CHAPTER 18:

Where He Goes on a Date

~~**~~

|Archer|

Fallon and I stood in a corner of the busy school hallway. I tried to concentrate on what she was saying but I couldn't.

All my mind could focus on right now was the small strip of skin that was visible between her top and the waistline of her jeans. I tried not to think about the two twin freckles just beside her belly button. I had the wildest urge to trace them with my fingers.

Was she ticklish?

Would she laugh if I touched her there?

What would she taste like if I ran my tongue along her skin? What kind of sounds would she make?

I could feel my blood heating.

My jeans suddenly felt a little too tight.

"Archer, are you even listening to me?" Fallon's voice suddenly had me jolting back to reality.

What the fuck has gotten into me lately?

I'm losing my goddamn mind.

"Sorry, I got distracted," I said but my voice came out hoarse. I cleared my throat trying to get my wild thoughts under control. "You were saying?"

Fallon gave me a strange look.

She pursed her lips, her fingers fidgeted with the straps of her bag pack. Something she did when she was nervous.

"I wanted to ask you if you were free tonight." Her beautiful hazel eyes gazed up at me hopefully.

My heart stuttered in my chest.

"Fallon I-"

"Hey, Archer!"

My words were cut off by Caroline's cheerful voice. I watched as she walked over to where Fallon and I were standing.

"Ready for our date tonight, handsome?" She wove her arm around mine and gave me a playful wink.

Something awful settled in the pit of my stomach as I watched Fallon's eyes lock on our linked arms. Something flashed in her eyes but she quickly covered it up with a smile.

Caroline turned to Fallon, "Can you believe that I had to plan the entire date myself and track this guy down even after I was the one who bid eight hundred bucks to go out with him?" She rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. "Boys right?"

"Yeah." Fallon laughed lightly but it sounded empty and lifeless, nothing like Fallon.

"Fallon, listen-" I tried again but Fallon stopped me with a small shake of her head.

"Sorry, I'm late for class guys. Have fun on your date." She quickly hurried away, clearly wanting to be nowhere near me.

I instinctively started to go after her but what Colton had told me that day in his car halted me.

Fallon was the one who had convinced Caroline to go out with me at the auction.

She had wanted me to go out with Caroline.

This had been our plan all along.

Her getting her car fixed and me finally going out with my long-time crush.

So now that it was finally happening why did I suddenly feel so empty?

~~**~~

Caroline and I were currently seated on a blanket that I'd placed over the sand. The sound of waves crashing softly against the shore filled the air. Having a picnic at the beach had been my idea but now that we were here all I could think about was how the last time I'd come here it had been with Fallon, the things she'd told me, the moment we had shared, how right she'd felt in my arms-

"Earth to Archer." Caroline's voice suddenly had me crashing back to the present.  Her blue eyes searched my face, "Where's your head at, pretty boy?" She asked jokingly.

"Sorry," I murmured as I scratched the back of my head awkwardly, "I just have something on my mind."

Caroline raised an eyebrow at me pointedly, "By something you mean someone right?" When I didn't answer she just laughed and shook her head, "And that someone doesn't happen to be a certain redhead with cute freckles and an outrageous taste in clothes?"

I could feel my face heating up in embarrassment.

Had I made it that obvious?

"I'm sorry," I told her honestly because she deserved better than this half-hearted attempt at a date and an apology was the only thing I could offer her.

"Don't apologize." Her eyes shone with understanding. "I've seen the way you look at her." Caroline smiled, "And I can see how much you both care for each other." Her expression became thoughtful, "What I don't understand, however, is why Fallon practically begged me to go out with you?" She looked at me questioningly.

I cringed.  "Maybe because I led her to believe that I'm in love with you?"

Caroline seemed to choke on the air.

"You- what? Why?" She finally wheezed.

I ran a hand through my hair and took a deep breath.

And then I told Caroline Williams everything.

