The Subway (Now Available on Amazon!) (Unedited Version on Wattpad)

Chapter 17

All that Archer had managed to do after he led us out of the tunnel was get us completely lost. At least when we started out I was sure what direction we were headed in. Now I had no idea.

"Your navigating skills suck." I commented as we made yet another left turn down another tunnel that looked just like the last one we'd turned into.

"Well Dora how about you pull out your map and lead the way then?" Archer snapped.

"I would but I left my backpack with Boots. Sorry." I shot back.

Archer groaned in frustration before he stopped and turned to face me.

"What is your problem?"

I stopped walking to glare at him. "I'll tell you mine when you tell me yours."

Archer threw his hands up in exasperation.

"What are you talking about? I don't have a problem. All you've done since we've been down here is blame me, complain, scream, cry, blame me some more, get mad, get hurt, and then blame me again!"

I narrowed my eyes as my temper started to flare.

Again.

It seemed to do that a lot when Archer was involved.

"Oh, I'm sorry if me falling twenty feet and almost turning myself into a scrambled egg was an inconvenience to you. Maybe if I wasn't stuck down here with a stupid, stuck up, prick, who only managed to get us lost then I wouldn't have a reason to scream, or cry, or complain."

Archer stared at me with disbelief clear on his face.

"Oh is that all I've done?" He said in a mocking tone.

"So let's just ignore the part where I saved your ass. Twice." He said holding up two fingers.

I rolled my eyes at that. "I never said you didn't. I told you I was grateful, but this new situation we've found ourselves in is definitely your fault."

"Once again, how is it my fault?"

"If you hadn't ran your mouth off to Dox maybe he wouldn't be set on trying to kill just us, or more specifically me. Or better yet, if you would've just kept a tighter leash on that stupid thing that you called your girlfriend then you wouldn't have—" I was cut off when Archer stormed forward and roughly grabbed my arms slamming my back into the tunnel wall and pinning me there.

Too much?

I stared up at him with wide eyes as he stared down at me, fury swimming in his eyes.

"Don't." He warmed. "You don't know what you're talking about." He ground out between clenched teeth.

My initial shock was quickly replaced with more anger.

"I don't usually say this but... you're seriously whipped. She was out there screwing your best friend and you're still trying to defend her? Even when it's clear that she doesn't give a rat's ass about you? Archer you need to open your eyes. What she did with Cade is what she does best. You really need to start picking your best friends and girlfriends better."

I watched as the muscles in his jaw clenched and I could feel his anger as his grip on my arms tightened to the point of pain which caused me to wince.

I glanced down at his hands and then back up at him.

"Archer let go, you're hurting me."

He blinked twice and then glanced down at his hands that were still clamped down on my arms as if he just realized they were there.

He quickly pulled his hands back and shoved them into his pockets. He backed up a few steps and took a deep breath, keeping his eyes on the ground.

I stood there watching him and absentmindedly reached up to rub my sore arms. This caught his attention as his eyes snapped to my hand that was rubbing my left arm. As soon as I noticed him staring I dropped my hand.

Without uttering a single word Archer stepped forward again until he was directly in front of me. I tried to back up but my back was against the wall.

Literally.

I couldn't help but flinch a little when he reached out to grab my left arm. I wasn't flinching because of him, but because my arms hurt and I didn't want him touching them. Still, I saw the brief look of guilt flicker across his face as he glanced up at me before he looked back down at my arm.

Gently, he began to roll up my sleeve. When I heard him take in a sharp breath I glanced down at my arm and sure enough, in the dim lighting I could see the beginnings of a bruise forming where his hand had been.

That wasn't entirely his fault though. I bruised like a freaking peach.

After taking another deep breath he rolled my sleeve back down and looked up at me and the guilt on his face was clear to see.

"Gemma... I'm sorry I didn't mean—" I held my hand up, cutting him off.

"Just forget it. It's fine." I couldn't meet his eyes as I spoke to him.

"No it's not. I-"

"Archer I said forget it. I'm fine."

"No... I didn't mean it. I would never do anything to hurt you on purpose it's just that... you don't know what it's like being put in the situation I was in and I don't like being constantly reminded of it. l just took my anger out on you and I—" I cut him off for a second time but this time instead of words I walked forward and wrapped my arms around him and pressed my head to his chest in what I hoped was a comforting hug.

I didn't give out too many of these.

I felt him tense before he slowly lifted his arms and wrapped them around me returning the hug.

When I finally pulled back I looked up at him to find him already looking down at me with a confused expression on his face.

"What was that for?" He asked.

"That's me saying sorry."

Archer frowned at that. "What do you have to be sorry for?"

I know now wasn't the greatest time to have another heart to heart about his horrible girlfriend and his backstabbing best friend but he needed to hear it and since our next thirty minutes of life weren't promised I might as well tell him now.

"I didn't think you cared about her that much. I shouldn't have thrown it in your face like that. If it would've been the other way around and I was in your position I probably would've done the same thing."

Archer shook his head and ran a hand through his hair making it stick up at odd angles.

"That's no excuse. I still shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"You're going through a lot right now. I couldn't imagine going through a seriously bad break up and then being put in the middle of all of this and having to deal with me." I said gesturing around the tunnel. "So this one time I'm letting you off the hook, but if you touch me again I'll break all of your teeth."

The corner of Archer's mouth lifted in a small smile before he unexpectedly pulled me back into him and wrapped his arms around me in another hug. I felt my cheeks heat up as I wrapped my arms around him and I was glad that it was dark enough so that he couldn't see me blush.

Again.

When he pulled away and looked down at me he was smirking.

I cleared my throat nervously and looked away.

"Um yeah, we should um, probably get going."

Archer gestured ahead of him.

"Lead the way Dora."