Page 47 of Again, In Autumn

Adam’s fingers twitched.

“A little ticklish on the old palm, are we?” I teased.

“Concentrate on your thing,” he ordered, smelling my hair. “And I will concentrate on mine.”

I read, “It’s curvy. Kind of short. Be careful eating too much fried food and don’t take unnecessary risks. Look both ways before crossing the street. Did you know that’s how Margaret Mitchell died? Crossing the street? We went to her house on a field trip.”

I heard the smile in his voice as he said, “Okay,” and kissed my jawbone.

“This long line here,” I danced my finger along the vertical line from his wrist to his middle finger, “this is your fate line.”

He rubbed his nose along my collarbone.

“That’s really good. It means you’re going to be successful and lucky in your career.”

Adam drew himself back up and sighed. His left arm straightened to support him, pressing into my back. “How do you know all of this?”

“Heddy.” I traced the other lines without purpose, just to feel his warm, scratchy skin.

“And you have this shit memorized?” he asked with disbelief.

I twisted my head to face him. “She’s practically my mother. I listen to everything she says.” My eyes closed as he pressed his lips into the hollow of my cheek.

He pulled back and pressed his forehead to mine. “Tell me something else about you.”

I stared under my eyebrows at his searching eyes. “I don’t poop.”

“What?” He laughed.

“I’m a girl, I don’t poop, just so you know.”

“Then you should get that checked out.” He rolled his eyes.

“Okay.” I stopped. “What do you want to know?”

“Your favorite book.”

“People Magazine,” I answered.

Adam leaned back and ruffled his hair. “No, Vienna, that doesn’t count.”

“There are important, hard-hitting articles in there!”

He threaded his fingers through mine. “Yesterday you were reading about a pregnant teenager, I saw the cover.”

“It was kind of a political article,” I attempt.

He gasped, laughing. “No, it was not! Her mother is a politician. She’s a teenager with a kid!”

I swayed in his orbit as he laughed. I said, “How do you know what magazine I was reading yesterday? You and Adam were working on his car.”

“Because you insist on sunbathing outside until you turn into a piece of leather.”

“And you were watching me?”

“Of course.”

I pretended to be offended. “Pervert.”

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