Offices and Orchards (A New Adult Sweet Romance)

Chapter 26

For the evening portion of the event, Adriana herself changed into a white, boat-neck column gown. She had taken off her veil and had a new sparkling aquamarine ring on one of her fingers. As she had done the whole day, she looked radiant, and happy. As did her new husband William, who could not seem to take his eyes off of her.
The dinner began on time, and the speeches began. As the best man, Harvey gave one which was sweet, cute, funny and loving as well, telling stories of William at school and the mischief that they had gotten up to. Towards the end, he extended a glass of wine in the air toward the couple "William, Adriana, I wish you all the happiness in life. All the luck and joy in the world. You are a beautiful couple. Adriana," His smile turned into the mischievous little grin that Autumn knew would have had her blushing, "I hope you know what you're getting into, no one would blame you if you walked out now," After a pattering of laughter died down, Harvey finished up, "But I see so clearly how you two care for one another, and it makes me strive for the same thing. You're an amazing couple, and I know this marriage is just the start to more amazing things. I'm glad you've both found a place that feels like home." Adriana smiled at Harvey, and then made eye contact with Autumn, Harvey also turned to look at Autumn. For the thousandth time that day, Autumn forced a smile on her face and nodded her head slightly to say 'don't worry, I'm fine', to Adriana, not Harvey. She could read the concern in Adriana's eyes but Autumn managed, somehow, to keep the tears at bay. "Congratulations to the newlyweds," he ended the speech and everyone cheersed. Autumn nearly downed the entire glass of wine in one draught.
When some of the other guests had left after the cake had been cut and eaten, the bouquet had been tossed and caught by Amber, Autumn decided it was ok to sneak out herself, giving Amber a little sign that she was headed back to her room. She went directly there and as soon as she closed the door behind her, the emotion which had been held back the entire day, rushed forth. Tears poured out of her eyes in a flood.
It was not until the wee hours of the morning that there was a knock at the door. Autumn knew who it was and considered just ignoring him, and having the conversation in the morning, but she did not want to wake up the next day knowing what was ahead of her. She cracked the door and Harvey stumbled in. He crawled over to the minibar and downed a full bottle of water before checking out some of the snacks. "That was fun, did you have fun?"
"The wedding was beautiful,"
"Come here," he started towards her.
"We need to talk,"
"Now? How about no talking now," Harvey moved to stand before Autumn.
"No, we are definitely going to talk, and you are going to explain to me just how much money you got from people at work for dating me,"
"What?" said Harvey dumb-founded.
"The bet. You are going to tell me about the bet." Her voice was quiet and icy, but the way she wrenched her toiletries and pyjamas out of her suitcase gave her rage away.
"How did you know about that?" He sat down on the bed. 
"That doesn't matter."
"I...Autumn.... It's not... It's not what it looks like,"
"I'll give you one chance to explain, Harvey."
"I love you, Autumn, this," he gestured from himself to her and back, ", we... have nothing to do with a bet," Harvey had just told Autumn he loved her. That was the first time she had ever heard those words from someone.
"It has everything to do with a bet. It has everything to do with you lying to me. And accepting the money after you first turned it down, and then spending it on me because you felt guilty. Buying me a dress, paying for our trip down here, for our holiday. Trying to buy your way out of guilt. Disgusting." She was starting to lose it, so she stopped herself, she would not cry in front of him.
"No... Autumn ....this is real,"
"I don't know what to think Harvey... Just...Why didn't you tell me?" her dam wall was starting to crumble behind the flood of emotion being held back by it.
"Because it didn't matter. What mattered was you... us. Remember that first night? That Thursday? I came to sit with you guys at The Cabin?"
There was a pause as Autumn realized what he was saying.
"You were trying to win the bet with Amber?" the anger bubbled up to the surface again. This was one knife stab after the other. Look, we all just thought that Amber was easier to deal with." while he was saying the words, it was like he was realising how awful they were. "But it was that night that I realized I was wrong...you, I had you all wrong. I thought you were snobby and stuck-up. I know now that you are just a little shy, and quiet and it takes a little bit of time to get you to trust someone. And then it was clear that I liked you. And I thought you liked me too. Clear that we could be together. After that conversation. It doesn't matter Autumn. Did you hear what I said? I love you. I am in love with you."
"You're not wrong, I do take a long time to trust people, and look where trusting you has gotten me,"
"Autumn, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry."
"You took the money, Harvey,"
