THE NEXT MORNING, I got my arse out of bed as quickly as possible. It wasn't that I was in any way uncomfortable... far from it. In fact, I couldn't have thought of anything better than staying with Archer in that bed.

But it was all happening at once. I just couldn't cope with having to face him right then.

The line between 'apart of the agreement' and 'real' had been blurred so much that they were now one in the same. We didn't just pretend there was something between us in public, but in private, too. Like someone might suddenly crash through the door and we had to keep up the act for their sake when really, the chances of that were low. So why did we keep going like we had to prove it to someone?

I looked at him, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. Stop being creepy, Jolie.

I made my way down to the kitchen, smiling a greeting at Martin as he went out the door. He waved as he left, shouting something about 'hope we had a good time the other night.' I raised my eyebrow in question, but he was gone before I could voice it.

That left just me and Noah. His back tensed at Martin's words but relaxed at the slamming of the door.

"Morning, Jolie," he said from the stove, pausing his moving of the sausages in the pan and looking over his shoulder. "Didn't see you there."

"Morning," I mumbled. I didn't quite know how to act. Was I supposed to bring up what I'd seen? Reveal that I had been listening in on their conversation like the nosey cow I was? Best not. So, instead, I tried to suppress the memory of what I'd seen and went over to him. "Looks good," I said, watching him expertly cook breakfast.

"You're too kind," he said with exaggerated gratefulness and pulled me into a side hug. "I knew you would realise I had some good qualities one of these days." 

"Mhm," I said, wriggling out of his hold. "Don't get used to it."

He laughed. "I take it you don't want any then?"

It was strange to see him so different to how he was yesterday. A complete juxtaposition to this friendly, smiling boy before me now.

I sat myself in the chair by the kitchen counter. "Wait, wait, wait I never said—"

He went on. "I guess I'll just have to eat all of this by myself. Oh well."

"Please Noah."

He grinned triumphantly. "Por supuesto."

Somebody was coming down the stairs, then. I turned to see them. Don't stare. Don't drool.

Archer had passed on picking up a shirt on the way out of our bedroom, choosing to go without one completely. The only thing keeping him decent was a pair of grey Nike jogging bottoms. I thanked anyone up there who would listen for blessing me with this sight.

The exposed skin was all hard lines and definition, likely at the hand of playing rugby all throughout summer like he'd once mentioned he'd done before. His skin looked as soft as always and I had to clench my fist to not reach out to touch him.

I trailed my eyes up from his stomach and chest to his face.

His azure eyes were intense, as always, enough to make me knees wobble if it wasn't for being sat down.

He spotted Noah first, and looked as if he was just about to say something when he spotted me. I hurriedly looked away. I tried not to imagine his graceful brows pulled tight into a frown. Who was I kidding? He probably wouldn't even care.

I felt, more than saw, him come closer and finally sit beside me.

He leant over, breath on my neck, warm and oh-so-tempting. "What are you doing later?"

I had to start my sentence a good two times to make sure it wouldn't crack because of him. "Autumn and I are going out."

Noah turned around at my voice. He smirked, likely at my red face.

"You eating too, Arch?" Noah called from over his shoulder.

He looked at me, eyes wandering all over my face until they settled on my lips. Stop, before I jump you.
"What was that, Jolie?" Oh my fuck. I ducked my head in embarrassment. I could almost hear his grin, his voice enough to make the hairs rise up on my arms and everything in between stand alert. "Yeah, why not." Good thing I'm wearing a thick shirt.

He was talking to Noah, that I knew, but when I looked up to see his blue eyes watching me, unwavering, I knew it wasn't just Noah he was responding to.

"Autumn not up yet?" I asked, a desperate attempt to dissipate the tension, for my own sanity. At the sound of her name, Noah— now in front of us with our plates filled entirely with food— paused ever so slightly.

He played it off well but there was still a slight tightness to his mouth and eyebrows as he said, "She probably won't be up for hours." And the small laugh was forced.

Archer leant back to his own seat as the plates were set before us.

I kept pretty quiet for most of breakfast, just letting Noah and Archer do most of the talking. Every now and then, Archer and I's knees would bump into each other and it took most of my energy not to react to that, or being so close I could feel the heat radiating off of him.

Noah was first to finish, fork scraping a final time before getting up and putting his plate on the side.

"I'm going to go shower," he said, arms wide in a stretch. "Don't miss me too much, pollito." I rolled my eyes, playfully, as he squeezed my shoulder on the way past and poked Archer in the side, hard enough to make him squirm.

"I meant to give you something."

"What for?" I asked, stabbing my food a little too forcefully as his knuckles brushed my exposed leg. He smirked slightly but continued reaching for whatever he'd 'meant to give' me.

"It's not a lot," he said, retrieving the box. He looked nervous, almost, like he was genuinely scared of my reaction. It was sweet. "But I know how important keeping in contact with your mum is, so I..."

