Here With Me (The Archer Brothers #1)

by Heidi McLaughlin

  “I can’t help it, Ry. I just can’t. I’m so angry I could kill him right now.” I turn and glare at him, ripping my hand away from his grasp. He moves too quickly for me and has me by the waist and pulled against his now standing form. “You don’t understand, Ry.” His forehead rests against mine and I feel the need to succumb to him right then and there.

  “Well, explain it then.”

  He shakes his head. “If he were in my platoon, he’d be dead for taking you away. I’m trying to wrap my head around why he did this knowing where I was.”

  I cup his face, feeling his stubble against the pads of my fingers. “Evan, he would never be dishonest to either of us that way. If he knew, he wouldn’t have allowed us to bury you. He would’ve gone to my mom and told her. I don’t think he knew.”

  Evan leans back and looks me square in the eye. I search his for any semblance of understanding or acceptance but there is none. I’ve seen Evan and Nate argue before, even not talk to each other, but what I fear happening between them now is going to destroy this family again beyond repair.

  PACKING UP AT FOUR A.M. again is not my cup of tea, but watching Ryley uncomfortable and awkward and listening to my mother make snide comments about her isn’t either. I’d much rather lounge around and get to know my son, but I can do that anywhere. As long as Ryley lets me back in the house to do so.

  I want our time together to be a stepping-stone in reconnecting. It doesn’t ever escape my mind that she’s committed to another, and while that should stop me, it doesn’t. I should be a gentleman, but it’s not in me. I’m a fighter and she’s my top prize, my damn salvation. Without her I’m nothing.

  Ryley comes out of the spare bedroom with her fuck-me cut-off shorts on and her hair piled on top of her head. I reach for her, cupping her ass with my hands and am about to kiss the shit out of her when my mother’s door opens. I don’t move away after being caught with my hand in the cookie jar and meet my mom’s glare with my own.

  “She’s Nate’s,” she mumbles, walking by.

  “She’s not a piece of property,” I reply, staring at Ryley. I lean forward and whisper in her ear, “Except you’re mine.”

  She punches me lightly in the chest. “I thought I wasn’t a piece of property?” Her eyebrow raises and all I want to do is kiss the fuck out of that smirk of hers.

  “Eh, I lied.” I swat her ass lightly and walk into the guest room. EJ is sleeping in the middle of the bed with his arms spread out wide. “Does he always sleep like this?

  Ryley brushes against me and intentional or not, I’m taking it. “Yes, reminds me of someone else I know.” She smiles before turning away.

  “It’s not my fault that I have to touch you while I’m sleeping.” I scoop EJ up and into my arms. He’s a dead weight, but feels light as feather. I have so much to make up for and hope that he gives me a chance. Maybe we can toss a football around later, or a baseball. I’ll do anything he wants as long as I get to spend some time with him. Unless he’s into dress up – not sure I can handle him putting make-up on me. We’d have to tag team Ryley and decorate her.

  I think back to what I just said to Ryley about touching her when I sleep. It’s been so long that I’m not sure I remember what she feels like pressed up against me. My memories probably have nothing on reality. It’s been so long since I’ve had her in my arms like that.

  “You ready?” her voice breaks my reverie. I smile at her and double check EJ’s car seat not remembering if I strapped him in or not.

  “Yeah,” I nod. My mom comes outside to say goodbye. She doesn’t hug Ryley and that really irritates me. Ryley could’ve been a bitch and kept EJ from her, but she didn’t. The least my mom can do is respect her and treat her fairly. I give her a quick one arm hug and slide into the car. I refuse to make eye contact with her as I start the car and pull out of her driveway. I do, however, link hands with Ryley and wink at her. She shakes her head, but allows a sly little smile to form on her cute mouth. I’m really starting to despise our life right now. There’s so much I want to do to her, but that fucking ring on her left hand is stopping me. I have far too much respect for her to even put her in that position. I have no respect for the man who slipped it on her finger though and I’m going to do everything I can to get it off and out of her life.

