Passionate Exchange

Chapter Thirty-One

I scramble for an excuse as to why I can't play. "I haven't played in a while; I've probably forgotten how to do it." I lie. I haven't forgotten. It's imprinted in my brain, but he doesn't need to know that.

"Come on, you'll remember." He's eager to hear me play which only causes my nerves to multiply.

"What about Natalie, won't she wake up?"

"I doubt it. That girl can sleep through anything." Why does he have to have an answer for everything? "Relax, Mads. It's only me." He squeezes my hand lightly and my racing heart instantly calms. All it takes is a reassuring touch from Archer and I feel like I can conquer the world. This is dangerous.

"Fine, where is it?"

He grins in triumph as he leads me to it. It's so pristine and shiny that I can see my own reflection. There's not one particle of dust on it. I take a seat and place my fingers on the keys. The only people I've ever played for are my dad and Sadie. They wanted me to play in front of my school, but I refused. Stage fright and crowds don't mix very well. I would have been a nervous wreck.

"You've got this." He assures me.

I give him a tight-lipped smile before starting to play. I only get ten seconds in before I press the wrong key, cringing inwardly at the sound. "Give me a second, I'm a little rusty." I excuse, a blush heating my cheeks.

I am rusty but I know that's not the reason for my mistake. The reason is the six-foot-two boy looking over my shoulder, his hot breath fanning my neck. He's distracting me but I can't bring myself to tell him to move away. Our proximity is comforting.

I try again and this time I manage to play it correctly. It's like my fingertips move on their own accord. I lose myself in the music. Each note feels like something ingrained in my memory, it's something that comes naturally to me after so many years of practice.

"Ta-da." I turn to face Archer and he claps. My face heats up as he does.

"That was amazing," he praises, and I beam. "You're amazing."

I stand up but, being the clumsy person I am, I trip over my own feet and stumble forward. He grips my forearms to keep me steady. When I look up, his eyes are already on mine. They flicker from my cocoa brown ones to my lips, and I find myself staring at his too.

"Am I still amazing if I'm clumsy as hell?" I joke.

He doesn't respond. His eyes continue to pour into mine. His face inches closer causing my eyes to flutter shut, preparing for his lips to crash onto mine. But they never do. Footsteps padding down the stairs causes them to shoot open. I jump away from Archer, noticing the girl from the photograph walking towards us.

She's wearing unicorn pyjamas and holding a glittery pink water bottle in her hand, her trousers pooling at her feet from the length. The only word to describe this girl is adorable.

"Archer?" She rubs her sleep-filled eyes groggily.

"Hey, Nat," he responds.

It seems her sleepiness has vanished as she runs over to him with a beaming smile on her face. She wraps her little arms around his leg, and he laughs, picking her up so she can hug him properly. My heart melts at the sight of them.

"Your brother had to go out for a little bit, so my friend and I are staying until he gets back," he runs his fingers through her blonde hair softly. "Is that okay?"

She nods her head as he raises his hand to high five her. She giggles and hits her hand against his.

"This is my friend, Madison." He introduces me.