I Move On Instantly

New Year’s Day, I visited my childhood friend’s home. Archer extended a hand from the bathroom, his voice languid, “Asteria, could you grab my pajamas?” His mom, spatula in hand, burst out of the kitchen. “How old are you? Asteria’s a girl, you know, you should avoid impropriety.” Archer emerged, wrapped in a towel, utterly unfazed. “What’s the big deal?” He wasn’t wrong. This was our third year of a secret relationship. We’d long since done things far more intimate. His mom shot him a glare. “It didn’t matter before, you two grew up together, naturally closer than others. But not anymore. Asteria has a boyfriend now.” Archer froze, his face suddenly turning cold. “Boyfriend? She can’t possibly have a boyfriend.” 1 Auntie Gwen was about to retort when a sizzling sound erupted from the kitchen, a smell of burning spreading through the air. She dropped her lecture for Archer and stormed back into the kitchen, spatula aloft. “Oh no, my fish!” The air fell silent again, leaving just Archer and me in the hallway. Steam wafted from the half-open bathroom door. His towel was loosely draped around his waist, his ‘V-line’ disappearing into shadow. He stood there, watching me intently, relentless. I wasn’t in the mood for a standoff. Turning, I walked to his room and pulled out his usual dark gray silk pajamas from the closet. Returning to the bathroom door, I handed them over, my gaze fixed on the wall beside him. “Your pajamas.” Archer didn’t take them. After a few seconds, I asked, puzzled, “Do you want them or not?” The next second, my wrist was abruptly seized. Bang! The bathroom door slammed shut behind me. The small space filled with humid heat. Archer pinned me against the door. My spine prickled with cold, but his bare, scorching body pressed against mine. “Archer! What are you doing!” I closed my eyes, warning him in a low voice. He chuckled softly, coaxing me, “What else could I be doing?” Archer’s other hand pressed against my waist, his thumb deliberately stroking the thin fabric of my dress. He leaned in, as if to kiss me. I snapped my eyes open, pushing him with all my strength. “Don’t touch me.” Archer frowned, as if accustomed to my level of resistance, even showing a hint of helpless indulgence. “Still mad?” he murmured. “I was out of line that day, said things I shouldn’t have. But Asteria, is this really why you’re pushing me away? How long are you going to keep this up?” I turned my head, avoiding his touch, my eyes fixed on the gaps in the floor tiles. “We broke up, Archer.” Archer scoffed, as if he’d heard a joke. “Broke up? How many times have you said that? When have you ever meant it?” “This time, I’m serious.” I looked up at him. That day, we’d had yet another argument, this time about Willow. I angrily shook off his hand and blurted out, “We’re over. Don’t follow me!” But I hadn’t walked far before I, spineless as ever, looked back. Archer was handsome, smart, always the golden boy. Countless girls secretly adored him, and I was one of them. Being close to someone doesn’t always mean you’re the chosen one. From my place as a friend, I watched girls come and go from his life. I grew increasingly insecure, even self-deprecating. The one who loves more is always more desperate, and finds it harder to let go. So, when I finally got what I wanted, even when he insisted we keep it a secret, even when he indulged his junior classmate’s flirtations, I could never bring myself to truly break up with him. Archer just stood there, head down, starting a game on his phone. Hearing my movement, he looked up, a casual smile on his face. “Didn’t you tell me not to follow you?” I froze, a sudden emptiness in my heart. It was replaced by an unprecedented calm. I was used to chasing after him, but in that moment, I suddenly felt so tired. So that day, I wiped away my tears with determination and said, “Archer, let’s really break up.” And Archer, as usual, gave me the silent treatment, waiting for me to come back and apologize. Except this time, he went to the north for eight months with that junior classmate, and I didn’t contact him once. He seemed to recall the scene too, the lingering trace of a smile in his eyes instantly vanishing. He straightened up, irritably raking his damp black hair back from his forehead, revealing a smooth brow and sharp cheekbones. “Asteria Hayes.” He used my full name, his voice deepening. “I didn’t agree. That was just something said in anger.” “Eight months.” My lips twisted, my voice clear and slow. “Eight whole months. You didn’t call me once, didn’t send a single message. Archer, do those eight months count as ‘just something said in anger’?” He froze, his lips moving as if to speak, but he instinctively reached out to me again. I took a step back, completely widening the distance between us. His hand hung in mid-air, fingers curling, before slowly dropping back to his side, clenching into a fist. “Asteria, the professor gave us short notice for a field study. I didn’t realize the place was so remote, and would take so long…” Knock, knock, knock. A knock on the door sounded just then. My parents must have arrived. I quickly interrupted his unfinished sentence. “You don’t need to explain to me.” I took a deep breath; the humid air of the bathroom, carrying his scent, filled my lungs, feeling a little stifling. “I don’t want to hear it anymore. From now on, in front of our families, we’ll act like ordinary friends. It’s better for everyone.” “Ordinary friends?” Archer chewed on the words, as if he’d heard something utterly absurd. A suffocating silence followed. Then, he suddenly pulled back his lips and laughed. “Fine,” he nodded, stepping aside to let me out. “Asteria. You’re the boss. Whatever you say.” 2 At the dinner table. Auntie Gwen, pressing for marriage, placed a piece of food on Archer’s plate. “Asteria has a boyfriend now, you need to bring a girlfriend home soon. I’m hoping for grandkids.” My parents looked at me, surprised. “You have a boyfriend? Since when? You didn’t tell us.” Archer, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, his tone casual yet pointed. “It’s not fake, is it? You’ve always been so obedient, how come even Auntie and Uncle don’t know about this?” I ignored him and nodded. “Yes, but