Archer wasn’t beside her when she woke up. But she wasn’t in the bed alone.

Nya opened her eyes and at first was so confused by what she saw that she didn’t react. Maybe it was a dream. But if it was, it was an odd one.

She sat up, still naked beneath the blankets, and looked at the woman beside her. She certainly hadn’t gone to bed with Ester, but the woman was definitely here now. It was possible that Ester had stumbled into the wrong apartment while drunk. But if she had, she’d have made a noise or deliberately woken her up to party. Would Ester have known that this was her “daughter’s” place or was stumbling into the wrong apartment a common thing for her?

She’d worry about Ester later. Nya didn’t really care why she was there, what she cared about was where Archer was and what had happened last night after he left. Leaping from the bed, she heard Ester groan, but didn’t wait for the woman to wake or answer questions.

After pulling on her clothes, Nya threw her hair up in a messy bun, and bolted from her apartment without even thinking about her purse. She was so eager to get upstairs that she hadn’t even bothered with a bra.

Her ballet flat slipped off her foot on the stairs and she had to go back for it. Hopping up the final stairs, trying to pull on the shoe and keep her forward momentum going, she sprinted along Archer’s corridor and hammered on his door.

“Come on,” she mumbled to herself. “Come on. Come on.”

Slapping her palm on the door harder, she wished she’d thought to rake in her bag for his key. But the door clicked and opened.

Archer was yawning when he came into sight, but she didn’t care. She yanked him down to kiss him, her lips making contact with his teeth before he was with it enough to close his lips.

“Ny,” he grumbled.

Pushing him inside, she ran her hands over his bare torso. “What happened, Fella?” she asked, infused with panic.

He pushed her hands away from his chest and closed the door to back her up against it. “Go back to bed,” he muttered, his eyes still half closed and his voice gruff from sleep.

Pinching him, she grabbed his hips before he could move away. Archer reached past her to try and open the door, but she kept her spine against it and swiped his arm down. “Did I go back in time?” she asked.

His brows came down as his eyes closed in a slow blink. “Baby, I’m still resting. Come back for your service later.”

Once again he tried to reach for the door, but she pushed his wrist away. “Archer, do you remember leaving my place last night? Do you remember fucking me? Do you remember Tag coming over? Do you remember—”

“I remember,” he said. Sinking forward to bump his forehead onto hers, his form made her lurch against the closed door again. “I’m tired, Squirm. Go back to bed, ok? I’m alive. Everyone’s alive. Nobody died. Is that what you want to know?” Stroking her hands up his arms, she tipped her head back to kiss his mouth again. He groaned and inched away to lick his lips. “If you keep kissing me, I’m gonna fuck you… then I’ll never get back to sleep.”

“Ok,” she said, locking her fingers together at the back of his neck. “Then take me to your bed and we’ll go back to sleep.”

Nya wouldn’t mind sleeping in his sheets again, next to him. She tried to move forward, but he took her hips and shook his head, letting his forehead meet hers once again. “Not in my bed, Squirm, down the stairs.”

“Your mom’s in my bed. If we go down there, three’s a crowd will take on a whole new meaning.”

He smiled and although his eyes were still closed in his hazy sleep, he cupped her face. “I’ve missed you, Ny.” Slanting his head left, he kissed her. “Fuck, I want to wake up with you,” he whispered, turning his head to the right to kiss her again. “I love how you never want to get out of bed. It’s an amazing habit.”

And one he’d picked up from her because when they started sleeping together it had always been his impulse to get out of bed as soon as he woke up. Nya wasn’t so eager. “That’s what I want. Take me to bed, Fella.”

He shook his head then cleared his throat as he stood up straight. “I have company,” he said.

Releasing a long breath, her shoulders sagged. “Fuck.” He bobbed his head in a conciliatory nod. Any other woman would be terrified her man meant he’d taken another woman to bed, but Nya knew him better than that.

“Who is it?” she asked. “How did you find a mark between leaving my place and now?”

It explained why Ester was in her bed. If his mother had trooped up here last night, he’d have sent her away too. Having his girlfriend living on his doorstep was useful for more than just their sex life.

“What happened with Tag?” she asked. “You said everybody’s alive. You meant him, right?”

He exhaled, it was obvious he wanted to get back to his bed and he didn’t want to answer a thousand questions, but she wasn’t going to sleep without knowing what had gone on.

The door opened behind her, hitting her so hard that she fell into Archer. His arms came around her to guide her aside. Ester came stumbling in looking almost as asleep as Archer did. Her clothes were twisted and backwards, her skirt was inside out. Nya hadn’t gotten much sleep herself last night, but her adrenaline had thrust her into consciousness.

