, only to find a dark closet.

It smells overpoweringly of Archie in here, as it would, but I don't have any other option. As I struggle to breathe, I feel like my chest is going to explode. I take deep breaths, trying to get my brain and lungs to work together before I pass out.

A door opens into the room and before the person says anything I know it's Archie.

"Tess?"

He sounds concerned, probably that he can't see me, but before he leaves, I make a squeak. A minute or so later, the door of the closet opens and I see his feet as a sob escapes me. He drops to his knees, and I feel a wash of calm come over me as his beautiful brown eyes lock on mine.

"Archie," I sob, dropping my head into my hands as he shuffles into the closet with me, closing the door, shrouding us in darkness.

"Tess, are you okay?"

In the darkness, I can see his arm moving as he thinks about putting his arm around me. After my reaction downstairs, he's probably thinking he shouldn't, but after a few more seconds, he puts it around me, pulling me close.

Within minutes, the tension has melted away. The sobs eventually come to a stop as I use the steady run of his thumb going backwards and forwards on my shoulder.

When I feel like I could say a whole sentence, I sit up and wipe my eyes before looking up at him. I could just about make his eyes out in the darkness, and I could see the sadness in them.

"How are you finding this so easy?" I ask, finally able to ask the question.

It's silent for a few seconds before I hear him chuckle softly.

"Tess, I'm not." He takes my hands. "Nothing about this is easy."

He turns his body slightly so he's facing me, so I turn too, mirroring his movements, cradling my legs in front of me. I can feel his toes with mine, and I smile as a slight sense of relief starts to flood through me.

"You're not?"

His shadow shakes its head. "Nope. God, do you know how hard it is to see you here?"

He wants to say more, I can tell, but I'm glad he doesn't.

"And in the airport," he whispers, taking my hand. "I wasn't expecting you to hug me like that... i-i-it threw me off guard."

"I'm sorry," I say quickly. "I wasn't expecting it either. I couldn't help myself." I roll my eyes, even if he can't see. "I never could around you."

"Me neither," he says truthfully.

He's still holding my hand, and even though the small strokes of his thumb along my knuckles should make my mind more foggy, it's actually clearer.

Deciding a change of subject may help us both, I say, "Archie this place is amazing."

He laughs a bit louder. "What, my closet?"

I can't help but laugh with him.

"Yeah... Obvs. It's spacious. I bet Millie's jealous."

We laugh but then stop, holding our hands over our mouths so whoever it is can't hear us. It's Millie, and it only makes us giggle more when she says she can't find us to Charlotte and Danny behind her.

"Tess, are you okay?" he asks once we've calmed down. "Really?"

I nod before realising he can't see me. "Yes. Or rather, I will be. But I really am sorry about downstairs..."

"No, it's okay. I shouldn't ha-"

I touch his hand to stop him. "It wasn't that you put your arm around me. It was... It was because it's been so long since I've felt that... feeling. It overwhelmed me."

I could feel it now, and I was fairly certain he could too.

"Can you feel it now?" he asks me.

I nod into the darkness as I whisper a yes. "It feels like home," I tell him, and it's truth.

His eyes are glistening again, and he sniffs as I see him nod. "Me too."

My chest tugs at his words and I uncross my legs to put my arms tightly around his neck, sitting on his lap to get as close as I can. He loops his arms around me, twisting his fingers into my hair as he rests his chin on my shoulder.

We don't move. We don't move for ages. When we finally do, I can see him properly now, and I can feel his breath on my face. He smiles, as he tucks my fringe behind my ear just like he always used to.

"I've missed you."

I smile and stroke soft fingers over his cheeks, remembering the contours of them. "I've missed you too." I couldn't lie to him. "You look amazing, and you've done incredible things. I'm so proud of you."

I stroke my finger across the small scar underneath his eye before moving it up to stroke away a stray hair from his forehead.

"You know, it is so weird to hear you say that."

"To say what?"

"That you're proud of me. After what I did... pride is the last thing I'd expect in you." He cups my hand to his cheek and kisses the inside of my palm. "I know I didn't deserve this second chance you're giving me, but I decided I was taking it anyway, pride or not. Yet here you are... proud of me."

Okay, maybe we were going to start this conversation here and now.

"Archie, I've always been proud of you. It hurt when you left, and I'm sure you'll tell me why soon," he nods when I say that but I continue, "but it's never stopped me from being anything but proud of everything you've done and everything you've accomplished."

I remember when the annoucement was made. Although not on any mainstream media, Jamie came home and mentioned it, having no idea that WEH was anything to do with him. He was excited at the prospect of being something like that one day, and I just remember waiting for that other shoe to drop. Sooner or later, he'll find out, and I know there's one hell of an argument waiting for me when that happens.

Later on that day, when Jamie was asleep, I searched the internet to find more of the story, and smiled when I found a picture and video with Archie and Millie opening their new building with a giant pair of scissors. As I read the article, talking about all of what the two of them pledged to do, tears came to my eyes.

After selling off Richard's various properties, the two of them donated nearly sixty million to charities across the world, using some of it help fund community centres and safe spaces for families trying to escape all forms of abuse. I was so proud of him, so proud of the two of them, because they were using their experiences to do so much good for thousands of people. They weren't just running away from it all.

"No matter what happens Archie, I'll always be proud of you."

He's about to answer, but the closet door suddenly bursts open. I shield my eyes and move off Archie's lap.

"What the hell guys?" Millie laughs as she drops down to our level.

I crawl out of the wardrobe and into the room, looking around before Archie helps pull me up. We're in his room, and I smile as the decorations are similar to how he had his room at ours.

I see a picture of him, Matt and the rest of the team on the dressing table at the end, as well as a pot of cufflinks and hair products. Across the left hand wall is a beautiful watercolour of the Highlands. It's painted directly onto the wall and has very similar colours to the Autumnal vista outside his window, which took up the whole right wall.

He had a fantastic view across Central Park and across the city from here, as he was so high up. As I wander over to the window, Archie follows me and opens the door onto the balcony. I'm expecting to hear the loud city below, but again, because we're so high up, you can barely hear a thing.

"You okay Tess?" Millie asks as I come back in.

I nod. "Sorry. Just having a panic attack."

"On Archie's lap?"

I nervously tuck my hair back behind my ear. "In his closet actually."

She's not annoyed, but my cheeks blaze as Charlotte and Danny come in. She squeals as she sees Archie's view and it makes me jump sideways and into Archie. He chivalrously puts his arm around me and I calm immediately at the feeling of it there.

"No frigging way you have this view every day?"

Archie shrugs. "As far as I can remember." He drops his arm from my shoulder but his little finger links with mine surreptitiously at our sides.

"You get used to it after a while," Millie answers. "We can go for a walk around the park after breakfast if you're up for it?"

"Yeah, we can walk off some of that jet lag... as well as Millie's pancakes."

Archie looks at me before putting his arm back around my shoulders. "I think we'll stay..." I nod back at him. "We have a few things to talk through, I think."

Millie and the others all nod. "Whatever works," she says encouragingly before adding, "But I am starving, so shall we tuck into my pancakes?"

I can't help but laugh as she dispels the tension as always. "Now that you mention it, I can smell pancakes."

Greg chuckles. "As per usual, she's done too many. But there's bacon, blueberries and butt load of maple syrup."

"Yeah, and we're all sitting in here."

I look between us all and smile. "Last to the pancakes has to wash up!" I announce, yanking Archie's hand with me as I dash out the door, causing a small stampede to ensue, with Danny and Charlotte fighting for last place.