we just started dating recently.” Out of the corner of my eye, Archer’s knuckles, gripping his chopsticks, were slightly white. I served myself a bowl of soup, my voice even. “He’s younger than me and just inherited his family’s publicly traded company, so he’s incredibly busy with work. I figured I’d wait until things settled down before officially introducing him to you all.” Archer suddenly let out a small laugh, putting down his chopsticks and leaning back in his chair, his gaze fixed on my face. “Is your boyfriend 6’2”, looks like a model, worth millions, and the only son of the boss?” I nearly choked on my water, surprised. “How did you know?” Archer scoffed for a moment, then said flatly, “I guessed. Isn’t that how all rom-com heroes are?” The table instantly fell silent. Archer’s mom immediately threw a napkin at him. “You brat, what’s wrong with you today! You sound like you’ve been eating gunpowder.” My parents, who always trusted Archer, immediately grew anxious. “Archer makes a good point. Is your boyfriend really that amazing? So exaggerated, could he be a scammer? There are all sorts of people these days, you really need to be careful, don’t get carried away.” Archer probably believed I couldn’t leave him and was just making up a fake boyfriend out of spite. But I couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. I patted my mom’s hand. “Don’t worry. He’ll be visiting you over the New Year.” I met Archer’s gaze, speaking each word clearly. “You’ll see for yourselves then.” My parents relaxed, and the atmosphere became lively again. For the latter half of the meal, Archer was unusually silent, only occasionally forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. I got up to get water from the kitchen and turned to see Archer leaning against the doorframe, having watched me for who knew how long. I walked directly towards the door, intending to go around him. He stepped across, completely blocking my path. I patiently didn’t want to argue with him in front of our parents. After all, we had broken up, and our relationship had been secret. A scene now would only make things awkward for both families. “Move.” Archer’s eyes held an unreadable emotion. “It’s truly something, for you to make up all these stories without batting an eyelid.” I rolled my eyes. “Believe what you want.” I tried to go the other way, but he blocked me again. “What do you want?” Silence stretched for a few seconds. He reached out and, without a word, took the water glass from my hand, placing it aside. Then he put the steaming glass he was holding into my palm. “Your period is coming soon. Don’t drink anything cold.” “Thanks.” I said, after a moment of surprise, my tone flat. 3 The company called an emergency meeting, informing me of a project issue and asking me to return to the city for overtime. At eleven o’clock, I was finalizing the last version of a presentation. My phone screen lit up, showing a missed call from Archer and two messages. “My mom asked me to drop off some late-night snacks at your place. Your parents said you went back to the office for overtime?” I rubbed my tired eyes, feeling impatient. “Yeah.” “It’s almost the holidays, and it’s late, so it’s hard to get a cab. I’ll come pick you up.” “No need, my boyfriend will be here.” Archer chuckled softly. “Asteria, do you have to annoy me? I said I’m sorry, isn’t that enough? Just give me a break and let me take care of you.” “You’re really overthinking this.” I hung up, not in the mood to argue. Late at night, after finishing overtime, I went downstairs. The early spring night air carried a biting chill. Archer’s SUV was parked right at the entrance. I paused, surprised. The passenger side window immediately rolled down, revealing Willow’s round face. “Asteria, long time no see.” I gave a slight nod, a minimal greeting. But I didn’t stop, walking straight towards the roadside. Archer opened his door and quickly got out. He’d changed into a dark gray overcoat that made him look tall and lean. When we were together, I loved him in overcoats. “Asteria.” He approached me. “Willow just got back to the country and hasn’t gotten a local SIM card yet, so she can’t call a ride-share. It’s on my way, so I gave her a lift. Get in the car, stop acting out.” There it was again, “acting out.” The phrase pricked at an already numb nerve, like a fine needle. “I’m not acting out.” I looked up, calmly meeting his gaze, and at the same time, unlocked my phone, holding the screensaver up for him to see. “I couldn’t care less about your relationship with her. I remember I’ve told you countless times that I have a boyfriend. Archer, the great scholar, your memory can’t be that bad, can it?” The screen’s light illuminated a small patch of air between us. Archer’s gaze fixed on the screensaver, his pupils imperceptibly contracting. “Danny Thorne?” He then laughed. “Asteria, at least make your lies believable. Don’t joke around; back in college, he hated you the most. We shared a dorm; he was always telling me to break up with you.” Willow, sensing her cue, got out of the car and walked to Archer’s side, gently tugging his sleeve, a look of worried reluctance on her face. “I’m so sorry, I’m causing trouble for you two again. But Asteria, even if you’re angry with Archer, you shouldn’t drag others into it. It’s really rude. Besides, Danny is famously cold and distant. He barely even spoke to you; how could you suddenly be together?” Her hair blew in the night breeze, and she shivered slightly, leaning closer to Archer. I looked at her, forcing a smile. “You know you’re trouble, and you still come to cause it for me. If you’re intentionally stirring things up, don’t play the victim in front of me. You toxic bitch.” Willow gasped, covering her face in disbelief, on the verge of tears. Archer frowned, his voice cold. “Asteria, don’t go too far…” I flipped him off, still feigning a smile. “Asshole. Did I forget to insult you? Break up, break up, break up, break up, break up. Can you hear me now? Get lost.” Archer, enraged, laughed, pulling Willow into his arms. “Fine, then I’ll be with her. You have no objections, right?” I clapped. “You two go ahead and get hitched!” Without another look at their reaction, I turned and walked away.