“Who’s going to tell me what’s going on?” Ester asked, stretching an arm out to close the door as she yawned. “Are you two fuck buddies now? I guess that’s ok, it’s a transition phase, right?” She managed to land a prime example of the evil eye as she pointed a talon at each of them. “Exclusive fuck buddies who’ll never stop seeing each other.”

“We’re not fuck buddies,” Archer mumbled, then swore. “Guess I’m not getting back to sleep now… but you two both have to go.”

“I don’t think so,” Ester said. “Not until you tell me why you came storming in here last night with your little buddy telling me I had to go and sleep with Nya. I mean, what kinda guy sends his mom into bed with the woman he’s just hooked up with?”

That was a fair point and one that Nya hadn’t considered. Ester had slept in their sex sheets with her. “You don’t give a fuck about that,” Archer said. Again, he yawned and stretched. This time his body seemed to unfurl as if he was giving in to the inevitability of the day that had been thrust upon him. As he inhaled, he widened his eyes and this time they stayed open.

He glared at his mother, but when his focus landed on Nya, he scooped a hand under her chin and relaxed. “Good morning, Squirm.” Just being the focus of her man again made Nya’s other worries disappear, and with a fingernail she traced the edge of one of the symbols on his shoulder. The move made him smolder. “I should’ve said, horny one.”

He knew her so well and she smiled when he pulled her forward to kiss her.

“Aww!” Ester said, wrapping an arm around each of them, which made Archer break the kiss. “Oh no, don’t stop on my account.” She patted their backs and headed off for the kitchen. “There’s a nice warm bed downstairs, you guys can fill it up if you want. Or I can toddle on back there.”

A bang in the bathroom made Ester stop. She spun around and raised her hand to one hip. “That’s why you kicked me out? That guy was one of your projects?

“Nya was in her place,” Archer said. “And that is why the pair of you have to fucking leave.”

“We’re not leaving,” Ester said. “This is our home too.”

Archer hadn’t quite woken up until the impact of surprise hit him. “Your home?” he said. “You live here when it fucking suits you. You treat this place like a hotel, swanning in and out, drinking all the liquor, disappearing with your boyfriends.”

Nya laughed, but covered her mouth when Archer turned around to scowl at her. “Sorry,” Nya mumbled. “It’s just, she’s like your kid.”

“That’s fucking right,” Archer said, stomping over into the kitchen to snatch the coffee filters away from Ester who was looking at them as if they were a Mensa puzzle.

“Hey, I know forty-five ways to get a cork out of a wine bottle without using a corkscrew,” Ester said, letting her son shunt her aside so he could finish making the java.

Ester did have her own unique talents, no one could argue against that. “I hope the neighbors don’t complain about the noise,” Nya said, going into the kitchen to join the others.

The space was cramped, so she levered herself onto the breakfast bar. The tile was cool beneath her bare thighs and gave her a chill.

“This is how family should be in the morning,” Ester said, retrieving water from the fridge. Handing one bottle to Nya, she kept the other for herself.

When the coffee was percolating, Archer turned around and settled back in the corner where the counters met, propping a hand on each of the work surfaces. “I told the two of you to fuck off, why are you still here?”

“I’m your mommy,” Ester said. “I accept you and your little projects. I like to see you applying yourself, I’m very proud.”

Ester bounced across the room to pat his head, though she had to stretch to reach the top of the man who towered over her. Again, he didn’t seem to appreciate Nya’s smile. “I’m proud of you too,” Nya said, pointing a toe towards him although it didn’t come close to reaching him.

When one of her shoes fell off, she dropped the other from her toes and Ester kicked them into the corner. “See you’ve nothing to be ashamed of here,” Ester said as Archer bent to pick up Nya’s shoes to put them away in the laundry closet. “We keep your secrets.”

Ester came over to put an arm around Nya’s waist, so she reciprocated by holding her shoulders and letting her head fall to Ester’s. Archer went back to his corner and folded his arms as he observed the women. “You’ve never liked a single woman I’ve dated,” Archer said to Ester and Nya was surprised. “Not a single fucking one. Is this a change in tactics? Do you think I’ll rebel and get rid of Nya just to piss you off?”

“Not a chance,” Ester said. “If you think about breaking up with this girl one more time,

Nya grinned. “It’s a deal.”

Ester whirled around to match her exuberance. “This is one marriage that will stick,” Ester said and threw both arms around Nya. “Chase can be ring-bearer.”

“What the fuck were you two smoking last night?” Archer asked. “I know for a fucking fact that the pair of you like cock far too much to turn dyke.”