  After a quick pit stop for coffee and breakfast, we’re back on the road. We could’ve eaten at my mother’s, but I wanted to get out of there and wish we flew instead of driving, although sitting next to Ryley for an extended period of time is well worth it.

  “I’m sorry about my mom.” I don’t know why I feel the need to say this, but I do. I want her to know that it doesn’t matter what my mom thinks or says. I still love her. Probably more now than I did before I left. I’m not sure how that’s possible, but it’s how I’m feeling.

  “It’s fine, Evan. It’s something I’ve been dealing with since… it’s just been awhile.”

  She avoids saying that I died and I’m thankful for that. It’s beyond creepy to hear her say that to me. I know she’s having a hard time, but so am I.

  As we drive, I keep looking over at her. She’s reading with her feet on the dash. Her toes are painted electric blue and her feet are moving to the beat from the radio. If she were anyone else, including my sister, I’d slap her legs down. I hate seeing feet on the dash. My eyes travel between her legs and the road. I have to adjust the way I’m sitting and in the process her hand brushes against the bulge forming in my shorts. Her eyes catch mine and I slam my hand down on hers before she can pull away. My eyes close briefly and the images of our first time together flash before my eyes.

  I knew she was a virgin when I met her. It only took me a day to figure it out, but it never bothered me. That wasn’t why I was with her. From the moment I met her on the street, sprawled out and bruised from my errant throw I was smitten with her. There was something about her that I couldn’t get off my mind. I had to have her.

  She was so cautious with me though because other chicks in school bragged. I wasn’t a saint, not like Nate. He was saving himself and I was sampling the variety in front of me until Ryley came along. I know she thought I was a player, but I only had eyes for her from that moment. It took me a long time to convince her that I didn’t want anyone else. I never thought she’d be the one to initiate sex though and when she did, I just about blew my load right in my gym shorts.

  One of Ryley’s rules, or rather her father’s rule, was that she wasn’t allowed at my house unless my parents were home. Most of the time, it wasn’t a big deal because my mom was always home. She’d let us go up to my room as long as the door stayed open. That really didn’t mean anything because she never came upstairs. She had no reason to. Nate and I were responsible for keeping the upstairs clean and once I started bringing Ryley over, I busted my ass up there.

  My parents were out of town and I told her, mostly to tease her. I didn’t expect her to want to come over. When she asked if we were going to my house I remember looking at her with so much surprise I couldn’t come up with the answer. When she pulled her lower lip in between her teeth and looked up at me. I lost it. I knew she was ready or willing to try. That all our heavy make-out sessions were finally going to help me round that last base and head for home.

  When we pulled into my driveway, my head was swimming. It was like my brain was gasping for air, and I couldn’t clear the fog. I couldn’t understand. Here was my girl, ready and willing to give herself to me in a way she can give to no other, and I couldn’t think straight. When my dick should have been doing all the thinking, he was laying limp in my shorts. ‘Fucking asshole.’

  I held her hand in mine as we climbed the steps to my room. Once she crossed the threshold, I shut my door quietly, even though no one was home, and turned the lock. I didn’t want Nate walking in or thinking I was in here alone. Her back was facing me and I used this to my advantage.

  I moved her hair to the side and kissed her neck, her collarbone and then down to
her shoulder, sliding the strap of her dress and bra down the side of her arm. I repeated the same steps on the other side, all the while listening to her breathing heavily. I knew the moment that she hesitated I’d stop. If she wasn’t ready, we’d wait.

  She turned and jumped into my arms, her lips smashing against mine. I was fumbling to remove her dress and she was taking control, showing me how eager and ready she was. We flopped onto my bed, both of us groaning for all the wrong reasons and still fighting to get our clothes off.

  I felt out of breath when I finally sat up and yanked my shorts down, springing free. I was so happy when my dick was alert and ready. He had me worried. That was until Ryley sat forward and took me in her hand. My eyes rolled as her hand worked to get me harder.

