“Yeah, it’s good,” I say quietly, trying to keep the hurt and the whirlwind of the previous night and the confusion of the morning out of my voice.
Reagan’s not buying it; “What’s up?”
“Hmm? Nothing.” I mutter, looking across the street at the man who’s got me questioning everything.
What’s up? Oh, nothing much. I shot a man last night, and then got shot at myself when I was running from the police. Oh, and then I had mind-blowing sex with the man I’m supposed to be arresting. You might remember him as the same guy who kidnapped our other sister before she almost killed him. So anyways, how’s YOUR day?
“Chelsea, you’ve got the mopey-voice going on; c’mon, spill it. It’s just between you and me and Chrissy here. Isn’t that right Chrissy-girl? You won’t tell anyone Auntie Chelsea’s secrets?”
Christine is fourteen months old, by the way.
“Ray, it’s really nothing, forget it.”
“Is it the conference?”
“What? No, I-”
“School?”
“No. Ray, it’s really-”
“Guy?”
I shake my head; “It’s really not anything, Reagan, OK?”
“You didn’t say ‘no’ on that last one.”
“What?”
I can practically hear my sister grinning on the other end of the line; “Oh yeah, it’s a guy isn’t it?”
She’s like a fucking bloodhound.
“Are you seriously this desperate for drama?”
She snorts; “Chels, I spend ten hours a day with a one year old playing with jello and knocking down block towers,” She lowers her voice to a whisper; “I’m fucking starved for some adult drama.”
I grin; “Well, forget it, there’s nothing to talk about.”
“Is he married?”
I roll my eyes; “Where do you get this stuff?”
“I’m just trying to see what the obvious drama is here!” She says, laughing; “You know us Archer girls and scandalous relationships.”
“I-” I shake my head, trying to turn my eyes away from Javier standing across the street; “I really can’t talk about it.” And really, I can’t; since the Agency is probably recording this call.
I hear Reagan gasp suddenly, and panic shoots through me; “Ray! Reagan, what’s wrong!”
“You!”
I frown; “Huh?”
“Are you and Bryce-”
“Eww! What?” I winkle my nose; “No, Jesus, Ray.”
“What! C’mon, I had to ask! It’s not like no one else hasn’t wondered when the two of you are going to complete the circle!”
“Not gonna happen; gross.”
“Fine.”
I’m grinning and rolling my eyes at my sister as I hear her laugh over the line. I miss this. I miss honest sisterly banter, and laughing, and not worrying about who might come around the corner and fire a gun at me.
I miss home.
“So, am I at least right about it being a guy?”
“Maybe,” I say.
“Is there a reason you two shouldn’t - you know - be together?”
I choke out a laugh; “Is my last name Archer or not?”
Reagan laughs, and I can hear Christine burbling away in the background; “Well, do you want to be talked out of it, or do you want the same speech I gave Quinn?”
I close my eyes and lean into the phone again; that’s a great question.
“Silence means number two, you know,” She says quietly, and I bite my lip as I just nod.
“Hold on to something good, Chels. Even if the world says no, if you know something’s good, you don’t let go.” She sighs; “Look, I’ve gotta run, I just got peed on; sorry.”
I laugh, biting back the stinging in my eyes; “Go clean up my niece, Ray.”
“Call us when you get back, OK? And don’t get sunburned!”
“Hey Ray?” I close my eyes, willing the lump in my throat to go away; “I love you.”
“Love you too! And chin up, dork; you’re in paradise!”
Right.
20
Javier
Fuck this girl. I mean is she kidding me? Accusing me of…of that?
It's infuriating, and it's insane to think of me as someone like that. Even if I have been a scoundrel and a scumbag to varying degrees my entire life, that is nothing I've ever been. But I also know that she's pulling shit like that so that she can feel like she's not at fault for what happened between us.
By which, I mean, the single hottest fuck of my life. But still, fuck this girl, and fuck her bullshit.
I'm rubbing the stubble of my chin, watching her through slit eyes across the street as she makes a call on a payphone. She's probably calling the C.I.A., and most likely talking about me and how best to put me in a fucking jail cell or something.