Page 66 of The Autumn We Fell in Love

And yet, with Mom, just one of them could land her in the emergency room. Or worse.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask Dad hopefully. “Make a game plan, maybe?”

He shakes his head. “I know you mean well, son. But I’m exhausted. Let a man get his head back on straight, okay? We can talk more tomorrow.”

I nod in a way that I hope conveys I don’t look as slapped down as I feel. Dad has every right to be tired. I’m only just getting in on Mom’s fight for health. He’s been battling by her side for much longer.

I understand it.

I do.

But I also can’t help feeling frustrated. Yeah, this is all old hat to Dad. Scary, but not unexpected. He doesn’t need to unpack a thing.

Me, on the other hand? All I want to do is talk it out, process my thoughts, get set on how to move forward.

Dad doesn’t want to do it, though. So I’ll find someone who might. Someone whose heart and mind I can trust.

I’ve already got half my text message to Shira typed out before the ice-cold wave of realization hits me.

Investors.

Lunch.

Today.

Panicking blossoming in my chest, I check the time. I’m supposed to be making my entrance on Shira’s arm as her fake boyfriend in fifteen minutes.

Downtown.

Dressed to impress.

And yet I’m here, worn thin, wearing yesterday’s clothes, and a good twenty-minute drive from the restaurant. Atleast.

Fuck.

I’ve messed up.

Big time.

Frantically, I check my texts and voicemails, expecting an angry message from Shira. She must be furious at me for standing her up.

And, I think as another shocking deluge of realization washes over me, for disappearing from her bed this morning without an explanation. I’d meant to text her, to tell her what was going on, why I had to leave.

But I hadn’t.

And now I’m hurting her further by ghosting her at the hour she needed me most.

Double fuck.

I am quite possibly the very worst human drawing breath on the planet right now. And with the timeframe given to me, there’s not much I can do to avert the crisis I’ve created with my thoughtlessness.

There’s no way in hell I can make it downtown in time to sashay into that meeting by Shira’s side.

But I might be able to fix this.

I don’t know if I stand much chance of success. But Shira’s come to mean so much more to me in such a short time than I ever expected. She sees me for all that I am and might become. I feel more at home with her than I have with any person in my life, ever.

I’ve fucked up.

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