  There I was sitting on my knees, watching my girl stroke my cock all while she’s naked in front of me, waiting. She knew what she wanted and pulled me forward, guiding me to her entrance. I wanted to take her so bad, right then and there, but I paused and she knew something was wrong. I didn’t have any condoms and I was mentally kicking my ass for being this fucking stupid.

  ‘I love you, Ryley, but we can’t do this.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘I don’t have any condoms.’

  ‘I’m on the pill, Evan. I want this with you.’

  Who was I to deny my girl what she wanted?

  “Where’d you go?” she asks, bringing me out of my own porn film.

  I shake my head. “Just remembering our first time together.” She blushes and looks away, but doesn’t move her hand from my lap. If I didn’t know better, and I can’t confirm this without looking down at my crotch, I swear to god her pinky is rubbing up and down over the outside of my pants making me wish our son wasn’t in the back sleeping.

  “We were so young.”

  I shake my head. “You were. Technically, I was an adult.”

  “That was so long ago.”

  I pick up her hand and kiss her before placing in back on my thigh. She looks at me when her hand brushes against me and I wink. She has to know that she still has this effect on me. I don’t want her thinking that she doesn’t turn me on just by sitting next to me.

  “We were stupid,” I throw out there, thinking about how we never used a condom.

  She looks over her shoulder and I wish I could see her eyes right now. I want to see them light up when she looks at our son. “I don’t know about that, Evan. We created him.”

  “Babe, we created him ten years after being together. I’m talking about when we were teens and screwing all over the place without a condom.”

  This time she shrugs. “If I had gotten pregnant back then, what would you have done?”

  “Same thing I did when you got pregnant with EJ. Ask you to marry me.” I have to look away because by all accounts we should be married by now. I should’ve made her an honest woman years ago, but our lives were too busy.

  “It’s what I should do now.”

  “It’s not that easy,” she whispers and yet keeps her hand on my leg.

  “Ry, the quicker you realize you’re not marrying Nate, not as long as I’m alive, the quicker we can move on with our lives.”

  Her head turns sharply, and I know I’m in trouble. “And what makes you think I’m not going to marry Nate.”

  “Simple, you love me.”

  NATE STILL ISN’T HOME and each day that passes brings me closer and closer to the brink of panic. I’ve called and left another message, more urgent than before. I don’t know if he’s getting them or not, but it concerns me that whoever’s delivering them isn’t doing so with the intent of an emergency. I want Nate to hear it from me that Evan is alive even though I wouldn’t be surprised if someone in his company has already informed him.

  And if that’s the case, why isn’t he home? Why isn’t he here dealing with everything that I am? I know that once he’s here, things will go from relatively calm to utter chaos. My life is slowly becoming a bad segment on a talk show. Two brothers, as close as any brothers could be, will battle it out over me and my son. Lines are already drawn in the sand so to speak, and EJ and I are standing smack dab in the middle. It’s not going to matter which side I step to; the Archer twins will never be the same. I could choose neither, but I know deep down that Evan will never accept that. And neither will Nate. They both love me, each in their own way. I feel like I’m on a cracked out version of The Bachelorette.

  Evan has been staying here since the day we finished our first therapy session. That was over a week ago. I didn’t have it in me to send him back to the base, especially since this is his house and he’s trying to get to know EJ. I’m not gonna lie, having him here has been hard. I’ve had to sit on my hands one too many times to keep myself from touching him. Every hand hold, every kiss, every moment we’ve shared has been initiated by him. I have no doubt he’s questioning my love for him, but I can’t bring myself to disgrace Nate that way. I know I should tell Evan to knock it off, but I can’t. I love him. I have since I was seventeen and having him here, in the flesh, is a constant reminder of what I’ve been missing.

  The moment I saw him walking toward me when he first got back, the hole in my heart started to fill up again. That was the pain I was feeling that day, along with the fear that I was only imagining him standing before me. I was afraid this was all a cruel joke and that he was going to disappear the very second I touched him. It’s why I couldn’t accept that he was real, that he was back from the dead. No one would ever be that callous. But they were. Someone sat by and watched my, and others’, world crumble without a second thought. Now they’re sitting back and watching us try and rebuild the lives that have been destroyed.

