Chapter 49

The Unwanted Bride Of Atticus Fawn Chapter 49 ~ATTICUS~

“Please,” Anya begs. “There’s this huge party tonight at the beach, and everyone will be there. I want us to go together. People need to see us out more often; I want pictures of us posted everywhere.”

I run a hand through my hair. I didn’t want to go anywhere. I still had this sick feeling in my stomach that something was terribly wrong. I kept trying to dig answers out from the people around me, but everyone got quiet whenever the topic changed to the day of the accident.

Surprisingly, Anya was the most hostile whenever I tried to bring it up.

Their reactions only fueled my determination to find out the truth. Who could I trust to finally tell me every single detail of that day? It didn’t make sense to me that my parents would go through so much trouble just to remove some articles about an accident. There had to be much more than that. They were keeping me in the dark, and it was making me furious. Why couldn’t they just tell me? Why did they have to hide it from me? How horrible could this secret be?

“Atticus!” Anya snaps. “Are you hearing anything that I’m saying to you?”

I was; I couldn’t concentrate or respond because of the many things flowing through my mind. Ever since they had mentioned Autumn to me yesterday, I couldn’t get the girl out of my mind. It was absurd that I had more emotion within me from hearing her name than being beside Anya.

Her name didn’t want to leave me. It kept replaying and it was driving me insane.

“When will Autumn return from her vacation with her family?” I asked Anya before I could stop myself.

For some reason, I found myself wanting to see her. I couldn’t explain it, but a part of me was almost desperate to see the girl. It worried me that I was feeling this way with a Anya right next to me. It felt like I was betraying her.

Anya looked like I’d just slapped her in the face for bringing up her best friend in our conversation.

“Why would you ask me that?” She demands.

“She’s your friend. I thought you’d like to have a conversation about her. Is there a problem if I ask about Autumn?” I questioned, waiting for her to explain why she’d gotten so bothered by that question.

I knew Anya got angry at the simplest things but I didn’t think this would be one of them.

“Yes, there is a problem.” She snaps. “You barely ever mention Autumn to me. Why are you suddenly so concerned about her whereabouts? I was in the middle of asking you a question, a couple of questions actually, and you ignored all of them so that you could ask me about her. Is something going on that I should know about Atticus?” She demands. “Is there something that you’re not telling me?”

That’s the same question I wanted to ask her. What the hell was going on, and why was everyone so determined to keep it from me?

“I’m sorry if I offended you, Anya. I won’t ask about her again if that makes you feel better.” I promise her.

It was better to keep Autumn out of my head. I was restless because of her, and I had no clue why. The safest thing would be to stop thinking about her, the only problem was that I wasn’t sure how to do it.

“Back to what I was trying to say before you interrupted me.” She says. “The beach party tonight. Dante and Damon will also be there, but since I want to spend more time with you, they can find something else to do while at the party. We can spend more time together. What do you think?”

I sigh, “whatever makes you happy, Anya. I didn’t want to go, but I’ll do it just because you’re asking me.”

She grins and hugs me, “you’re the absolute best. I’m going to choose my outfit. I can’t wait for everyone to see us together.

We’re already the highlight of all the magazines now that we’re back together.”

“Back together?” I ask her, confused. When did we ever end our relationship? Some of the things she said to me after the accident kept confusing me.

She freezes but quickly hides her reaction from me, “you misunderstood. I meant that we are finally back together after your accident. Ever since you woke back up, we have been the talk of the town. We can’t let everyone down and not show up for the party. We have to give the people what they want.”

Give the people what they want.

I wasn’t looking forward to the party. I was only going because of Anya. Hopefully, tonight I will feel better than I do right now.

It felt like I would never be my usual self until I discovered what everyone was desperate to keep from me. But how long would it be before someone snapped and spilled the truth to me?

. . . . . . . .

~AUTUMN~

The second I smash the door open, an alarm goes off throughout the building. I didn’t waste any time, I wasn’t sure where I was heading, but I chose to run to the left of me.

The chase was on. They knew that I had escaped from the room. I’d waited for what I thought was the right time to break the door down. I can only hope that the voice inside me was right.

I saw two men running behind me and increased my speed. No one was in front of me for now, but I knew it was only a matter of time before more men showed up and tried to block my way.