~~**~~

Caroline shook her head in disbelief for what seemed like the thousandth time. "So let me get this straight." She said seriously, "You had a crush on me at first but then you met Fallon and you started to develop feelings for her. So instead of being honest and telling her that you wanted to spend more time with her, you told her that you'd fix her car if she set you up with another girl?

I grimaced. "It was her idea I just went along with it," I said but my words sounded pathetic even to my own ears.

Caroline smacked my bicep with the back of her hand. "Oh my God, why are all you men such clueless assholes?"

I rubbed my arm and glared at her.

She pointed a finger at me accusingly, "Of course that poor girl begged me to go out with you! You made her believe that the only reason you keep her around is because she can help you get with another girl! Can you even imagine how much that thought must have hurt her?"

I swallowed. "No, Fallon knows I care about her-"

Caroline scoffed, "Does she?"

Had I been so ignorant this entire time?

Had I actually hurt Fallon with my actions?

The sound of my phone ringing cut my internal debate short.

Peyton's name flashed across my phone's screen. My eyebrows shot up in surprise. Why was Fallon's best friend calling me?

I gave Caroline an apologetic look before I answered the call.

"Archer?" Peyton's panicked voice reached my ears.

Alarm bells started going off inside my head.

"Hey Peyton, what's up?" I asked, my voice uncertain.

My eyes met Caroline's confused ones and I just shrugged.

"It's Fallon." 

"What's wrong?" I demanded. I was on my feet without even thinking.

"Her manager called me because I'm listed as her emergency contact. Some reporters figured out where she worked and came into the café and started harassing her. She told me that she'd called security and gotten rid of them but that Fallon ended up having a panic attack." Peyton sighed, "I'm sorry for putting you on the spot here, I was supposed to go and pick her up and drop her off at her apartment but I'm at work and my asshole of a boss is threatening to fire me if I leave before my shift is over-"

"I'll go to her. Don't worry Peyton, I got her." I cut in.

I heard her breathe a sigh of relief.

I ended the call and turned to Caroline, to my surprise she was already packing up everything.

"Listen Caroline-" I started but she cut me off with a dismissive hand gesture.

"It's okay Archer. Go to her." She gave me a small smile and started walking away.

I had to jog to catch up with her.

"At least let me drop you off."

"My Uber's already here." She gestured towards a sleek black car parked a couple of feet away.

"Hey, Caroline!" I called out just as she was starting to get into the car. "How did you know?" When she gave me a confused look I chuckled awkwardly, "About how I felt about Fallon, I mean."

She smiled. "Because everyone wants to be looked at the way you look at her."

~~**~~

Sofia, the Manager of Antonio's Sweet Haven, led me to the changing room at the back of the café. She sighed, "Those reporters just showed up out of nowhere and they started asking that poor girl the cruelest questions. I called in security and made them leave as soon as I could. But obviously, she's pretty shaken up."

I nodded. "I'll take it from here," I said quietly as I turned the door handle and stepped inside.

For a moment I didn't see her but then I caught a flash of red, against the back corner of the floor, almost hidden behind the coat rack.

My heart sank when I saw the blank empty look in her usually bright eyes.

"Hey, sunshine." The nickname slipped from my mouth involuntarily but as soon as I said it I knew it fit her perfectly.

Sunshine

Because she was warm and bright.

Everything felt dark and colorless when she wasn't there.

And on days like today when her light dimmed, the world just didn't seem right.

She didn't even notice me there.

I got down on my knees in front of her. "Hey, look at me," I said softly as I traced a finger over her cheek.

Her eyes finally met mine and they seemed to widen in shock.

"Archer?" She breathed in disbelief.

And then suddenly her eyes filled with tears as she flung herself at me. The impact knocked me back on my ass but I quickly regained my balance. Fallon buried her head into my chest, her hands clutching my sweatshirt desperately.

Her shoulders shook, and the sound of her gut-wrenching sobs echoed around the changing room. I wrapped my arms around her protectively, my cheek coming to rest over the top of her head.

"Shh," I said gently. "I've got you now."

I rubbed my hands soothingly over her back.

"You're safe now Fallon."