Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
I stared out the window, thinking I had made a big mistake.
And I wasn’t sure how to correct it.
SULLY
I stared at the floor of my closet where Autumn’s suitcases had been. She’d taken everything. Her toiletries were gone. Her robe. All of it.
As if she wasn’t planning on returning.
I shut my eyes and shook my head. It was probably easier just to take everything with her rather than decide what to leave.
Because she was coming back, right?
I ran a hand through my hair, feeling exhausted. I had worked diligently until Wednesday evening, handing the completed files to the correct parties. Then I jumped on the next flight home, rushing back to the flat, even though I knew she was in Canada.
I had spoken to Niall. Knew Autumn was at the hospital and had been there since they’d dropped her off. He assured me they’d taken food and items to make her more comfortable.
The doctor’s report was simple. No change.
I hadn’t heard from her. Not a call or a text. It took everything in me not to call or text her.
And somehow walking in and finding her suitcases gone felt devastating to me, even as I rationalized it in my mind. I sat down heavily on the edge of the bed, dragging her pillow close. I held it to my face, the scent of her filling my head. Light, floral, and feminine. She always smelled so good.
My phone rang, and I answered right away, seeing it was Anna. My heart sped up.
“Anna. Did something happen?”
“No. I’m calling to see when you’re coming.”
“She asked me not to.”
Anna snorted lightly. “And you believed her?”
“She said she had to handle this alone.”
“I thought I had to handle my life alone too. Niall showed me I was wrong. She needs you, Sully. I went to the hospital. She is struggling to stay brave, but she is so worried. It broke my heart to leave her.”
“Has she left the hospital at all?”
“No. I took her a change of clothing and some toiletries today. She let me sit with her aunt while she showered, then insisted she was fine and I could go. She is very stubborn.”
“Aye.” I paused. “She took all her things, Anna.”
“And?”
“It feels as if she left for good.”
“Sully, she probably wasn’t thinking and just packed on autopilot.”
“She hadn’t unpacked most of it yet,” I admitted.
She clucked her tongue. “Then I think you need to stop overthinking.”
“And?”
“Get on the next plane you can. Or call Finn and get him to charter you one.”
“What if she refuses to see me?”
“Then visit your cousins.”
And she hung up.
AUTUMN
Time had its own beat, sitting by Lynn’s bed. Night and day blended, and I wasn’t sure what day it was. Anna came by, insisting I shower and go for a walk. I met Finn and Una, each of them kind and wanting to help. Meals appeared at various times and I tried to eat, but my appetite was nonexistent. I drank coffee and water, nibbled on the sandwiches, sipped the soup, but it was all I wanted.
Lynn’s eyes fluttered open on occasion, and she had squeezed my hand once. Her doctor informed me they planned on performing surgery tomorrow if she remained stable.
“We don’t want to risk complications,” he said as he explained everything to me.
“Okay,” I agreed.
I heard a soft knock, and Anna came in, carrying another bag I knew contained dinner. Twilight had settled outside the window, and there was a layer of frost outside.
She offered me a smile as she set down the bag. “Shepherd’s pie from the hotel,” she said quietly. “Finn thought it might tempt you.”
“Maybe in a bit.”
“Autumn, why don’t you go to the hotel and sleep? Really sleep. I’ll stay with your aunt. Niall will sit with her as well.”
“No, I’m fine.”
“You’re exhausted. Not eating. I’m worried. There must be something I can get you.”
I knew she was trying to help, so I kept my tone soft. “If something happens, I need to be here. She was there for me for so many years. The least I can give her is my company, so she isn’t alone when she wakes up.” My voice broke a little. “I can’t leave her.”
“I understand. Is there something I can get you? Anything?”
I turned away so she didn’t see the plea in my eyes. I needed Sully. I’d had a lot of time to sit and reflect. To think of my life with him, versus my life without him.
I cleared my throat and met her eyes. “How do you handle it?” I asked quietly.
She perched on the end of the bed carefully, not disturbing Lynn. She knew what I was asking without my having to explain. “Niall took me from a situation that was horrific. He rescued me. I fell in love with him, knowing his world wasn’t the same as mine. His contained much more violence and danger than I even realized existed. But it was my world that put me into the situation he rescued me from. I fell for the man. I accepted his world because of who he is. And without his world, I wouldn’t be here now. He was worried he wasn’t good enough because of it, but the truth was, and is, that I am safer in his world than not.” She smiled kindly. “And no one will love you the way a Black will. Sully and Niall are very similar. So is Finn. They love deeply. Endlessly. With so much devotion, you will never doubt your place in their life.”