Page 73 of Ms Perfectly Fine
His phone vibrating in his pocket distracted him.
Apartment 28,
Hillvalley Street,
Harlow 4.
Elijah smiled as he read the address from Nina. Suddenly determined to go get his girl, he told the driver the new address.
When they pulled up to the right street, it was already drizzling, and Elijah hesitated as he lingered at the door. He figured that Autumn might not be happy for him to turn up on the door.When has she ever liked my surprises?he thought wryly before buzzing number twenty-eight.
It was only a matter of seconds before it buzzed, and he took the lift to the second floor. Shifting anxiously, he knocked on the door and waited for her to answer.
After what sounded like a scuffle inside, Autumn opened the door, her eyes wide with surprise.
“Oh! Sorry, I thought you were…” she mumbled, before glaring over her shoulder at Nina, who was on a sofa.
“Thought I was who?”
“Hi, Elijah.” Nina waved.
Autumn stepped into the hall, leaving the door open a crack behind her. She stared at her feet, chewing her lip, and he knew he had to say something to put her at ease.
“I’m sorry for turning up like this. I just couldn’t leave things the way we did.”
She nodded. “I would have answered your calls, but my phone died,” she said, finally looking at him.
As soon as her sad green eyes met his, he couldn’t be upset with her. “Remind me to get you a battery pack for your birthday. That damn phone of yours is going to be the death of me,” he said, and even though he meant it, it earned him a smile.
“I feel terrible. I panicked, but there’s no excuse for leaving you like that. I just went outside to get some air, and the next thing I knew, I was in a taxi headed here,” she explained, and he could see how guilty she felt.
He took her hands in his to stop her fidgeting. “It’s okay. It was a lot for one evening. Hell, I wasn’t expecting to say what I said.”
“Seems like neither of us could control ourselves,” she muttered.
“Can we go home and talk? I don’t really want to do this in the hallway,” he said, unable to breathe until she agreed.
“Okay,” she said, and he brought her hand to her lips.
“I’ll be on my best behaviour.” He made a cross over his chest.
“Ha. I don’t think you know how.”
He laughed. “But I can try.”
“Let me get my things. I’ll meet you at the lift.” Her words were music to his ears. With a sigh of relief, he released her, letting her head back inside. She left the door open a crack, and he couldn’t help but listen in.
“I can’t believe you texted him,” Autumn said, though she didn’t sound angry.
“One of us might as well get a happy ending this evening,” Nina replied. “Don’t let your fear ruin a good thing.”
Elijah hated the thought of Autumn being afraid of their feelings for each other. He could only hope that affection for him outweighed her desire to protect herself from what might happen in the future.If she isn’t going to leave, then neither am I,he thought, and then chuckled to himself, because it was that very logic that had got them into this position in the first place.
“Thank you, but are you going to be okay? After everything with Garrett?”
Elijah wondered if they had broken up. Autumn had mentioned that their relationship wasn’t on the best terms.
“I’ll be fine, and you can tell me everything on Monday,” Nina promised, and Elijah couldn’t hear their last exchange. He paced before the lift, and seeing Autumn’s soft smile as she walked towards him caused his chest to tighten.
