Page 11 of Let Me

“I would like to see you again, Autumn.”

“Really?”I ask because from the looks of it, he has more than enough women he canseeat any given time.

“Yes, really,” he confirms.“What would make you think otherwise?”

I can’t very well disclose everything his friends said to me, so I say, “Well, you invited me out here and then got up and walked away.I spent most of the time with your friends.I don’t even know where you’re coming from just now.”

“I apologize for abandoning you.I was catching up with Nico.I hadn’t seen him in a while.He used to live in Fletcher, but he moved to Gatlinburg for work.Tonight was the first time I’d seen him in nearly six months.We were just playing catch-up.”

“Oh.Okay.”

“I’m sorry,” he says, bringing his palms together in a quiet entreaty as he examines my eyes for forgiveness.

“Don’t worry about it.It’s all good.”

With furrowed brows and astute attentiveness, he asks, “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

He smiles quietly, his teeth grazing his lower lip.

Where’s a fan when you need one?My pulse stirs.Breath hitches.Before I could get a handle on my nerves, they’d already taken over.

With furrowed brows, Judah comments, “You don’t look like you’re sure.”

A barely-there smile tugs at my lips when I say, “It’s fine.”

“It is?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, then.”He hands me his phone and says, “Put your number in and call your phone.”

The nerve of him…

Yet, I like his assertion.Taking his phone, while knowing I shouldn’t be doing this, especially since this isn’t what I thought it was, I key in my number while at the same time regretting it.Judah is not interested in me in the way I initially thought.He just wants me to be his friend.

So, why am I giving him my number?

I’m a mature twenty-eight-year-old woman with plans for a husband and kids.I don’t want to get caught up with a man who doesn’t have those same interests when Mr.Right could be out there searching for me.So, before keying the last number, I press the back button, hand Judah the phone back, and say, “Um, look, Judah.I appreciate you.I do, but this is not what I thought it was.”

“What did you think it was?”

“Uhm…you know what?It’s nothing.I have to go,” I say and quickly continue the path to my car.I jump in and pull off.When it’s time to go, it’s time to go.

Okay, I shouldn’t have left like that, but after everything that’s happened, I felt like I needed to.I let all my windows down and breathe in air, filtering smoke out of my nostrils.Then I call Riley.It’s late, but she’s probably up.No, sheisup and out somewhere.It’s turn-up-o’clock for her.I just hope she’s sober enough to talk, because I need to vent.

“Yello!”she answers.

“Hey, Riley?”

“Wassup?How was yourdaaaate?”she sings.

“Are you home?”I ask.

“Yes…just got here.I’m tired.I didn’t go out after all.I stayed home and popped my own bottle.”

That explains why she’s hyper past midnight.

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