Falling for Autumn

Chapter 18

What the fuck?

I feel pain jolt through my head.

A loud noise.

What is it?

My fucking alarm.

I roll over and grab at my phone bringing it closer to me.

The pain gets worse as I bring the loud phone closer.

I force one eye open and groan at the light but manage to swipe and the sound stops. My head eases some.

Oh shit. I'm hung over. Really hung over. I'm not sure if my brain is cloudy from the hang over or the fact that it's 6:30 am.

I lay still trying to ease the pounding in my head.

My phone still in my hand goes off again. Damn. I open my eyes and see the alarm say work and I silence it.

Shit I have work. I very slowly sit up. I look over. Zander. He's dead.

Just then he opens his eyes.

"Zander." I grit out.

"Hey you drank them?"

"You kept handing them to me!"

"You're an adult!"

"Not so loud." I groan at the pain in my head. My body feels like it's been hit by a truck.

"Look to your left." I do and sitting on my nightstand is a glass of water and aspirin. "See I'm a good friend. Great friend actually. I held your hair as you puked twice last night."

"I threw up!"

"You don't remember?"

"No." I groaned as I swallowed the aspirin and finished off the glass of water. "Please tell me I didn't do anything stupid."

"What's the last thing you remember?"

Shit that wasn't the response I was hoping for. My eyes grew wide trying to remember. My head hurt and my memory was foggy. Why did I drink so much? Oh yeah I was trying to ignore the massive amount of jealousy and hurt I was feeling last night. I needed to figure things out. And not with alcohol.

"Playing pool?"

"Don't worry you didn't do anything embarrassing. And you didn't puke until after Nick left-"

"Nick left where?!?" My eyes grew wide. What the fuck happened.

"You need to shower. Go. I'll make coffee."

I threw myself back onto my bed. I'm an idiot.

...

I came out of my room dressed for work. I needed to leave in like ten minutes. I had my sunglasses on currently. Inside. Light is pain right now.

"You look better." Zander gave me a fake smile.

"Any more lies you want to get out?" He handed me a mug of coffee as he filled two travel mugs. "Thank you."

"I made toast. You should eat it."

Just then the door opened. We both looked to see who it was as April came into view. I let out a breather. I'm not sure I could handle Fiona or Sophia right now.

"Hi April. Good night?" Zander said as we winked at her. She instantly blushed.

"Yeah. Oh my gosh Autumn what happened? You look terrible." April said.

Zander chuckled to himself.

"Thanks. With friends like you guys it's a wonder my ego isn't the size of a small country." I teased.

April's face turned the color of a tomato.

"Relax April. She's kidding. So how's Keith?" Zander said. He poured her a cup of coffee and handed it to here.

"Good. By the way Autumn, Tara has decided you are her new best friend. She thought it was totally badass how you showed up the guys last night." She came over and high fives me.

"Who's Tara?" I asked. Trying to go through my foggy memories. Seems vaguely familiar.

"Lap girl." Zander says.

"Wait what?!?" April says.

"What she made herself very comfortable on Nick's lap at the bar hard to miss frankly." Zander mumbled the last bit.

"Oh they're just old friends. Tara has a thing for Wade one of Nicks best friends. She and Nick never got together." April says as she sits next to me.

"Interesting." Zander smirks at me.

April doesn't miss it. "What was that?"

"What do you think of Autumn and Nick?" Zander gets an evil look on his face.

"I think I need to leave now. Work. Yep. Long drive." I stand up quickly and instantly regret it. I stop for a second and hold my head. Zander laughs at my pain. Jerk.

"Wait what? Do you have a thing for Nick? Oh my gosh!! You guys would be so perfect together." Her eyes are lite up. And she bouncing around.

"April volume." I move to get the coffee travel mug Zander hands me.

"Wait this is perfect. He's coming to dinner next weekend." She says with glee.

My heads snaps up. "What?" Pain. I need to stop doing that.

"Yeah I invited Keith but didn't want it to be one on one so I made it a group thing." April said.

Zander and I looked at each other.

"But you don't cook." We said in unison.

"About that..." April said.

"I know where this is headed. I need to get to work we'll talk later." I said headed to the door Zander behind me.

"Wait. One last thing. April are you interested in Nick?" Zander says slyly.

"Nope. I mean he's hot and I had a crush on him in high school, but then again everyone did. We don't have anything in common though. Autumn and Nick though." She smirked at me.

"I hate you both. I have to go." I walked out the door with Zander behind chuckling.

...

I arrived at work and headed to set up the pumpkin carving area but when I got there it was set up. And there was something on the table. I got closer and saw a to go cup of coffee and a bag. I opened it up to find a couple donuts, some crackers, and my favorite apple cookies. There was a note as well and I slowly opened it.

Autumn,

Thought you mind need some recovery food.

Hope you're not feeling to bad this morning.

Enjoy.

I looked around but didn't see anyone. I stood there grinning. Who could have done this?

After I was standing there for awhile, smiling to myself. Henry surprised me.

"Hi Autumn. You look happy." He said loudly. Ok my senses were a little off. It was probably at a normal volume.

"Shhh. Soft voices." I said rubbing my head.

"Someone has a good night. Hangover? Check. Extremely happy look on your face? Check. So who put that smile there?"

"Uh. No one. Long story."

"Can't wait you hear. I've also been invited to your place."

"What when?!?" I turned quickly. Head. Shit. I don't ever seem to learn.

"Yeah for some dinner. Sounds fun."

I think I needed to talk to April.