help from them,” he jerked his head back toward Jay and Gunner, who still stood in Jay’s doorway, “to finish this tranny and get my truck up and running.”
Ivy laughed, a sound that seemed to sparkle in the darkness. “I am happy to help. Oh…” Her face fell. “I can’t tomorrow though. I have to go to the football game right after school and then a Greek play tomorrow night.”
Archer bit back his disappointment. “Sounds fun,” he said instead, bumping her with his shoulder.
“Oh yeah. Tons of fun. I don’t even know anyone going to the football game. It’ll be a blast sitting by myself.” She kicked at a rock, pausing by her car.
“I’ll go.”
Her head snapped up, and she peered at him hopefully in the darkness. “Serious?”
“Sure. I love football.”
“I don’t know a thing about it. But I’m pretty sure Webber’s team is terrible.”
Archer laughed. Terrible was an understatement. They hadn’t won a game in at least two years. “Yeah, they have been for a while. What time?”
“It starts at three. I’ll still be up on campus because I have a project I have to finish.”
“Okay. I’ll meet you there. I’ll just text you to find out where you’re at.” Reaching into her open bag, he snatched her phone from its little pocket and flipped through her contacts list, putting in his phone number and then texting himself so he had her number, too. Nice, Archer. Smooth . He was quite proud of himself. As he dropped her phone back into the pocket, she threw her arms around him.
“Thank you, Archer. You’re the best.”
He hoped she couldn’t feel his heart trying to explode through his jacket. That’d be a hard one to explain. “No problem,” he said, mortified that his voice sounded slightly strangled. He tried again, “No problem at all.”
Chapter Five
Ivy wasn’t willing to admit it out loud, but she got up earlier Friday morning and spent more time getting ready for school — which meant she had to do something with her hair besides throwing it in a ponytail.
She kept praying the day would speed up, but it seemed to be opposite day, and every prayer slowed things down even more — no matter how hard she tried to throw herself into her work. It was stupid. It wasn’t like it was a date. He’d felt sorry for her and was being a good friend, she knew that. But the thought of sitting next to him for two whole hours, just the two of them, made her pulse race. And then she would have a serious internal discussion with herself about what a lunatic she was being. It was nearing November, but a few months away from Vick was not enough to forget the terror of five long years. Or at least, it shouldn’t have been, but every time she looked at Archer, all she felt was safe and happy... and other emotions she wasn’t ready to examine yet. Maybe she’d had one too many concussions and had suffered some sort of brain trauma.
****
She made her way up the bleachers carefully, because she was notorious for slipping and falling through the benches. The stadium was pretty empty. Three o’clock had finally decided to show up, and she was a basket case. He’s not going to come. He’s not going to come. It was stuck on repeat in her stubborn little head. That was okay, she could handle a football game by herself, even if the thought made her heart sink. So when her phone vibrated in her pocket, she jumped out of her skin. She dug it out, scanning the message — and froze. It wasn’t from Archer. It was from Vick.
We need to talk .
“No. No, no, no, no, no,” she whimpered, terror nearly overwhelming her at the thought of having to talk to him again. Her stomach seemed tied in a thousand painful knots, and every breath hitched in her throat. She had never been a confrontational person, but she could do it if she had to. Except for Vick. She couldn’t stand up to Vick.
She hesitated, her fingers over her keyboard for several seconds, while she tried to figure out
Ivy laughed, a sound that seemed to sparkle in the darkness. “I am happy to help. Oh…” Her face fell. “I can’t tomorrow though. I have to go to the football game right after school and then a Greek play tomorrow night.”
Archer bit back his disappointment. “Sounds fun,” he said instead, bumping her with his shoulder.
“Oh yeah. Tons of fun. I don’t even know anyone going to the football game. It’ll be a blast sitting by myself.” She kicked at a rock, pausing by her car.
“I’ll go.”
Her head snapped up, and she peered at him hopefully in the darkness. “Serious?”
“Sure. I love football.”
“I don’t know a thing about it. But I’m pretty sure Webber’s team is terrible.”
Archer laughed. Terrible was an understatement. They hadn’t won a game in at least two years. “Yeah, they have been for a while. What time?”
“It starts at three. I’ll still be up on campus because I have a project I have to finish.”
“Okay. I’ll meet you there. I’ll just text you to find out where you’re at.” Reaching into her open bag, he snatched her phone from its little pocket and flipped through her contacts list, putting in his phone number and then texting himself so he had her number, too. Nice, Archer. Smooth . He was quite proud of himself. As he dropped her phone back into the pocket, she threw her arms around him.
“Thank you, Archer. You’re the best.”
He hoped she couldn’t feel his heart trying to explode through his jacket. That’d be a hard one to explain. “No problem,” he said, mortified that his voice sounded slightly strangled. He tried again, “No problem at all.”
Chapter Five
Ivy wasn’t willing to admit it out loud, but she got up earlier Friday morning and spent more time getting ready for school — which meant she had to do something with her hair besides throwing it in a ponytail.
She kept praying the day would speed up, but it seemed to be opposite day, and every prayer slowed things down even more — no matter how hard she tried to throw herself into her work. It was stupid. It wasn’t like it was a date. He’d felt sorry for her and was being a good friend, she knew that. But the thought of sitting next to him for two whole hours, just the two of them, made her pulse race. And then she would have a serious internal discussion with herself about what a lunatic she was being. It was nearing November, but a few months away from Vick was not enough to forget the terror of five long years. Or at least, it shouldn’t have been, but every time she looked at Archer, all she felt was safe and happy... and other emotions she wasn’t ready to examine yet. Maybe she’d had one too many concussions and had suffered some sort of brain trauma.
****
She made her way up the bleachers carefully, because she was notorious for slipping and falling through the benches. The stadium was pretty empty. Three o’clock had finally decided to show up, and she was a basket case. He’s not going to come. He’s not going to come. It was stuck on repeat in her stubborn little head. That was okay, she could handle a football game by herself, even if the thought made her heart sink. So when her phone vibrated in her pocket, she jumped out of her skin. She dug it out, scanning the message — and froze. It wasn’t from Archer. It was from Vick.
We need to talk .
“No. No, no, no, no, no,” she whimpered, terror nearly overwhelming her at the thought of having to talk to him again. Her stomach seemed tied in a thousand painful knots, and every breath hitched in her throat. She had never been a confrontational person, but she could do it if she had to. Except for Vick. She couldn’t stand up to Vick.
She hesitated, her fingers over her keyboard for several seconds, while she tried to figure out
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