Passionate Exchange

Chapter Eight

His accusing eyes meet mine as he shakes his head in disapproval. "Why weren't you looking where we were going?"

I gasp at his attempt to blame me and stop in my tracks, folding my arms across my chest. My lips press into a hard line. All of the frustration and irritation that has been building up over the past week becomes too much to hold back. My eyes narrow in his direction.

"Are you serious?" I practically scream at him and am glad no one else is around to hear. "I was following you! You were the one leading us the wrong way."

He scoffs which only adds to the flame. "The last time I checked you had the map." He gives me a pointed look.

I throw my hands up in the air in frustration. "Well, I assumed you'd been here before. Why were you walking ahead of me if you didn't know where you were going?"

"You were walking too slow." He states plainly with a shrug of his shoulders.

I bite back the string of insults that are threatening to come out. Curse him! Why does he have to be so rude?

I glare at the bored look on his face. Why should he get to be bored that we're lost when he's the reason? His hands are stuffed into his pockets and he's whistling a tune to himself. I don't know if it's because he's irritating or confusing but he's really starting to get on my nerves.

"How are you so calm?" I throw my hands up in the air, trying to wrap my head around the inner workings of Archer. "Aren't you worried about us never finding our way back? We could be lost forever and have to live the rest of our lives in the wilderness eating beetles to survive?"

"The worse part of that would be being stuck with you."

My eyebrows almost get lost in my hairline as I gape at him. Is he serious? He has bigger problems than being stuck with me.

Actually, no, I take back that statement. If he wants to act like that, I'll give him what he wants. I'll make the rest of his life a living hell.

I can already see it. Archer begging me to let him down once I find a way to lift him into the tallest tree I can find when he's sleeping, without waking him up, and get a safe distance away from whatever he throws at me.

I'd say all of the efforts would be more than worth it, don't you think?

Once I've planned the entire thing in my head, I return to reality to see him no longer in front of me. My heart drops as I whirl around. I roll my eyes at his retreating form and follow behind him.

"What are you doing?" I yell.

"Retracing our steps." He states like it's the most obvious thing in the world. I refrain from face-palming. Why didn't I think of that?

"Will you at least wait for me?"

He stops long enough for me to be by his side. My eyebrows pull together. Did he really just wait for me? That means that he would have had to actually do as I said.

"Thank you." My voice is no louder than a whisper due to my astonishment.

He shrugs nonchalantly. "Your yelling was putting me off."

So that was the reason behind it? I knew there would have to be some personal benefit of him stopping.

"Sorry, my voice distracts you," I say, sarcasm dripping off every word.

We carry on walking next to each other. He chooses to ignore my sarcastic response which is a blessing in disguise. I would have probably strangled him if he said something else. How long would I be sentenced for murder? I'm sure it wouldn't be long enough to make me back out of the idea.