Chapter 38

The Unwanted Bride Of Atticus Fawn Chapter 38 ~ATTICUS~

“Hey, Tyler!” I shout. Autumn may think I left her with Clarissa to run after Anya, but I had other matters to deal with. I didn’t want her to know what I was up to. She may not be too happy about it, and I was already on her bad side; I didn’t want to make it worse. I’ve done many things recently to make her unhappy with me, but this one had to be done. I had to teach Tyler a lesson;

he had to know to stay away from Autumn. While I was just pissed that she’d flirted with another man, I was also concerned about her safety. Tyler was not to be trusted around any woman. And he definitely couldn’t be trusted around my wife.

He turns around, and his eyes widen the second he spots me, “oh shit.”

That is precisely what I was thinking. My stride is long and fast as I grab him by his t-shirt and shove him up against the wall.

“What’s this that I’ve heard about you wanting to take my wife to dinner tonight if you win the game?”

He coughs and clears his throat as he looks around for help. I’m positive that he’s looking for his teammates. They all stuck together, but I chose the perfect timing to catch him by himself. Not that I was scared of the fearsomes. It was just less messy this way, and I had to keep it that way to prevent Autumn from finding out. I didn’t want her to get any angrier.

Damon joins me, “look at you starting the fun without me. What part of wait on me didn’t you get?”

“The part where you were taking too long,” I inform him. “The game was about to start, and I had to pay our little friend a visit before he went and tried to win the game without talking to us first.”

“I’m sorry, guys. I didn’t know it would cause a problem.” He apologizes. “I shouldn’t have asked Autumn out. Or even spoken to her. I understand my mistake now. It won’t happen again.”

You bet your ass it won’t happen again!

“Why the f**k would you think that it wouldn’t have caused a problem?” I ask.

Had he been away from his phone all of this time? Why would he think I would be okay with him flirting with my wife? News of Autumn and me had spread like wildfire. There is no way that he didn’t know she was married to me. So what the hell could be his reasoning for his dumb statements?

“Everyone knows that you still love Anya.” He points out. I stiffen at the mention of Anya. Why was he bringing her up when the conversation was about Autumn?

“I didn’t think you would be so concerned about who Autumn was seeing. If I had known, I would have kept my distance from her.

I can see now that she means something to you.”

Of course, she f*****g meant something to me. She was mine!

I press my elbow tighter against his throat, “stay the f**k away from Autumn. If you ever talk to her again, I’ll ensure you can never play a game of football again. Do you understand me? You won’t even be able to stand again after I’m done with you:”

He holds his hands up in the air, “you don’t need to tell me twice. I misread the situation. I’ll keep my distance from her.”

“While keeping your distance from Autumn, keep your distance from Clarissa as well.” Damon adds.

I knew he was waiting for his chance to inform him that Clarissa was also off-limits.

“Your sister?” He asks. “Why would I do that? It’s not like you want her.”

It might have been a joke to Tyler, but we didn’t take it lightly.

I let go of him then because I know Damon is the one who’ll want a piece of him now. Not that I didn’t want to punch his face. But I knew that Damon wanted it more than me, and I’d already gotten my chance.

I have the pleasure of watching Damon’s fist connect with his jaw, “there is plenty more where that came from if you even dare try anything stupid around her. I’ll come and find you if I hear anything, even if it’s a f*****g lie, so make sure there aren’t even any rumors about you next to her.”

Tyler spat out the blood from his mouth and rubbed his jaw. “I understand. Now can I go play my game? They’re all waiting for me.”

“Let’s go, Damon,” I tell him. “Good luck in the game tonight!” I add as we finally allow him to leave.

Tyler glares after us, but he doesn’t try to do anything stupid. He knows he’s no match for us.

“I think we should have done more than that,” Damon says as we walk away. “Guys like Tyler don’t learn so easily. You need to make an example out of him to keep him and others away from Autumn.”

“Are we only speaking about Autumn or Clarissa as well?” I ask.

I’ve been noticing his strange behavior around her recently, and I wasn’t sure what to think of it.

“Autumn, Clarissa, Anya. We must protect the women in our lives from men like him.” He answers.

Anya.

I was still pissed at her and what she’d done. But I also felt terrible after telling Autumn that I would protect her if I had to choose between saving her and Anya. I saw the hurt on her face, and there was nothing I could do about it.

But I hadn’t lied. If I had to choose, it would be Autumn. I don’t know when my feelings changed or how long I’d felt this way, but the moment that she asked me the question, I knew the answer right away. It shocked me, but I didn’t have to hesitate. I would save her in the blink of an eye; without a second thought, she would be the one I would run to. If there were a room full of people that needed saving, it would always be Autumn; she would always be the first one I would fight my own life to save.

