Page 24 of Autumn Secrets
I headed back towards the front of the house,seeking warmth from the lanterns, even though I wasn’t ready to go back inside just yet. Everything was so confusing; this whole evening seemed to be nothing more than a vivid dream.
“Aurora!” Adrian called out.
Surprised I halted for a second. I didn’t think that he would follow me out here. I looked around at my surroundings. It was too late to hide behind a car, so I just kept walking. This time I wasn’t going to listen to him. I was done playing his games. I moved myself between the cars, then I felt two strong hands on my shoulders.
“Where are you going? I’ve been looking all over for you.” His voice had a soft tone to it, but it was full of concern. His hands lingered on my shoulders, waiting for me to say or do something, but I refused to talk to him. I was determined to ignore him with every bit of resistance that I possessed. “Aurora, come on…talk to me…” Once again, his voice travelled beyond my common sense, and I couldn’t help but turn around to face him. “That’s better,” he murmured.
I faltered for a second, but only slightly. I’d never met anyone so alluring in my whole life. He was divine.Aurora, no.He’s got Evangeline.
“What are you doing out here?” I asked in a clipped tone.
“I wanted to make sure you were safe.”
“Of course I’m safe. You’re the one who told me Angel Falls was a safe place, just a couple of days ago.”
“And I stand by my words, but you fainted earlier.”
I nodded, keeping my eyes on him. “So you say.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Well, now you’re making me curious, Aurora.” He tilted his head towards the house. “What exactly do you think happened back there?”
WhatdidI think happened in there? It was quite obvious I’d fainted. Still, something inside of me wasn’t at peace with that answer. It was like I was missing an important piece of information. I just wasn’t sure what it was, orwhereit was. But I trusted my instincts, and I refused to let this go.
I shook my head. “I don’t know…”
“Do you think I’m lying to you?” he asked.
“Well, it wouldn’t be the first time…”
He laughed softly as he shook his head. “Let me ask you this, Aurora: is this really about the fainting, or is this about something, or maybesomeoneelse?”
I knew he was referring to my earlier outburst in the kitchen. I swallowed, as I tried to choose my words wisely. I didn’t want to sound bitter.
“If you think that I care about the fact that you have a girlfriend, you couldn’t be more wrong. I don’t care who you’re with. I just don’t understand why you would lie about something that is so obvious. I saw you with her. I was there, remember?”
He took a step forward, and now he was really invading my personal space. I tried to take a step back, to create some distance, but ended up against a car. Seriously, didn’t he know anything about boundaries?!
“What are you doing?”
He ignored my question and leaned over me, placing both palms on the car on either side of my head, caging me in. We were so damn close. His breath caressed my face and when his eyes seared into mine, I could swear the temperature spiked by at least a hundred degrees. I couldn’t breathe; I was drowning in an ocean of mesmerising blue, struggling to find my way up to the surface again.
“Things are not always what they seem, Aurora,” he whispered gently and tucked my hair behind my ear.
I swallowed. “What does that mean?”
“Well, that means that whatever you think you saw, is simply not—”
“So, what are you trying to say?” I interrupted.
He pushed himself away from the car and took a step backwards, still with his eyes on me. “You really shouldn’t be out here by yourself.”
Frustrated, I looked to my side and into the darkness surrounding us. I could hear the leaves rustle in the light wind, and except for the lights from the lanterns, everything was dark and quiet. Peaceful even. I turned my head back towards Adrian.
“And why shouldn’t I be out here by myself? Are you worried that I’m going to be mauled by a bear, or a wolf or something?”
“No, that wouldn’t be your biggest concern right now.”
What?