Autumn had everything figured out and she'd taught herself how to fake a smile. Her inability to trust others meant that she mostly spent her time alone, rarely making a connection. Occasionally, she'd tried to date but ultimately she'd come to the conclusion that soulmates simply didn't exist. Nobody seemed to understand her, they didn't even want to try. Not that she'd ever let anyone get that close to her.
As she lived her lonely life, drifting through jobs and withering away, all she really had to cling onto were dreams of a life. A life where her mother hadn't left her, her brother hadn't betrayed her and her father had actually loved her. Her life and her ability to love had been destroyed before she'd even had a chance and now, her destiny was to be alone. Occasionally, Autumn would cry herself to sleep as she imagined Reece's voice consoling her. She hated herself for still finding comfort at the mere thought of her brother, but she simply couldn't help it. Sometimes, she'd imagine him living his life, unaffected by the pain he'd caused and just for a while, she truly would hate him. Eventually, she'd long for his brotherly embrace once again and her hatred would dissipate.
Autumn and Reece only ever saw each other at family gatherings, which were few and far between. They'd ignore each other completely, even if they found themselves stood next to each. They both heard the whispers that surrounded them, everyone thought it was 'just so sad' that they'd lost each other. Mia would smirk at Autumn as she stood by Reece's side and eventually, Autumn's hatred for the red head had taken hold of her heart completely. Her love for her brother however had started to creep through her chest and into her mind. Just as she was considering trying to make amends, she'd received a knock on her door on the morning of her birthday. She'd opened the door and gasped at what she saw.
A bouquet of dead, decaying flowers. Suddenly, she hated him more than she hated Mia.
If only she known the truth behind the lies. Reece was anything but unaffected and the longer they didn't speak, the more he hated himself. He was still with a woman who clearly didn't love him and as much as he tried, he couldn't love her. They argued constantly, then they'd make up and start the cycle again, just as they always had.
When he'd moved out, Reece had naively believed that he'd be able to leave so many of his struggles behind. Unfortunately, his eating disorder had spiralled and sometimes, it was all he could think of. Occasionally, he'd manage to get a handle on it and for a little while, he'd feel so proud of himself. Then an argument with Mia or an insult from his father would trigger his self loathing and he'd be slammed back to square one.
Mia knew that she was responsible for Reece's pain, but she didn't know how to escape. She'd invested so much time into working as Roger's puppet, she wasn't even sure she had her own free will anymore. Every time she went crawling back to Roger and therefore Reece, she'd tell herself that this time, she'd make it. This time, she'd get the information she needed, find her father and finally start to heal her heart. She just needed to know that it wasn't her fault. She needed to hear him say it.
For so many years, she'd felt so confused by her own desires. When she'd suggested bringing other women into her relationship with Reece, she'd desperately tried to convince herself that she was just being an easy going girlfriend. The truth was, after each of these encounters she'd lock herself in the bathroom and cry into a towel to stifle her sobs. Eventually, she'd splash her face with cold water and go back into the bedroom, climbing under the covers next to Reece. He never tried to hold her anymore, he knew she didn't like it. So she'd lie awake with her back to him, wishing she was brave enough to break this cycle.
It's wasn't like she'd been in love with any of the women she'd brought home, but the point was, she could have been. Reece couldn't have her heart and she couldn't have his, yet they persisted in dragging each other down into hell, time and time again. As Mia cried into a towel for the third time that month, she tried to soothe herself with the thought that she and Reece were going on holiday soon. Usually, going away together allowed them to forget themselves and their troubles, even if it was only temporarily.
YOU ARE READING
THE LAST LEAVES OF AUTUMN - (TNN - PROM NIGHT- AUTUMN/REECE/MIA)
Fanfiction**WORK IN PROGRESS** What really happened before, during and after prom night? How did Roger's treatment and manipulations affect Autumn, Reece and Mia?
