I cast a tiny wave his direction. “Thanks, Dad. See you in the morning.”
“Night, sweetie,” he says. I can tell he’d like me to stay a bit longer, though, because his smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
I make my way out into the entryway and down the hallway leading to my room. Suddenly, the same cold sensation from earlier flashes over me. I shudder and turn to look over my shoulder.
This old house must be super drafty.
I turn back around, taking a few more steps, when I swear I hear a woman’s voice whisper, “Welcome home, Autumn.”
Chapter 8
Do You Think I'm Nuts?
Twisting back around, I see absolutely no one in the hallway. It’s just me, myself, and I. Blinking away the shock, I clutch the ornate door handle to my bedroom and step inside. Two strides into the room, I place my Red Bull on the closest nightstand and sit down on the cushy bed. I stare out into the dim light of the hallway.
Did I just hear what I thought I heard?
“Maybe you need sleep more than you thought, Autumn,” I whisper, eyeing the Red Bull with suspicion.
Shaking away the strangeness, I pull my phone out of my pocket and text Mom.
I made it in one piece. Getting ready for bed. Talk tomorrow. Love you. <3
She’s probably fast asleep by now. It’s well past 11:00 p.m. and the likelihood she’d still be up is next to nil. If there’s one thing Mom doesn’t mess with, it’s her sleep.
Before I call Wade, I walk over to my backpack and pull out my charger. If past conversations have any bearing, there’s a good chance our call will go on all night—even if we’re just sleeping. So, it’s imperative to have it charging. I plug it into the outlet beside the bed and pull out the nightshirt I packed in my backpack. Tomorrow, I’ll grab the rest of my stuff from Blue. After what just happened in the hallway, there’s no way I’m wandering outside to my vehicle now.
Clutching the shirt to my chest, my eyes flit around the room.
Despite the strange well of anxiety cropping up, the room isn’t half bad. A little old-fashioned, maybe, but nothing some fresh paint or new decorations couldn’t cure. I mean, I’m not seven anymore.
I walk over to the large oak desk on the right hand side and sit down in the plush chair. Clearly meant to be more for a study than a bedroom, it doesn’t have the kind of lumbar support a person would need if they were doing homework or something on a computer. But it sure is comfy.
Running my fingertips along the polished wood surface of the desk, I take a deep breath and try to relax. This is not at all what I was expecting.
Granted, I’m not entirely sure what I expected, so maybe that’s all this is.
Somewhere in my gut, there’s a strange feeling about this room, and I just can’t shake it. I remember hating it here. Hating the room, hating being stuck here. But now that I look at it with fresh eyes, it is really a nice room. It’s got a lot of character, even if it’s got an old-school vibe.
I get undressed and slide into the tank top I like to sleep in. When I pull my phone out again, upon closer inspection, there are three texts from Wade.
Hey Dru~ watching you go was the worst. But trust me, it’s gonna be great. I hope things go better for you than you expect. Thinking about you. ~Angel
I was thinking…isn’t this how things started in Twilight? Girl being shipped off to live with her dad? Maybe I should call you Bella. Too geeky? Come to think of it, probably not any more than Dru. Ha! ;-)
So, you there yet? I hope everything’s okay. Call me when you’re in. Can’t wait to hear from you, beautiful. Miss you already. <3
My heart both soars and constricts. He’s such a nut, but adorably so. And I totally miss him already.
I walk around the room, flicking off all the lights except the one right next to the bed. Then I set the phone on the stand and pull up his name. It only rings once before Wade answers.
“Hey there, gorgeous,” he beams, leaning back in his chair. His dark hair is disheveled, like I just pulled him out of bed. His exposed upper chest muscles flex as he pulls his legs into a cross-legged position.
A small gasp escapes my lips before I can stop myself.
“You okay?” Concern sweeps across his features as he leans in closer to the screen.
“Yeah, oh yeah. Just fine,” I say, melting internally and grinning. It’s a cheesy oh my god he’s got great pecs kinda grin. But I can’t help it.
“Excellent,” he nods. “So, how was the drive? Everything go okay with your dad?”
“Yeah, the drive went fine, I guess. I mean, I had to crank some music and get my mind off of things. You know?”
“I get it. It was really hard seeing you go,” he says, his eyebrows tipping up in the middle.
“Bet it was harder leaving,” I say with a smirk. “On the upside, Dad’s been great. I can’t wait for you to see this place, too. It’s massive—way bigger than I remember.”
“Did he add on to it or something?”
“Yeah, I guess? Plus it’s an old manor home. They liked to build big back in the day,” I say. “But it feels like I just moved into Hogwarts.”
“Oh, we’re busting out the nerdery now. I like it.” Wade grins, his eyes lighting with amusement.
I narrow my eyes and stick out my tongue. Of course, I knew he’d love it, though.
He chuckles. “I’m looking forward to seeing it, too. Wonder which house I’ll be sorted into.”
“Oh, you’re definitely a Hufflepuff.” I chuckle.
“Pft.” He laughs, resting back in his chair again with his arms behind his head.
I sigh wistfully. “How’s your grandpa doing?” I ask,
