Read Falling for Autumn for Free Online Page B

anymore. In high school, praise became like a drug to me. I blossomed under false compliments and feigned adoration. Hunter used to joke he dragged me out of oblivion, but in some ways it was true. Before, I was well liked with a lot of friends, but being Hunter’s girlfriend put me at the top of the high school food chain. I was embarrass ed by the person I used to be. I was superficial and a taker, never a giver. Blake seemed desperate to know the girl I was in high school, but what he didn’t understand was I wanted that girl to have never existed.
    At the end of the meal, Josh asked for dessert, but I declined. I had looked longingly at a piece of decadent chocolate cake earlier in the meal, but couldn’t quiet my anxiety enough to stomach any more food. When I returned from a trip to the restroom, I found the check paid and a piece of cake wrapped up for me to go. I was touched by the gesture and he wouldn’t hear of my attempts to pay for half of the meal. When he took my hand and led me out of the restaurant, Josh officially turned the non-date into a date.
    It was early, a little after eight, and Josh wanted to take advantage of having a car to use. Freshmen were confined to the campus unless they had an upperclassman as a friend. A part of me wanted to go back to the dorm and process my feelings alone. Maybe I would find a spark between us if I tried harder. Josh looked so good on paper: cute, sweet, and smart, and I reasoned it wouldn’t be long before the fireworks arrived.
    After some gentle convincing, I found myself agreeing to coffee.
    Once we arrived at the coffee house, Josh helped remove my coat. His fingers brushed over my shoulders and down my arms as he moved behind me. I had dressed up for the occasion after Lexi reamed me out for considering wearing black pants and a bulky black sweater. Although she frowned at my large selection of black clothing, she did suggest the black dress I eventually settled on. It had a full crochet overlay with sheer arms and a rounded neckline. The hem was above the knee, but not very short. Josh was average height so I selected low heels to avoid towering over him. His eyes bulged when he picked me up, prompting Lexi to shoot me a small knowing smile.
    Josh relented when I insisted on paying for coffee. Every second I continued to play the charade with him the likelihood of him getting hurt increased. I liked Josh as a friend and I shouldn’t have agreed to go out with him. He was blurring the lines and I was submitting, going along for the ride when I should’ve never said yes to dinner in the first place.
    “So, how’s biology coming? I’m going to take it sometime next year, so you’ll have to share your notes,” I said as I blew away steam from my latte.
    Josh smiled. “It’s not bad, only an extension on everything we studied last semester,” he said. “But I do miss you as my lab partner. We had lab for the first time on Thursday and I partnered with Kaylee.”
    “I didn’t know you were friends,” I said while staring at the wall behind him.
    “We’re not. But she said I looked smart, so I’d help her get a good grade.” He rolled his eyes. “She didn’t do much during the lab period, only text Blake.”
    Ah , I thought, now I understand what’s going on . He saw Blake as a rival and figured he’d dig up dirt through Kaylee. Josh put too much power into my relationship with Blake. Blake was a casual acquaintance who I saw twice a week for class and breakfast. Blake told me from the beginning he wasn’t interested in me. I was still trying to figure out why he wanted to be friends, but after spending time with Blake I believed wholeheartedly he didn’t feel anything romantic for me. He flirted with me, but his words didn’t hold any weight. I could almost sense a wall between us he had constructed. It hadn’t gotten past me that although Blake spent a lot of time dredging up my past, he told me very little about himself.
    I waved my hand.