Falling for Autumn, page 7
Since it was so cold in Chicago most of the time, Ajay forgot how beautiful certain parts of Illinois were in the summer and fall. Even the springtime, if they were lucky enough to get a short winter season.
He followed Autumn along the path to a concrete bench on one end of the river that opened into a small pond with vibrant green lily pads. He sat down beside her and minutes passed before either of them spoke.
“Did you know that I was adopted?”
Autumn slowly turned to face him. “I had no idea that Mr. and Mrs. Reed weren’t your biological parents.”
“In every way that it counts, they are my parents. But we don’t share the same bloodlines.”
“What about Taheim and Kaya?”
“They are biologically their children.”
“Were you adopted when you were a baby?”
“I wish,” he said with a forced laugh. “They didn’t legally adopt me until I was thirteen.” He glanced at her to see if she was surprised by what he had said, but she appeared only to be listening intently.
“From the time I was seven years old, I had enjoyed going to one of the Boys & Girls Clubs on the south side of Chicago. I grew up in an area of the south side that back in the day, we called the wild hundreds. So any excuse to have fun with other kids in the neighborhood was better than being in the streets. I knew that even at seven.”
“Pretty intelligent for a seven-year-old.”
“I may not be book smart like you, but I definitely have a good business sense and street smarts. Especially back then. One day, I made friends with this five-year-old kid who used to follow me around. I didn’t know why this kid was so drawn to me, but I couldn’t get rid of him no matter how hard I tried.”
“Let me guess. Was that little boy Taheim?”
“You know it,” he said with a smile as a memory of five-year-old Taheim flashed in his mind. “My parents are really active in the community and even though they didn’t live in the city anymore, they gave back to the community that they grew up in. One day, Taheim had asked our dad if I could spend the night. I could tell at first he was hesitant. He asked the director of the club about my parents and I couldn’t hear what the director was saying, but I’m sure he was telling him that my grandmother was my caregiver. So he walked me to my house, which was only a couple blocks away, so that he could personally ask my grandma.”
“Did you used to walk to the club by yourself or did your grandmother walk you?”
“My grandma used to walk me, but then she started having health problems, so one of her friends and neighbors would take me when she could. When Dad met my grandmother, they immediately got along. My grandmother was a saint in more ways than one while my birth mother was the complete opposite. She wasn’t ready to be a parent.”
“I take it you don’t have a good relationship with your biological parents.”
“To this day, I don’t know who my father is and I don’t give a damn to ever find out. And my birth mom died almost ten years ago. She was in and out of jail most of my childhood and was in jail when I had met the Reeds.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Autumn said as she lightly touched his arm. “That must have been terrible.”
“It was. I was conflicted because on one hand, I wanted her there. But on the other hand, her absence gave me the chance to get closer to the Reeds. As months turned into years, I was at the Reed family home more than I was at my own home. At the time, I felt as though I had the perfect life. A friend who, although younger than me, was like a brother. Parents who weren’t mine, but cared about me as if I was their own. I was even at the hospital when Kaya was born, so she’s only known her life with me in it.” His thoughts drifted to the moment when things had changed.
Autumn scooted closer to him on the bench. “Judging from the look on your face, I’m assuming things took a turn for the worse.”
“They sure did.” He shook his head and let out a laugh that was filled with hurt. “My grandma passed away when I was ten years old and my world fell apart. The reason I was able to spend so much time with the Reeds was because my grandma allowed it. When my mother got out of jail a few months before my grandmother passed, she was rarely home. She always preferred to roam the streets doing God knows what. After my grandma died, my birth mom suddenly wanted to start acting like a mother. She moved into my grandmother’s house, and when the Reeds showed up a few weeks after the funeral to ask if I could come over, she told them that I wouldn’t be seeing them anymore.”
“That’s awful.”
“It really was.” He watched one of the lily pads lightly spin in the pond. “A couple months later, we moved to Detroit to live with some drug dealer she was dating. The dude and I actually got along okay, but I went from learning basketball and fishing with the Reeds to learning how to roll a blunt. I would spend most of my nights in the basement with some guys who worked for him, counting the money he made.”
In his peripheral vision, he could see her shaking her head. He couldn’t blame her. Jaleen and a few others knew his story, but for the most part, no one knew about his past, and he liked to keep it that way.
“I witnessed things I wish I hadn’t. Did things I wish I could take back.”
“Everybody has regrets.” She leaned her head against his shoulder, and the movement caught him by surprise. “So how in the world did you end up getting adopted by the Reeds?”
He smiled. “From ten to twelve, my life was anything but normal. The one thing my birth mother’s boyfriend let me do was buy anything I wanted for the monthly party he planned for his right-hand men, their girlfriends or wives, and their kids. For me, I guess it symbolized family time. I enjoyed the parties because it was the only time that I felt normal. As if I was part of a regular family. One party they decided to have it in a public park with a nice-size pool. I was playing with the other kids in the pool but I was closest to the daughter of my mom’s closest friend out there. The two of us had decided that we wanted ice cream from the truck right outside the pool area. The last person I expected to see when I got there was Taheim buying a cone.”
