Autumn's POV

“Are you going to stay in the car the entire time?” Griffin asks sarcastically.

We were at the beach, but I was contemplating getting out of the car with the number of people I saw. I didn‘t think this was going to be a big party.

Now I knew I was wrong.

I shook my head and stepped out even though,All I wanted was to stay inside the car.

"I'll make sure you aren't uncomfortable." He promised me as he guided me over to a group of girls. I already recognized them. They were popular girls. Of course, Griffin would be friends with the most popular people in our school, just like his siblings.

"Good to see you." He greets them. “I‘m sure you all know my future sister–in–law, Autumn." He turns to me and says "And these girls don't need any introduction either."

No, they didn‘t. The one smiling at me was Scarlett Mae, and next to her was her sister Clara.

Clara used to be the more popular one among the two sisters.In fact, Scarlett never really attended events like this, from what I knew about her. She reminded me a lot of myself. But all that changed when Carter Prince broke up with her sister Clara.

They were the couple that everyone looked up to, but everyone always knew that Carter was never faithful to Clara.

I'm not sure how that changed Scarlett, but she soon started attending parties and school games, she was becoming more popular than her sister, especially since Carter seemed to have his eyes on her. That was gross, how could he be interested in Scarlett

when he dated her sister? But that was not my business. I’ve learned to keep away from

drama, especially dramas like this.

"We've barely spoken in the past, I'm sure we can be great friends," Scarlett tells me.

"That would be great since Autumn can do with some new friends after what happened with Anya," Griffin adds.

Scarlett and Clara give each other a knowing look.

Of course, everyone already knows about it. I can tell by their expressions, but I didn't expect anything different. I knew this would happen when I learned I would marry Atticus.

"You don‘t need to feel uncomfortable around us.' Clara assured me.

"How about we don‘t even bring that up," Scarlett says.

Griffin grins, "I knew you girls were my safest option to introduce Autumn to. I told you I would make sure you weren‘t uncomfortable." He reminds me.

He was right. Scarlett and her sister seemed nicer than I expected them to be.

"I'm going to meet a few guys from the team,"Griffin tells me as he walks over to the football players. I think this was one of their parties for winning yet another game.

"Do you want a drink, Autumn?" Clara asks me.

I shook my head. "I don‘t drink."

She smiles, "Scarlett doesn't either, but I'm making sure she gets drunk today."

"Is that the famous bride of Atticus Fawn?"Someone asks behind me.

Scarlett rolled her eyes as Amy joined us, "why do you show up everywhere we are?"

"I wasn't talking to you, sweety. I was talking to the girl that stole her best friend's boyfriend. But you should know plenty about that since you‘re also stealing your sister's boyfriend."

"Ex–boyfriend." Scarlett snaps. "And I'm not stealing anyone. Neither did Autumn. Get your facts checked before you go sprouting nonsense."

"A little defensive?" Amy laughs.

"You're not wanted here, Amy." Clara hissed. "Leave before we make you."

Amy fl!ps her hair and walks away.

"I'm sorry about her." Scarlett apologizes. "She's a pain in our ass."

"It's okay," I assure her. "I know this is something I'll have to get used to now that I‘m marrying Atticus."

"Are you sure you don't want that drink now?" Clara asks me.

I stared at the bottle in her hand, I could use a little stress reliever. Anything to make me forget what my life was turning into. Atticus had left me while we were choosing our engagement rings so that he could look after my best friend, his lover, and his mate.

Life was only about to get worse.

I grabbed the bottle out of Clara's hand and took a big gulp, to her surprise. Scarlett takes it from me next and does the same.

"I thought I would have had to beg you two more than this." Clara laughs as she watches us take turns.

I know I shouldn't be doing this, but I can‘t stop. I will deal with the consequences later.

Atticus's POV

When I got home, I noticed that Griffin hasn‘t gotten home yet. Did he go somewhere else after dropping Autumn home?

"Did Griffin come home earlier?" I ask my cousin sister Clarissa. She was adopted by my dads younger brother and his wife, my parents brought her home a few years ago when our Aunt and uncle passed away in an road accident and she has been a part of our family since then. We love her as our own, and nothing will ever change that.

"No."She says, looking behind me for something or someone. "Did Damon not return with you?"

I chuckle, "why do i feel like you're disappointed that it‘s me and not him?"

She's always been the closest with him, and my brother is also very protective of her.

Other than Anya, she was the only other person

he's been so protective over.

"Is he here?" She asks with hopeful eyes.I sigh, "sorry, Clar, He's with Anya. She got into a minor accident, and he‘s staying with her."

Her smile fades, and she turns to leave in disappointment.

"Are you sure Griffin didn't come back yet?" I asked her before she could disappear.

She nodded, "I think I heard someone say that he was going to a beach party."

A beach party?

"Which beach?"

"Radiant Bay." She answers.

I immediately, took the phone out and start dialing his number while walking back towards my jeep. He didn't pick up at first, but after trying for a second time, he finally does.

"What's up, bro?" He asks.

I can hear the loud music blasting in the background. And is he drunk?

"Did you drop Autumn home?" I ask him.

There is a slight pause, "oh fuck! Was I supposed to drop her home?"

My body stiffens at his question. "Did you at least go to pick her up as I asked you to? " I groan.

"Of course, I did pick her up as you asked."He assured me. “I just never dropped her home."

"So where the fuck is she, Griffin".

He laughs, and I fail to see what was so damn funny?

"She's with me at the party." He answers me. "I sent you a video. Please take a look at it and don‘t call me again. I'm having fun, and you're fucking ruining it with all your stupid questions."

Before I can say anything else, he hangs up. I click on the message he sent me and play the video he has sent me. I'm surprised when I see Autumn dancing on the sand barefoot. Her cheeks

are red, and it takes me a while to realize that she's drunk.

This motherfucker. Did he get her drunk? As far as I knew, Autumn didn‘t drink. So then, what did they do to her? Griffin wasn't someone to let anyone take advantage of a girl.

Maybe I was reading too much into it. But she was clearly drunk. The thought of some aashole trying to touch her sent my blood boiling,

My knuckles tightened into fists, and before I knew what I was doing, I was in my jeep out of the parkingin and racing towards the beach. I had to make sure that she was okay. Griffin could

be drunk and not paying attention to her. There was no telling who was at that beach party.

I thought I could fucking trust my brother to drop her home safely. Instead, he‘d taken her to a beach party and gotten her drunk for the first time in her life.

When I got there, someone had plenty of explaining to do!