The squeak of the door’s hinges announced Autumn’s exit from the bathroom.
“I hung my clothes in the shower. I hope that’s okay.”
“That’s great. I was going to do the same.”
I left her standing awkwardly in the middle of the small space eyeing the bed since it was the only place to sit at the moment while my clothes joined hers. By the time I came back out into the room, she hadn’t moved a muscle.
Her eyes narrowed as she took in my semi-undressed state and my laugh harmonized with the clap of thunder outside. “I’m covering the good stuff, sweetheart,” I said as I started reaching into the cabinets for some of the easy-to-prepare meals I had on hand. My eyes landed on some containers of microwavable cheesy macaroni, and I smirked as I showed my findings to Autumn.
Following the directions, I placed the containers into the microwave just as the trailer rocked from an overzealous gust of wind. Autumn’s hand reached out to grab the counter. I noticed her white knuckles and felt like a bastard. I’d been so focused on her state of undress and less about the horrific weather just outside the walls.
“Hey, we’ll be fine.”
“I sure hope so.”
“Why is that?” I asked as the microwave chimed, alerting me that our meal was complete. I stirred the contents and handed one of the bowls over.
“Because I plan on killing you when this is all over.”
Together we sat on the bed, scooching our way to the head with our legs out in front of us. Her feet barely made it past my knees.
“Well,” I said around a mouthful of the pasta. “I’ll look forward to it.”
We ate in silence and it didn’t go unnoticed that Autumn flinched with every flash of light and crack of thunder. The storm was getting closer and stronger. I began to second-guess my plan to stay in the camper, but Lance and the contractor who secured everything said that the stakes and straps were what they used on construction sites. It just felt far less secure when you were inside.
After she finished, I grabbed her bowl and spoon and tossed them in the trash, then made my way back to the bed.
“What time is it?”
Glancing over at the microwave, I looked at the time. It was just after eight at night, too early for bed.
“Mind if I shut off the lights? I want to conserve what I have just in case the storm knocks out full power.”
“Sure,” she replied, but the wobble in her voice wasn’t overlooked.
After cutting the lights and turning off the power to the trailer, I settled back into the same spot on the bed. Luckily, the lightning illuminated the inside through the windows.
“It’s getting really dark out there.”
“Yeah,” I said as I grabbed my phone from where I’d tossed it on the bed when we sat down to eat and checked the weather app. The storm looked more like a hurricane and was still miles away. This one was going to be a doozy. Thank goodness we had replaced the roof and windows of the old house.
In the darkness of the storm, we laid on the trailer’s bed in silence. The thunder, wind, and rain were doing enough to fill the space. My body was in agony having her so close. All it wanted was to touch her, to taste her. There was something about Autumn Easterly that felt like she was a piece of me that I didn’t know I was missing.
“You know, I feel like you know a bit about me, but tell me something about you, Colton. Something I can’t read on the internet,” she said in a whisper. The bed bounced and jostled me as she turned on her side. I mimicked her movement.
There wasn’t much about me that my ex had disclosed to the press, some of it true, most of it just shit she said to stir things up. My agent said reporters were still calling daily to get an article from my side of the story. As far as my childhood, there wasn’t much to that either. When I signed with the New York Renegades, they’d released a well-choreographed press release with the information about my upbringing. It was easier than having reporters snooping around my business.
“There isn’t much,” I told her, just as a deafening boom of thunder sounded above us.
Both of us startled at the sound and I instinctively reached out to Autumn, only to find her shaking.
“Come here.” Wrapping my arm around her, I slid her body closer until we were pressed up against each other. I knew it wouldn’t take long for my body to realize that her breasts were pushed against my chest.
“Please tell me something. I swear I’m an adult and I’m not scared of storms, but I really need you to take my mind off of everything happening right now because I’m freaking out a bit,” Autumn said on a single breath. The wind chose that moment to rock the camper again and her small hand reached out and gripped my bicep that rested across her body.
The breath whooshed from my lungs as I told her about the mysterious letters addressed to me through my agent that had turned into text messages. There was a twenty-year-old girl that thought she may be my half-sibling. We were all suspicious, but none more so than my agent who thought she was after a bit of my fortune.
“What made her reach out?” Autumn asked as she adjusted her body, sliding her leg between mine.
“Her mom recently died from cancer, and she said she came across some letters and paperwork when she was sorting through her things.”
“Do you believe her?”
I’d thought about that for the last couple of months since I received the first letter, but until Autumn had asked, I hadn’t given it more thought.
“I want to believe her. I want to think that I have a family out there somewhere. But I also know how conniving people can be, all in the hopes for a quick handout.”
Another rumble erupted around us and Autumn tucked her head against my chest. When the thunder subsided, she murmured something incoherently against my chest.
“What was that?” I was curious about her thoughts on all of this. I trusted Autumn in a way I hadn’t trusted anyone before, at least not in such a short amount of time. I wasn’t sure why that was.
“I think it’s real. Something in my gut tells me she isn’t in it for anything more.”
Hearing her confirmation of my own suspicions eased something cold and dark in my chest. I wasn’t being conned or used like I had with my ex. Maybe it was simply nothing more than someone wanting to connect with family – the thing I’d been searching for my entire life.
“My God, that wind is terrifying. I hope it’s not damaging all the work you have put into the house.”
I hadn’t been paying any attention to the wind whirling outside. Instead, I was focused inwardly. But now that Autumn brought me back to the present, all I could focus on was the warmth of her body against mine.
