Read Waiting For A Star To Fall (Autumn Brody Book 2) for Free Online Page B

the stranger reflected within.
     
     

FOUR
     
    Twenty-four hours later, they were standing in the lobby of the uncomfortably expensive hotel Andrew had insisted on booking for their two-week trip, waiting to check in. Leaning on a pillar, Autumn studied the bustle of guests coming and going as she admired her right ring finger, tilting her hand to better catch the light.
    The square cut amethyst flanked by tiny diamonds in a band of gold was apparently older than her mother. A graduation gift, the ring was an heirloom, once worn by Autumn's maternal great-grandmother. A little piece of home, no matter where you go , her mother had told her, her eyes misty. It was perfect. Her thumb ran over the stone, marveling at its cool exterior despite the July heat wave. Not too flashy. Just right .
    Her admiration of her new accessory was interrupted by an unwelcome, yet all-too-familiar feeling washing over her. Someone's here. It was impossible, irrational. Crazy girl strikes again , she chided herself. Glancing around casually to reassure herself, Autumn froze. A mirrored pillar about ten feet away reflected the image of a woman clad in lavender, her arms crossed loosely over her chest. On its own, it was benign; the fact that Autumn had seen the same woman on the beach near her home on three separate occasions made her heart begin to race.
    "Impossible," she murmured.
    The woman smiled. Autumn startled, taking two steps backwards and straining to find the living source of the reflection. The lobby was a lavender-free zone. No brunettes in gossamer dresses, staring through her. Pressing her eyes closed, she pleaded with her mind to cut the crap. There’s no one there. There can’t be.
    "Autumn?"
    She spun around, nearly colliding with Andrew. "Hmm?"
    "I have the key cards. Let's go." He gestured to the elevators and grabbed the larger suitcases.
    Her gaze roamed the lobby anew, but mercifully, there was no one to be found. Relief. Chalking it up to lingering effects of her Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, she gathered the carry-ons and followed him.
    Drawing a deep breath, Autumn directed her attention to the finer details of the hotel's décor to distract herself. It was a beautiful place, modern and classy—the same chain they'd stayed with in Montreal the previous summer—but beauty came with a very, very large price, particularly in the heart of Times Square. Her parents had gifted her with two thousand dollars as a graduation reward, but there was no way this was affordable on that budget. Not for two weeks.
    And when Andrew swiped the key card and opened up a suite that was easily the size of a small apartment, Autumn felt dizzy. Gripping the door frame to steady herself, she let her carry-on bag slide off of her shoulder. It landed with a soft thump on the plush carpet.
    "What on earth have you done?"
    Setting the suitcases near the sofa ( They had a sofa! ), Andrew shrugged. "I don't know what you mean."
    "Andrew, this room is twice as large as the one we had last year, and I know how expensive that trip was. This is too much..."
    "Hey, stop that," he murmured, pulling her inside and shutting the door. "It's not that big of a deal. I got a great bargain through an online sale."
    "We got a great rate last time. It was eight hundred for three nights," Autumn whimpered.
    She closed her eyes, willing her heart to slow down. He, in turn, cupped her chin in his palm and urged her to look up at him.
    "Trust me," he whispered.
    She opened her eyes slowly, seeking comfort in his features.
    "When the lawyer called me in March and explained that I had a trust fund my aunt never bothered to tell me about, I suspected it was decent. My parents were into law and real estate, so I assumed that if they had put money aside after all, they'd definitely tucked away enough for university. Last month, I got a call from the trustee handling my parents' estate. Even with the tuition for Casteel and my monthly spending allowance that I thought