  Evan places his hand on my shoulder and the automatic reflex of my head resting on top of his happens. I close my eyes and feel the warmth radiating off of him. As soon as he pulls away, my eyes are open, and I’m watching our son drive around the backyard in the toy Jeep Evan bought for him. I told Evan he can’t buy his love, and he assured me he’s not. He’s just trying to make up for missed birthdays.

  When Evan walks in front of me, I gasp and quickly cover my mouth. He sits next me and pulls my hand away from my mouth to hold it.

  “What’s wrong, babe?”

  He knows what’s wrong, but is going to make me say it anyway. “It’s the NWU’s. I didn’t think… I don’t know what I thought.”

  “I’m still enlisted, Ryley.”

  I nod, knowing this, but I didn’t think I’d see him wearing NWU’s any time soon. “I know, Evan. I’m just a little taken by the sight, that’s all.” I try to recover, but the wavering is there. If I had my way, he’d retire, but I know he has to be on active duty if he wants to find out what happened to him and the guys.

  “I told you, I don’t think they’ll send me anywhere. Our unit is too much of a risk right now. Did I tell you that Frannie is going to the paper?” I shake my head. “She says this mission was a cover up for something big and people need to pay. She plans to take it all the way to Capitol Hill to get answers.”

  “Do you think she will?” I look at Evan and he looks hopeful. Answers won’t change our situation, but they might give us some closure.

  “I’m trying to remain optimistic.”

  I smile at him before turning my attention back to EJ. We have our first joint counseling session today and we’re just waiting for my dad to get here. I was hesitant to even go to therapy, but have to admit, she made me think about a lot of things in my life. One thing that’s giving me a lot of pause is my upcoming nuptials to Nate. Honestly, I’m not sure getting married to him, or anyone at this point, is the right thing to do. I need to find myself and get over my anger of having lost six years with Evan.

  “Hey, you still with me?” he shakes my hand, bringing me out of my funk.

  “Yes,” I say, stretching my legs out in front of me to get my blood flowing.

  “Your dad’s here, we should go.” Evan stands, pulling me up by my hand that he
won’t let go of. I’m thankful EJ doesn’t ask me why we’re always holding hands because honestly I won’t be able to give him an answer. I kiss my dad on the cheek as we pass and continue to allow Evan to guide me to the car. It’s my car, yet he’s driving. I guess some things never change.

  Evan and I climb the stairs to the therapist’s office, hand in hand. I’m starting to think he’s glued to me. I’m not complaining, but think this might be awkward for the doctor. Not that Evan will care. As soon as we’re in the waiting room, the receptionist directs us into the same room where I fell apart, emotionally and physically.

  We step in and I’m instantly hit with the sun shining through the window, bouncing off the pale yellow walls and making the artwork shine. I look around confused and wonder if we’re in the same room as before.

  “What’s going on in your head? Evan asks.

  I shrug. “This room looks different,” I say as I take a seat in one of the two chairs in front of her desk. As I look around, I notice fresh flowers by the window and picture frames containing the doctor’s various degrees. On her desk, the nameplate reads Helen Howard. It’s odd how I didn’t notice this before.

  “I was thinking the same thing. This room was gloomy and this chair hurt my back. Hell, I didn’t even know she had a name.” he mumbles right as Dr. Howard walks in. She smiles as soon as she sees our joined hands, and I know she’s getting the wrong impression.

  “It’s good to see you both again. I take it things are going well?”

  Evan nods, while I shake my head. And there it is, our first disagreement. Her face falls and her eyes look again at our hands.

  “We’re not together, if that’s what you’re implying,” I inform her.

  “Not yet, it’s only a matter time.” I roll my eyes at his confidence.

  Dr. Howard folds her hands and rests them on her desk. “Shall we get started?”

  We both nod and I cross my legs, directing my foot toward Evan so I can kick when I need to.