35 | No Escape

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"STOP FUSSING," SHE SAID, for the last time as she practically shoved Archer and I out of the door. It was always the way with her: no dilly dallying or fussing allowed. It just wasn't her way.

"Are you sure?" I repeated, despite having noticed her tight skin pulling even tighter across her brow as she looked up at me.

"I swear to god, Jolie," she said, letting Archer pick up the bag I'd quickly packed from beside her. I hadn't had the chance to unpack every bag I'd taken to Attwood, nor would I probably for a while, so I the bag Archer now had within his grip was a little limp. "If you don't get your arse in that car in the next two minutes..."

"Alright, alright," I appeased. "We're going, we're going, see?" I said, walking in the direction of the sleek black car parked on the road, boot open. "Call me if you need anything."

She laughed. "Alright, Mother."

She shivered, pulling her jumper tighter around her small frame and tugged at her headscarf once again. Despite her state, I was comforted to see her smiling, a bit of life had sparked in her eyes whilst the three of us had sat in her lounge and chatted about this and that. To say she was approving of Archer, would be an understatement.

"Ms Harris will be over in a few days with the shopping!" I called as I got into the car, blowing her a kiss before closing the door. Archer promptly clamped the rear of his car shut and seated himself beside me.

She watched us until we turned the corner.

***

"Did you really need to bring so much?" Archer was saying to Autumn, looking reproachfully at the bags upon bags encasing her. She didn't seem at all bothered by his disapproval, even less so by his annoyance. "Now we're going to need two cars."

She rolled her eyes. "Archer, will you just relax for once?" He ignored her, pulling his phone from his pocket and within moments, speaking into it, likely organising the second car he'd been so intent on avoiding.

The car journey from the school to mum's had been pretty awkward, to say the least; just us both sitting in silence, me counting the lines on my fingers and him, eyes trained on the road the entire time. And the one from mum's to the airport wasn't much better, despite putting on quite the show in front of mum, if I do say so myself.

I hadn't briefed Archer before we turned up on her doorstep, and I could safely say it felt like my entire insides would come splurging out when I realised. Even so, he didn't seem at all concerned by her state, and didn't make the slightest indication that she was any different from anyone else. Weirdly, I wasn't freaked out, too much, about having to face the inevitable questions sometime. Instead, I was a little at ease because, though Archer had his faults, he respected my mum and for that, I was grateful.

"Jolie?" Autumn said, waving her hand in front of my face. "We've got to get on the plane."

"But our flight hasn't been called," I said, motioning to the large board a little way away from us.

"Oh, darling," she said with a laugh. "Just come on."

I followed her through a private lounge and outside to where a car was waiting. Autumn and I slid in, Noah saying something about how him and Archer would join us in a few minutes.

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