The Vampire's Pastry Chef (ONC 2022)

15 - The Fallen

It was nearly noon when Autumn woke up the next day. God, she hadn't stayed out that late since ... never. Pushing heavy chestnut hair out of her face, she flopped her arms on the covers and stared at the end of the bed. The memory of Corbin's arms around her as they danced was still fresh in her mind, as well as his desire to have her stay the night. Not yet, she had said. But maybe soon.

A yawn stretched her jaws and Autumn glanced at the clock. She had a lot to do today to prepare for their departure tomorrow. Throwing back the covers, Autumn set aching feet on the floor and wandered downstairs.

Jordyn was on the couch watching TV with a bowl of cereal in her hands. The teenager twisted around as her mother appeared. Her eyebrows lifted.

"What?" Autumn asked, walking over to the kitchen. She needed a strong cup of tea—and an expensive foot massage. God, her feet hadn't hurt this much since she was pregnant.

"Well, I kinda didn't expect to see you this morning."

"Excuse me?" Autumn set the teapot down by the sink and folded her arms. "Did you seriously think I was not going to come home last night?"

Jordyn casually shrugged. "Well, yeah." Her daughter folded her arms over the back of the couch and rested her chin there. "How come you didn't?"

Autumn sighed. "Because we barely know each other." Their relationship was different than most mothers and daughters, owing to the fact that she was a single mom; so Jordyn, by extension, got away with asking a lot of questions that others might deem inappropriate.

"You've spent nearly every day with him in the two weeks we've been here," Jordyn pointed out.

That was about as long as Autumn had known Jared before things got serious. "Hence, going slow," she countered.

Jordyn gnawed at her lower lip. "Are you going to see him after we go home?"

That was a heavy question. "I'd like to," Autumn replied. "Why?"

Her daughter shrugged. "I like having him around. I dunno, when it's the three of us having dinner and watching a movie, it feels almost ..."

... like we're a family, Autumn mentally finished. "God, kid," she breathed, walking over to the couch and sitting down. She put an arm around Jordyn's shoulders. "I'm sorry that things didn't work out between your father and I—"

"And that he wanted nothing to do with me?" Jordyn interrupted, brown eyes shining with unshed tears. "Yeah. I know, Mom. I don't blame you at all."

Autumn sighed and rested her head atop her daughter's. "I know you like being around Corbin, and he's helped you a lot with your art—"

"But he might not stick around. I got it, Mom. I just hope he does."

Autumn took a deep breath and released it slowly. God help me, she prayed. I just want to do the best for my kid. "I know," she told her daughter softly. "I know."

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Just as quickly as they had arrived, Corbin's guests departed in a convoy of sleek black cars. Autumn watched them leave as she loaded some bags into the back of the Subaru. Maybe it was her imagination, but the cloud of tension she'd felt hanging over the property lifted the moment the last car drove away. Autumn took no small pleasure in knowing that the pretentious Russian woman was out of her life.

As twilight descended, Autumn left Jordyn to her streaming and went to meet Corbin at his painting spot. She trudged up the hill slowly, grabbing onto the trunks of small trees to pull herself up. By the time she reached the top, she was only mildly winded but her dance-worn feet began to protest.