Page 35 of Autumn & Woods
The cold slapped me as soon as I stepped outside, the December air sharp and disrespectful. Pulling my peacoat closed, I cursed under my breath and hustled across the street, heading straight for the burrito spot on the corner. I didn’t even have to think about it anymore. My body just moved.
Chico’s Titos Burritos.
The tiny place was packed as usual in Arbor Hills. The line snaked to the door, the same old bachata playlist thumped from the back, and the grill popped loudly behind the sneeze guard.
I stood in line, scrolling my phone, half-listening to people talk about Christmas shopping, party plans, and winter storm warnings. The smell of grilled chicken and cilantro rice made my stomach rumble harder. When I finally got to the front, the cashier grinned like he’d been expecting me.
“Back again, huh?” he teased, eyes playful behind his glasses. “Let me guess… spicy chicken burrito with yellow rice, extra pico, extra avocado, light cheese, and no sour cream?”
I smirked, pulling out my wallet. “You know me too well.”
He rang me up, still chuckling. “You’ve had this like… what? Every other day for the past two weeks?”
“Mmhmm,” I hummed, tapping my card. “What can I say? I’ve been craving it.” He winked as I stepped to the side.
Waiting for my number to be called, his words stuck in my mind. I mean, Ihadbeen craving this same damn burrito for weeks now.Craving.Why did that word feel like a bullet to the chest?
I pulled my phone out and opened my calendar app, swiping back to the last menstrual cycle I tracked. Then I blinked… and blinked again.
No. That can’t be right.
I counted silently, lips moving, heart pounding. Twenty-eight… twenty-nine… thirty-seven… “Shit,” I whispered out loud, barely catching my breath as I backed up and pushed out of the restaurant.
The cold didn’t hit the same this time, not when my brain was racing and my stomach was turning for a different reason.I leaned against the brick wall, staring out at the street but not really seeing it. My hands weren’t just shaking. My whole body felt as though it had paused for a second.
It shouldn’t have been shocking. Woods and I weren’t exactly careful. Yes, I was on the pill. But between all the freaky sex we had over the Thanksgiving weekend and not one damn Plan B in sight, even though it was mentioned? Yeah. Sotechnically, this wasn’t a surprise. But feeling the possibility hit me all at once? It still knocked the wind out of me.
My heart was pounding, my stomach twisted, and for the first time since I left him at that airport gate, I didn’t know whether to laugh, panic, or pray. Because as much as the signs were right there… I wasn’t ready for reality to walk right up and tap me on the shoulder like this.
Thanksgiving came back to me in flashes. That raw, nasty connection that hadn’t stopped replaying in my mind since Woods and I parted ways at the airport. We’d been texting damn near every day since. Late night FaceTimes. Laughs. Teasing.
Even one night when things got extra spicy and the camera didn’t stay above the shoulders. I’d told myself I was just having fun. That I could handle it. But the truth was, Woods was more than just a fling. He was someone I was starting to care about, someone who was becoming a significant part of my life. But this missing period was something else.
My phone buzzed in my coat pocket. I pulled it out, expecting a message from Troi, my flamboyant bestie from the salon. But no, it was an incoming FaceTime from Woods.
His name lit up my screen, and I stared at it, thumb hovering, breath shallow. He had no idea what was running through my mind. He had no idea my whole life might’ve just flipped the fuck upside down. He had no idea how bad I’d been fiending to see his face… evenbeforethis little surprise epiphany hit.
The call kept ringing. I didn’t move. I couldn’t. I just stood there, torn between answering and running. But the way I was frozen outside of Chico’s, phone in hand, cravings in my belly, and Wood’s name on my screen? Yeah. We weren’t done yet... not even close.
