When Autumn gets accepted in the university of her dreams she cannot believe her luck. Her mind is only focused on her scholarship and getting her degrees.
But all those goals are put aside when she meets the notorious Nicholas Payne who is everyth...
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“Wait up! Nick!” I call out just before he can step into the front seat of his car.
He turns back around and raises his eyebrows at me questioningly, “Yes Autumn?”
“Forget what I said before.” I spill out.
“About what?”
“About us going to the wedding as just friends. Forget all about that.” I explain to him quietly so that nobody else can hear me.
He looks sad when he questions me —— “So you do not want to go to the wedding as my date anymore? Did I do something wrong?”
“No no no! Of course I want to go with you to the wedding and no you did not do anything wrong. All I mean is that we can go...” I trail off, making sure to check around our surroundings for anyone who would be eavesdropping. Knowing my family, someone has to be listening to our conversation even from the most absurd angle you could think of.
“... we just do not have to go as just friends? Is that you mean?” he continues my sentence when I keep quiet. I jerk my head and wait for his response or even just his reaction. He seems quite calm and happy with this new agreement when he nods his head to show that he agrees with me.
“Yeah, I think that I agree with that.” he eventually replies after some silence. He steps away from his car just as Tatum opens the driver's door to get in. Nick approaches me and pushes back loose locks of my untamed raven hair. Then a transcendent, lazy grin makes its way onto his face when he asks, “So does this mean that I can kiss you?”
“Yes,” I whisper in a breathy voice as if I have just run out of air. It sounds desperate and needy. I have never heard myself sound so... what is the opposite of innocent?
I do not even get the chance to think of the word in my head when Nick kisses me so tenderly and gently this time. It is as if he is scared to go any further; perhaps he is scared because our family is watching us. Or maybe he is just afraid of messing this up. Just like how I am feeling about us. Us. I have never thought about Nick and I in that way. In a way that it would not be just Nick and just Autumn anymore. But Nick and Autumn. Autumn and Nick. Us. We. There is suddenly room for two people in my heart and not just one person anymore. Not just Autumn, but for Nick as well.
Before I say goodbye to him I decide to quickly make my way to Rosie and congratulate her and make sure that she is doing alright. She has been through so much these past few days nd I cannot imagine how she would have been at the moment if Tatum had not made it. How would she be able to raise a baby on her own?
“Congratulations you two. You are going to be such wonderful parents.” I allege to the two of them honestly. I pull them both each into tight bear hugs. At first Tatum is stiff before he relaxes and hugs me tighter. Like a big brother would. He feels like my own big brother to be completely honest.
“Thank you Autumn.” Tatum and Rosie say simultaneously.
“You take care of Nick for me okay?” Tatum whispers into my ear before he places a protective kiss on my forehead.
“I will. I promise.” I nod my head.
Nick runs to me from the other side of the car and picks me up. “I am really going to miss you Angel. You text me every day okay?”
“It is only going to be two weeks. You can survive without me.” I laugh mirthfully and he joins me.
