It's Not Goodbye {Chapter Twenty Seven}
Autumn was disorientated. Her vision was blurry and her head pounded. She tried to sit up, having to grip the couch cushion to do so; she felt as if any second she was going to throw up.
Autumn shoved those feelings aside, focusing on her predicament. It took a few minutes for the haze over her eyes to fade. When it did, she studied everything around her. Autumn was lying on a beige L-shaped sectional sofa.
Resting her feet against the plush carpet, she struggled to stand. When she rose, she smashed into the corner of the solid wood glass coffee table. Across from the couch and the table was a sixty inch flat screen television, which was drilled into the wall.
A storage cabinet was next to the television; it was the same color as the ivory walls. Autumn stumbled toward it, her legs acting as if they hadn't been used in years. Scanning her fingers over the shelves, she realized the cabinet was filled with movies.
Some of them she had seen, and loved. Others were movies she had always wanted to watch. Autumn would have stood there, marveling over the collection, but a 'whoosh' sounded.
She peered over her shoulder and toward the source of the sound. Two doors rested on the back wall behind the couch. Autumn could see light peeking out from under one of them.
Someone turned on a faucet, water running.
Passing the open kitchen, she circled around the couch. Her hand hovering over the doorknob, she paused.
Autumn tried to rationalize her situation. Where was she? How did she get here? What did Tate do to her?
She couldn't, she wouldn't, believe Tate had done anything to harm her. Yet, she couldn't ignore the facts.
He was the only other person in the garage. He spoke to her right before it happened. Something wasn't right. Autumn tried to stop thinking about it; but it was all she could do.
Could Tate have been using her? Could he be as bad as Kyra? Could he have been pretending all along?
Whoever was behind the door held all the answers to her burning questions. Whoever was there was the one who'd brought her here. Before she could hesitate again, Autumn thrust open the door. Someone stood directly behind it, staring at her with wide eyes.
Autumn's first reaction was to scream, jumping two feet in the air before leaping backwards. She smashed into the couch.
"Whoa there!" Tate laughed. Autumn clutched her chest, attempting to catch her breath.
"You can't do that to me!" She shouted, cheeks flushed.
"What did I do? I was just using the bathroom and then you opened the door," Tate shrugged.
"Where are we?" Autumn wondered as she sat on the back of the couch.
"Your new apartment," Tate shut the door, leaning against it with his arms crossed. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I got hit by a bus . . . what did you do to me?"
"Yeah," Tate rubbed the back of his neck. "It's the council's policy."
"What is? To knock the nearest human unconscious?" Tate chuckled.
"No, its policy whenever someone comes in and out that's not a Traveler. They need to be . . . well . . . knocked out." Autumn raised her brow. "It's for safety reasons."
"How is it for safety?" Autumn wondered, cocking her head to the side.
"This is just an example. If someone were to capture you, and try to get the location of praesidium . . ." Tate paused when he spotted the confusion plastered all over her face. "I think I told you it was headquarters . . . Where you've been for the past four months. Anyway, if someone were to try to get the location out of you, you wouldn't know."
"You couldn't have warned me?"
"What would I have said? 'Hey Autumn, I know you're upset right now. I'm just going to stick this needle into your neck. It'll knock you out. No worries though.'"
". . . Touché."
"I stopped at the store though, picked up some medicine. It's in the kitchen." Tate gestured toward the breakfast bar. He reached out, interlocking their fingers, as he dragged her into the kitchen.
The breakfast bar sat in between two columns. The wall in front of the bar was open. Tate let go, shoving her into one of the chairs. The marble countertops sparkled they were so clean.
The kitchen was rather large. Autumn could see a fridge, stove, oven, microwave, coffee maker, pantry, blender, and more. Tate snatched a box of medicine off the island counter top. Reaching into one of the cabinets, he got her a glass and filled it with water from the fridge.
When he was done, he set them out in front of her.
"Here's some," he paused to read the label. "Been-a-drialle."
"Benadryl," Autumn corrected. She opened the box, and took one of the pills. "Cade did good," she bobbed her head.
"He did, this place is nice." Autumn twiddled her thumbs around, eyeing the countertop. This moment felt so simple; felt like something average couples did. But she knew, soon enough, it would all end.
Tate reached out and took the empty glass, washing it in the sink. Autumn got out of her chair and joined him in the kitchen. He dried his hands, tossing the rag onto the counter.
"How much longer do we have until you have to go?" Autumn asked with a frown. Tate checked his watch, sighing.
"A few minutes." Autumn had cried so much over the past four months, it drove her nuts. She didn't want to keep doing it. However, she couldn't stop herself. The thought of leaving her friends hurt, the thought of leaving Tate killed her.
Her eyes began to burn.
"Hey," Tate gripped her hands. "It's going to be okay."