I had to prove to her that I was telling the truth. I’d hurt Autumn to the point that she didn’t believe a word I was saying to her.

It still bothers me every time I think about it. She deserved better.

She still does. And I was going to f*****g be better from now on. I didn’t care that she didn’t believe me. I would prove to her that I had changed for the better. This is who I should have been to her from the beginning. I was too caught up with Anya to realize the s**t I’d been doing all along, I was finally opening my eyes, but I could only hope that I was not too late.

. . . . . . . .

~AUTUMN~

Watching Anya leave the game because Atticus told me he would save me over her if it ever came to that was the highlight of my night.

I wanted to believe that he meant those words, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up yet again to have him disappoint me in the end.

The witch who had asked the question disappeared simultaneously with Anya. There was something weird about their interaction. They seemed very familiar and like they knew each other well. I think I’m the only one who noticed it, but I could be wrong about the entire thing. After all, they hadn’t spoken to each other even once.

Something told me that she only approached us to ask that specific question, almost like the answer to that question mattered to her. Was she possibly hired by one of those magazines to get more information on us?

“Honestly, I have never been happier in my life,” Clarissa claims as she practically beams next to me. “The way Anya walked out of here in embarrassment and anger, I wish I had recorded that exact moment. It was priceless. I would pay money to see it again.”

It was true. I would also pay money to see the expression on her face again. It was priceless, just the way Clarissa had described it. Anya had finally gotten a taste of her own medicine, and I can safely say that she didn’t like it one bit.

“It was epic, wasn’t it?” I ask with a grin.

She laughs and puts a finger over her mouth to quiet me down as Atticus and Damon return to sit next to us. I don’t think Damon would be happy to hear us laughing at his girlfriend, even though she deserved it.

“Where did you two run off to?” Clarissa asks.

They both look uneasy at her question, but there is also this strange look of satisfaction on their faces. It makes me a bit suspicious.

I notice Tyler going onto the field last; we’re close enough to the area for me to see the bruise near his mouth. What exactly happened to him?

“We just had to visit an old friend,” Damon answers her. “Nothing for you to worry about.”

His words prompt me to look at Atticus; why does he look so guilty? I look back to the field at Tyler and then back at him.

He wouldn’t? Right? There is no way that they were both responsible for the bruise on his face. But the more I saw the smirks on both of their faces, the more I was convinced that they had a significant part to play in it.

The nasty glare Tyler shoots them confirms my earlier suspicion.

I don’t believe this. I’ll have to confront Atticus about this the moment that we are left alone.

“The game is about to start.” Clarissa cheers as the two teams begin to face off each other.

“Where are Scarlett and Clara?” I ask as I look around for them. They were supposed to be here with us by now.

“It looks like Scarlett is in the field,” Clarissa says as she tries to get a closer look.

She’s right. That was Scarlett running onto the field where Carter was. He doesn’t notice her at first, but as soon as he does, he pushes away from the rest of his teammates as soon as he spots her. I’m unsure what she’s telling him, but he looks uneasy.

There is something strange happening between them, and it makes me begin to worry. Was Scarlett okay? For her to confront him like that in front of the entire crowd meant that it had to be urgent.

“What’s going on between them?” Clarissa asks.

“I’m not sure,” I tell her. “Clara did say that she asked Scarlett to pretend to be in love with Carter so that she could break his heart just like he’d broken hers. I’m not sure if this is a part of that.”

“Oh, right,” Clarissa says. “That makes so much sense. I always wondered why Scarlett would be so close to Carter when he’d cheated on her sister. She’s good at acting like she’s in love with him; even now, she can have almost anyone fooled.”

While I believed Scarlett could be a great actor, I didn’t think that was the case here.

I’m not so sure this was acting by the looks of it. There seems to be something authentic going on between them.

She storms out of the field, and instead of starting the game, he runs after her.

“What the hell is he doing?” Damon asks. “He’s the star player of the game.”

“That’s a good thing that he’s leaving. Tyler will lose.” Atticus says with a smile. “Why are you complaining, Damon? This is what we want.”

I gape at him, surprised that he would say something like that; I’ve never seen him this happy. It’s like he’d accomplished something big. And to him, maybe he just did. From the looks of it, Atticus was not very fond of Tyler. Was that all because of me?

Damon agrees and sits back down with a grin on his face. I couldn’t believe those two; you could quickly tell they were brothers by their similarities.

There is chaos on the field as Carter doesn’t even bother saying anything to the coach or his teammates. I don’t want to be him when everyone blames him if we lose this game.

Despite him being gone, the game begins, and everyone forgets about him, at least for now.

