Page 7 of Autumn Secrets

“I will probably be late tonight; there’s a lot to do at work. Will you be all right on your own?”

“Mum, I’ll be eighteen in a few weeks. I’ll be fine.”

“Mr Peters will probably be around somewhere; I think he mentioned something about a broken fence down by the riding school.”

“Okay, but you honestly don’t have to worry about me.”

“If the house feels too big for you, you’re more than welcome to stop by the office. I’ll be there all day and night by the look of things.” Mum sighed.

“Thanks, but you really don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be okay.”

“Maybe you could invite Lexi over after school?”

“Yes, maybe I will,” I agreed patiently, just to get her off my back.

“And don’t forget that it gets darker earlier here, so please make sure to catch an early bus. I don’t want you walking alone in the dark. The bus only stops out on the main road. If you want, I could ask Mr or Mrs Peters to pick you up by the bus stop. I know they wouldn’t mind.”

“That won’t be necessary, Mum. I’ll catch an early bus, I promise.”

The truth was that I was actually looking forward to having an evening to myself. After what I’d overheard on Saturday night, I wanted some time alone to digest it all. I studied Mum as she started to clear the table. What was that phone call about? Who was she talking to? I so badly wanted to ask her, but a part of me still feared the truth. I was safe when I chose to be ignorant. I could still pretend that it wasn’t my fault that he left us. But what if it was?

At ten minutes to eight, Mum dropped me off outside my new school. At first sight I was actually quite impressed. It was a grey stone building, two storeys high, in old Edwardian style. The building had an enormous outdoor courtyard and was surrounded by endless forestry. There was no way you could ever feel claustrophobic around here.

I jumped out of the car, said goodbye to Mum and just as she drove off, a black BMW with tinted windows pulled up next to me. I stopped and looked at the car with relief. It must be Lexi, I thought. However, a second later the door opened and Adrian Hunter stepped out. I almost jumped out of my skin, caught off guard by his sudden appearance. I mean, I knew the chances of seeing him again had been more than likely, and the thought that we could end up at the same school had crossed my mind more than once over the weekend. But still, none of that helped settle my nerves right now.

A slow grin spread across his face as he walked over to me. I nervously looked around the parking lot, praying that Lexi would come to my rescue, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Adrian stopped in front of me. “Aurora, what a nice surprise. I was hoping I would run into you again.”

Those pale, turquoise-blue eyes were just as mesmerising as I remembered. He was so beautiful. Butterflies were fluttering wildly in my stomach, and my brain once again scrambled for words that couldn’t find their way out. His smile broadened.

“Aurora, do you remember me?” he asked softly and cocked his head to the side, studying me with the same interest he had showed at the library. Of course, I remembered him. How could I forget him? He wasn’t exactly someone you could erase from your memory that easily.

“I-I…”What was wrong with me?! Why can’t I speak?Embarrassed, I tore my eyes away to catch my breath and steady my mind. I turned my gaze back to him and saw a grin tugging at the corners of his lips.

“Sorry, of course I remember you,” I replied with a shaky voice as I felt the familiar rush of heat colouring my cheeks. I squared my shoulders and tried very hard to straighten my stance so he wouldn’t see how out of place I felt, standing here in front of him again.

“It’s my first day,” I blurted out. I searched around the lot for Lexi one more time, sending another silent prayer to the universe that she would get here soon.

“Are you waiting for someone?” he asked and followed my gaze.

“Um, yes but I’m supposed to meet her by the entrance. I was just on my way…”

“Who are you meeting?” he asked curiously.

“Lexi Dawson. Do you know her?”

He smiled. “This isn’t Paris, Aurora. We all know each other here.” He looked towards the entrance, and then turned back to me. “Come, I’ll walk with you.”

I could see people looking our way as Adrian and I walked across the school grounds. If I wanted to be anonymous and not draw any attention on my first day, I had certainly picked the wrong guy to escort me. I suspected I wasn’t the only one who was affected by his looks. I couldfeelpeople staring at us with curious, or maybe jealous, eyes. As we reached the entrance of the building, something hit me.

“How did you know I used to live in Paris?”

“Was it a secret?” he asked with humour in his twinkling eyes that made my heart beat a little bit faster when our eyes connected.

“N-no, why would it be a secret? It’s just that I don’t know anyone here yet, so I was curious how you knew I used to live in Paris. I know I didn’t tell you at the library…”

Adrian shook his head, offered me a quick glance, then continued walking. “Aurora, everyone knows about you…everyone.”

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