Chapter 34
Autumn
S awyer isn't in bed when I wake up. I reach across the bed to feel for him. The bed is still warm, so he couldn't have left long ago. Jed is at the foot of the bed. He must have been sneaky when Sawyer left the room.
"Good morning, sunshine." I pat the bed next to me, and Jed walks up to the bed. He bends down into a big stretch, spreading his feet out in front of him with his tail in the air, yawning as he does. As if it's law, I say, "Oooh, big stretch." Jed looks as tired as I feel. I yawn along with him.
I want to grab a shower before heading downstairs, so I pick up a towel and shuffle over to the ensuite. I turn the shower on and brush my teeth while I wait for the water to heat and the steam to swirl around the bathroom. I step into the shower and let the hot water jets hammer into my back as I am still waking up. Rolling my neck, I enjoy the heat loosening up my muscles. After spending twenty minutes staring aimlessly at the tiles in the shower, I towel myself off, bundle my hair into a towel, and wrap myself in a fluffy robe.
Walking down the stairs, the house is suspiciously quiet. I know that Alice is awake too because her bedroom door was open and the bed was empty.
"Is anyone home?" I ask as I walk down to the living room, but there is no answer.
As I approach the kitchen, I hear lowered voices, but I can't make out anything that is being said.
"Good morning, you two," I say quizzically, eyeing their mugs on the kitchen table. Sawyer eyes me shiftily.
"What are you two up to?"
"Nothing. Good morning, beautiful." Sawyer gets up from his seat and wraps his arms around my waist. Planting a kiss to my forehead.
"Hmm. Doesn't look like nothing to me." I raise my eyebrow.
"Oh, honestly, It's nothing. Sawyer was offering to give me a lift into town today. The rain is still shit, and he needs to go to his parent's house anyway. It's on the way, so he's going to drop me on the way."
"Is there more of where that came from?" I ask, gesturing to the coffee.
"There’s loads in the pot. I'm going to get my stuff so we can hit the road."
"Will you be back tonight?" I ask Sawyer once Alice has left the kitchen.
"Oh, I, umm, I don't know. My parents need some stuff done at the house, so I might be up there for a couple of days."
"Can I come with you? I really wanted to talk to you. Maybe we can talk on the way?"
"Sorry, Sugar. Can we talk when I get back? I won't be long. Two days, tops. None of the girls are at the house. You will be bored. Stay here this weekend. I need to go, I'm sorry. I'll call you from my parent's house tonight." He says as he, too, slinks out of the kitchen like he is trying to escape a bad smell.
What in the hell is going on with these two? I thought we'd have a nice weekend together, maybe hire a boat, take Jed out of the lakes, but instead my boyfriend and my best friend are being cagey as hell.
"Bye, Autumn! Alice shouts out, and the front door slams.
"Goodbye to you too," I say out loud to nobody in particular.
"Was it something I said, boy?" I question Jed, expecting him to respond, but I end up having a conversation with myself instead.
"I didn't think so either, Jed. Yes, they are being weird, aren't they?" He tilts his head to the side, looking at me as if he can understand every word I say.
"What was that? You wanted to go for a walk? Come on then, boy, let’s go."