Chapter 47

Iwoke up late, glad I had a late shift at the library. I didn't think I would have managed to get up any earlier. Last night had been spectacular, but I really was running on fumes.

My boring life was not used to so much excitement. Archer had woken me up, making me feel alive again. But I still needed my eight hours apparently.

I stretched, relishing the feel of the sheets against my skin. It was almost nine. I rolled over and grabbed my phone from the nightstand. I smiled when I saw a good morning text from Archer. There was another text from Lauren inviting me to grab some coffee. I texted Archer back first and then Lauren, telling her I would love to get coffee.

I quickly got ready, knowing I wouldn't be home until after dinner. Archer would probably stop by the library at some point. I headed out, humming to myself. The sun was bright and warm, promising a good day.

I parked my car at the library and walked to the café. I was looking forward to spending some time with Lauren, just me and her. Since she'd moved out, we didn't see enough of each other. When I did see her, I was usually with the rest of the girls. It was difficult to have a conversation when there were so many voices—and when Rylee made drinks.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and buttery croissants greeted me when I opened the door. I couldn't help but smile as I took in the scene. It was a nice break from the chaos of wedding rehearsals, fundraiser talk, and work. I had been so worried about losing my job and finding a new place to live, it was like being pulled in a hundred directions.

"Mary Ellen," Lauren called out. "It hasn't been that long. Surely, you still recognize me."

I quickly sat down at the table, smiling. "You're an idiot."

"I ordered you a cappuccino," she said. "And croissants, of course."

"They're so buttery here. You're a queen. How are you?"

"Good." She nodded. "You? Have you recovered from the rehearsal for a rehearsal?"

I laughed and took a sip of my drink. "Yes. I'm afraid of the next rehearsal for the rehearsal for the rehearsal."

She giggled. "That poor thing. Jenny is losing her beautiful mind. She's taking on so much of the stress, which is bonkers because she has a wedding planner. I think she's secretly having fun. It just looks like crazy."

I took a bite of the warm croissant. "I think she's just terrified of anything going wrong."

"That's putting it mildly," Lauren replied with a laugh. "And did you see that terrifying spreadsheet she has? With all the color coding and conditional formatting? That thing is like a monster from my worst nightmares."

We both laughed at that. "I just hope on the morning of her wedding, she can actually enjoy it. She deserves to be a relaxed bride."

"Oh, definitely." Lauren nodded. "She's worked so hard on this and I'd hate to see her frazzled and stressed on her big day. Hopefully after the rehearsal dinner things will calm down a bit. Maybe we can sneak some mimosas into her."

"I think the little incidents that happen at every wedding are really just memories to be cherished. I mean, a perfect wedding would be forgettable."

"I don't know," she said, shrugging. "Perfect is not bad. We had dinner with her and Ward last night. Ward tried so hard to not talk about the wedding. He said he wanted to help her relax, but I don't think it worked."

"Seriously, how does he do it?" I asked.

Lauren chuckled, shaking her head. "I have no idea, but he's definitely a keeper."

"And how is Jameson?" I asked.

She grinned. "He's out of the doghouse."

"Why was he in the doghouse?"

"After his confrontation with Archer, I made it clear he had to play nice. I love how protective he was of you, but he needed to stand down."

"They did seem to be getting along surprisingly well at the house last weekend," I said.

"I know." Lauren grinned. "I can be very persuasive."

"I don't want to know what that means," I said. "But I'm definitely going to miss nights like that."

"We'll have more," she said. "After the wedding."

"I don't know if that's going to be possible," I said. "Our days are numbered in the big house."

"What? Why?" Lauren asked.

"We have to move," I told her.

"Why? Did Rylee get you all evicted?"

"No, but it's too big for the three of us, and splitting the rent three ways is difficult. We've been looking for a new place we can all afford. With my job at the library in limbo, we absolutely have to get into something more affordable. We have to let go of our house."

"What? Why didn't anyone tell me?"

I shrugged, feeling a twinge of guilt. "I guess we've all been caught up in our own worlds lately. But honestly, it's okay, Lauren. Things change. We've all come to terms with it."

"Do you guys want to move?" Lauren asked.

"No, not really, but we don't need that big of a house," I said. "And it would be nice not to have to pinch pennies to make rent. Rylee is struggling with rent as well. With you and Jenny out of the house, it just makes sense."

She pouted and shook her head. "I hate that."

I smiled and nodded. "Trust me, Karen has been presenting us with all these great places and I keep rejecting them because I didn't want to move. But now I understand it's part of life. We're all growing and changing. Maybe I'll be the next one to move out."

"What?" she asked. "With Archer?"

"Maybe." I smiled. "I don't know."

"You little minx, good for you." She leaned in close. "So he makes you happy?"

"He does. Things are good with us."

