Unwanted Bride Of Atticus Fawn

Autumn's POV

"I don't think now is the right time to ask that question," I tell him, trying to remain calm.

He was making it very hard for me, however. He doesn't realize that he wasn't prepared to hear the answer to that question.

I've kept my feelings for him hidden for a long time. Atticus doesn't know how much he means to me, that's why he doesn't understand why I would put myself in danger to protect him. He also didn't realize that I would do it again in the blink of an eye as long as it concerned him.

"Tell me." He growls.

I chose to remain quiet. My hands tightened into fists at my sides. I was fighting back the urge to tell him the truth. I'd managed to keep it a secret all these years, but he was digging it out of me.

If he continued to ask, it was only a matter of time before I snapped. I had to get out of there before I caved and regretted it for the rest of my life.

Before he could ask again, I spun around, ready to leave. My hands are already on the door handle when he stops me.

"Answer me, damn it. Why Autumn? Why did you do it?" He demands. "You don't get to run away from this. I want you to tell me the truth. Can't you do that much for me?"

Can't I do that much for him? What kind of question was that? Does he even know the extent of what I'd go just for him?

I slowly turn back around and face him with a fierce gaze.

"Are you sure you want to know the answer to your question?" I ask him.

I needed to confirm that he truly wanted to hear the answer before I went ahead and said the one
thing, that I knew would completely change our relationship for life.

His jaw clenches, "Tell me. Explain it to me why the hell you would jump in front of me like that knowing that Carter and his teammates could have attacked you to get to me! You knew that you could have gotten seriously injured by them, but you still chose to protect me. Tell me, why?"

That was it. I couldn't take it anymore. I could feel the truth pulling out of me. It threatened to destroy my peace and take everything from me as it continued to rise. I've kept this secret for so long that it's become a part of me. But I couldn't stop myself from telling him this time. It was too late for that.

"Because I love you!" I scream.

There is a deafening silence right after those words hit the both of us, hard.

His eyes widen when my words finally sunk in, but I don't plan on stopping there. This wasn't how I wanted to tell him. This wasn't how I wanted him to discover that I loved him, but he'd forced it out of me. He wanted to know so badly that the truth flew straight out of my body.

If Atticus had just taken the time to pay attention to me, he wouldn't have been this shocked by my confession. Anyone could tell how much I loved him if they'd stopped and looked at me whenever I was around him.

"I've loved you for years. Since the first day I saw you, you were the only one I've ever wanted. No other man could ever make me feel how you made me feel. I had to suffer and watch you love Anya for years. I had to force myself to be happy for both of you because she was my best friend, and you were the man I was in love with. Both of your happiness always meant more to me than my own."

Atticus is quiet as he listens to my words. l can see the shock on his face. He didn't know. He had no idea that l had loved him all this time.

"You have no idea how hard it was for me seeing you with her. It hurt even more that i couldn't hate her because of it. It hurt more because l loved Anya as my sister. I felt guilty the entire time while being her friend because I knew it was wrong to love you
when she was your girlfriend and mate. It didn't stop the pain I felt every time you chose her over me. I saw you first. I fell for you first. But still, she was the one that you wanted first. She was the one that caught your attention, not me."