My heart is racing as I kept moving forward in full speed.

Someone eventually appears before me, and I use my power to smash him against the wall. He wasn’t the only one, they kept on coming after him, and I kept hitting each of them against the wall until I was finally able to escape from the building. I hadn’t seen Skyler while trying to escape, which was a good thing. Skyler may be the strongest amongst them since he was the leader.

He would have known what to do and how to stop me better than the rest.

I expected the building to be packed with people trying to stop me from leaving. It was the opposite. Either they weren’t here, or someone was messing with my head. Maybe they wanted me to believe that I had escaped so they could keep an eye on me.

Anything was possible at this point. I knew Skyler was not some amateur kidnapper; he made it clear that I would only be able to escape from here if he wanted me to.

The thought of him messing with me made me feel sick to my stomach.

Despite my fear of their plans, I kept on moving. I had to see Atticus. I wanted to see for my own eyes that he had betrayed me yet again. After everything, I couldn’t believe I was so stupid to believe even for a second that he cared for me.

I gave him my heart, and he stomped all over it. He was all over Anya; he didn’t even wait until I was found, and he didn’t even try to look for me. I thought for sure that he would be there for me, that he would protect me, that he would do all the things he promised to do for me; I couldn’t have been any more wrong than I was about everything.

I had no idea where I was; I didn’t know what direction to turn. I was no longer underground which meant that I could ask anyone for help. The problem was that there was no one around. And I couldn’t just stay here and wait for Skyler to find me. For all I knew, he was already watching me and waiting for the right time to laugh in my face.

I had to get back to my parents; they needed to tell me everything they knew. Why did they choose to raise me? Why did they accept me from my mother even after knowing my father was Azai Reign? I’ve known them all my life, and they weren’t the kind of people that got involved in situations that could land them in trouble. So why did they agree to help my biological mother?

The more I thought about it, the more it made no sense to me. Why did they do it? Why did my mother choose them to raise me?

I sighed; while I knew I needed the answers to all of these questions, I had to give my mind a break. I needed to breathe again. I was tired; my heart was exhausted from all of the pain and torture it’s been through in the past few weeks. It’s been a roller coaster ride, and it still hasn’t stopped moving.

I’m in the middle of the forest with no one to turn to, no one to ask for help. I was hoping to find at least one person, but I was out of luck. I was the only one who could get me out of this place. I was the only person I could rely on.

There’s a lake to my right, and I gasp when I hear a whisper. Where did it come from?

“Who’s there?” I demand.

I take a step forward and look around me frantically. Had I imagined it? I didn’t think so. I was positive I’d heard someone speak to me. I’m hoping that it wasn’t one of Skyler’s people or I would be screwed.

No one answers, and I keep walking, trying to find the person. I know that I wasn’t delusional. I know they had to be around here somewhere. I just had to keep on looking.

I pause when I hear more whispers. I look towards that lake in horror; there’s no way the water spoke to me. But I couldn’t deny it any longer; the voice was coming from the water. It was showing me the direction, telling me how to escape. How was that even possible?

Was my father also able to understand the water? I’ve been terrified of water my entire life; why did it seem like it was on my side this whole time?

I shook that thought out of my head. I didn’t have time to think about this. People were searching for me. Since I didn’t have a single clue about my whereabouts, I decided that the best thing was to listen to the whispers. It was the only option I had left, and I was desperate to escape those psychopaths.

I shifted into my wolf; I could escape much faster this way. The moment that I do, I’m racing through the woods, trying to find anything that points to the direction of home.

I don’t know how long I was racing through the forest, but I eventually spotted buildings. I wasn’t sure if I had recognized them yet, so I kept going, and finally, I found some hope.

I breathe a sigh of relief when I spot houses that I recognize. I wasn’t too far from home. I wasn’t sure what day it was, but I was going to Atticus’s house first. He had plenty of explaining to do. The rage inside me only intensified as I remembered the videos Skyler had shown me.

It fueled my speed, and before I knew it, I had reached their home. Unfortunately, no one was there. The guards were the only ones present. Where was everyone? It was almost seven in the evening; everyone should have reached back from the academy by now. And why weren’t his parents at least home?

