You&Me: Book 4

Chapter 24: Distraught Visitor (Saigon)

"Archer's there?! He's with you?"

"Yeah," I whispered. "I'm going to call you back."

"Make sure he doesn't go anywhere. I'm on my way."

"Sure..." I hung up and stared at the man on my steps. "Archer?"

Letting out a deep breath, he peered down the sidewalk. A woman was coming our way. Archer was shaking as he watched her closely. I hurried up the stairs and unlocked the door. He looked ragged. Opening the door, I guided him inside. After dropping my book bag on the ground, I took him to the living room and sat him on the couch.

"Let me get you some water." I hurried to the kitchen to get a water bottle.

I returned and Archer hadn't moved. His expression was hollow and his eyes were red and swollen. Sitting down at his side, I took off the lid and handed it to him. He stared at it and blinked a couple times before taking it from me. Clutching it in both hands, Archer looked straight ahead.

"What happened?"

Letting out a shaky breath, he fell forward and broke down. I took the water bottle before it spilled.

"Willow's gone," he said between gasp. "You were right. You knew— you knew she'd go rogue."

I jerked back. "Willow went rogue?"

"After what happened at Base Acid, she started to hate the pack. She'd tell me how much she despised Darius and didn't want to be a werewolf." He started to sob. "She left me. My chest hurts."

I hugged him. "I'm sorry."

"Why would she just go? We're mates, we're supposed to be together. We're supposed to love each other forever. She never loved me."

"That's not true. She agreed to be her mate."

He fell into my chest. "Why are you being so nice? I hurt you so badly."

"It's been two years, Archer. I'm over it."

"You never came back, though. Your parents visited but never you."

"I didn't want to make things awkward. Willow never liked me and I didn't want to put you in the position where you'd have to choose."

He struggled to get his breathing under control. "My chest hurt so bad." He clutched it and I noticed blood.

"Archer, stop." I pulled away his hand. "You're hurting yourself."

"I just want it to stop hurting."

I held his wrist to keep him from clawing himself. "You have a bond with Willow. It's not something you can stop. It'll always be there."

He wiped his face on his shoulder. "I never would have mated with her if I had known she'd leave me."

"Deep breaths," I smiled. "It's okay. We'll figure it out."

He started to do so and, with time, got his breathing under control. I rubbed his back as I took a moment to comprehend what was going on as well. The trip to my college wasn't a simple drive to Harper's Creek. Archer had been on a bus for hours, among humans. I hugged him tighter. He came all this way to see me? I wouldn't get my hopes up. Archer had a mate. Even if the bitch had the nerve to go rogue, she was still Archer's mate and that was a bond that couldn't be broken.

"I have a guest room upstairs. Do you want to get some sleep?"

Nodding, he roughly cleared his eyes. "That would be nice."

We stood and I showed him upstairs.

Archer stopped at the door and took a deep breath. "It smells like your parents."