“We can share,” Ester said. “Hire ourselves a gigolo for date night.”

Nya laughed again. “Ester!” she whooped.

This was one of the things she loved about Ester. Archer’s mom said the most outrageous things that Nya would never even have thought of, but with Ester, it wasn’t about shock value, she actually meant every single fucking word.

The banging came again and Ester frowned. “We’re planning our fucking wedding day, Chase, can you do something about that?”

“What?” he asked, turning around to check the coffee. “Chloroform?”

Ester gasped with excitement. “Do you have that? I’ve always wanted to see if that works like in the movies.”

Archer turned back to them. “Yeah, I have it. Sodium Pentothal too—truth serum—you want that? You’ll have seen that in the movies, get all your next guy’s secrets before you agree to marry him.”

“With his contacts, Archer probably has everything,” Nya said. “But it depends what this guy is here for. He’s only been here a few hours, it’s probably not right to experiment on him yet.”

“How long does chloroform last?” Ester asked as if she hadn’t heard anything that had been said since she’d asked about the chemical. “Is it like a five-second deal? And if it is, how far can you move a dead weight in five seconds? ‘Cause that’s what they’d be… it can’t be far. Or is it like the length of a fuck, you know? That a guy could use it, get himself off, and a woman would never know any different?”

Nya noticed Archer’s disgust. “What shit you into, Ester?” he asked. “You want a guy to fuck you when you’re passed out? I’ll give you roofies for that. Chloroform’s a bitch, it’s nothing like the movies. And do me a favor, call Derren, he’d be happy to knock you the fuck out.”

Ester clucked with indignation. Nya loved to watch these two interact, it was so hilarious and such an unconventional mother-son relationship and yet that was what made these people so perfect, was that for all their sniping and their blunt, inappropriate remarks, there was still a lot of love in this room.

Derren might like knocking Ester out, but that wasn’t why Archer made the recommendation.

Ester’s head turned. “Oo, now that’s interesting. He would have to be pre-approved.”

Nya laughed, “Two at once?”

Ester folded her arms and lifted her shoulders. “Or three.”

Again, Archer was making noises of disgust. “My mom the ho,” he said.

Nya could believe that he wasn’t happy. But at the same time, he had to have come to terms with the way that Ester was because he didn’t flip out. Yes, he was probably disappointed, but this was what Ester was. She had her own baggage that made her this way. Just like his baggage made him so responsible about things like money, cleanliness, and fidelity. It all came from how they were raised and the scars inside that no one saw.

“No, not while you’re sleeping,” Nya said, glazing over Archer’s grump. Some of these outrageous Ester remarks made her ponder her own boundaries.

“There are three holes,” Ester said, resting a hip on the breakfast bar beside her.

Nya licked her lips. “Yeah, but then you would just wake up feeling used and… I mean, how would you know who went where and—”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes, it matters. Every dick is different. You wouldn’t want the biggest guy going in the back way, would you?”

Ester leaned forward a fraction. “If Chase has already been there, I don’t think you have to worry about any more pain than he gave you.”

“Ok, that’s it,” Archer said, pivoting to hand over their coffees. “You two can stay to drink this, but I want you out as soon as you’re done.” He fixed his gaze on Nya. “And no more sex talk.”

“I didn’t mention your dick once,” Nya said, grazing a finger over his shoulder.

Ester wasn’t as apologetic. She took Nya’s hand and pulled her off the counter to lead her over to the couch where they sat at opposite ends, facing each other, as had become their way. “We’re talking hypothetically,” Ester said. “It’s healthy for a woman to explore her sexuality, don’t ever apologize to him for liking sex.”

“Oh, she doesn’t apologize for that,” Archer muttered.

Nya sipped her coffee to calm her smirk. “I only need one dick in my life,” she said.

“I don’t think there’s any risk of you being with three guys any time soon,” Ester said, turning her knees toward the back of the couch as Nya folded her legs and blew into the dark liquid in the mug clasped between her hands. “Have you ever had a threesome?”

The question came just as Archer appeared at the back of the couch with his own drink. “Yes,” Nya said. Archer’s hand stopped mid-reach for the remote that was always situated on the top of the couch. Her eyes dropped from his to Ester’s, she smiled. “But not with two men.”

“Another woman.” Ester nodded. “Good tactic. They go nuts for that. They think it’s some big deal to see boobs touch boobs.”

Nya sipped her coffee. “It really wasn’t a big deal, but it’s not something I would do now,” she said, looking up at Archer again. “So don’t get any ideas.”

