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“Oooh, look, that sign is perfect for a picture.”
She points at a giant sign of the letters ATX. She pulls me over and hugs me to her while she gets her phone in selfie mode. “Smile, Jackson.”
I do and she tilts the camera a few ways grabbing several shots. “Pull me into you and kiss the side of my face. Like you adore me.”
As if that’s hard.
I do exactly as she says. I place a lingering kiss at her temple – savoring this moment where I can touch and kiss her. She looks up at me and I run a hand down her cheek, gently rubbing my thumb over her bottom lip.
There’s a catch in her breath and I’ve finally broken through her actor’s mask. Maybe this is what I should have been doing, seducing her into being real with me again.
Except it would only cause another set of troubles. The main reason I haven’t manned up and apologized is because the professional line between us is deep and dark now, the way it needs to be.
We pull away from each other and move so other people can take pictures in front of the sign. She says she needs to go to the restroom and asks me to get her another drink.
“I’m not leaving you.”
“Jackson, I don’t think anything is going to happen to me while I wait for a porta-potty. Now be a good boyfriend and get me a drink. We’ll meet at that tree.”
Before I can protest, she walks away to the insane bathroom lines. I head to the even longer drink lines. I still haven’t gotten to the front when I feel a buzz on my phone. I glance at it to see a notification that Autumn’s made an Instagram post. I open it to see she’s posted a few of our pictures in front of the sign.
Fuck! What in the world is she thinking posting that now?
I abandon the line and make a beeline for the tree. She’s leaning against it, looking at her phone.
“You need to delete that post now. Are you crazy?”
She looks at me and smirks. “Most people seem to think so.”
I ignore the jab at herself. “You were supposed to post after we left. That was our deal.”
She shrugs. “I forgot.”
“Bullshit. Now everyone knows you’re here and what you’re wearing. You just made yourself a target.”
She looks up at me, her expression defiant. I would be totally enjoying seeing this spark of life back in her too if it didn’t put her in danger.
“And if I don’t care?”
“But you do,” I say softly, reverently.
Her mouth flattens and after a moment, her body slumps and she turns back to her phone. After another few moments she says, “Done, but it already has fifty likes and several comments.”
“It’s better than two-hundred.”
I take her phone from her and put it in my backpack then take off my ball cap. “Put this on. It’ll help disguise you.”
She huffs. “Jackson-”
I lean in, stealing what she was going to say from her mouth. “Please, Autumn.” I nuzzle her nose with mine. “Besides, you’re already getting red here.”
I shift away and her mouth is slightly parted. I’m tempted to kiss her. I could and it would be all for appearances. But that’s not why I would do it. Which is exactly why I step back and put the hat on her head.
I grin at her. “Pretend you’re Camilla hiding from Nick.”
She sighs. “Will you stop with the Camilla thing. Not gonna happen.”
She pulls the hat off and bites down on the brim as she gathers her hair into a ponytail. She takes the cap and pulls her hair through the hole and settles the hat back on her head.