"He certainly seems to be a good guy. Have you met his family? How much do you know about him?"

"I know him pretty well, but I'm sure there is a lot more to learn. I have met his family. There are some weird family dynamics there. I don't really understand all of it, but I'm trying. I have a good feeling about him."

"That's what matters the most, your feelings," she said. "You can't understand everything on day one. Relationships take some time to develop."

"The more time I spend with Archer, the more I can see a future with him," I said. "When we're apart, all I can think about is getting back with him."

Lauren's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, Mary Ellen. Are you in love?"

The question caught me off guard. A strange warmth flooded through my system. "I don't know," I admitted, my heart fluttering at the thought. "Not yet, at least. But I think I'm falling. It's weird."

"Love is weird," Lauren agreed, her eyes softening as she reached across the table to grasp my hand. "But it's also wonderful. Love is hot and turbulent. Love is chaotic and calm, and it's messy and it's beautiful. Sometimes all at once, sometimes not at all. It's like a rollercoaster ride that you never want to end, even when it scares you, even when it throws you around a bit."

I nodded, really thinking about it. "It does feel that way, doesn't it? And I guess, for the first time, I'm not afraid of where this ride might take me."

"Good," Lauren said, giving my hand a squeeze. "You shouldn't be. Fear can hinder love, but it can never stop it."

"But what if Archer doesn't feel the same way?" I asked, my voice wavering.

Lauren smiled gently at me. "Then he'd be a fool. But I believe he does. The way he looks at you, the time you both spend looking at each other? It would be hard to ignore those signals. I recognized those looks. It reminded me of me and Jameson."

"You two are happy together," I said.

"Very." She nodded. "You're going to have that with Archer. I feel it."

I couldn't help but smile at her encouragement. "Thank you. I hope so. I mean, he even loves to read."

I felt a sense of excitement mingled with uncertainty. I was taking a leap of faith, opening myself up to the possibility of love with Archer. It both thrilled and terrified me.

"Okay, so about the big house," Lauren said, steering the conversation back to the house we were going to be moving out of.

"Yes?

"We can't give it up without a fight. I still have a few boxes there. I'll figure out how to make it work."

"You have your own life," I told her. "It's just a house. You have moved on, a couple of boxes aside. It's a good thing. And maybe it's time for us to move on too." Even as I said the words, a strange sense of peace washed over me. "Besides, big houses are overrated anyway. They are just too much work."

Lauren snorted. "Tell that to Karen. She loved cleaning every nook and corner of that house. She said it was a zen thing. Like meditation."

"Yeah, she will miss that."

"Maybe you're right," Lauren said, her brow furrowed in thought. "Perhaps it's too much to handle right now."

"I think Rylee would be glad too," I added.

"You sound very zen about things, too," she said.

"I am. That's thanks to Archer. He's the one that told me to be open to change. You know me. I don't like change at all. But it's not so bad stepping out of my comfort zone. It's been good."

Lauren nodded with an approving smile. "I'm glad to hear that," she said. "Archer sounds like good news. More than that, he's helping you grow."

"I think he is," I admitted, my heart warming at the thought of him. "He makes me want to try all kinds of new things."

"Are we talking sex?" she asked in a whisper.

I laughed. "No. Well, yes."

"I'm just glad you found a good guy to show you the ropes," she teased.

"Me too." I checked the time. "I should probably get to work. Thank you for having coffee with me. It's been too long since we've got to hang out, just the two of us."

"I know," she said. "I do plan on spending more time with all of you. I feel like I ditched all of you."

"You didn't ditch us," I said. "You fell in love. You have a beautiful home with an amazing man. None of us judge you for that."

"Thanks. I'll let you go. Oh, how is the fundraiser going?"

I nodded. "Good, actually. I feel like I keep talking about Archer, but he's been on top of things. He's helped so much. I don't know what happens if we raise a million bucks, but it's satisfying to know we could."

"Jameson and I will be there," she said. "I'll make him write a big check."

"You don't have to do that. Just showing up will be good."

"Thanks, but we want to."

I got to my feet. "Well, every little bit helps. I'll see you later. At the rehearsal dinner probably, unless we get called to rehearse our smiles."

She giggled and waved as I walked out. I made my way back to the library, looking forward to seeing Archer soon. Could I be in love? Me? The girl who seemed to strike out at every turn when it came to men?

The question lingered in my mind, a sweet uncertainty that had already started to bloom. I looked up at the library and hoped like hell this was not going to be part of the changes in my life. I really wanted to keep working here and helping the people in the area.

I walked into the library, smiling at a couple of the regulars that were seated at a table. I didn't see the developers or Samantha lurking, but I knew they were going to be here today, vultures ready to peck at the library's bones. They had been walking the grounds every day, talking about a pool here and a statue there.

It made me want to puke.