Beautifully Broken {E.D.}

21

Ethans POV

I can't say that I know what is going on in Autumns head. I know she's upset with everything going on at home, but lately she lacks telling me any of that information.

Now, obviously I don't want to pull anything out of her that she isn't comfortable with telling me, but I am worried. She has been a little too quiet and reserved with me.

Autumn loves her family, family is so important to her. Seeing her not want to go home to hers breaks my heart for her.

Which is why I offered my family to her.

Autumn is basically family, I never want to lose her again, ever. Plans of marriage one day are something that I am hoping comes into our future together. That's why her taking this offer is so important. Then again though, I don't want her to upset her actual family, that would upset her. The last thing I want to do is upset her by trying to help her.

I'm at a total crossroads. I guess I'm just going to have to gauge how she acts around me. That's all I can do. I can maybe drop it into conversation if it fits into the discussion, but today is Saturday and her first final is Monday afternoon, the last thing she wants to probably talk about is going home and what she is going to do.

Even though we are all going to get on a plane Friday night and go home. She needs to know what she is going to do by then.

I glance down at the notebook in front of me and realize that maybe I should focus more on my finals like she is with hers.

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Autumns POV

Finals, so much going on with finals. I finally confirmed my schedule for next semester, so that is a weight off my shoulders. This weight of finals though is going to haunt me until Friday at nine am.

I'm still not sure what I am going to do for holiday. My best option seems to be that I can do some of it with my family and some of it with the Dolan family, which I am still so grateful that they even offered me to do that with them.

I look to my notecards sitting in the campus library, an iced coffee sitting in front of me. It is 6pm on a Saturday and I'm in the library with a coffee, this is college. This is finals week.

As I skim them a voice draws me from my thoughts, "Hey stranger." Dylan smiles at me, Grayson next to him with his red backpack over his shoulders, "Studying alone this fine evening?"

"I am." I smile and set my notecards down.

"Not anymore." He sits down in the chair across from me and Grayson sits down next to him.

"Nobody can study alone or they'll go mad." Grayson smiles and pulls out his laptop.

"Or they won't get anything done because people are distracting." I tease as I take a sip of my coffee.

"Eh, I like what I say better. Makes it sound more appealing that we plopped down next to you." Grayson adds, typing what I assume to be his login into his computer.

"So," Dylan starts, pulling his notebooks from his bookbag, "Excited for Holiday?"

"Oh yeah, Holiday! Aren't you spending that with us?" Grayson asks.

I paused, "I...I'm not sure yet." I shrug, rubbing my finger up and down on the condensation of my cup.

"Well you should, and, even if you decide not to, you still got to come hang with us for a couple of days! I know my mom is super excited to see you again and you know Ethan will never turn down a time to see you."

"Very truly." Dylan adds as he highlights something in his notebook.

"I know, I was thinking of doing that. I can't just not go with my family."

"I know but I also know it's hard." Grayson smiles sympathetically at me then shrugs, "Hey, just a suggestion!" He looks at his computer screen, "Time to study for these finals."

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It was about midnight by the time Grayson and Dylan decided that they were over studying and were heading home. Me, I had to stay. I didn't have a final until Monday morning, meaning study late into the early hours of Sunday, nap, study during the normal hours of the day on Sunday, go to sleep early, study on Monday before the exam. It sounded like a fool proof plan, but about a half an hour after the boys left, I was about ready to fall asleep at the table.

I groaned as I fought to keep my eyes open. As I went to take a sip of my now watered down iced coffee, I looked up to be looking at Ethan. In one hand he had a pint of cherry vanilla ice cream and a spoon, in his other hand a pint of raspberry sorbet in a spoon (dairy free for him of course), and his bookbag on his shoulders. His hair looked a little messy. "Grayson figured you'd still be here." He held out the cherry vanilla pint to me, "I thought you might want a treat... and maybe no more water coffee." He added as he noticed my coffee. He sat down next to me as I took the ice cream.

"Thank you." I smiled, "Thanks for coming out this late."

"Of course. I figured we could eat some ice cream and talk and then we can study. You deserve a break Autumn, I know how long you've been here. And Grayson said you look tired and I must agree, although tired on you is still extremely stunning."

I laughed as I scraped some of the ice cream off the top of the pint, "Such kind words from you Mr. Dolan with such kind gifts, a perfect pleasant surprise." I popped some ice cream into my mouth.

He set his bookbag down next to him and opened his sorbet, "How has studying been going?"

"It sucks. I feel like I've looked at it for so long that I know it, but I only know it because I have been looking at it for so long. Once I sleep and wake up tomorrow, I won't know anything."

The endless cycle of studying.

"I'm sure that isn't true, my love. You are so much smarter than you give yourself credit for." He put sorbet into his mouth.

"Thank you." I kissed his cheek, "I'm just ready to be done with finals, done with this semester really, and be home."

"That reminds me," He started, paused, and then continued, "What do you want to do over the holiday break?"

I shrugged and spooned more ice cream. I could just tell him what I told Grayson. What am I saying? I'm sure Grayson already told him, so I probably just should. "I'm thinking of spending some time with your family and some with mine. I am so grateful that your family said I could stay with you, but I have to see my family too." I stopped, my words feeling like I was using his family as a back up plan. "I promise you I am not using your family as a back up plan. That sounded so bad the way I said it."

"No it didn't. Autumn, I know you would never use my family as a back up plan. You need to do what is going to be best for you and what will make you feel the best. I knew if you didn't spend holiday with your family for some of it that you would be upset. Your plan," He smiled and put an arm around me, pulling me to him. "Your plan sounds perfect to me."

I smiled and put some ice cream on his nose, "You're the best."

"I'm only the best because of you." He tried to get the ice cream off his nose with his tongue.

I giggled and took a picture, "Anyway, why don't we study?"

"Why does my girlfriend have to be such a hard worker? I have other things in mind to do." He winked and reached into his bookbag to grab his study materials.