Chapter Seventeen

Ilay back on the couch, stretching my feet out onto the table in front of me, being careful not to knock over the leftover food. I ate way too much, but I enjoyed every single bite. Shockingly, the company wasn't too bad either.

"I'm stuffed," Archer says almost as if he can read my mind.

"Same, but now comes the best part," I answer.

"Yeah?" Archer raises his eyebrows as he leans back on the couch and turns his head towards me. "What's that?"

"The after show sleep. I can promise that you'll never get a better night's sleep than that. The adrenaline will start to wear off and then your full belly will lull you to sleep. It's the deepest sleep I get." I close my eyes for a second, taking a few deep, relaxing breaths.

Archer follows suit and gently rests his feet next to mine. "That sounds like exactly what I need right now."

We both sit on the couch letting the silence take over the room.

I love nights like this. They're exactly what I dreamed of as a kid. Well, not the Archer being here part, but the after show calm. That amazing feeling of being able to relax after you've just lived out your dream on stage never gets old. I never actually thought this would happen though.

I look over at Archer. His eyes are closed and his breathing has slowed down a bit.

I smile to myself. He's sweeter than I imagined. I had morphed him into a villain in my mind. Him showing up here with my favorite food and drink definitely broke that image a bit. Bringing ranch may have made the last piece crumble.

"What's wrong?" Archer asks, slowly sitting up.

Oh crap, he caught me staring. I dart my eyes to the TV, which is . . . off. I mentally smack my hand on my forehead. "Nothing," I answer maybe a little too quickly.

Archer looks around the room. "How long was I out?"

"Just a few minutes. I told you, after show food and sleep wins out every time. There's no point in fighting it."

"Yeah, you weren't kidding. I feel like I slept for hours." He pauses for a second. "Do you . . . ummm . . . want to watch a movie?"

I contemplate how I want to answer his question. I know he's just trying to bond and grow our relationship. Honestly, we need to be doing things like this because we are going to be spending a lot of time together. And quite frankly, that doesn't sound like a horrible idea. I know, I know, I'm even shocking myself.

I'm just in so much pain right now, the thought of trying to focus on a movie feels overwhelming. An epsom salt bath, the ice packs in my freezer, and my bed are all simultaneously shouting my name at this point in the night. However, I don't know how to tell Archer no without hurting his feelings, and I'm not quite ready to explain the pain and everything that comes with it yet.

"Ummm sure," I state, with no enthusiasm in my voice hoping he'll catch on himself. "For a little bit."

"Okay, your pick," Archer says as he smiles up at me.

I try to volunteer a movie but I can't even think of a title right now as the fatigue and brain fog start to kick in. "You're the guest, you pick." I try to muster up a smile.

"Hmmmm, okay." Archer loads up a streaming service on my TV and starts scanning through all of the movies. "How about this one?"

I honestly can't even focus enough to care what movie he just suggested. The pain in my knees is really starting to flare up. I hate how it'll sometimes kick in this intensely with little to no warning.

"That's fine. Go ahead and start it. I'll be right back," I respond as I quickly jump up off the couch.

I walk, although I'm sure it looks more like a hobble, to the bathroom and dig through my essentials bag. I grab a bottle of pain killers and pop two in my mouth, praying they kick in fast. In hindsight, I should've taken these the second I got back to my room.

I really need to tell Archer that I need to call it a night, but just the thought of how that interaction might go is already causing my stomach to flip.

It's fine. Just a little bit longer and I can go to bed. The medicine will kick in and it'll be okay. I plaster a soft smile on my face and head back into the living room.

"Alison, are you okay?" a soft whisper asks. It sounds so close yet so far away at the same time.

"Alison?" The voice is deep and comforting. It soothes my thoughts like a cup of hot chocolate warming your body on a cold winter's night.

It takes me a second to get my bearings as the smooth voice continues saying my name.

Then it hits me like a ton of bricks. Wait, I recognize that voice. Archer.

My eyes fly open, and I'm instantly met with those deep, dark brown eyes. I immediately notice his face is only a few inches from mine. Redness instantly starts seeping into my face.

I scoot myself to the side, trying to put some distance between us and turn my face away from his. I wipe at my eyes while I try to clear my head.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I answer after a few moments of silence. "I must've fallen asleep. Why?" I finally turn towards Archer hoping I look semi-presentable and don't have a sleep line across my cheek.

"Umm well, you were kind of moaning in your sleep. It sounded like you were in pain or something. Are you sure you're okay?"

Crap. My brain is still so foggy, but I quickly try to think of a believable answer. "Oh. I'm fine. Probably just achy from the show. You know, dancing and being on my feet for that long. I'm not as young as I used to be," I chuckle, really hoping to sell my lie.

Archer tilts his head to the side as he continues to hold my gaze. I pray that my poker face is good enough. After what feels like thirteen minutes but was probably more like a few seconds, he turns towards the TV, grabbing the remote from the table.

"Well, I won't keep you anymore. You clearly could use some rest. I probably should've thought of that before coming over here and forcing you to stay up this late. I'm sorry about that." He shuts the TV off and then stands up. I stand up alongside him to walk him out.

We both head to the door in silence. When he gets halfway there, he quickly stops and turns towards me. I crash into his back which easily throws me off balance with how weak my body is right now. He grabs my wrists and steadies me. I hesitate for a second and then look down at where his hands meet my wrists.

I wait for him to let go, but his hands don't release mine. I look up at him and find his eyes filled with compassion as he's watching my face. His hands slowly slide down my wrists until his palms are against mine. He glides his fingers between mine and then closes his fingers around mine. I look down at our hands, trying to keep my breath steady.

"Ali." I flinch a bit at the sudden break in the silence. "You know, if there was something going on. Something more. You could share it with me. I'm really good at listening. Without judgement."

He sounds so sincere. So real. It's the first time in awhile I've felt like someone other than my loved ones have genuinely cared about me. Specifically me as a person. Not me as a famous singer.

I take a few deep breaths. Everything in me wants to just tell him. The thought of sharing the burden with someone is pulling me in.

"Well . . ." I start, but that small scared voice in my head puts up a brick wall and stops me in my tracks. "I'm fine. I appreciate it, but I'm really okay."

Archer continues to look at me for a few seconds before he releases my hands and pulls me in for a hug. I stand rigid for a moment before finally reaching up and wrapping my arms around his neck, letting myself sink into him. He pulls me closer as he tightens his grip on me.

I'm sure future Alison will be completely embarrassed by my reaction to his hug, but right now, this comfort feels like it's slowly healing pieces of me.

I breath in his scent, relishing in his warm hug and the feel of his heartbeat against mine. This all feels so real. He feels so real.

"The offer will always stand," he whispers in my ear before he abruptly lets me go and heads out the door.

I take a step forward. "Archer?"

"Yeah?" he asks, turning back towards me.

"Why did you come here tonight? You should've been out with your family or friends celebrating your first show," I whisper, trying to fight back the tears threatening to spill over.

"You'll eventually figure it out," he says quietly, before he opens the door and walks out, closing it behind him.

I stand there staring at the closed door as a single tear rolls down my cheek.