Page 107 of Fall I Want
“I’ll pass.” I smirk, watching her. She’s a shit liar.
“You’re both missing out.” She shrugs, and it’s convincing. To anyone not paying attention, it would seem like the truth. I know better.
A knock taps on the door and our heads turn.
“Zane. A pleasure to see you,” Dr. Hanson, our family doctor, states. I stand and we exchange a firm handshake.
“Hi. How have you been?” I ask.
“Fantastic. Still snowboarding?”
“Have every season since the accident.”
I turn back to my dad, knowing we should probably leave. “I’ll see you this weekend. Please keep me updated. I love you.”
“Love you too. Very nice meeting you, Autumn. I will see you again soon.”
“Pleasure was mine. I look forward to attending your wedding.”
I give him a nod, then we leave. Neither of us says anything else.
Autumn glances at me as we walk down the hallway and step onto the elevator.
“How is the coffee? Really?”
She chuckles. “It tastes like toilet water.”
“I knew you were lying.”
“You needed time with your dad. Alone. Did it go okay?”
“Actually, yeah.” I smile. “Funny, a serving of beans was his wake-up call.”
“Was yours too.” She glances down at the liquid that looks like motor oil with a weird film floating on top. A sly grin slides over her face. “Scary you’re this good at reading me.”
“Eventually, we’ll hold conversations without words,” I say, cataloging every single one of Autumn’s quirks as I learn them. Already, she’s not like anyone I’ve ever met.
We step out of the elevator and she tosses the half-drunk cup in the garbage.
“Everything worked out,” she says when we walk past the reception desk.
“It’s because I have my lucky charm.”
“The clover?” she asks.
“You.”
Chapter 24
Autumn
The ride across the city is shorter than I anticipated. The door of the SUV swings open and we’re let out at a building that towers above us. The name on the front reads: THE TOWER.
“You live here?” I ask. I remember hearing about the construction of this place.
“Only when I’m in the City.” Zane places his hand on the small of my back, guiding me toward the tall glass doors.
It’s been over ten years since I’ve been here, and while I love Cozy Hollow, nostalgia hits me. The sounds of distant honks and the chatter of random passersby surround me, and I realize I’ve missed New York. I breathe in the distinct smell, appreciating the cool breeze against my skin, then I turn my head, noticing Zane. The scene plays out like a black-and-white movie and it’s as if we’re moving in slow motion when his head turns to meet mine.
