I draw a shaky breath as the elevator in Archer’s building rises to the top floor, my heart heavy with grief. My gaze drops to my suitcase, and I bite my lip to keep from crying. Zane didn’t have to say it for me to know it’s true — it’s over between us. It has been for far longer than either of us wanted to admit.
I draw a steadying breath before ringing Archer’s doorbell, well aware that I can’t show up in tears. My brother has always been a little overprotective, and the last thing I want to do is cause more conflict.
The door swings open, and I blink in surprise when I find a beautiful girl with long dark hair standing in front of me, wearing one of the Raven Windsor Couture t-shirts I bought for Archer. She looks just as surprised to see me as I am to see her, and for a moment, we just stare at each other.
“Hi,” she says eventually, her tone uncertain. “Can I help you?”
I push my hair behind my ear and frown. “Um, is Archer home?”
I should’ve called ahead instead of rushing out without thinking, but I needed a bit of space to think, and this was the first place I thought of. I lived right next door to Archer for years after Zane and I broke up, and in many ways, his house still feels like home, even more so than our parents’ house.
Besides, if I’m truly honest, I needed someone to talk to. Someone who knows Zane, Lily, and me. Someone who would understand.
“Yes,” she says, her expression falling as she steps back. I raise a brow when I recognize her expression — jealousy, followed by defeat. “He’s… well, Archer is in the shower. He should be out shortly.”
“Right,” I murmur as I walk into Archer’s foyer, my chest aching. “You look familiar. Have we met before?”
She frowns and follows me when I walk into the kitchen to pour myself a glass of water, her expression becoming stormier by the second. “No,” she says, crossing her arms. “I’d remember if we’d met.”
I raise a brow, my curiosity piqued. “How so?”
“I remember every girl Archer has ever introduced me to, and you aren’t one of them.” She looks away then, her gaze tormented. “Not yet, anyway.”
I smile, unable to help myself. “How about I just introduce myself, then?” I tell her, my grief lifted for the first time since I left home. “I’m Celeste Windsor, and I’m incredibly curious who you are and why you’re wearing a limited edition t-shirt, I bought for my brother years ago.”
I notice the exact moment she recognizes my name, her eyes widening in shock. She glances down at her clothes, her cheeks instantly becoming rosy. That mildly smug look she was wearing makes way for embarrassment, and I bite back a grin.
“You’re Archer’s younger sister,” she says, blushing fiercely. I smile as she pushes her hair behind her ear, suddenly not quite sure where to look. “I’m Serenity. I’m Archer’s business partner’s younger sister. My brother just moved in next door a few months ago, but we’re just staying here for a little while because a pipe burst in his apartment, and I’m, well, I’m doing an internship at their firm, so I’m staying here too.”
She does that thing that I do when I’m nervous, and it instantly makes me like her. It’s obvious there’s more to this story, and normally I’d probably have done what Sierra would do and offered to buy her a drink so I could find out more. Today, though, I don’t have it in me.
Just as she’s about to say something else, Archer walks in, his hair still wet and his usual house clothes on — gray sweats and a tee. “Celeste?” He freezes as his gaze runs over my face. I throw him a shaky smile, and Archer sighs as he holds open his arms. “What happened?”
My lightheartedness melts away as I stare up at my big brother, and tears rapidly fill my eyes as I walk toward him. Archer’s arms wrap around me, and I begin to sob. He doesn’t say a thing as he holds me, his hand gently patting my back the way he used to when we were kids. “What did he do?” His voice is dripping with anger, and I shake my head as I bury my face against his chest.
“Nothing,” I tell him, tightening my grip on him.
Archer pulls away to look at me. “Celeste,” he says, his tone conveying his concern. “You wouldn’t show up here out of the blue if nothing happened.”
I inhale shakily and steel myself. “I fucked up, Arch.” My brother looks into my eyes, his gaze searching. “I just… I needed some time to think, and I wasn’t sure where else to go. You’ll let me stay, won’t you?”
He nods instantly. “Of course, but I think it’s time you tell me exactly what happened between Zane and you years ago. The only reason I agreed to that merger was because I knew you two still loved each other, so honestly, what the fuck is going on?”
He leads me to the sofa, and I glance around, glad to find Serenity gone. It’ll be hard enough to tell this story as it is, and harder still with someone I don’t know around. Archer sits opposite me as I tell him everything that happened, everything I did, and everything I’ve learned since.
Archer just listens, his gaze on the floor, like he’s trying his best to hide his reactions from me. “Fuck. I never even… Celeste, have you been carrying all this weight by yourself the entire time? Did you even talk to anyone about Lily, and what you learned about her?”
I look up at my brother with tears in my eyes and shake my head, unsure of what to say. “I just… I’m still trying to process it, but that isn’t what brought me here, Arch.” I tuck my hair behind my ear and draw a shaky breath. “I didn’t understand why Zane told me love wasn’t enough, but I get it now. I just don’t know if I’m the right person for Zane anymore, and I just needed some time to think. He’s still everything to me, but I just… I just don’t want to be selfish with him anymore. Being with me is clearly tough for him, and I don’t want our marriage to feel like punishment to my husband.”
I force a smile, my heart aching. “Archer, I’m so scared that he’s right, that there’s no trust between us, and that what was broken can’t be fixed.” I look down, unable to take the pity in my brother’s eyes. “It’s gotten to a stage where I’m not even sure I trust myself anymore. I’m genuinely wondering if Zane has a point, and I’m just choosing to be with him now because it’s easier, when it wasn’t before. It’s not normal for either him or me to wonder that, you know? I just want him to be happy, and I’m starting to see he can’t be with me.”
Archer leans forward and gently swipes away my tears the way he used to when we were kids. “Celeste, Zane is right about one thing — love isn’t always enough.” My expression falls, and he smiles at me. “But it does make for a solid foundation, one that’s stronger than he seems to think it is. I can’t tell you what to do, kiddo, but tell me this: do you genuinely believe Zane could be happier without you? Because I don’t think so, Celeste. If he could have moved on, wouldn’t he have done that in the years you lived here with me? Instead, he didn’t even try. Zane never let you go, and if I know the man at all, he never will.”
He sighs and tucks my hair behind my ear. “He was right to say you can’t force him to forgive you, though. Honestly? If I were him, I’m not sure I would. I get where you were coming from, Celeste, but you really fucked up, and you need to make it right. Not only that, you need to give him a real choice, and he doesn’t have that right now, not with the way you were forced together.”
I burst into tears, wishing Archer wasn’t right. My brother just sighs and hugs me tightly. “I’ll do what I can to help you fix this, alright? I love that asshole too.”
