Page 46 of Autumn Secrets

Mia shook her head. “No. I just saw you. I didn’t realise you were talking to someone.”

We stayed in the little town for a few more hours, but I never saw the old woman again. It was like she vanished into thin air.

I couldn’t help but feel like I’d missed something significant as we drove back to the house later that afternoon. I hadn’t even had a chance to ask for her name, and it bothered me. I should have asked her name…

I volunteered to cook dinner with some help from Mia. It was only fair since everyone else had cooked breakfast this morning, plus I needed something to occupy my mind. This was our last evening, and I wanted to make the most of it.

“Okay, I have a surprise for you all,” Jasmine said with a mischievous smile as we all sat down to eat. “I’m just going to get it; I’ll be right back.” We all looked at each other confused until Jasmine came back a minute later, still smiling. “I borrowed a bottle from my parents.” She winked and put a bottle of vodka on the table.

“Well, this day just got even better.” Mia laughed and stood up. “We need some glasses and something to mix it with.”

I wasn’t as keen as the others, but Lexi managed to convince me to have at least one drink. Two hours later we had the music going and were all dancing around in the living room. I was feeling absolutely fantastic. Always in control, it felt nice to beoutof control for once. I couldn’t understand why I hadn’t let go like this before. I was dancing around with a big smile on my face, completely forgetting about what happened earlier in the day. I was in my own little world, dancing away to the music.

Long after midnight, we all decided to call it a night. We turned the music off and said goodnight to each other as we reached the top of the stairs. I was still affected by the alcohol and by the time I had made it to my bed, all I could think about was Adrian. I grabbed my phone on the bedside table and went straight into my contacts. Although I had told Adrian, not that long ago, that I would never call him, I felt an urge to break my promise. I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I needed to hear his voice. I pushed the dial button on my phone, without thinking.

“Hello?”

Even though I was a bit drunk, I could feel my stomach do a somersault at the sound of his sleepy voice.

“It’s me, Aurora,” I spluttered.

“Aurora? Well, this is a nice surprise.” And his tone changed, making my whole body react to its wickedness. “Tell me, what can I do for you this Saturday night?”

“I-I…” What was I supposed to say? I had no idea why I was even calling him. I scrambled for something to say, but I couldn’t find anything in my vocabulary. Damn Jasmine for bringing that vodka.

I could hear him chuckle softly. “Have you been drinking?”

“No! I mean yes. Well, maybe…it doesn’t matter.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m with the girls at Jasmine’s parents’ holiday house. Far away from Angel Falls,” I added quickly.

“And you decided to call me? I’m flattered and beyond curious. Were you thinking about me?”

I shook my head, even though I knew he couldn’t see me. “No.”

“Aurora?”

I held my breath. “Yes?”

“You are a terrible liar.”

“I wasn’t thinking about you. How’s your girlfriend by the way?” I blurted out.

“Girlfriend? Who’s my girlfriend, angel?” he asked softly.

“Stop playing with me, Adrian. Who do you think I’m talking about? Evangeline, of course. And stop calling me angel.” The alcohol was definitely making me braver. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, though.

“I’ve already told you several times, I don’t have a girlfriend. I do have someone I think about a lot, but her name is not Evangeline.”

I swallowed and tried to ignore what he’d told me. He was just playing one of his twisted games with me, again. “I saw you, remember?” I said quietly.

“I know you did, and do you remember me telling you that things aren’t always what they seem?”

“It doesn’t make any sense, Adrian. So, you just kiss random girls whenever you feel like it, then? That’s good to know.”

He laughed. “No, I don’t kiss random girls. The only one I want to kiss right now is you. Is that so hard to believe?”