Passionate Exchange

Chapter Forty-Four

My eyes flutter open the next morning and I roll over, expecting to see Archer lying next to me but all I see is an empty bed. My eyes furrow as I sit up, squinting as my eyes adjust to the sunlight shining in through the window.

I stretch my legs as my eyes lazily scan the room. He's definitely not in here. I think back to last night and how he climbed into my bed in the middle of the night. Was I dreaming? Placing my head in my hands, I groan. I must have been dreaming. There's no way he did that when he was so angry with me the night before. Damn me and my realistic dreams.

I yank the duvet off of me to get up. Instead, my door swings open and I freeze. I gape at Archer as he pads across my room, choosing to sit at my desk.

"I was thinking we could go somewhere today." He states plainly.

I don't respond. His wet hair lies flat over his forehead and stray water droplets drip down his cheeks. He smirks at my lack of words. I gulp as my gaze travels further down to his chiselled abs to the towel wrapped loosely around his waist.

"Have I rendered you speechless, Madison Roberts?" He teases.

His voice brings me out of the daze I was in causing me to blush. "What did you say?"

"I said we should go somewhere." His deep chuckle rumbles through me. Butterflies stir in my stomach.

I run my fingers through my hair to untangle some of the knots. I'm sure I look crazy right now. The same can't be said for him though. "Together?" I ask, hope evident in my voice.

"Who else would I go with?" He grins ear to ear.

Excitement bubbles within me and I try my hardest to keep from squealing like a child. "Like a date?"

He scratches his neck uncomfortably, a blush spreading across his cheeks, staining them a light shade of pink. "If you want to call it that." He shrugs nonchalantly but I can see his true emotions in his eyes. He's excited too.

My smile grows. "Where are you taking me?"

"Wherever you want to go." He tells me with a shrug of his shoulders.

I jump up off of the comfort of my bed and grab his arm, pulling him towards the door. "I need to get changed." I let go of him once he's in the hallway. A pout makes his way onto his lips and I roll my eyes.

"Can't I stay and watch?" He wiggles his eyebrows with a playful wink.

"You wish." I giggle before shutting the door in his face. I can picture him groaning with disappointment. I rest my head against the door unable to wipe the smile off my face. It was real.

*

We hop off Archer's motorcycle and leave our helmets on the seat. It feels strange how far I've come over the past couple of months. When I first got here, I was mortified to be on the back of a motorcycle, it was something that I never imagined myself doing. Now, I enjoy being so close to Archer and having the wind blow through my hair. It feels like freedom.

"Why did you want to come to this random street?" He eyes it suspiciously.

I place my hand on his and drag him to where I know it is, stopping once the wall comes into view. My hand leaves his causing coldness to seep in from the loss of touch. The electricity leaves along with the warmth of his fingertips. "This is why."

I step back so I can see the entirety of the wall. Once it was plain brick, no one would look at it, but now it's something that people travel to see. You can no longer see the ordinary bricks underneath, every inch of it's covered with graffiti.