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Autumn never would’ve walked into our lives the way she did if I didn’t have to go out of town and I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to fall in love with her. Hell, I shouldn’t have hired her in the first damn place.
It is equally as much my fault as it is hers. If she hadn’t caught feelings for me, it’s unlikely that she would’ve tried leaving Maple Creek and she would be okay right now. Instead, because I had to be an idiot and let fear control me, she’s now lying in a hospital room with a broken leg.
I’d love nothing more than to turn my ass around and plead with Autumn to give me another chance, but I can’t bring myself to do it. Everything inside of me is screaming that if I go back to the hospital, tell her I want to be with her, that I’ll just end up hurting everyone in the end.
Since the shower doesn’t seem to be helping any, I step out and wrap a towel around my waist then hurry into my room to grab my phone. Savanna’s phone rings a few times before she finally picks up. “Easton, what’s going on?”
I sigh and scrub a hand over my face. “Uh, I just wanted to see if you could head back to the hospital before Autumn wakes up.”
“Is she okay?”
“That’s a little difficult to answer right now, but it's unlikely that she will want me to be the one around her.”
My sister groans loudly over the line. “What the hell did you do already, Easton?”
“Uh, I told her how I felt?”
“Am I supposed to believe that’s it?”
“I may have also told her that I couldn’t be with her because my fear still isn’t under control.”
“Are you an idiot? Maybe Mom or Dad dropped you on your head as a baby or something.” There’s shuffling on her end of the phone, then she clears her throat. “I’m heading there now. What made you think it was a good idea to even say anything to her right now? She’s healing from a car crash and you just decide ‘Oh, let’s tell Autumn how I feel about her before crushing her soul’?”
I stay silent while Savanna mumbles under her breath about my idiocy, nodding my head along with her because I can’t even deny what she’s saying. The last thing I should’ve done was open my mouth while Autumn is healing. “I’m getting some sleep, let me know when you get there. Love you.”
“You’re lucky I love you, too,” Savanna snaps before hanging the phone up and I let my device fall onto the mattress with a soft thud.
I’ll take a quick nap, then try to get the cleaning done that I haven’t had the chance to do because I’ve been at the hospital. Maybe a little bit of sleep will do me good and help get my head on straight since it’s clearly twisted the wrong way after the stunt I pulled.
I don’t even bother to put clothes on before climbing under the blanket and pulling it up to my chin. My legs are still wet, but I can’t bring myself to care right now. Not when I have more important things to think about.
It’s entirely my fault that I keep running through my conversation with Autumn. Listening to myself as I tell her I love her, then in the same breath reject her and it only makes me feel worse. There’s a pit in my stomach that won’t go away and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.
Even if I change my mind and tell her I want to be with her, there’s no way she would accept me now. The thought of ruining what I built with her leaves a horrible taste in my mouth and bile pushes its way up my throat, but I swallow it down.
Sleep. That’s what I need right now.
I’ve got sweat running down my brow by the time I finish folding the laundry and I grab a change of clothes before glancing at the clock. There’s still plenty of time to get to Quick Fix before Elijah closes the place down. A familiar face would be nice.
The sleep I had hoped would make me feel better only left me feeling worse when I finally woke up and remembered that Autumn was no longer lying in the guest room downstairs.
I shake my head and grab my phone before heading out the front door and getting into my truck. Savanna let me know, very colorfully I might add, that Autumn woke up in tears and had to be sedated because her heart rate kept going up.
That’s all on you, my friend.
I’m a terrible person.
There’s no one inside the cafe except Elijah when I walk in, and he’s watching the small TV mounted on the wall. The bell rings above my head, alerting him of a customer, but he only rolls his eyes at me and turns back around.
“Everyone’s talking about it, you know,” he says, not bothering to glance over his shoulder at me as he talks.
I grunt as I plop into one of the chairs and frown. “Talking about what?”
This time he looks at me. “What happened to you and Autumn.”
What the hell is he talking about? I don’t even know what’s going on with me and Autumn, yet everyone else seems to think they do? This town doesn’t have anything better to do with their time.
“And what exactly is everyone saying?”
