Page 175 of A Million To Fall

Why is Archer calling his dad?

And from where?

Wasn’t he just here?

Mr. Longfellow starts pacing the kitchen, agitation radiating off him. I can hear Archer’s voice faintly through the phone. It’s rushed, frantic, but I can’t make out the words.

“God damn it,” Archer’s dad shouts, making both Stella Longfellow and me flinch. “How fucking stupid are you?”

He rakes a hand through his thinning blond hair, walking a tight circle. The tension in the room rises, and… wait, do I hear sobs coming though the phone?

Archer’s dad stops short, inhaling sharply. “Knock it off,” he barks. “I need you to keep your shit together. Where's Jake, Archer?”

My stomach tightens, head swiveling once again.

Yep, Jake is gone, too.

Mr. Longfellow listens again, his jaw tight. Then, “Fuck. And where is the gun, son?”

The gun? Oh my god.

“Shit!” he explodes. “You really are a god damn idiot, Archer.”

He pinches the bridge of his nose, squeezes his eyes shut, forcing control back into his voice.

“Here’s what you’re going to do,” he says, measured and commanding. “You’re coming home right now. Drive at a normal speed. Don’t do anything stupid. When you get here, you go straight to your room. You don’t talk to anyone. You don’t text. You don’t call. Nothing. I will handle this.”

With that, he ends the conversation and turns to rush out of the kitchen.

“Orson!” Mrs. Longfellow calls after him, her voice tight with panic. “What happened to my baby?”

He doesn’t slow. “Your baby is a god damn idiot, Stella,” he growls. “He just shot someone.”

No. Jake.

My hands fly to my mouth as my heart slams violently against my ribs. I’m dizzy, the room tilting. Is this my world? Is this what I chose?

Mrs. Longfellow gasps. “Where is he?”

“He’s on his way home. When he gets here, make sure he goes upstairs and stays there. I need to call Chief McNamara.” He scans our surroundings. “The party is over. Get everyone out.”

He’s gone before anyone can respond.

Mrs. Longfellow follows her husband out of the kitchen, already calling out to guests.

It’s only then that I hear my phone vibrating on the marble kitchen counter.

It’s… Jake?

“Jake, are you okay?” I ask, breathless, my hands shaking.

“Skye,” he says, voice raw. “I need you to come to Boston’s place right now.”

I shake my head to clear the fog, the confusion. “What happened? Archer just called his dad, but I couldn’t understand anything. I don’t know what’s going on—”

“I don’t have time to explain. You need to get here now. You need to stay with his siblings, okay? I gotta go. I have to call 911.”

It clicks into place with terrifying clarity.