AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You know you’re a legend, right? Before I was put with my parents, I was in a group home and there were at least ten of us that were saved by you. I’ve got to at least shake your hand.” He comes toward me and holds his out. “Man, you have no idea the difference you’ve made in my life.”
Emotion clogs my throat. It was always my hope that those I helped found themselves in a better situation, but I never knew. I take his hand then decide,fuck it. I tug his hand and bring him in for hug. He tightens his arm around me and when we disengage his eyes are shiny. There’s a burn in mine as well.
“Damnit man, you can’t cry,” I say. “Then I’ll start. Then she’ll start and her make-up will go to shit. Next thing you know, we’re to blame for ruining her audition.”
Thankfully, that breaks the tension and Tom and Autumn start laughing. Though she’s already gently wiping at her eyes.
“Yeah, I need to change and probably freshen up,” Autumn says.
Tom nods and points toward a corner. “The bathroom is down the hall to the right.”
She takes my hand and pulls me with her. Once we’re in the hallway, she pulls me into a fierce hug. “There’s a lot to unpack and I hope you’ll share it with me one day.” She looks up, her eyes still shiny. “You’re a special man, Noah Jackson. I’m pretty sure I’m halfway in love with you.”
My heart slams into my chest at her words. “Autumn –”
She presses her fingers to my lips. “It’s no secret after last night that we have feelings for each other. They don’t have to be defined yet, but I’m not going to hide away from them either.”
She goes on her tip-toes and gives my lips a soft kiss. “Now go out there and continue to make that man’s day.” She pats my chest before disappearing into the bathroom.
I’m halfway in love with you.
It’s not like I haven’t experienced love. I was loved by my parents and loved them in return. I love Gage like a brother. And the moment I saw how happy Everleigh made Gage, I considered her family. But I’ve never been in love. I’ve never wanted to say those words or even wanted to hear them from any woman I’ve been involved with. But the thought of Autumn saying those words…it fills every part of me with euphoria. I’ve never understood the saying, floating on a cloud, more than I do in this moment.
And if I’m honest with myself, I’m halfway in love with her too.
But I can’t give her those words without telling her about my past. Including the part I haven’t told anyone, not even Gage. Maybe it’s time I stop running from it too.
For the first time, the thought doesn’t strike fear through me. I have Autumn to thank for that.
I return to the studio where Tom is setting up. He glances up and he gives me a shy smile. “You don’t remember me, do you?”
I shrug. “Houston was the last place I was before I aged out. The faces started to blur by then. Your story is familiar though. I was always afraid to find out what happened to the kids I helped, in case they ended somewhere worse. It’s really good to hear things worked out for you.”
“If you want to know about others, I can help. I’ve kept in touch with some, others I’ve found over the years. There’s actually someone I think you should talk to. His name is Kyle Brooks, sound familiar?”
“The name Kyle is familiar, but I can’t place him.”
“He lives in California now and he’s writing a screenplay about his experiences as a foster kid. You got him out of a bad situation.”
“Are you saying I’m in his screenplay?”
Tom nods. “He’ll want to talk to you, and you might want to do the same. The project sounds solid, but if I had a character in a movie based on me, I’d want to check it out. You know?”
This can’t be real. Tom walks over to his computer. “He contacted me about it, so I have his email and phone number.”
After a few clicks, Tom copies down the information on a piece of paper and hands it over. “I won’t say I met you and let you decide if you want to talk to him, but I think it’ll be worth your while to contact him.”
I nod and take the piece of paper. “Thanks.”
We fall into easy conversation from there and the tension that came over me when he first recognized me has dissipated. Meeting Tom again might have given me a contentment about my past I’ve never felt.
Autumn returns looking lethal in the low-cut red jumpsuit that she purchased from the costume shop. I curl my fingers into my palm so I don’t grab her and kiss her until that jumpsuit is on the floor. If these casting directors don’t see how right she is for this show, then they’re idiots.
Autumn and Tom talk about how they’re going to shoot the audition piece which is a monologue from the first book. They film it a few times, trying out different things. Then they watch it on his computer and finally decide they’re happy with it. As Tom sets up to take some photographs of her as Camilla, Autumn wanders his studio. He has an area where he has random pieces of clothes and accessories. She puts on this pair of oversized, black-rimmed glasses and looks over at me. As huge as they are, they look good on her.
“You remind me of Sydney in those glasses,” I say.
Sydney is a side character inEnemy Mine,always described wearing huge glasses. I wouldn’t say she’s Camilla’s best friend, more the Q to James Bond. Where Camilla is dark, intense, and seductive, Sydney is quirky and geeky, but still a complete badass with her own brand of sexy. She doesn’t take Camilla’s shit – no one’s really. She has a confidence and sassiness about her that I always found alluring. What Autumn did to that guy in the airport, it’s a total Sydney move. Though Sydney would also have found a way to hack into all his accounts and made his life hell.
