Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 94897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“You’re still not picking up from him, babe?” Jagger inquired.
She shook her head to Jag. “No. Not since that scene at Dad and Haley’s.” She turned back to Joany. “Why would he be driving by? That’s weird.”
“Maybe working himself up?” Joany asked back.
“For….?” Archie trailed off on that and looked to Jagger because they probably knew for what.
“Okay, I’ll get drinks for everyone and maybe you should call him,” Jagger suggested.
Archie got a stubborn set to her face, “He—”
“Call him, baby, and tell him tonight is not the night and you’ll hook up with him later,” he instructed.
“I don’t want to hook up with him later. He had his chance to talk things out the other night,” she reminded him.
He made note, as laidback as his girl was, she could hold a grudge.
“We can talk about this later, for now—”
Jagger didn’t finish that when there was a loud banging at the door.
He doubted it was one of the tenants, only two of which he’d met in passing in the hall, but they were even more chill than Archie.
“I’ll handle it,” he said.
“No, you won’t, I’ll handle it,” Archie declared, stalking his way.
“How about I handle it,” Joany said, and she sounded more ticked than Archie and Arch sounded pretty ticked.
“How about you girls stand down and I’ll chat with Eli,” Lafayette suggested.
Everyone was moving to the door but only Jagger got out of the way after receiving the look Archie was sending.
The pounding came back right before she opened it.
And when she opened it, Jagger didn’t have time to blink before Elijah was in.
For him to be this, Archie went flying, because he barged in, shoving open the door and making her do so.
Annnnnnnnd…
Hell no.
Jag started to move and then everyone was moving.
Lafayette and Joany rushed toward Archie.
Keely got close to Jagger.
And Hound had Jag with an arm around the chest from behind and his voice in his ear.
“Cool it, son.”
“What’d I tell you about this, Arch?” Jag growled, his eyes locked to Elijah, his body locked so he didn’t move to punch that fuck in the throat.
Elijah was looking around and not missing fresh flowers, candles, Ray LaMontagne or the set dining room table.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“What’s going on?” Archie repeated.
And Jagger didn’t have to keep his body locked anymore at her tone.
It wasn’t incredulous.
It wasn’t wounded.
It wasn’t shocked.
It was a profound mix of all three.
Elijah didn’t miss that either and he went still.
“What’s going on?” She said it again.
“Baby,” Jagger called softly.
Hound let him go.
But Archie didn’t look at Jag.
She only had eyes for her brother.
“Do you care?” she asked.
“Ar—” Elijah started.
“I spent an hour at the grocery store. Hours and hours straining passionfruit and making meringues and mixing and layering cream and mascarpone. Chopping veggies. Cleaning my place. All this because my man’s parents were coming over. I met them all of five minutes ago, four of those five minutes spent talking about you. Now you have a bee in your bonnet, and you bust into my home and you ask me what’s going on?”
“I could hardly know this was happening when you don’t pick up my calls, Archie,” Elijah pointed out.
“And so you’ve decided now is the time to chat, you hammer on the door and push your way in?” Archie asked.
Elijah looked embarrassed by that and was not making eye contact with anyone but Archie.
“I’m sorry my timing is off, but that does not negate the fact we need to have a conversation and we can’t do that if you don’t accept my calls or return my texts,” Elijah shared.
“So write me a letter, send me an email, don’t barge into my home when the timing suits you,” Archie shot back.
Lafayette entered the discussion.
“I think now it might be good for a few of us to leave.”
He took Joany’s hand but looked pointedly at Elijah.
Elijah ignored Lafayette. “We need to set up a time to talk.”
“And I’ll get on that when I’m ready to talk,” Archie stated. “Not now, when I’m having a dinner party for Jagger’s parents.”
Elijah appeared to be getting angry. “You can’t just leave me hanging until you’re ready to speak to me.”
Archie shook her head. “I’m not doing this now. I have something happening. Go. I’ll get in touch.”
“When?” Elijah demanded.
“When I get in touch,” Archie replied.
“I spent all week worried about that scene you instigated at Dad’s—”
“Eli, really, you can’t miss I’ve got something happening right—”
“And now you want me to just take off and wait until you deign to—”
All right, Jag was done.
“Listen, friend,” he began, starting to move closer to Archie.
Archie looked to him and he didn’t stop moving until he was at her side, but he shut his mouth.
She turned back to her brother. “Go, Elijah.”
“We’ll have brunch on Sunday,” he decided.
“No, we won’t,” she refuted. “Sundays are my days with Jagger. I’ll be in touch.”