“Should we go and check on Scarlett?” I ask Clarissa.

“We could, but we have no idea where they both went. But where is Clara?”

That was a good question. Clara was also supposed to meet us here tonight. There was definitely trouble.

“I thought you both were interested in the game?” Atticus asks. “Neither of you is paying attention to what’s happening on the field.”

“Oh, so you want us to pay attention?” I ask him. “Okay, Clarissa, don’t you find Tyler looks amazing on the field? He’s surprisingly good.”

“You’re right.” She says as she pretends to be interested in him, she is playing along so well. “Look at him go. Such a good player. Are you seeing the way he flexes those muscles?”

I almost choke at her words.

“That’s it,” Atticus says as he gets up. “It’s time for us to go home.”

I turn to him in shock, “the game just started. Why are we leaving?”

“Our parents called and said we have a family dinner to attend,” Damon answers for him. “Everyone must be present, and we have an hour to get dressed and meet them at the Loreo’s Restaurant.”

Damon also looks completely fed up; he has agreed with Atticus since the beginning. It was Clarissa and me against Damon and him.

“How is it that I didn’t hear anything from them?” Clarissa asks suspiciously. “They would have told me if there was a dinner that we had to attend. I think you’re both just making up things for us to leave the game, and then you’re going to say something stupid like they canceled the dinner last minute.”

She had a good point. I also believed that this was their devious plan.

“We only just received the message on our phone,” Atticus answers her. “You know how they get when we don’t arrive on time for their plans. So we have to leave promptly.”

I couldn’t tell if they’d just made up the entire thing, but I guess we were about to find out.

Atticus drove the fastest I’ve ever seen him towards the house. When we got home, we all dressed as quickly as we could and met in front of the house where a car was waiting for us. This time, there was a driver; neither Damon nor Atticus was driving.

They joined us in the back seat.

“Please tell me Anya is not going to be there.” Clarissa groans.

Damon quirks a brow, “I guess I won’t tell you then.”

She rocked back against her seat and squeezed her temple. “Just when I didn’t think this night could get any worse.”

Was Anya truly going to be there? As long as Atticus didn’t do anything stupid that could jeopardize our relationship; there shouldn’t be anything to worry about.

When we arrived, Atticus opened the door for me and helped me get out of the vehicle. There were so many things he never did in the past that he was doing now, and it did catch me off guard.

I’m nervous as we walk into the restaurant. The stares never stop when you’re a part of the Fawns and their family. I was still getting used to all the attention, and it hadn’t been the easiest thing. My parents were also famous and had their pictures taken almost everywhere that they went, but it was still different with Atticus and his family.

I take a deep breath when his family waves over to us. So they had been telling the truth all along. I spot Anya next to Damon, and it angers me.

She is dressed in an almost see-through white dress. Did she think that was appropriate for dinner with his family?

“Did she not get the dress code?” Clarissa whispers to me as we take our seats.

I try not to get bothered when she tries to sit right next to Atticus. I’m on his right side, and she’s on the left. I’m not sure if he noticed it, but he does look my way, looking for a reaction from me.

“I’m glad you could make it in time.” His mother praises us with a warm smile. “Let’s order whatever you all like on the menu.”

A photographer snaps our photo, and Clarissa groans next to me, “they’ve already started.”

“What are they doing in here?” I ask her.

“My parents always allow a photographer to take at least one photo of us whenever we have an event like this. They have a deal that makes both sides a good amount of cash.”

Oh, I should have known; my family wasn’t any different. They didn’t become billionaires without working hard for it. They were always thinking of ways for more fame and money.

“How are you feeling now, Anya?” Mr. Fawn asks her. It’s the first time I’ve seen his parents concerned about her. I knew that they didn’t like her, but they must have been worried after she almost ‘drowned’ after jumping off their yacht. It must have looked bad in the articles, and now they’re forced to show affection toward her, especially for the camera.

She smiles, “thank you for asking; I’m doing better. It’s still a bit hard to breathe at times; I keep remembering how fast my life flashed before my eyes. I’m so sorry for making everything so chaotic for you when it was supposed to be a happy occasion. I promise never to do something like that again.”

“That’s good; my sons were pretty shaken up from seeing you that way. You must take better care of yourself, especially with this family.” He tells her.

It was a warning, but he’d put it in the most kindest way possible.

Anya just looked happy that they were paying her attention.

“And Autumn, we’re looking forward to a grandchild soon.” He says as he tilts his drink in my direction.

I blush; Atticus and I hadn’t even slept together for that to be possible.

I notice the way Anya narrows her eyes the moment he mentions my name.

Good.

She needs to be constantly reminded that Atticus is married to me and not her.