"Yes, I took it, I have something in mind for it, later..." She wanted to ask what he was going to use it for, but no, it didn't matter. The longer she stood here talking to him the worse things were getting.
"You know what, it doesn't matter."
"Autumn, it does matter, I swear. It all matters...You matter. To me,"
"Get out," the ice in her voice was real.
"Autumn, I'm sorry, it was nothing, it really was, it was stupid, I was stupid."
"Get out Harvey,"
"Please Autumn, I can explain better, let me explain the whole story," He was desperate, pleading with her, begging her to listen, to understand, but she had heard all there was to hear. She ushered him to the door, pushing him out into the hallway, and after closing the door, bolting it shut, she collapsed on the bed in tears for the second time that night. It was an awful cry this time, deep sobs, wailing, little hiccups where the crying was too intense to breathe. Her heart was broken, literally, she felt it. The pain in her chest throbbing, in waves. A familiar feeling she thought she had finally, after years of grief, started to overcome. At some point, after who knows how long, she finally stopped, feeling a numbness. She was out of tears, out of emotion and instead, drifted off into deep sleep.
She felt like a different woman when she woke up. Sad, yes, disappointed, angry, upset, yes. But also a strange kind of happiness, which she realized was freedom. She threw open the curtains wide to reveal a beautiful view of the beach and the ocean. That is what is out there for me to go and explore! Despite the events of the day before, she felt free. She was in a beautiful hotel, with over a week of holidays in front of her for the first time since she had moved to Harvest Hills. Not wanting to know the time, not wanting to know the day even, she thought to herself, what do I want to do today? Where do I want to go? I can do anything. I'm free. "I'm going to order room service," she said to herself out loud, picking up the menu and asking for nearly one of every breakfast item on the menu. She hopped in the shower as she waited for the food, really feeling the water run over her, as if it could wash away everything that had happened. The food arrived and she made herself comfortable at the table, near enough the window so that she could enjoy the view.
What do I like doing these days? What makes me happy? Besides the obvious, she thought, as she started devouring the food. Autumn knew that she was going to be just fine. It was going to be a little bit yucky for awhile, but if, in the midst of recent, raw, real heartbreak, she could joke about food being the best thing ever, she knew it would not be long for the pain in her chest and her head to leave her.
She grabbed her phone to check the map. Her phone had ten missed calls on it, two from Amber and eight from Harvey. Amber's text message said 'Call me please, hope you're ok," Why is Amber calling me? Why is she asking if I'm ok? Did she know about the bet? Am I the laughingstock of the company? Is that why I didn't get Australia? What a mess. No, do not focus on this now. I have to get out of here. That's the first thing I'll do, after breakfast. Such a shame, I've always wanted to see Martha's Vineyard, but it'll be here when I come back. It'll always be here. A lightbulb went off. Another revelation - Martha's Vineyard will always be here. This week, next week, next year, Martha's Vineyard will be here.
Autumn finished her breakfast, packed up and called a cab to the airport. Later that night, she arrived at Beauregard. After a night in a visitor's room, she got up and went to surprise her Grandpa. "Autumn darling, what are you doing here? It's so nice to see you," Grandpa was overjoyed at the surprise. Autumn spent the whole week there with her grandfather, joining him for all of the meals, taking him for walks every day, playing cards, watching movies and just sitting on his couch reading.

Throughout the week she replayed every date that she and Harvey had been on in her mind. Why hadn't she realized? There had been a few times when he had been trying to tell her something. How could I have been so stupid? Was it my fault?

She told Grandpa much of the story, and he listened, responding, as he often did, with his catchphrase "It's all a learning experience," It was not the holiday she had originally envisioned, but Grandpa had absolutely adored having Autumn as company, and after five days there, Autumn had relaxed as well. And for the first time ever, she and Grandpa talked about Autumn's dad, Grandpa's son. They talked about loss, and how it had changed Autumn and although she had recently felt some normalcy return to her life, that she was still different.
The psychologists always told her her grief, her loss would change who she is, who she chooses as her friends, what she'll choose for a job, even who she chooses for her relationships and what kind of parent she'll be.
To others, she has looked ok. Introverted, shy, stick-up, snobby, she had heard all of those words before, but ok. But she had wanted to look ok, and her mom had too. There was this kind of collusion that she shared with her mother, because they both wanted to appear fine.
Grandpa didn't feel the same. He wanted Autumn to be Autumn, even if she was a mess. And she thought, she felt, she knew, Harvey had too, that he accepted her. So she grieved her relationship with Harvey too and Grandpa understood all of it.