Page 27 of Down Memory Lane
“Um, sure.” Autumn followed Felix through the steps of removing the bowl from the wheel, setting it out to dry, and cleaning up the turntable, their hands, and every other part of their body they’d covered in clay during their kiss. It seemed he was content to leave that last item as nothing important and not discuss it further, and she was unsure if she felt relieved or really annoyed by that.
As if he read her mind, Felix took her hand and lifted to his mouth, brushing a kiss across her now clean knuckles. “Just giving you space to think about what you want.” He led her out of the studio and into the orchard where each tree was covered in white and pink flowers that looked like popcorn. “I already know what I do.”
“What’s that?” Autumn’s voice trembled slightly as hope bloomed in her chest much like the flowers in front of them had.
Felix gazed down at her lovingly. “You.” With that one word, he captured another little piece of her heart.
Everything in her life still felt so tenuous, so fragile that she was unsure of how to answer his declaration, but he hadn’t asked her for one. He’d left it up to her, and as much as she wanted to throw caution to the wind and just dive right into the feelings that Felix stirred within her, something held her back. Whether it was the Rubix cube that was her mind or the worry that what they had was a result of their situation, she wasn’t sure. Autumn did know one thing though. Her feelings for Felix were unlikely to go away or change anytime soon, so she needed to figure things out quickly before she ran the risk of losing him entirely.
Chapter Thirteen
Felix
It was a good thing that Autumn had gone to dinner with her parents after their time in her studio earlier that day because Felix wasn’t sure he could spend another minute with his best friend and not have his hands on her again, or his lips. The kiss they’d shared before her accident had been a chaste one, a brief test of their chemistry and confirmation that they had made the right decision to try and be more than what they had been. The kiss that took place only hours ago was vastly different.
It started out much the same, a quick touch of skin to skin before it quickly evolved into a fierce need to taste one another. They’d smashed their mouths together, moved their tongues against one another vigorously as they gave into feelings that had been building, over a lifetime for him, but merely weeks for her. Their relationship might never be as balanced as it once was, but Felix no longer cared. He could exist for the rest of his life as the man who was far more in love with Autumn than she was with him and consider it time well spent.
Watching Autumn rediscover her love of pottery earlier had been magical and only caused his feelings to grow. The almost childlike wonder in her eyes when she turned to him, so happy to have accomplished a task others might consider small, was something that would live in his mind forever.
Felix had loved getting to experience it with her, to help her through the difficulties she’d faced and witness her coming back to herself, even if she might not have been able to recognize it. Of course, it might take Autumn some time to get back to the comfort level she had before, and she may not ever be as skillful as she was, but the fact that she had faced the daunting task head on spoke to her strength. The courage she possessed was just one of the many reasons Felix loved her, and he hoped that was something he would be able to share with her soon.
Whether Autumn regretted the kiss or was simply a little frightened of the possible shift in their relationship, Felix wasn’t sure. What was certain was that he needed to give her plenty of time to consider her feelings. If a romance with him was something she opted not to pursue at this time, he would be crushed, but maybe when her memories came back he would have a shot.
Was that something he was willing to wait for? And what if it never happened? At least he would still have her in his life as a friend. It would be difficult to be near her and not express all the ways in which he loved and cared for her, but Felix knew he could deal with the heartbreak of it because her friendship meant more to him than his hurt feelings. Autumn had gone through too much for him to abandon her now.
What if she abandons you?The sinister voice that popped up every so often made itself known again, but Felix did his best to tell it to go to hell and push it aside. Slipping into her old life hadn’t been the smooth transition he had initially thought, and with each passing day there seemed to be additional changes to her personality that they discovered, but they were small in the grand scheme of things. Autumn preferred her eggs fried instead of scrambled now, her herbal shampoo had been swapped out in favor of one that smelled of grapefruit, and she flossed before she brushed her teeth instead of after like she used to.
All of those were simple alterations in routine and preference, ones that only someone very close to her would notice, which Felix had. Instead of being worried about them as he had before, he now saw them as new discoveries about his someone he cared deeply for. While she was getting to know him, he was getting to know the new her. It was exciting in a way, and he looked forward to each day to see what else he would find out about his friend.
Felix’s eyes flicked to his watch as he walked toward Branch and Brew. If he hurried, he would have plenty of time to check in on things and make it home before Autumn returned from dinner. It had only been a little over an hour since she’d left, but he already missed her. Eventually, he would have to return to work and he would miss her even more, but until then Felix wanted to soak up as much time with her as he could.
His feet slowed as he approached the bar, his brain turning over the thought that had just occurred to him. What would Autumn’s schedule look like? Would she still spend most of her day in the studio until she got up to speed on her trade again? Both questions were ones they should discuss, but Felix found he wanted to stay blissfully ignorant of reality for at least a little while longer. He hoped the rest would be sorted with time.
Pushing open the door to his business, Felix’s jaw nearly dropped when he spotted how busy it was. His eyes widened at the full tables and the crowded bar. Lottie had gotten his approval to hire an additional bartender in his absence, and while he’d initially thought it unnecessary, Felix could definitely see the need for it now. Making his way through the throng of people, he went back behind the bar and sidled up to Lottie. No other bartender was in sight and while her appearance was impeccable as always, her eyes looked slightly frenzied as she attempted to fulfill drink orders all on her own.
“Need a hand?” he spoke loudly to be heard over the din, something that he’d only ever had to do on trivia nights.
