by Bloom, Nikki
“Sounds like a bargain if it means I get to see you whenever I want.”
She made a gagging noise. “I might have to consider getting a new job,” she said as she handed over my key tag. “You’ll need that to get inside. Just pass it underneath the scanner at the door. Nothing to it.”
“I’m not an idiot, you know.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m the idiot for thinking that you were a halfway decent guy.” She pivoted on her heel and started to walk away.
I just couldn’t stand to watch her go so I reached out to grab her, but before I could do so, she stepped on her untied shoelace. Her body lurched forward, and she held out her hands in order to break her fall.
Her eyes were glued shut by the time I caught her. I held her tight in my arms, our faces inches apart. “Looks like you’re just as clumsy as ever,” I teased.
Her whole face turned a bright shade of red – even the tips of her ears.
It was a lovely sight. I chuckled, my face gravitating towards hers. Those pink lips were calling my name. I couldn’t refuse.
Slap.
I reeled back and dropped her at the impact. “Ouch! What the hell was that for?” I demanded.
She jumped to her feet and wiped the dust from her leggings. “It’s what I should have done a long time ago,” she huffed and with that, she was gone.
[Love, Autumn] Ch3: Autumn
I took my time driving home. I needed to sort through my emotions before facing Sara. If she saw me now, she would pry the information from my soul, and I couldn’t bear the thought of lying to my best friend. I had done it once before out of sheer embarrassment and I didn’t want to do it again.
At a red traffic light, the memory barreled into me like some sort of freight train. The pain pierced right through my chest, severing my heart in two. I had decided to give Leo a chance, despite my better judgment. I had even gone through the lengths of putting on a bit of makeup even though I hated putting on the stuff. It was all for nothing because by the time I got there…
Honk!
I opened my eyes and pressed on the accelerator. The car eased forward. I readjusted my grip and focused on breathing.
Impulsively, I changed lanes and pulled into a drive-thru. This would be a major cheat to my diet, but I definitely needed the comfort food right now.
“Hello! Welcome to Juice Burger, how may I take your order?”
“Yes, I’ll have a double bacon cheeseburger with onions, please.”
“Certainly,” the perky teenager called from the other end of the intercom. “Is there anything else I can get for you?”
“Can I make that a meal? Large.”
“Absolutely. Will that be all?”
“Are you still serving ice cream?” I asked with some hesitation. I would need to work my ass off in the gym for a good part of a week to make up for this calorie overload. But, right now, I didn’t care.
“We certainly are,” she answered. “What can I get you?”
“I’ll have a frozen swirl with M&Ms.”
“Would you like our small or regular size?”
“Regular…” I almost felt ashamed for my weakness. What was I doing, anyway? I vowed never to let Leo ruin my life again and yet, I was allowing him to completely massacre my diet. It’s only for one night, I told myself.
As I handed over my credit card, I couldn’t stand to look at the cashier.
“Have a nice night!” she said as she handed over my heap of food.
I parked at the back of the lot and attacked my fries first. “Mmm…” I moaned aloud. It had been so long since I allowed myself such a treat. I dipped a fry into my ice cream and moaned a second time. Why was fast food so good anyway?
By the time I was done, I felt five pounds heavier but, for the moment, it was totally worth it. I would regret it in the morning when I stepped on that scale.
I pushed these thoughts aside and finally made my way home.
The living room light was on when I rolled into the driveway. Sara was probably reading another one of her romance novels – or, at least, that’s what she liked to call them. I had the sense they were porn in disguise. After all, she never allowed me to borrow them. Then again, I was never really interested.
I unlocked the door as quietly as I could. Maybe, if I was lucky, Sara would be so caught up in her book she wouldn’t even notice me.
But I had no such luck.
“You’re late,” she said as soon as I stepped through the threshold.
“Late? I didn’t know we had plans,” I responded, trying to sound as innocent as possible.
“I thought maybe we could watch a movie together.” She closed her book and stood up from where she was sitting, a hand on her hip. “What kept you, anyway?”
“I decided to stop at the strip mall,” I lied but I could already tell she wasn’t buying it.
“At this time of night?” She raised an eyebrow. “Where were you really?”
“Look, it’s none of your business, okay?” I snapped, sounding harsher than I had intended to.
She frowned, looking hurt. I wanted to apologize but I couldn’t get my tongue to work.
“I see,” she said. “Well, in that case, I’ll be going to bed. Good night.”
“Wait… Sara… I didn’t–”
Slam!
I flinched at the sound of her bedroom door crashing against the frame. With a sigh, I crumpled into the nearby couch. I felt horrible. I closed my eyes. As soon as I did so, I pictured Leo’s face close to mine. I didn’t remember him being so handsome. He had thinned out a bit, just as I had, losing the freshman fifteen in favor of a lean figure.
As much as I hated to admit it, he was looking good – too good.
I shook my head and tried to forget about the encounter but those emerald green eyes… they were filled with such sorrow like he really did regret what he had done back in college. No. It was all just a ruse. He had betrayed me once – he could do it again. I wouldn’t be made a fool a second time. I had given him my heart and he had crushed it. He would never get a second chance to do the same.
And yet, all I could think about was the feeling of his arms wrapped around my body. It had been so long since I had been intimate with anyone. After Danny… well, I was scared. It was the reason why I had pushed Leo away in the first place. I couldn’t stand to lose someone else – to go through the heartache.
My eyes burned with the need for tears. I blinked back the urge and rose to my feet. I dragged myself into my bedroom and plopped into bed. I groaned. My stomach was so stuffed that it was on the verge of bursting. I just about made it underneath the covers without hurling.
I stared up at the ceiling. Again, I thought of Leo and that tight embrace of his. I felt my cheeks flush. I hated myself because deep down, I had enjoyed it.
There came a knock on the door. Sara let herself inside without asking. I sat up and wrapped the sheets tightly around my body.
“Will you just tell me what happened? I can’t go to bed when I’m worrying about you.” She sat down on the edge of my mattress and looked into my eyes. “Please, Autumn, we’re friends and friends are supposed to tell each other when something is bothering them.”
I frowned.
“It’s only going to fester if you keep it bottled up inside like this.”
“I saw Leo…” I whispered.
She chuckled. “I had a feeling it was something like that.” She nudged me with her elbow. “He didn’t make a move, did he?”
“Sara!” I shoved her off my bed. “Get out of my room!”
“Alright, alright.” She held up her hands in innocence. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would upset you that much.” She inched forward. “So, how did it happen?”
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Also By Nikki Bloom
Love, Autumn
Sincerely, Summer
The Billionaire Encounter
Freezing Touch (or FREE on next page)
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