"How can you say that? You're leaving me all alone." Tate reached into his pocket.
"I almost forgot to give this to you," he tittered. Tate set a necklace into the palm of her hand; it was beautiful. The charm was three rings interconnected, it being held by a silver chain.
"Tate . . . This is gorgeous. I-I can't accept this."
"You can," Tate grinned. "It was my mother's. I thought you'd like it. It's an old fortis symbol; it means were connected." Autumn ran her finger over it. "That way, you'll never be alone."
"I love it."
"Here." Tate scooped up the necklace, spinning her around. Forcing her hair out of his way, Autumn couldn't help but smile as he clipped it. Whirling back to face him, she rested her hand against it.
"Thank you." Tate leaned in, planting his lips onto hers. This kiss saddened her. It upset her because she knew it would be one of their lasts. Tate broke the kiss, staring at her when he opened his eyes.
"Did you want to see more of the apartment? There's a storage close-" Autumn interrupted him, gripping the back of his head and forcing his lips against hers.
When she was with him, everything was different. She'd only ever felt safe when she was with Tate. She'd felt like a different person ever since they met, a person that Autumn liked more.
The fact that everything they'd been through was about to end didn't sit easy with her.
Autumn wrapped her arms around his neck. His hands first gripped her cheeks, deepening the kiss, before they traveled down her back. Her heart beat out of her chest. Autumn could feel the passion between them.
She could feel the love they shared. And she never wanted to let it go.
The kiss grew more intense. Tate picked Autumn up, setting her on top of the counter. He began to kiss her neck while simultaneously helping her remove her jacket. He ran his hand up her arm, her skin prickling just from his touch.
His soft lips found their way back to hers.
Autumn reached for Tate's shirt, them breaking there kiss momentarily so he could take it off. She admired his muscles for a quick second. She'd only ever seen the outline of his abs, now all she could see was his six-pack. She wrapped her legs around his waist, this kiss the most passionate they'd ever had.
Of course the moment didn't last.
His watch beeped. The two broke away, resting their foreheads against each other's as they caught their breath. Autumn wanted the moment to start all over, the butterflies in her stomach and the rapid beating of her heart intoxicating.
"I . . . I have to go."
"Please, don't." Autumn whispered while shutting her eyes. Tate didn't say anything at first, just stepped back, moved a strand of hair from her face, and then snatched his shirt off the ground and put it on.
"I'll uhm . . . walk you out." Tate nodded as he exited the kitchen. Autumn slipped back on her jacket, fixing her hair. Taking in a deep breath, she followed him out of the apartment (mesmerizing the room number), down the steps, and outside.
He turned to face her once they stood in front of a blue sedan, Autumn assuming it was his.
"Stay safe, alright? No talking to strangers and all that jazz," Tate began.
"You sound like my father," Autumn scoffed.
"I just want you to be okay." Autumn bit her lip. The moment they shared in the kitchen was one she'd never forget. However, she had a feeling that passion would be hard to repeat.
She wasn't even sure she'd get another chance to be with him again. That thought alone caused a lump to form in her throat. She could feel the tears building in her eyes.
"Please don't cry. I don't want to remember you that way," Tate whispered.
"I can't help it," Autumn snuffled. "This it . . . goodbye."
"It's not goodbye," Tate shook his head as he took Autumn's hand in his. "We'll see each other again." Autumn's vision became blinded with fresh tears.
"You don't know that."
"I do . . . I have faith, Autumn." Hot tears streamed down her flushed cheeks. "These past four months have been the best of my life. "
"Mine too," Autumn swallowed the lump in her throat.
"I love you." Tate had said these words to her before; this time they were different. They meant more than every other time he'd ever said it.
Tate leaned in and kissed her. This kiss was different somehow. It was the most genuine, passionate kiss they had ever had in their lives. This kiss made the little scene in the kitchen laughable.
"I love you too," Autumn whispered as Tate backed away. "I can't live without you. It's too hard . . . to painful." Tate studied Autumn, looking her up and down.
"Sometimes, you need a little pain." Planting a kiss on her forehead, Tate stepped away. "Goodbye." Autumn tried to hold onto his hand, tried to get him to stay longer. But their fingers simply slipped out of each other's.
Tate walked to his car, opening the door. Glancing over his shoulder, he sent her a final smile. There were so many things Autumn wanted to say; needed to say. However, none of them would come out.
Autumn watched as a haze formed over Tate's eyes. Seeing him upset broke her. He got into his car, shutting the door.
Autumn couldn't stop the tears. They seemed to multiple. She could barely see Tate start the car and begin to drive off. Her breath was stuck in her throat, she tried to breathe but she couldn't.
It felt like someone was ripping her heart in half. The pain in her chest was indescribable. It was as if someone punched a giant hole in her heart.
Autumn stood there, sobbing, as she watched the man she love disappear from her life.
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