The guards were surprised to see me, but I explained to them that I didn’t want anyone to know that I was back. I wanted to catch Atticus in the act. I didn’t want to give him a chance to stop what he was doing with Anya. I wanted to look him in the eye and show him how much he’d hurt me. Not that it would matter, he knew how much he hurt me in the past, and still, he betrayed me in the end. Nothing I said or did now would affect Atticus. He was back with the love of his life. That was all that mattered to him. My greatest fear was finally thrown in my face.

I walked into our room, grabbed some clothes, and was about to walk out when I noticed that our pictures had been removed.

And then I realized it wasn’t just our room, the entire house; every single reminder of me had been removed.

I held a hand over my mouth in shock. Everyone knew that I had been kidnapped and the first thing they chose to do was remove every picture and memory of me from the house. I thought the Fawns had liked me. I had hoped that they had considered me as their family. Now I realized that they’d had me fooled this entire time. I thought Anya was the one his parents had a problem with, but it turned out that they hadn’t liked me either. Why else would they have removed every memory of me right after I went missing? They hadn’t waited. None of them did. They all assumed I was gone for good and decided to move on with their lives like I hadn’t existed, to begin with. What other surprises were waiting for me? What else had they done to prove that I meant nothing to all of them?

Did they think that I was dead? Were they hoping that I would have never returned?

I fell back against the bed in pain. Emotional pain. This was devastating. I was never important to any of them.

And what about Clarissa? I thought that she at least genuinely liked me.

I let out a frustrated scream as I pushed his desk to the ground. Everything came crashing down, one after the next. Everything was a lie—my entire life. Since the start, everyone has been lying to me. And they haven’t stopped. No one ever truly cared about me or my feelings.

I wouldn’t let any of them get away with this. They would all pay for lying to me, hurting me, and replacing me like I was f*****g nothing. I didn’t care what I had to do, but I wanted an explanation. I wanted to know why they would treat me this poorly. What had I done? Had I not been good to each of them? Why did they hate me this much? Everyone close to me kept betraying me, apparently nothing had changed.

I emptied the drawers searching for a phone. There had to be something here that could tell me where everyone was. I wasn’t going to sit here and wait for them to return home. I wanted to confront them in front of everyone. I wanted everyone to know just how selfish they all were. Even if everyone knew, what would that change? It’s not like they were unaware of what was happening in front of them. They all knew that I was missing, they all knew that Atticus was married to me and Anya was his ex-

girlfriend. Yet no one said anything. They were all quiet and back to normal. Absolutely no one cared about me and my feelings.

Damn it. Where the hell could I find a phone? I didn’t have mine; I was sure that Skyler had taken it from me when he had kidnapped me.

I storm out of the room after ransacking it. The room looked just like I felt right now. It was the least of Atticus’s problems when I finally found him. I wasn’t going to go easy on him this time. I was done being sad and depressed over him; this time, I was pissed, and this time, I wanted answers. And I was getting those answers even if I had to force them out of him.

And if I didn’t like those answers, all hell would break loose. They would all pay if there wasn’t a proper explanation for all of this.

I didn’t stop in the room; I searched all over the house, still hoping to find a phone, and when I finally did, I didn’t waste any time searching for the answer I was looking for.

My eyes zeroed in on an article about a beach party tonight. It had just started, and that’s where they were, no doubt.

I slammed the phone onto the desk and stormed out of the house. Everyone was out partying while they all knew that I was missing. That’s just how much I meant to each one of them. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at my pathetic life. No one truly cared about me. My life was nothing but a game to each of them. They treated me like a pile of garbage; no, even garbage was treated better than this.

Skyler hadn’t been lying this entire time. They were all already moving on with their lives as if they thought I was dead. Is this how everyone would have reacted if I had indeed died?

Would no one care at all?

I looked around the house for Atticus’s jeep, and of course, it wasn’t there. He must have carried Anya to the beach with it for the party. I searched for another vehicle, and within seconds I was out of the garage, speeding past the guards. They didn’t try and stop me. Why would they? I was still the daughter-in-law of the house. At least the guards didn’t forget that, as everyone else had.