I looked down properly now at the box in his hands.

"Archer," I breathed in as much shock as amazement. "You didn't have to—"

He cut me off. "I wanted to."

He put the box in my hands, and I had to remind my fingers to wrap around it so it wouldn't fall. His own hands touched mine at the exchange, but I was in too much a state of bewilderment to really appreciate the feel of it or the way my heart picked up.

"This is too much," I said, holding the phone, still in the box, in my hand. I tenderly opened it, terrified— half that I'd break it and the other that this was all an elaborate joke. I couldn't bring myself to worry about the latter, however, when I looked into his expectant eyes, filled with worry and hesitation as he watched my reaction.

I took it out of the box. This had to be the most expensive gift anyone had ever gotten me. Of course I was grateful for him spending money on me. But it wasn't just that. It wasn't just a random buy that he's thrown money at just for the sake of it. No, he'd thought about it, taken me into account. It shouldn't have made my heart swell thinking about it, thinking about him thinking of me, but it did.

He still clung to that slightly antsy energy. This had to be the first time I'd seen him like this, so completely out of control of a situation and out of his comfort zone. It was sort of endearing.

"I understand if you don't like it," he was saying, whilst I was too choked up too answer him. Then more to himself, he was muttering, "I really should have asked you first. You can exchange it if you want. I still have the receipt. I can go get it."

He went to get up but I grabbed his arm. It tensed beneath my fingers.

"It's perfect," I said, keeping ahold of his arm to reinforce what I was saying. "Thank you so much." His features softened, once again, at my words.

"I should go get ready," he said, pointing vaguely upstairs, a crimson dusting his cheekbones. And that wasn't just from getting a little burnt whilst skiing yesterday.

I nodded. "Yeah, me too." I stood up so that we were now at a more similar height, even if he still towered over me.

It was a risky action but I'd done it before I could tell my brain otherwise.

He was still in my arms for a few moments, probably as taken aback as I suddenly was at what I'd done. I began to retract my arms, but he was tightening his hold and pulled me tighter against his chest. I could feel all of him and I'd be lying if I said I didn't appreciate the way his body was pushed up against me.

"Thank you," I breathed into his neck as his arms settled firmly around my waist. "You really shouldn't have."

He shivered slightly.

His lips were a hair width away from my neck. It was like I could feel the ghost of them. So, so painfully close but not quite making contact with my skin.

"Anything for you, Jolie."

***

Autumn and I managed to get to the shops a few hours later, most of the hours used up by her sleeping.

So far, we'd got me a sim for my new phone. New phone. The thought of Archer going into a shop and buying something with me in mind still made my heart buzz. With my stuff out of the way, I let her take me, arm in arm, around. It was probably the most I'd ever learnt and will ever learn about which brands are worth the price tag.

"Michael Kors for instance," she said, pointing to yet another store in this huge mall as we passed it. "Tacky."

"I wouldn't call £300 tacky."

She looked in distaste at the bag I meant, then looked away a minute later as if the sight of it actually hurt. We continued along to a larger shop, the name one I didn't recognise but must be good if Autumn would grace it with her presence. "You'll soon learn like when I— oh my god."

I tore my gaze away from the high ceilings and pristine layout, so clean it seemed to glow, to Autumn. Even the mannequins looked several hundred pounds each, worth more than the entirety of what I was wearing. Probably more than me as a whole.

She was staring straight ahead at two other girls in the store, who were being assisted by a worker.

They spotted her almost immediately. Autumn was walking forward, so I followed, unsure what was about to happen. Was there going to be a fight with designer bags and clutches to bear witness? Was I going to have to propel an eye wateringly expensive purse at the enemy, each worth a small fortune?

But, just as I thought they were going to launch at each other, having both began making their way closer and closer, something unexpected happened.

"Autumn!" The slightly taller girl let out and went in for a kiss on each cheek. Autumn reciprocated with a bright smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

The girl was tall, pretty much all legs. About on par with Autumn in height, willowy and a face enough to be cut from any billboard. Her blonde hair was styled elegantly as it fell down her back, curled to absolute perfection. Her friend was tall, too, but with a slightly rounder face and thinner lips, making her look a little more stern.

"Autumn," she said again as if she couldn't quite believe it. "It's been so long!"

"Indeed." I couldn't quite tear my eyes away from the girl's face. Surely no one could look like that naturally? "Oh gosh," Autumn's voice broke me out of my trance. "I've been so rude."

"Don't worry about it," the girl said with a small laugh. "I'm sure we can introduce ourselves independently."

She stuck her hand out to me. "And you are?"

"Jolie, Jolie Dubois," I said, meeting her hand with my own and feeling the coldness of her rings against my burning skin.

"Pretty," she commented, dark eyes holding mine. Intense enough to make a god's knees buckle. She nodded towards the girl beside her. "That's Madison Heston.

"And I'm Annalise, Annalise Bromley."