He Didn’t Kidnap Me. Not Exactly novel Chapter 154

Chapter 154

Fantastic.

Exactly what I needed.

A public breakdown.

I quickly turned away but Archer moved before I could.

One second there was distance. The next, I was being pulled into a hug.

It wasn’t romantic.

It wasn’t dramatic.

It was simply warm.

Safe.

The kind of hug somebody gave when they didn’t know what else to do.

“It’s okay,” he said quietly.

My hands clenched against his shirt.

“It’ll be okay.”

The stupid thing was that I wanted to believe him. I wanted somebody to tell me that.

I wanted somebody to promise me things would stop hurting eventually.

So for a brief moment, I stopped fighting. I stood there and let myself breathe and it was peaceful but eventually reality returned.

The hallway.

The school.

The championship.

Everything.

I pulled away first before anyone could see us. Archer respected the distance at once.

He didn’t try touching me again. Didn’t try forcing anything.

He simply sighed.

“Now do you believe me?”

Twipes! at-my-eyes,

“Believe what?

“That something is wrong.”

I looked away.

He waited.

Then he said softly, “Promise me something.”

I already knew I wasn’t going to like this.

“What?”

“Promise you’ll talk to me later about what’s wrong”

“Archer, I-.”

“Promise.”

I stared at him and he stared right back.

“I have to get back to the match soon,” he continued. “So also promise me you’ll be okay.”

The concern in his voice was genuine. Completely genuine.

And somehow that made everything worse. Because why did he care this much?

Why?

We had met in a bar.

He had seen me drunk.

That should have been the end of our story.

Instead he was here looking at me like my problems mattered.

“Promise,” he repeated.

I nodded.

“Fine.”

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