Billionairess's Dilemma: Reclaiming His Heart

Chapter 6: What Just Happened

Polly

"Hey babydoll! Sorry I had to get a shower after changing that tire." Archer rushes to my side kissing my cheek. He's holding two glasses of champagne. I barely register holding my hand out for one. I don't like the taste of it honestly and technically I'm not old enough to drink but I need something. I toss it back my eyes riveted on Kevin and the girl at his side. His stride never falters. He hasn't looked back at me and I feel like all the air has been sucked out of the room. My chest hurts. The very act of taking a breath has me wanting to cry. I go to take a step in his direction. To demand he tell me what the hell just happened between us. To demand answers for why he abandoned me when he left. I lost my friend and I wasn't the only one. He basically vanished from all our lives. Then I see that woman whisper something into his ear and I falter. Archer's arms wrap around me to steady me.

"Whoa babydoll. You downed that champagne a little too fast I think. Let's grab you some food. All I need is for you to go full on tripping down lush on me." He laughs hard. I give him an exasperated look and he steps back. "I said I was sorry babydoll for being late. No need to go full on pissed off fiancee mode. I'll go grab you a plate. I think you need to eat." Using my elbow, he steers me to a table. I sit trying to break myself out of the trance. I hadn't expected that reaction at all. Thought maybe I'd get a "hey Pol, things have changed. Sorry I found new friends and didn't have time being so far away." Maybe even a "I missed you Polly." Instead he called me Miss Barnes like we met once at a business meeting. "What would you like babydoll?" I roll my eyes though he cannot see it. I'd like to hear my name sometimes instead of babydoll.

Before Archer can leave for the buffet, Mom comes and asks us to come say hello to a few people. I stand and follow numbly behind her. After greeting the first two she walks us to, I glance around for Kevin but he's missing. Mom steers us firmly around the room. At each group, they toast us and I decide I need to keep my wits. I simply hold my glass up but don't drink. Archer however makes sure he joins them even going so far as to order a few glasses of coke and scotch. Uncle Ellis's face remains impassive when we get to him but I see his sharp green eyes flash toward the glass. I do wish some days I could get inside his head. His brain never stops. Uncle Klein too who narrows his eyes but is watching me when I glance at him. He gives me an encouraging smile which confuses me even more. Those two could take over the world if they made the effort. As we move again, I see Kevin come back in. The redhead is still holding onto his arm. She looks vaguely familiar but I cannot place her. And I can't see her close enough to get a better idea.

Mom smiles at us interrupting my deductive thoughts. "Go eat dears. You've greeted almost everyone now."

"Thanks Mrs. B." Archer says loudly and I feel him gripping my hand. I open my mouth but he starts talking again. "There's my brother. Let's go say hi and then we can eat. I am starving." We greet his older brother, Eric and then head for a table. I will eat to get rid of the slightly dizzy feeling I have and then I will go ask Kevin if we can talk somewhere.

Archer hands me the plate and sits next to me draping his arm over the back of my chair. He’s a little clumsy which I realize is due to all the drinks he had while we circled the room. "There's a lot of fancy people here. I didn't realize your mom was going to invite so many people. Mom didn't like being late. But she was nice enough to wait on Eric getting ready so I could get here and guard my pretty fiancee." He grins at me.

“I think you need to eat. How drunk are you?” He says nothing. I shove a stuffed mushroom in my mouth. It tastes like sawdust but I force myself to eat it.

But then I almost choke on it when he scowls and barks. "What is Kevin Harris doing here?”

I follow his gaze to find Kevin leaving with his date. He’s talking to my parents and then they walk right through the doors. I think about stopping him but it's probably not the best idea right now.

“He’s leaving.” I point out quietly. The same way he left my life years ago, unannounced and for unknown reasons. Archer’s slow tipsy rambling carries on and I ignore him hoping they reenter the room until he says Kevin’s name again.

“Kevin the hovering Polly goalie. Blocking you from life all those years ago. He has nerve showing up after the way he treated you. I never liked that guy. I was so glad when he realized he needed to leave you alone." He’s contradicting himself he’s so inebriated. That made no sense. Yet those are an interesting choice of words.

"You were glad when my best friend ghosted me? Glad that I was miserable and desperate for answers but couldn't find any? And what makes you think he 'realized he needed to leave me alone'? That's a really odd choice of words Archer." I stare at him waiting.

"I mean he was overbearing and controlling. You deserved a chance to live and not in his shadow or the way he wanted you to. I might have told him that you deserved to be able to spread your wings without his influence or unwelcome opinions." He lifts my hand playing with the diamond ring. Warning bells go off in my head.

"When did you tell him that?" I ask softly keeping my voice neutral.

“When we got back together after he left for college. It was perfect. You and I needed to focus on our relationship and with him gone we could.” He shrugs reaching for his drink glass again. “He argued with me but eventually figured out I was right.”

“How?” I am shaking with anger. Archer talked to him.....

“How what babydoll?” He leans back smiling and running a finger up and down my arm.

“How did he figure that out?” I watch him closely keeping a tight rein on the anger bubbling below the surface of my calm demeanor. I don’t want to make a scene in front of all these people and embarrass my parents.

“I always answered when if he called you when I was around and said you were busy with me. I mean how f*****g pathetic to keep calling another guy’s girlfriend. And I told him that you were finally happy not having him around. Making friends and enjoying not having to deal with him and his issues. That you’d be happier if he moved on and made his own friends.”

I clench my fists to avoid slapping him. I am seething. “You had no right to do that.” If he was sober, he’d catch the warning in my tone. But he’s not. And I’m honestly glad. To find out he separated Kevin and I on purpose is enraging but enlightening.

He chuckles. “I did babydoll. I couldn’t let him have you.” I stare at him and he grins like a fool. Except I’m the fool.

“Well congratulations. You don’t get me either.” My voice is as cold as Kevin's was. I stand up, tugging my engagement ring off. I stick it in his pocket while he stares at me dumbly. Before he can open his treacherous mouth again, I turn and leave heading for the doors hoping against hope that Kevin might be lingering here. Perhaps someone stopped him to talk......

He's nowhere to be seen which isn't surprising. Not caring about anything else, I trudge up the steps and step into my room. After locking the door, I sit on my bed closing my eyes to deal with what just happened. After a while, I hear Archer banging on the door demanding I come out. I ignore him, wondering how I could have been so stupid. I put my trust foolishly into him over my best friend. Let him manipulate me. I think over all the little things he would say when Kevin left. The little doubts he filled me with slowly. All the while he was telling Kevin to leave me alone. Manipulative bastard. As the tears begin to fall, I wonder if I'll be able to fix this.