Page 38 of Forever After Never

I have not had someone call me fat since I was about thirteen in the school playground, and if all she has to insult me on is my weight, then I think I have the upper hand here. I won’t lie. Her words stung a little. I am painfully aware of our physical differences. I am tall, with extra weight, dark hair, and dark eyes. Nicole is my polar opposite. Short, as slender as they come, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She looks like a fairy. I look like I would crush you with my thighs. But, if Nicole wants to be childish, I am happy to match her energy. I see red. Marching across the porch, I reach out to grab the vapid little creature by her hair. She winces under the strength of my grip as I drag her backward.

“Now, that’s not very nice, is it? It is also not very original. Could you not come up with something more inspired, Nicole?” I bend down and so I am cheek to cheek with her, painfully aware that Claudia and Lottie are watching this unfold directly behind me.

“Owwwww, Sawyer. Help me. Get her offffff.” I give her hair a firm tug for good measure.

“Aww, come on, Nicole. Weren’t you ever told not to put your fingers in the lion’s cage? If you annoy it enough, it is sure to bite. Now, enough of this spectacle. Leave before I march you out myself. Have some respect for yourself. This is embarrassing. Even for you.”

“You’re no good for Sawyer. He’s meant to be with someone like me. Not someone like you.” Spinning to face me, Nicole looks me up and down, paying extra attention to my fluffy middle, and then she laughs. This bitch.

“Oh wow, you really do downgrade, don’t you, Sawyer? How did you end up with that?” I won’t lie, after comparing myself to her physically, she may have a point. We arenothingalike. If Nicole was Sawyer’s type – why on earth would he be with me?

“How fucking dare you, Nicole.” Sawyer moves to my side as if he could read my mind. I am still clutching her hair when Sawyer comes crashing through my intrusive thoughts and leaps to my defense.

“How dare you come tomyhouse, upsetmyfamily, then try to tell me about who I should be with. You are nothing. You are now trying to insult my girlfriend, and I won’t put up with your shit any longer.”He called me his girlfriend.My insides swell with happiness. I cut Sawyer off before he can add more to the conversation. She’s hurt him, and I will defend him to the death if necessary.

“That is enough. Come with me.” I pull Nicole along the porch and down the driveway by her hair. Sawyer appears to overflowwith pride as he follows behind. I pay him no more attention as I attempt to get Nicole away from Sawyer and his family as swiftly as I am able.

“I may be fat. But I am also not a cheating little witch who is still trying to cast her very unsuccessful little spell over a decade later. Sawyer doesn’t want you. He doesn’t like you and feels nothing for you. You couldn’t wait, could you? You knew he was happy, and you came to try and upend his life again, didn’t you?” She is flailing around under my grip as I lead her to the boundary of the property.

“Let me go, you vile, fat bitch,” is all she can think to respond.

“Let me tell you something, Nicole. Sawyer may not be perfect, but he is the best man I have ever met. He worships me, he would do anything for me, and nothing else matters but us. Least of all, you. You broke that man’s heart, and I began fixing it. Do you realize how completely delusional it is, expecting to show up here and thinking that he will drop everything to run back to your arms? That is never going to happen, Nicole. With the very fiber of his being, Sawyer cannot stand you. His best friend clearly could not stand you either. There seems to be a theme.”

“Sawyer will always want me. Always. Whether you believe it or not, don’t kid yourself. Look at you, then look at me. We are not the same.”

With a saccharine smile, I lower my voice and reply, “Thank the freakin' stars for that. You say that like it’s a bad thing. You know that when Sawyer’s face is buried between my legs, and he’s eating me like I am his last meal, I assure you that he is most definitely not thinking about you. I have some really bad news for you, Nicole. I am the only one he wants. You’re right. We are NOT the same.” The look on her face is priceless. She is horrified, and I take great pleasure in knowing that I’ve made her squirm. “Now, please, for the last time, kindly fuck off, so I can take Sawyer to bed and fuck him like it’s our last dayon Earth. Oh, and trust me, Nicole. If you ever come near him again, I will break your goddamn arm off. Don’t test me.” Trashy or not, I don’t care. I was beyond caring about three margaritas ago. With my normal volume returning, I add,

“Nobody, and I mean nobody, hurts the love of my life and gets away with it.” I feel Sawyer stiffen behind me, and I shove Nicole as hard as possible, watching her fall into a crumpled heap on the ground. The catharsis is real.

"We, the skinny bitches do not claim you, Nicole! We can't stand you either!" Lottie shouts from the porch of the house, and I erupt into laughter.

After scrambling back to her feet, Nicole skulks away with her tail between her legs. It is like watching a wounded animal lose a battle. I observe her until she is out of sight, my chest heaving from the physical exertion of dragging her ass around.

With adrenaline still coursing through my veins, I start to shake. Then I remember that I called Sawyer the love of my life, and I pale. I was not ready for that. He was not ready for that. Painfully aware that Sawyer heard it, I slowly turn on my heels, feeling the stones on the ground crunching beneath my feet. I look back to the house, and Sawyer's entire family is standing on the porch watching us. I feel sick. What must they think of me? Poppy couldn't give any less of a shit, and she's in her grandpa’s arms, clapping away.

Without saying a word, Sawyer slowly walks over to me and cups my face in his hands. He leans down to plant a tender kiss to my lips. Dropping one hand to my waist, he brushes my cheek with his other. He pulls me closer to his body, and everything melts away.

“Sawyer, I’m so sorry. I..” I don’t get the chance to finish speaking as Sawyer presses his index finger to my lips, interrupting me mid-sentence.

“Shhhh, Autumn, shhhh." He brushes his fingers through the ends of my hair. "Autumn. I love you. I love you so damn much. I couldn’t wait a second longer to tell you. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner. I'm sorry for letting you think that I didn't care.” He rests his forehead on mine. “You are everything, you know that? Everything.”

“I love you, too.” I reach up with my hand and wrap my fingers around his forearm. “I think I have loved you for a while now. But I didn’t want to scare you away.”

“Autumn, baby. I think I have loved you from the second I saw you. I have been lying to myself for too long. I thought I knew what love was, then I met you. You turned me into a stalker, for fuck’s sake. Your happiness is my happiness. Your sadness is mine, too. I don’t want to waste another second without you knowing how much I love you.” Relief, warmth, and gratitude wraps me up in a tight hug, and once again, I burst into tears.

“I hope you know that I would never hurt you, Sawyer. I waited my whole life for you. You are it for me.”

“You’re it for me, too, baby. If I died right now, I’d be the happiest man on this damn earth.”

Then I hear Sawyer’s family cheering and whooping from the porch.

Rushing down the gravel driveway, Lottie squeals.

“Autumn! You are a badass! I want you as my sister-in-law! I think most of us have wanted to wipe the floor with Nicole!”

I laugh nervously.

Never in my life have I had a physical altercation in that way, and not only did it happen, but it played out in front of an audience. That audience being my boyfriend’s family. I think I could get used to calling him my boyfriend.

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