Page 14 of Sins of Autumn

“I just don’t understand how he could do it,” Autumn ranted, the pain bleeding through in a way that made my chest ache. “How he could look me in the eye after… after everything and not even try?”

She had no fucking clue how hard it had been to stand there, to hold myself back and let her leave when all I wanted to do was pull her into my arms and never let go.

“I don’t understand either,” Cherish added, her voice sharp. “God, Autumn, fuck that man.”

“I should’ve known,” she replied, her voice almost breaking. “But there were no signs.”

There weren’t any signs because Autumn was a queen, and I treated her like nothing less.

Daniella reached out, placing a hand on Autumn’s knee. “You’re better off without him. You know that, right?”

Better off without me? My chest had burned when I heard that.

“I know,” she whispered, but the look in her eyes betrayed her. She didn’t believe that. Not for a single second.

It had been two weeks since the night she left. Fourteen debilitating days since she’d blocked me, cutting me off from her in a way no one had dared before. At first, I was fucking infuriated, and then that quickly morphed into an anguish I had never known. I got why she was upset.

If tables were turned, I’d have a fucking hit list with the names of every man I found in her inbox. But just like she didn’t have to worry I knew I didn’t either. From the moment I saw my girl, it was her world, and I was just lucky to be included in it.

After seeing her in the hallway and finding out all I could about who she was, it took me nearly six months to convince her to let me take her out. She was convinced I was a typical varsity jock who only thought with his dick and nothing else. She didn’t say that directly, but I knew that was the case by the way she brushed me off like I wasn’t worth her time.

Her casual dismissal of me was like waving a flag in front of a fucking bull. I made a point to be everywhere she was, to know her routine better than she did. I wasn’t above stalking to get the girl I dreamed about. In the end, that worked. I wore her down, little by little until she finally agreed to go out with me.

After our first date, it took another two months before she let me have her body. Every sound she made, every time she arched, it was almost enough to bring me to my knees. By the time we finished, I was so far gone I knew I’d never come back. If I’d died right then, I would’ve gone out a happy man.

She didn’t just give me her innocence that night; she gave me something I never realized I wanted until it was mine, her trust. I’d be damned if I ever let her go. I couldn’t lose the very thing that made my heart beat. Autumn wasit. My future. My everything.

I expelled a sharp breath.

I’d been patient for long enough. I had given her space, as pointless as it was, because I knew what was coming next. Pulling out my phone, I called the one person who was helping everything come together. The line rang twice before Lucian’s voice came through.

“How did it go?” he asked, no urgency, no concern, just a quiet confidence.

“Exactly as expected,” I could still feel her defiance, the way she’d glared at me, her stubborn refusal to let me back in. “Are you all ready for our field trip?”

Lucian chuckled, the sound dark and laced with amusement. “We can’t wait.”

CHAPTER SIX

The suitcases were neatly packed in the hatch of my sister’s SUV, along with groceries, board games, and plenty of liquor. I checked that I had grabbed the tin of dog food for Moose. My big boy had already claimed his spot in the backseat, his stubby tail wagging with excitement.

“Liza and Naija are following us, right?” I asked, adjusting the string of my hoodie.

“Yeah,” Daniella replied, lounging against the side of the car. Her pale green eyes were hidden behind a pair of cat-eye sunglasses, and her jet-black hair was pulled into a sleek ponytail, framing her sharp, striking features. She had a way of standing out, her effortless confidence making her the center of attention wherever she went. It was also why she had stuck with bartending for so long. Her tips were abundant even on slow nights.

Cherish emerged from the house, carrying a box of snacks in one hand and the last of our small coolers in the other.

Her long, wavy black hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, her eyes hidden behind a pair of shades too. “Alright, this is the last of everything.” She placed the snacks and cooler in the back of her SUV. “How long till the other two get here?”

As if on cue, the familiar rumble of Liza’s ruby-red Jeep cut through the air, and I turned to see it pulling into the driveway behind us. The windows were rolled down, and Liza was behind the wheel with Naija in the passenger seat. What I didn’t expect was the sight of three guys in the back seat. I knew all of them in one way or another.

I frowned, my stomach sinking as I caught sight of Jason Montgomery, his light brown hair styled in that casual, cocky way he’d perfected in high school.

Beside him was Gabe—broad, quiet, with dark curls that caught the sunlight.

And lastly, there was Ryan Alvarez, the former rival college football player with a sharp jawline and a wide, friendly smile on his face.

My sister looked from us to them then called out loudly, “I thought this was agirls-only trip.”

---