Page 17 of Forever After Never

“I’m proud of you, Sugar. I swear to God, if I find him, I will fucking kill him.” Rage laces his breath.

“Funnily enough, Alice said the same. Sawyer, It’s fine. All I want is to go home. Wait. Why are you here? Whywereyou here?” Confusion sets in over the reason he was in that bar tonight. Even though I know the answer is likely to be ‘because I followed you.’ Sawyer refuses to acknowledge my question.

“What the fuck are you two doing out here on the ground?” He diverts the questioning, looking at Alice slumped over my shoulder.

“We couldn’t get a ride, and we decided to wait for a cab.”

“But it’s not safe. It’s the middle of the night, and you were assaulted this evening. Don’t you ever do that again. Why didn’t you call me? I’d have come to get you.”

Don’t you ever do that again?What is it with these pig-headed men? Why’s he now scolding me as if I were a child? Pissed off, I shake his hands free from me.

“Don’t you dare speak to me that way. You don’t own me. You can’t tell me what to do. Who do you think you are?”

“Autumn, shut that pretty mouth of yours, get your ass up, and get in my car.”

I open my mouth to retaliate but slam it shut again as he glowers at me. I am too tired to argue the point with him.

“Um.” I roll my eyes. “No can do. Alice is asleep, and I can’t carry her,” I say sarcastically and shrug, hoping he would leave us alone. Mentally, I’m praying that he won’t because I realize that without his help, we will probably be stuck here if I don’t accept a ride home.It’s not as though he doesn’t know where I live.

Without even a word, Sawyer stands up, and fireman lifts Alice over his shoulder before extending his hand for mine.

“You are infuriating me, Autumn. Take my hand and get up. Right now.”

I do as he says like my body doesn’t understand the meaning of the word ‘no’. His hand is warm and rough, and his skin touching mine sends a wave of heat up my arm. He keeps hold of my hand for the few steps it takes to reach the car.

“I’m going to let you go now so I can get your friend in the car. Don’t move.” My mind is furious at him commanding me, but my body obeys.

Sawyer is so gentle with Alice; he gets her to stand for long enough that he can manoeuvre her into the back seat of his car. It’s not easy lifting anyone that is drunk, let alone someone who is five foot eleven and all legs.

“Hey, Alice. It’s Sawyer. I am putting you in my car, okay? I’m going to take you home.”

Alice makes a barely audible noise, but she sounds worried.

“It’s okay, Ali. I’m coming, too. He is dropping us home.” I reassure her and reach into the car to squeeze her thigh. She relaxes almost instantly, resting her head on the back seat of Sawyer’s car. I have never seen Alice this drunk. It is so unusual for her, and I thank God that I am with her. This would have been a very different story if she had been alone.

Once Alice is settled, Sawyer takes me by the elbow, opens the passenger door, and ushers me forward. Not expecting the quick gesture, I stumble and face plant into the middle of his huge, hard chest. He doesn’t move, and neither do I, partially from embarrassment and partially because I’ve wanted to throw myself at this man for weeks. I inhale a deep breath and sigh. I feel so relaxed around him, and I don’t know why. Sawyer should scare me, but he doesn’t. A warm hand caresses my back, and he runs his hand up and down the length of my spine.

“Umm, Autumn. Are you okay down there?” he chuckles. After a few seconds of drowning in his masculinity, I brace my hands on his chest and push back enough so that I can look up into his eyes.

“I’m sorry. I lost my balance.” I bite my bottom lip and start to giggle.Why am I giggling like a damn teenager?

“Apparently, you lost my number too, but that’s okay, Sugar.” He tilts his head at me and places one large hand on my shoulder, squeezing. He then runs his other hand up the middle of my back again.

I shiver because the touch of his warm skin reminds me that I am cold. Sitting on the ground at two a.m. when you have a short skirt on and nothing on your legs will do that to a girl. After a few seconds, Sawyer grabs me by both shoulders and peers down at me with a puzzled look on his face. “Let’s get you home.”

I lean down into the car and bash my head on the way in. “Ouch! Jeez. That hurt,” I grumble while rubbing my forehead. I get myself seated, and before I can buckle myself in, Sawyerleans over and does it for me. He completely envelops me as his massive arm brushes across my tits when he grabs the seatbelt. I hear him mumble under his breath.

“You should be more careful, Autumn.” He rubs a thumb over my forehead, his mouth about three inches from mine. Then he slams the door.

I don’t even look at him when he gets into the driver’s seat. I’m too busy squeezing my thighs together, where heat is now flooding my core. I may be cold, but the heat just got turned up to eleven.

“I didn’t lose your number. I deleted it.” I cut through the silence, hoping to distract myself from wanting to kiss him. From the corner of my eye, I see Sawyer glare at me and feel satisfied that I’m getting under his skin.

The rest of the car ride to Alice’s place is uncomfortable. I place my hands in my lap, twisting my fingers in the hem of my top, and regard them as they nervously work the fabric, without so much as even tilting my head in Sawyer’s direction.

Feelings of sobriety have started to creep back in. I am not sober, make no mistake, but I am not as drunk as I was an hour ago. When we reach Alice’s house, I get out of the car to help her into the house.

“I can get home from here, Sawyer. Thank you for getting us home. Truly.” I give him a curt nod and attempt not to look at him. Every cell in my body has a magnetic pull to this man, and I worry that if I look at him for too long, I will throw myself at him.

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