Chapter 65

After my wild cleaning spree and a lot of loud music, the pain threatened to return. Thankfully, it was short-lived. It ended up leaving me feeling numb.

Karen and Rylee were both aware of my breakup and they had called in reinforcements. Now, the house was full once again and they were all doting on me. While I appreciated it, the dull ache in my fractured heart continued.

"Here," Karen said and handed me a pint of ice cream. "It's strawberry. It seemed to work last time."

She had replaced the pint I ate when I got fired. If I ate a pint of ice cream every time I was sad, my wardrobe refresh wasn't going to be because I wanted a change. It was going to be a necessity.

"Just let it out," Rylee urged. "Cry, scream, and rage and then you heal. If you hold it all in, it only festers and gets worse. We should go to one of those smash rooms. Break a bunch of shit and you're going to feel better."

Lauren draped a comforting blanket over my shoulders. Her motherly, softer approach to my broken heart was the exact opposite of Rylee's coping methods. "Just take some time to feel sad," Lauren said.

"I can send Ward to go rough him up," Jenny suggested, a hint of humor in her voice.

I chuckled, despite myself. "Yeah, that's a great idea. We can all go to jail."

"He would do it," Jenny said. "He would do it and love it."

"Anyway," Rylee said, regaining our attention like she normally did. "Now that you're single again, you need to get back out there, Mary Ellen. You know what they say—to get over someone, you have to get under someone."

"Oh, please," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "Is that really what I need? More drama and heartbreak? No wonder I usually stick to books."

"It's not necessarily about finding the next love of your life," Lauren reasoned. "It's about going out, having fun, and remembering that life goes on. And so do you."

"And maybe you'll get some great stories out of it," Rylee added with a mischievous smile.

"I'm not ready to think about that yet," I said honestly, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill yet again. "I don't have a heart to give away. He broke it."

"That's okay," Lauren said. "You'll heal. This is all new to you, but I promise, it gets better."

I looked out the window, my thoughts consumed by the words that had shattered the fragile illusion of my reality. "He said all these things," I murmured. I wasn't really talking to them. It was more to myself. "But none of them were true. She got in his head."

"Who did?" Rylee asked.

"His whackadoodle mother," I replied with a sigh. I hadn't told them exactly what happened since it felt like spilling Archer's secrets. "She has no idea how much he wants her to see him differently. How hard he's worked. How good he is."

"What are you talking about?" Lauren asked.

"Archer's mother is still hung up on him getting arrested. It was just some gambling stuff, but she acts like he's a freaking mob boss. She said ugly things about him. About me. I got upset and defensive and I said some things. We left and he broke up with me. He said it was fun but it was over. He implied he wasn't good enough for me. Or maybe because his mother kept calling me a whore."

There was a moment of silence in the room. Then Rylee laughed. "Of all the things to call you. You're practically a nun."

Karen cursed. "What a toxic situation. His mother sounds like a real piece of work. But Archer should have stood up for you, if not for himself."

"I guess that's just not who he is," I said. "He's kind and loving, but he doesn't stand up against his mother. He loves her too much, even if she hurts him. He's got this tough exterior, but he's really a sensitive guy underneath."

Rylee raised an eyebrow at me. "You're still defending him?" she asked me incredulously. "After he broke up with you?"

"Yes! No one else will. That man needs someone in his corner. He's afraid to let anyone love him because his mother has made him feel unworthy of love."

"You are a beautiful soul, Mary Ellen," Lauren said with a soft smile. "But remember, you can't save everyone. Some people need to find their own way."

"I'm not trying to save everyone," I argued. "Just one good man that deserves it."

"No," Rylee cut in firmly. "Don't go down that road. You've got to take care of yourself first. He can't keep breaking your heart. That's not cool."

"I know," I whispered, tears welling in my eyes. "But I love him."

"I think if you love him, you need to tell him," Jenny declared. "If he doesn't feel loved, that's pretty difficult. He obviously cares about you."

With a sudden surge of determination, I rose to my feet. I felt invigorated, ready to slay whatever dragon got in my way—even Archer's Mom. "I'm not going to let her mess everything up," I declared, defiance igniting a fire within me. "Screw her. She doesn't know him. How can she know what she's talking about? She refuses to see the man he is. That woman has her head so far up her butt she can't see daylight. I'm going to tell Archer the truth."

