Hushed by Kelley York Read Free Book Online Page A

matter how many years he spent wanting it. She shot him down at every turn, unless her current boyfriend wasn’t giving her enough attention and she needed the confidence boost.
    “Is that your decision or hers?” he asked. Archer’s back stiffened. The look he cast at Evan was a dark one. Dangerous ground; it wasn’t any of his business. Evan shrank in on himself a little. “Sorry, I’m prying. Just…uh, you know. If you want to talk about it.”
    I don’t. But Archer didn’t say as much. When he turned his gaze from the ocean to Evan, he was met with dark eyes watching him so intently he was, for a second, unsure what to do or say. He opened his mouth and forced out the first thing that came to mind.
    “Tell me about your life.”
    Evan blinked. “My life?”
    “Your life.” He stared back, intent. It hadn’t dawned on him that he wanted to know before now, but there it was.
    “I’m not sure what you want to know. Nothing exciting.” Evan ducked his head. “Grew up with my mom and dad. I have an older sister named Samantha…”
    “You like to swim. And play video games.” Archer recalled the things Evan had mentioned his first day at The Grove. “Marine biology?”
    This time, Evan perked up. “Yeah. Not really sure what I wanna do with it, but—maybe research, that kind of thing. That would be neat, don’t you think?”
    “It would,” he agreed. More interesting than anything Archer could think of to do with his own life. “You belong in the water.”
    Evan laughed. It was a warm sound. “I’ve heard that before. What about you? What’s your family like?”
    Not a topic he wanted to touch. But he’d asked first, so it was only fair. “My dad died a few years ago. Haven’t spoken much to my mom since I moved out.” Honestly, he hadn’t spoken much to his mom even before that. Not since his dad died. She was afraid to be alone with him.
    “You and Viv…you’ve known each other for a long time, Roxy said?”
    Archer snorted. “We met in grade school. She lived a few streets away. We were inseparable up until guys started wanting in her pants.” He didn’t bite back the bitterness. It was there, in all its glory. “Anyone will tell you, she loves attention.”
    Evan frowned. “You pay her attention.”
    “I’m her best friend.” He shrugged. “Not boyfriend material.” He tried through most of high school. Eventually gave up trying, but never gave up hope. Hope that maybe someday Vivian would open her eyes and realize there’d only ever been one guy in her life that hadn’t let her down. The only one who wanted her for her instead of her body. She was beautiful, yes, and there had been a few times when she’d made herself physically available to him, but after what she had gone through how could he take her up on that?
    Evan looked away. “She’s stupid, then,” he said quietly. The breeze brushed his hair back out of his eyes and he breathed in deep. Archer watched the rise and fall of his chest.
    “Why’s that?”
    “Because she’s overlooking you for a complete prick. And judging by the way you said it, this isn’t the first time she’s done it.”
    Something pinched inside Archer’s chest. Dozens of guys, all wastes of space in their own, unique ways. Somehow Vivian made him feel less worthy than all of them. “She’s always been capable of better,” he murmured.
    “So I’ve heard.” Evan gave a nod in the direction of The Grove and their friends on the deck. “But, you know… Maybe you’re the one who can do better.”
    There were no words. He grasped blindly for them, wanting to reach for that statement, wanting to shoot it down. Evan didn’t know him. Didn’t really know him. How could he make that judgment? He didn’t want to correct him, though. If only you knew. He didn’t want Evan to take it back.
    Evan frowned. “Are you cold? You’re shivering.”
    Yeah, he was. Shivering. Cold. He couldn’t feel his feet anymore thanks to the water’s