Page 16 of Down Memory Lane
Lottie shoved his shoulder, pushing him back into the chair. “Well, you don’t run away from her for one thing,” she chastised. Pulling out her phone, she started typing furiously. “I’m going to move my schedule around a little and you’re not going to step foot in this place again until you and Autumn are on more solid ground.”
Felix balked at the idea of leaving his business in someone else’s hands, no matter how capable they might be. “I don’t think—”
Lottie’s raised brow silenced him instantly. “That’s right. You don’t think. From now on, your job is to stop overthinking everything and just start spending time with your friend.” Felix started to argue again, but she held up her hand. Lottie was bossy on a good day, but she resembled a bulldozer at the moment, albeit a well-meaning one. “Don’t think about what she remembers from the past or what your future might be, just live in the present with her. Take her mind off of everything and just have fun like you two always do. That’s probably the best thing for both of you.”
Felix nodded. Lottie was right. He’d been too caught up in his head and in his worries. He needed to just be with Autumn and they would get through this like they had everything else in their lives: together.
“Thanks, Lottie.” Standing, he smiled at his friend and pulled her into another hug.
She returned it, patting his back gently. “You’re welcome.” Stepping back, she shoved him at the door. “Now go be with your friend. I have everything taken care of here and will call you with any emergencies.”
Nodding, Felix stepped out of the office and after a final nod of thanks to Lottie, he walked back out the door and over to his car. He hoped he hadn’t already messed things up with Autumn by running away at the first sign of trouble. Wanting to make it up to her, he smiled as an idea popped into his head. She might not remember their tradition of drowning their sorrows in brownie sundaes, but that didn’t mean he still couldn’t make one for her. Like Lottie said, it wasn’t about what used to be or what could happen in the future, but what was. Right now, he and Autumn were starting over. It hurt, but it was a wound that would only heal with time. Time with his best friend. Time with the woman he loved.
Chapter Eight
Autumn
Watching Felix walk out the door earlier had been both a disappointment and a relief. Their conversation during dinner had been slightly awkward and it felt as if he had been scrutinizing Autumn’s every move as she navigated her way through the meal. Him mentioning her changes in preference had thrown her for a bit of a loop, but so what if she liked a little spice now? As far as she was concerned, liking new foods wasn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but Felix had looked at her like she was an alien.
It was only fair since she had been looking at him in a similar manner over the last few days, but Autumn thought they were past that initialWho the hell are youperiod and were making progress. He was supposed to be her best friend, so his leaving when their interaction had gotten a little weird had made her slightly stricken. Even when things felt slightly stilted between them, she found his presence to be more comforting than not. If she needed more evidence of this, it was the fact that as soon as he walked out the door, Autumn missed him terribly.
While Autumn sat and flipped through the book that had been on her nightstand, she wondered if she missed Felix only because she didn’t want to be alone with the empty memory box that was her brain. Ultimately, as she tried to concentrate on the novel but couldn’t quite get into the story about a wounded British soldier and his American nurse, Autumn discovered that she actually missed Felix himself. It was nice not to be alone, and his hangdog looks had caused her to feel a tad bit guilty, but his presence was reassuring, soothing, and he smelled familiar in the same way the stuffed bunny on her bed had.
No concrete memories surfaced from his scent, which was a wonderful mix of fresh cotton, tart apple, and something else underneath it all that she supposed was just naturally Felix. It made her feel safe, so much so that on the second night in the hospital, she’d snuck out of her bed and over to where he lay on the fold out couch. Autumn had smelled his hair, letting the crisp scent wash over her until she felt relaxed enough to sleep. It was a move she hadn’t dared make again for fear of creeping him out and having him run away, but now she wished she’d done it a few more times just so she could recall it more easily.
A small squeak caused Autumn to look away from the same page she’d been staring at for at least an hour and over to the doorway. Felix stepped into the apartment carrying an armful of groceries, looking like a whole different person than when he’d fled the apartment. When he saw her looking, he smiled happily before he plonked his bags down on the kitchen counter.
“Hey. I’m glad you aren’t asleep yet.” He reached into the canvas bags and started pulling out items like whipped cream, walnuts, and hot fudge. “I brought you a surprise.”
There seemed to be a shine about him that had been missing before, and as she joined him in the kitchen, Autumn could only guess why that was. “Did you have a nice time visiting your girlfriend?”
That’s who Autumn assumed he had gone to see. He’d talked to a woman of the same name a few times from the hospital, and while the name Lottie didn’t ring any bells in her mind, she’d still felt jealous of whoever she was. It seemed silly of her to feel that way, but Autumn couldn’t help the bit of ire toward Lottie that stirred in her chest. Felix wasn’t hers, but she felt possessive of him anyway. Maybe that was residual friendship speaking, but whatever had caused her to feel that way seemed significantly stronger than that.
Felix stared at Autumn with a confused expression on his face before a smile replaced it. “Autumn, baby. Lottie is not my girlfriend. Never has been and never will be.” Felix speaking the wordbabyto her in his smooth voice did something to her. A shiver ran up and down her spine and she was fairly certain parts of her she’d forgotten existed came roaring back to life. As if he was somehow aware of the effect he had on her, Felix’s smile widened as he pulled out a carton of vanilla ice cream and slid it over to her. “She’s my coworker and agreed to look after the bar I own while I spend time with you.”
Autumn breathed a sigh of relief she hadn’t realized she’d been holding since the moment he left their apartment. “Oh, I see.” She picked up the ice cream, trying to let the cold that seeped into the palms of her hands shock her into somehow making sense of the strange feelings she was having toward her supposed best friend.
