Page 48 of Falling for Autumn
“Well, it’s a good thing this isn’t your home. Please leave!”
Auburn started crying again, and I couldn’t take that.
“Listen, Autumn?—”
“Go,” she demanded with an outstretched finger. Her entire body trembled with anger, and Auburn’s cries grew louder. As much as I wanted to stay and demand that she hear me, I refused to upset either of them further. I turned to leave and it felt as if I had left my heart behind me.
Chapter 17
October
Halloween
It was a little after four, and the stores were packed with last-minute shoppers trying to get candy to pass out for Halloween and the remnants of costumes for trick-or-treating or parties. I headed out of the grocery store with the items for tonight’s dinner.
I didn’t plan much, but I would throw a steak on the grill with Mexican street corn and a Caesar salad. I was supposed to be with my baby, handing out candy tonight, but that wasn’t going to happen. She had been excited for Auburn’s first Halloween because the last two, she had been too little to go trick-or-treating.
I went back and forth about what I had been planning for the last four days since Terence Wilson showed up. I had tried to talk myself out of doing it, but I knew in my heart that, although Autumn wouldn’t agree, it was for the best.
It was the only shot that I had of securing my family again. And hell yeah, they were my family. I didn’t give a damn about what anybody said or how little time had gone by. They were mine, and I was going to get them back.
Twelve minutes after leaving the grocery store, I pulled into the lot of Mac’s Fleet Trucking Company. I had rolled up on that nigga’s house because he lived in the same house he’d lived in for the last ten years. I visited his wife, Eniya, and told her what had gone down and how he was trying to get Autumn back.
I also told her that I wanted him to sign the papers to give up his parental rights, and she was too quick to tell me where I could find him and when. Apparently, while he was sitting in Autumn’s face, his wife thought he was already on the road. He had told her he’d gotten a DNA test, and the baby wasn’t his. He swore Autumn was no longer in his life. She told me that he was expected back this evening, and I wanted to be there when that nigga arrived.
I sat in my car and went through my social media for fifteen minutes before my sister called me.
“Aye, wassup, Kember.”
“That’s what I was hoping you would tell me. I talked to Polo, and he told me he visited you, and you all but kicked him out of your shop,” my sister stated.
“Did he tell you why?”
“He said that he came to visit to see about you and Kevin making up.”
“And there’s nothing I need to talk to Kevin about.”
“I know that, and you know that, but it was for Empiria’s sake.”
My jaw clenched. “I’m not trying to have that conversation, Kember.”
“Li’l bro, I know that it’s a difficult one for you to have, but that’s the only way that you’re going to be healed. You need to confront your past in order to let some things go. Your present and future will always be murky as long as that shadow is hanging over them. If you do nothing else, let them both know how you truly feel.”
“You don’t think that they do?”
“I’m not sure what they do and don’t know in the middle of an ass whupping. It might help if you have another discussion that looks different after thirteen years. You’ve grown and matured, and though you may still hurt and have unforgiveness and resentment, you’re not in the same place you were all those years ago.”
I sighed. “I’ve got other things that are occupying my mind right now.”
“Yes. What’s this I hear about you’ve got another child? Who’s the girl?”
“Y’all will find that out in time. Right now, I need to get off this phone. I’ve got some business to handle,” I explained as my eyes narrowed, and my voice dropped.
“Don’t go getting into any trouble, October. I can hear the change in your tone, and it sounds extremely dangerous.”
“I’m good. You don’t need to worry about me,” I declared.
“Okay. I love you.”
