Page 77 of All Autumn
“Perfect.” I had a thousand questions, but I wanted to get my thoughts together. Tonight I’d do some research on dinner theaters and make a list of things to ask him in the morning.
“Would you like to stay for dinner? I know Taren would enjoy spending more time with you.” He smiled. “As would I.”
“I’m sorry, but I have plans.” I didn’t, but between Connor and my visit with Taren, I wasn’t up to smiling through dinner. “Speaking of which, I really need to get going. Would you tell Taren that I’d love to see her again whenever she gets back this way?”
He stood when I did. “Maybe some other time.”
“That would be nice. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Autumn,” he said when I reached the door.
I paused and glanced over my shoulder. “Yes?”
“Still you and Connor?”
“Yes, still me and Connor. Good night, Lucas.” That was two little white lies I’d told him. It was better, though, that he thought Connor and I were still a thing. And as the butler opened the front door for me, I tried to ignore the pang in my heart that almost brought tears to my eyes. I willed them away. Allowing my feelings for Connor to deepen was the road to heartbreak. Been there. Done that. Couldn’t go there again.
Besides, Connor probably wouldn’t miss me. I was sure he had all the booty calls he could possibly want stored away in his contact list.
40
~ Connor ~
Autumn was nowhereto be found. I’d strong-armed Adam into going back by her house, but she was still gone. Then I’d talked him into driving by the Humphrey building to see if there was anyone there to give us a clue who’d bought the place. That was a ruse to get him to drive through town so I could see if I could spot Autumn’s car anywhere.
Those flowers and the accompanying message were driving me batshit nuts. Her words and her ignoring my voice mails and texts couldn’t have sent a clearer message. She was breaking up with me. But why? And doing it without even talking to me? I wanted answers, and one way or the other I was going to get them, even if I had to camp out on her doorstep.
“So explain something to me,” Adam said.
“What’s that?” I scanned the parking lot of Fusions as we drove by but didn’t see her car.
“You and Autumn. Just friends having some fun, isn’t that what you said?”
“Yeah.”Where the hell are you, Autumn?
“If that’s true, why are we trying to stalk her?”
“Say what?” I glared at my brother. “I’m not stalking her.”
“You so are, dude.”
Was I? Wanting answers wasn’t stalking. “Let’s go to Vincennes for a pizza.” Maybe Jenn would know where Autumn was.
“Yeah, if anyone knows where Autumn is, it will be Jenn.”
There were times when I wished I didn’t have a twin who could read my mind. “I just want a pizza. Any crime in that?”
He snorted. “Either you’re trying to fool yourself or me.” He turned his car into Vincennes’s lot. “For the record, it’s okay if you need answers. Just stop pretending you don’t care for her.”
Christ, I did care for her. That wasn’t supposed to happen. I unbuckled my seat belt. “Maybe I do, but that’s a problem. I don’t want to be you.” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I wanted to snatch them back.
“Excuse me?”
When he didn’t make a move to get out of the car, I said, “You haven’t been the same since Savannah left you.” I looked at my twin. “When she broke up with you, I felt like I lost my brother. You stopped being you. After that, I swore no woman would hurt me the way she did you.”
“Meaning you’d never let yourself fall in love?”
“Yeah, that,” I miserably said. “But Autumn . . . I don’t know how to explain it. I need her.”