My hands were shaking as I drove. I was terrified of seeing Anya and Atticus in person. Seeing them together in pictures and videos was difficult, but I knew it would be excruciating to see it in person. I knew that nothing would ever be able to prepare me for something like that.

I still wanted to believe that those pictures were all fake; I wanted to believe that Skyler had lied to me, but I knew better by now.

They both had no shame. I knew Anya hated me, but Atticus, I didn’t think he disliked me this much. There was no way he cared for me after what he’d done. I expected so much more from him. I would have never been able to smile if the same thing had happened to him. I would be out there searching for him without getting any sleep. Instead, he returned to Anya like our marriage never even happened.

When I pull up to the beach, hundreds of cars are parked in all directions. I didn’t even bother looking for a park as I jumped out of the vehicle and began searching the crowd for him.

I wasn’t sure how to find them in such a large crowd, but I wasn’t leaving here tonight until I found them.

I pushed through the groups, hoping to see at least one of the Fawns. Once I saw one, they would lead me to Atticus. I was sure of it.

I’m disappointed when I see no sign of any of them. Was I mistaken? Had they not come here tonight? Where else could they be, then? Was there another party that I didn’t know about?

Music was blasting the air, and crashing waves were just as loud. Everything was making it harder for me to search for them, infuriating me more than before.

Where the hell were those betrayers?

I couldn’t give up. I had to have missed something. I knew they were here, I don’t know how I knew it, but I just did.

I continued to search once more; I wouldn’t leave without searching every inch of this place, no matter how big it was.

And then I see him. I was positive that it was him. I would know Atticus anywhere. He was leaning against Dante’s jeep, and Anya was in his arms. I swallow, and my heart aches at the sight of them together.

So it was true.

He had returned to her the second he thought I would never return. All along, he’s been waiting for the right opportunity to run right back into Anya’s arms.

She looks the happiest she’s looked in a long while. I couldn’t tell whether Atticus was happy or not. The expression on his face was blank. I couldn’t read him while he was with her. But did it matter at all?

I take a step forward but stop myself. I wanted to confront Atticus when he was alone. I wanted to hear what he had to say to defend himself when Anya was not around. I wanted a proper explanation. I deserved an answer after what he did to me.

I don’t move; I watch them until Anya excuses herself. Maybe she’s going for water; perhaps she was leaving him for an opportunity to kiss one of his other brothers. I wasn’t sure where she was heading, but I didn’t care. It was my turn now.

I wasn’t leaving until I’d said everything on my mind.

I push through the crowd and don’t stop until I stand before him. He didn’t notice me at first, but when his eyes finally fell on me, there was a look of confusion on his face.

Was he confused that I was still alive? Was he disappointed to see me standing in front of him?

“Autumn?” He asks as he quirks a brow.

I clenched my jaw; his reaction to seeing me only made me angrier. It confirmed that he didn’t care about me at all. Why did I expect more from Atticus? I should have known he would have done something like this to me. I should have known that he was nothing like the man I thought he was in the past.

I wanted to laugh at my stupidity.

“Do you have nothing to say for yourself?” I demand.

I tried hard to remain calm, but it was hard. How could anyone remain calm under these conditions?

He crosses his arms over his chest and stops leaning against the jeep, “I’m sorry. Am I missing something here?”

I laugh, “you’re truly pathetic. Aren’t you?”

He looks at me as though I’ve lost my mind. He was the one who’d lost his mind.

“I’m pathetic?” He asks. “I think there’s something wrong going on here. Did you drink? What are you even doing here, Autumn?”

What was I doing here? Seriously? Was that the first question that he would look to ask me? He didn’t even bother asking how I’d escaped or who had kidnapped me.

It was clear that Atticus would have been happier if I had never shown up in front of him again for the rest of his life.

“What am I doing here?” I ask with venom dripping from my voice. “What are you doing here with Anya? That’s the question I should be asking you!”

He looked startled but also very interested in what I was trying to say to him.

“You’re upset because I’m here with your best friend?” He asks, even more confused than before. “Is this some kind of joke? Is Anya playing a trick on me right now? If she is, it isn’t funny.”