“Babe, I told you, being with you is a full-time job,” he said, turning on the TV and gulping from his own mug.

“See, you two are perfect for each other,” Ester said. “If you were fucking last night and you’re not fuck buddies then you are back together. You better be.”

Nya was pleased to be able to confirm it. “He came to his senses.”

“In time for your birthday,” Ester said. “Are you having a party?”

“I don’t know,” Nya said with a shrug. “Sometimes I do something, sometimes I don’t. I’ve never had a big party. But sometimes Tag takes me out.”

“Tag,” Ester said and her shoulders went back in a moment of clarity. “Taggert?”

“Yes,” Nya said, wondering how Ester would’ve made that connection. “Do you know him?”

Ester leaned back, casting her eyes to her son. “She met him last night,” Archer drawled, reading his subtitles.

“Last night, but, Ester said she was in here when you came home. Why would you have brought Tag with you…” Nya’s words faded.

Archer hadn’t said he had a mark or a victim, he said he had company.

Thrusting her coffee mug onto the table, Nya leapt onto her knees and grabbed the band of his sweatpants. “Fella?” The word as a question was enough.

“He makes a helluva racket, Squirm.”

She couldn’t gather her wits enough to gasp. Nya leaped off the couch and ran to the bathroom hoping that when she opened the door she wouldn’t see who dreaded might be there. “Oh my God,” she breathed.

Rushing forward, she ripped the duct tape from his mouth and hunkered down to clasp the chain. “He’s a fucking maniac! He’s a maniac!” Tag screamed.

Nya caressed his face. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

“Well get me fucking out of here,” Tag said, rattling the chain on his ankle again.

“Yes, one sec,” she said and surged up to rush from the room, but Archer blocked the doorway.

“I don’t fucking think so,” he said.

“You can’t keep him here,” Nya argued. “Move!”

Grabbing his upper arms, she tried to get past him, but he was too big and he filled the whole frame. She couldn’t squeeze past or shift him because she was too weak. “Ester! Go get me the key!” Nya called past him.

Archer just folded his arms, blocking the last slither of her view. “Ester, stay put and keep your fucking nose out.”

Nya couldn’t even see if Ester was behind him let alone figure out if she was going to help. “He hasn’t done anything wrong,” Nya said. “You said he didn’t kill anyone. If it’s information you need, ask me, Arch.”

Hurt warred with anger within her. She couldn’t believe the man she loved would do this to her best friend. There was no explanation, no reason, except that Archer didn’t like Tag, he was inconvenient, he’d interrupted their night and the punishment for that was being chained to Archer’s floor.

“Nya! Get me the fuck out of here now!” Tag shouted.

Archer’s eyes slid up. “You keep your fucking mouth shut, Taggert. I told you last night, no one gives a fuck how much noise you make. All you’re doing is pissing me off.”

“So you put duct tape on my mouth? That shit hurts! Nya, you don’t know what he’s done to me! He’s a fucking animal! You don’t know what this is like!”

Except she did because she’d been there. But she couldn’t get over that Archer was the one who’d done this. He’d tried to chain her to the pipe after they were together, but he’d done it to protect her and she’d convinced him to let her stay in his bed instead.

But this wasn’t about protecting Tag. Archer couldn’t care less and if he was just trying to humiliate her friend, he was a far crueler man than she’d realized.

“You have to let him go.”

Archer didn’t equivocate. “No.”

Moistening her lips, she touched his obliques. “Fella, I’m asking you to let him go.”

Slowly curling one finger at a time around her chin until he clasped it, Archer tipped it up, lowered his face, and didn’t even blink when he said, “No.”

Nya couldn’t fight with him, she would never win and he had more than one length of chain, more than one length of duct tape. If she got to be too troublesome, he could attach her to his bed, or worse, to hers, and leave her there for days.

“Am I your prisoner too?” she asked because he was still in her way.

He took a step backwards into the hallway giving her just enough room to squeeze past him. Nya glanced at him again, hoping he would change his mind, but he was fixated on Tag. Rushing down the hallway, she tried not to run, which was more difficult when Tag called after her again. Ester called too, but Nya went past her without looking up.

Because if Archer wouldn’t listen to her and wouldn’t show her friend compassion then she didn’t belong in his apartment. They’d just got back together, but he was showing a cruelty Nya had never seen in him before.

She didn’t understand why he’d shut her out or why he was so determined to keep Tag where he was. Nya couldn’t sit in the living room, drinking coffee, having frivolous conversations about sex while her best friend was being tortured in the next room.

Nya thought she had influence with Archer, Tag had thought it too, so had Hexam. This morning had proved they were all wrong.