“What are the odds? It was meant for you to see him that day.”
“I had thought the same thing. I’m not much of a hugger, but that day, we’d hugged so tight and I swear, I had felt so much emotion in that moment it had been hard to breathe. I had known I missed him, but I hadn’t expected to feel so much. Kids around us getting ice cream laughed, but we knew how rare it was that we would run into each other on a random Saturday in a Detroit park.”
Even reminiscing about that moment almost choked him up. So long ago, yet the memory remained as if it were yesterday.
* * *
As she continued to lean her head on his shoulder, she felt him begin to relax, considering most of the time, he’d been extremely tense.
“Taheim and I talked for about an hour that day and I made my friend stay close by because I knew that as long as we both were together, my mom and her boyfriend wouldn’t look for us. That was the year the Reeds opened a soul food restaurant in Detroit. It was right down the street from the park. I didn’t mean to, but I told Taheim everything that day and made him promise not to tell his parents he saw me until they were back in Chicago. I had been desperate for him to understand that my birth mom’s boyfriend was not the type of man to mess with. He kept his word, but my mom found out anyway. I guess my friend had told her mom about me seeing Taheim, and my mom put the pieces together. Things got bad really quickly, and not just between my mom and me, but also between her and her boyfriend. She started getting hooked on the stuff he sold and before long, he stopped trying to reason by yelling and resorted to full-blown hitting. Anytime I stepped in, I caught the wrath instead. Even knocked me unconscious a couple times.”
“Oh, my goodness, I’m so sorry.”
“I appreciate that. I had hoped that my mom would come to her senses and get us out of that situation, but she didn’t. It hadn’t mattered anyway. I was smart enough to finally call Child Protection Services. Within a month, I was removed from the house and placed in foster care. Within a year after that, the Reeds legally adopted me and as soon as I could, I took their last name.”
She lifted her head from his shoulder and glanced at Ajay. “Well, I’d say that is a very happy ending, and you know how I love a happy ending,” she said, trying to lighten the mood. It worked, and he let out a hearty laugh, finally releasing the remaining tension in his body.
“Yeah, we all know how much you love happy endings.” She joined in his laughter briefly, noting that he hadn’t told her how his birth mother had passed away.
“Seriously, though, I can’t say that I’ve been through exactly what you have. But I understand having a mother who probably should have never had children in the first place.”
“It’s a crazy thing, isn’t it? Had they not had kids, we wouldn’t be here. But it’s hard to shake the disappointment and hurt that you experience when you grew up with a parent who cared more about themselves than your well-being.”
“Exactly. My father is a good man. And my aunt and uncle who live in Arkansas are a great example of what a loving marriage should be. My aunt and my mom may share the same blood, but they are nothing alike.”
“I know what you mean. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about how different my life would have been if it wasn’t for the Reed family.”
“My mom up and left us and my dad when I was a teenager, and when she did, it was a huge relief. My dad was heartbroken when she filed for divorce. He’d spent most of their marriage trying to make her happy. But my mom is one of the most disrespectful people you could ever meet, so the day she walked out that door, it wasn’t ‘see you later.’ It was ‘good riddance.’”
“Wow, she must really be a piece of work.”
“She is. Definitely a conversation for another time.” She didn’t really talk about her mom much because she didn’t want to waste thoughts on people who didn’t matter. However, after what Ajay had just shared, she knew that one day she would share something with him, as well. It wasn’t that she felt she owed him her life story, but after spending her entire life never feeling inclined to share anything about herself to anyone, she finally wanted to share a piece of herself that she usually didn’t. And that was a feeling she was enjoying a little too much.
Chapter 8
“It took you long enough to get here!” Autumn went to the taxi as her sister Summer stepped out and hugged her.
“I missed you, too, sis. I can’t believe I haven’t seen you in months.” They broke their embrace so that Summer could pay the taxi driver and get her bags.
“You know, I could have picked you up.”
“I know, but I didn’t want you to have to leave the store. Had I known that you would come meet me at your place anyway, I would have taken you up on your offer.”
Autumn gave her another quick hug before they brought her bags into the town house. “I told Winter I would bring you by the store as soon as you arrived, so we can walk there unless you need to relax a little first.”
“Nope, I’m fine. Let’s go see the ladies and all the new goodies in the store that I didn’t see last time.”
When they arrived at the store, Summer busted through the front door.
“Never fear, sis! Your favorite bridesmaid is here.”
Winter squealed so loudly, she startled one of the customers.
“Maybe we should head to the café across the street?” Autumn suggested.
“Where is Danni?” Summer asked after she embraced Winter.
“She stepped out, but should be back soon. Our sales lead is here, so I can tell her that we’re going across the street, and I’ll text Danni to meet us when she gets back.”
“That works.”
When they got to the café, they ordered specialty cappuccinos and took a seat at one of the outdoor tables.