“I hope you’re doing your duty as a man, son.” He says to Atticus, who in turn almost chokes on the drink still in his hand.

Atticus coughs, and Anya leans forward to slide her hand up and down his back, “are you okay? Do you need something?”

I clenched my jaw; she’d already started to get on my nerves.

He pulls away from her slightly and leans more into me, “it’s okay, Anya. I’m good. I was just caught by surprise, that’s all.”

“I’m sure Atticus is doing a good job,” Griffin says. “His scent is all over Autumn. I could smell it from over here.”

Now it was my turn to choke on absolutely nothing.

“Griffin,” Atticus growls.

“What?” He asks innocently. “Why do you always get offended by whatever I say? I’m defending your honor. You should be thanking me.”

Clarissa sighed, “and what about you, Griffin? Are you doing your job as a man?”

He chuckles, “do you have to ask that question? It’s me. I’m doing more than my job requires of me. Rest assured.”

Clarissa pretends to gag at his response, and she also looks like she regrets asking him in the first place.

“I’m going to use the washroom.” I excuse myself. I was partly trying to escape from the conversation but also needed to use it. It was a good excuse and the only one I have now.

I rushed out of there as quickly as I could. I was scared that they would somehow know that Atticus and I hadn’t consummated our marriage yet. And I wasn’t sure if that would ever happen anymore. There were times when we got carried away, but something always came in between. I stopped it once because I felt like the spell was the only reason he was touching me, and he was the one who had prevented it from going any further the last time.

After using the washroom, I was surprised to see Anya washing her hands by the sink. Did no one find it weird that she came to use it at the same time that I did?

I don’t say a word to her as I approach the sink right next to it. I didn’t want to entertain her anymore. She wasn’t necessary, at least not after everything she’s done to me.

“You think you’ve won just because Atticus said one thing in your favor, don’t you?” She asks me.

“No,” I tell her the truth. “But it was nice to hear. And it’s only the first; he will take my side from now on. Just wait and see. I wasn’t fighting back before, but I am now. If I were you, I’d be scared.”

She laughs, “scared?” She asks. “Oh darling, you have no idea what fear is yet, do you? You’re going to eat those words eventually. You wait and see. And then I’ll be the one laughing.”

What did she mean by that? It sounded like it was a threat. What else was Anya planning on doing?

“Know that I’m not going to sit back and watch you try and destroy my life anymore. I’m onto you, and this time I’m not going to let you hurt me.”

I don’t wait for her to say anything else as I storm out of the bathroom. I couldn’t believe the nerve of this woman. She tried to act like a saint in front of everyone else, but behind closed doors, she was a different person.

If I were her, I would be embarrassed. She was a complete fake, and there were only a few people around me that knew that about her. Her lies completely fooled the others. I couldn’t blame them; I was stupid enough at one point to fall for it as well. Now I knew how foolish I’d been since the beginning ever to become friends with someone like her.

I finally had good friends and knew what it felt like. She was nothing like my friends, and I was thankful for that. She made me realize how much of a gem they were, and I could appreciate their kindness and generosity more now that I knew the kind of person that she was.

“Autumn and I just had a heart-to-heart conversation in the bathroom.” She informs Atticus, who looks over at me before returning his attention to her. “Things are going to be okay for us now. You don’t need to worry about my friendship with her anymore, Atticus. I’m going to take good care of her.”

I watched as she rubbed his arm gently. How did she have no shame?

What was her problem? Didn’t she know by now that Atticus was off-limits? Him telling her that he would save me over her was not enough to get this girl from stopping trying to ruin my marriage.

My hand tightens around the fork as I felt something growing strong and fast inside of me. It’s powerful and uncontrollable. It’s hard to explain, and I’m slightly frightened by it. It’s taking control of my body and fighting to get free. I gasp when the soup in front of her splashed all over her body.

Multiple gasps follow right after. Everyone is shocked to see what just took place in front of us.

How the hell did that happen? It was not the only thing; the water from the glass had been emptied on top of her.

I cover my mouth with my hand. It’s not possible that I was responsible for that. But I couldn’t deny that it only happened after I was pissed off with her. And why did it only fall on her?

“Ew!” Anya screeches as she watches her dress. “This dress is brand new, and it’s designer!”

Clarissa stifles a burst of laughter next to me, “if you ask me, it looks a lot better now.”

Atticus doesn’t try to help her, and I’m pleased by his behavior. Dante and Damon, on the other hand, are already trying to clean her up.

“How did that even happen?” Atticus’s mother asks.

That was the question that was on everyone’s mind.

How did it happen?

Was I really responsible for that?

And if I was, who exactly was I?