I gape at him. Did he hit his head somewhere? Why was he acting so clueless about everything that I was asking him? It was almost like he was back to the Atticus that barely knew I existed, which was absurd. We were married. I told him I loved him, and he gave me roses and teddy bears and decorated an entire ballroom with pictures of us. How dare he act like none of those things ever happened? How dare he behave like we were never close?

“You’re the joke!” I snap. “I can’t believe I ever had feelings for someone like you! I wish I had never met you, Atticus. I wish I never fell for someone as horrible as you are! You’re weak and pathetic. You’re not the man I thought you were. You make me sick just looking at you.”

He unfolds his arms, and now he doesn’t look as unbothered as he’d done just a few seconds ago. He wasn’t happy with the words I’d just said to him. I could tell by the frown on his forehead that he was getting angry.

“Feelings for me?” He asked as he exhaled loudly. “Now I know you’re f*****g messing with me, Autumn. You don’t have feelings for me. Did Anya tell you to put me up to this test? Is this some stupid game for the two of you? I’m done playing. I’m going to find her.”

He tries to step around me, but I push him back against the jeep.

He looked like he was getting tired of me, and I didn’t care. I needed answers, and he was going to give them to me. I didn’t care what he wanted; this was about me.

I was a few seconds away from losing my mind. I was trying my best to stay calm until I got my answers, but if Atticus kept acting like I wasn’t his wife, I would completely snap in front of him. And when I snapped, everyone at this party would know I was back.

Everyone would see the power I had within me; I wouldn’t be able to hold it back. Then Skyler and his people wouldn’t be the only people I’d have to be worried about. Everyone who wanted to use my power for their benefit would come for me.

He looks down at my hands on his chest, and I refuse to move them. He wasn’t going anywhere until he told me why he did this to me.

“Let go of me, Autumn.” He growls. “I’m trying to be patient with you because of Anya, but you’re stepping on my patience.”

“Not until you give me answers!” I shout. “Tell me, Atticus. Why did you do it? WHY?”

“Do what?” He hissed. “I’m getting tired of this nonsense. If you don’t let go of me in four seconds, I will make you regret it.” He threatened.

I wasn’t scared. I didn’t care about his threat.

“One.” He whispers.

I don’t move, not even an inch.

“Two.”

His eyes are now narrowed, and I know he’s trying to intimidate me.

“Three.”

I roll my eyes. Did he think his countdown would affect me? Did he believe that he could frighten me into letting him go? He was about to get a rude awakening.

“FOUR.”

Nothing happens. He stands there glaring at me. We stay like that for a few seconds, neither of us saying anything.

Without warning, he grabs my shoulders and jams me up against the jeep.

“You have one minute to tell me what the f**k is happening here, Autumn. You’re supposed to be on vacation with your family.

That’s what Anya told me.” He snaps. “You weren’t supposed to be here. Now suddenly, you’re in front of me and telling me things that make no sense. We barely spoke to each other in the past; why are you speaking to me like we are in some relationship? I don’t believe for one second that this is real. I know that something is going on. I know someone is trying to mess with my head. Do yourself a favor and tell me the truth now before I lose my f*****g mind!”

Vacation with my family? What the hell was he speaking about? Why did Anya tell him something like that? Did Atticus not know that I had been kidnapped? Was that why everyone was so normal with my disappearance?

That day I remembered clearly that he hadn’t seen when the men had snatched me. I had blacked out and had no idea what had happened next. But even if that was true, it still didn’t explain why he was here with Anya being all romantic. It also didn’t explain why he said that we barely ever spoke. Nothing about this was making any damn sense to me.

I’m about to respond when his eyes narrow. Something else had caught his attention, and I wasn’t sure what it was. To my surprise, he moved closer to me so that our bodies were pressed tightly together. I held my breath; of course, he knew what his closeness would do to me. Maybe that was his plan; to distract me with his nearness.

It wouldn’t work this time.

He leans lower so that his face is now near my neck. I remain completely still as his nose touches the mark he’d left on me below my ear.

Atticus surprises me when he suddenly breathes me in.

His body turns to stone. He stays completely still for a few seconds before moving again.

His hands are now on both sides of me, pressing against the jeep. His lips were right above my ear, and his body shook hard against mine. A low growl tore from his throat, and it startled me.

“Why the f**k is my scent all over your body Autumn?”