Rylee let out a little squeal and drummed her heels on the floor. "That's the spirit, Mary Ellen! Go fight an old woman for your man. Or whatever it takes."

Lauren shared a look with Karen. Karen shrugged. "She's going after what she wants."

"You're sure about this?" asked Jenny. "It's not an easy path, going against a man's mother."

"I'm going to find Archer and tell him how I feel," I declared firmly. "If his mom tries to interfere, I'll tell her how I feel too. No holding back."

"That's my girl," Rylee said.

I stormed into the kitchen to get my keys. Ward and Jameson sat in quiet conversation, giving us privacy to talk about my broken heart.

"Where are you going?" Jameson asked.

"To remind the man I love that he deserves to be happy," I replied. "I might have lost my job, but I'm not going to lose him because his mother has a screw loose." I jerked the door open and almost got knocked in the face. "Archer?"

His fist was poised to knock on the door. "Oh, hi."

"I was just going to find you," I said.

"I came over to talk to you because I made a mistake," he said quickly.

"I know," I replied.

He smirked. "Of course, you do."

"I'm glad you're here. We're going to talk. Come inside." I was suddenly feeling very assertive.

He stepped inside. The girls scrambled out, giving various lame excuses like needing to wash a frying pan. I appreciated them giving us the privacy we needed.

"I'm done letting her opinion get inside my head and twist me into knots," Archer confessed. "I've let that go. I have someone in my life whose opinion of me means a hell of a lot more now. I can't let her dictate my future."

"Good." I nodded. "You don't have to live your life based on her opinion. I know she's your mother, but she's wrong. She couldn't be more wrong. It's a shame she won't take the time to get to know you. She's missing out."

"Thanks," he said with a half-smile. "That means a lot."

"I think you're kind," I began. "And honest. And strong. All those things that used to scare me about you are now my favorite qualities. You're resilient. Persistent. Relentless. I love that you're strong and soft at the same time."

I could see the emotion on his face. "I appreciate the kind words," he whispered.

"They aren't just words," I said, putting my hand on his arm. "You make me better. Stronger. I want to be more like you. I want to make you proud. You make me want to try new things. When you're beside me, I feel brave. You got me on the back of your motorcycle. I was terrified, but now I love it. I can't wait to see what else you'll encourage me to do."

He nodded. "I want that too."

I took a deep breath, ready to go all in. I hoped it didn't blow up in my face. "And I love you."

His eyebrows lifted in surprise. A grin spread across his face like the sun breaking through storm clouds. "I love you too," he replied.

From the kitchen, I could hear gasps and laughs.

"Kiss him!" Rylee called out.

I blushed furiously, my heart knocking against my ribs as if it wanted to break free. Archer's eyes bored into mine. He placed his hand on my cheek, his thumb gently brushing over the apple of it. His touch was feather-light, teasing the warmth to spread from the surface of my skin down into my very core.

"May I?" His voice was soft and shy, quite different from the confident man I had fallen in love with. In this moment though, his vulnerability was beautiful.

"You may," I quickly replied, standing on tiptoes to close the gap between us.

Our lips met in a tender, longing kiss. His hand cupped my face as he deepened the kiss, pulling me closer to him until there was no space left between our bodies. The warmth of his embrace took over, making me forget about everything.

The cheers from the kitchen turned into muffled whispers as we savored the moment. Unable to resist, I tangled my fingers in his hair, matching his intensity with my own.

Pulling back for breath, he rested his forehead on mine, his eyes holding a soft glow. "I've been waiting to do that," he admitted, his voice a low, warm murmur. "Feels like a lifetime."

I laughed, the sound bubbling out of me. "So have I."

His fingers traced the curve of my cheek with such reverence, it felt like he was committing every inch of me to memory. "And here I was worried you would push me away."

"Never," I assured him. My eyes dropped to his lips and then quickly back up to meet his gaze. "You're stuck with me, Archer."

"I wouldn't want it any other way," he said, wrapping his arms tightly around me.

"Excuse us," Karen said. "We're going to a movie. You have the house to yourselves."

"Do everything I would do," Rylee teased just before they all went out the door.

"Is it really just us?" Archer asked in a husky voice.

I nodded. "Certainly seems like it."

Archer looked at me, his gaze full of desire. "If anyone's here, they're about to get a hell of a show," he said, pulling me into his arms.

My heart swelled with love for him. Now that I had admitted my feelings, I felt free.