“I’m glad it’s still warm. You never know what the September weather will bring in Chicago,” Summer said.
Winter nodded her head in agreement. “We’ve had good weather lately, so fingers crossed it continues.”
“So how does it feel?”
“How does what feel?”
“How does it feel to know in less than five weeks you will be Mrs. Taheim Reed?”
Winter sighed as her eyes went all lovey-dovey. “It feels amazing. I can’t wait to marry that man. And although I’m obviously so excited for the wedding, I’m also excited for the masquerade affair that they’ve spent so much time planning. Autumn and Ajay have been meeting a lot about the plans.”
Autumn almost choked on her drink at her sister’s not-so-subtle way of bringing up Ajay. “Danni and Jaleen have been key planners, as well. Not just me and Ajay.”
“Hold on,” Summer said, glancing from Winter to Autumn. “Did I miss something? Are you dating Ajay?”
“Hell no. We aren’t dating. We just started getting along weeks ago.”
“That’s not what I heard,” Winter mumbled before she flashed a knowing look. Autumn squinted her eyes.
“What exactly did you hear?”
“I heard, whenever you two are around each other, he can’t take his eyes off you. I also heard that you look at him just as much.”
“That’s not true. Who told you that?”
“Way too many people to name. What’s the problem?”
“Yeah, an attractive man can’t take his eyes off you and you seem annoyed by it,” Summer added.
They didn’t understand. It was hard enough to avoid her attraction to Ajay without her sisters’ input.
“The best way to stop yourself from falling for Ajay is to kiss him and see if anything is there. If there aren’t any sparks, no harm, no foul.”
“And if there are sparks, then you’ll know one way or the other.”
Autumn blinked rapidly as she looked from one of her sisters to the other. “Do you both think this type of logic will actually work on me?”
“Look, Autumn,” Summer said, talking with her hands. “You may have the IQ of a genius, but, sis, you can be so dense sometimes. We know our logic doesn’t make sense. But the reason we are telling you to do this is so that you can experience what it feels like to actually want someone and act on it.”
“You spend way too much time overthinking your actions instead of just feeling,” Winter added. “We’re not telling you to date Ajay or even mess around with him. We’re just telling you to kiss him and see if the sparks are there.”
“Exactly, and if you happen to have sex with him, try not to think about the fact that you will have to see him at every family event that Winter and Taheim throw.”
Autumn shot Summer an evil look, but she just shrugged and smiled. The ultimate little sister. Convinces you to do something, then reminds you of what you could lose by doing so.
“I don’t know, guys. Logically it doesn’t make sense. He’s outgoing. I’m not. He enjoys being around people 24/7 while I get claustrophobic with large crowds. He’s hard to read and so am I. We can’t both be bad at communicating. And have you seen the women who throw themselves at him in the club? Big boobs. Big butts. Weave to their knees.”
“Oh, come on,” Summer said. “Those are lame comparisons. I’m sure he is not just interested in the big-booty Judy types, and even so, you have a nice ass. Besides, you’re beautiful and intelligent and he’d be lucky to have you. And I’m not just saying that because you’re my sister.”
“Ajay is deeper than that and you know it. He wants a woman who will maintain his interest and keep him on his toes. You may be awkward at times, but from what I’ve heard, he seems to really get you.”
She thought about the conversation she’d had with Ajay a week ago. “You’re right,” she said with a sigh. “There is so much more to him than I thought. I guess you never quite realize it until you truly get to know someone.” Her mind drifted to how relaxed Ajay had looked after he told her about his upbringing. A slow smile spread across her face at the memory.
“Oh, wow,” Winter said in surprise. “He actually told you, didn’t he? I can see it in your eyes.”
“Told me what?”
“About his childhood.”
“You knew about it and you didn’t tell me?”
“One, it wasn’t my place to say. Two, all I know is that the Reeds adopted him when he was thirteen and he’s their blood in all the ways that count. I also know his upbringing was hard, but that’s all.”
“Ajay was adopted?” Summer asked. “How did I miss that?”
“I also heard that you and he were the only ones to check out the venue last week. You both got through that without anyone getting hurt, so is it safe to say you’re no longer getting on his case about stuff?”
“How about you just say that Danni told you about us—not that there is an us. She’s the only one around Ajay and me enough. And yes, we are getting along more, so you don’t have to worry about your maid of honor arguing with the best man the day of your wedding.”
“Sweetie, I was more concerned with the both of you ignoring your feelings up until the wedding and the sexual tension building up so much that you can barely take it.”
Summer started laughing.
“I don’t see what’s so funny. I’ll figure out what I’m going to do about my attraction to Ajay on my own.”
“Finally,” Summer said, raising her hands in the air. “She admits that she’s attracted to him.”
“That’s good,” Danni said as she approached the table. “Because I just got a text message from Jaleen inviting us to his friend Luke’s birthday party at Inferno Lounge tonight. Winter, he said you already knew about it.”
