Bring Down the Stars (Beautiful Hearts Duet #1)(19)

Autumn drained her glass and swayed a little on her stool. “Jeez, I’m a cheap date.”

“You want something to eat?” I asked. “I’ll get us—get you something. If you want.”

“Not that I’m on a date,” she said, as if she hadn’t heard me. “I’m just having some fun. Ruby’s always telling me I need to get out more.” She bit her lip. “That makes me sound like a recluse or like all I do is study, doesn’t it? I don’t just study. I mean, I do study a lot but also I just got out of a relationship, so I am most definitely not interested in starting up something else.”

With Connor? Or…anyone?

Autumn covered her eyes with her hand. “Oh my God, I’m over-sharing like a madwoman, and I’m sure you don’t want to hear any of this. I was supposed to keep it to two drinks…”

She slipped off the stool and stumbled. I was too far away, but oh thank the fucking heavens above, Connor was there to catch her.

“Whoa, there,” he said with a grin. “You okay?”

Autumn clung to his arm for a second. Then her cheeks reddened and she pulled away to preserve her pride.

“I’m fine,” she said, smoothing her skirt. “I should go. It’s late.” She looked around. “Where’s Ruby?”

“Present.” Ruby slipped in between Connor and Autumn, linking arms. “Time to call it a night.”

“I’ll walk you out and get you an Uber,” Connor said, reaching for his phone.

“No, thanks,” Autumn said. “We got this.”

“I got this,” Ruby said.

“Well, hold up,” Connor said. He dimmed his smile to make it private, as if he and Autumn were alone in the crowded bar. “Am I going to see you again?”

Autumn’s jaw moved up and down. “I don’t know. I have a lot of work this semester.”

“Oh, hey, I’ve got it,” Connor said, louder. “Come to Wes’s track meet next Saturday.”

I blinked. “Do what now?”

Autumn’s glance danced between us. “Next Saturday?”

“It’ll be fun,” Connor said. “We can cheer our boy on and hang out. Just chill.”

“It’s just a prelim,” I said. “Not a big deal.”

Please come.

Please don’t.

I gritted my teeth; it didn’t matter either way. I was screwed equally in both scenarios.

“Maybe,” Autumn said. “We’ll see if I’ve regained my sobriety by then.” She smiled at Connor. “Thanks for the cider. And the pool.” She looked to me. “Bye, Weston.”

“Yep,” I said, and watched her walk out, her arm still linked in Ruby’s.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Connor whipped around to me. “Holy shit, she’s perfect.”

“Perfect for what?”

“To date, you moron. She’s a humanitarian. Did you know that?”

“Yes.” I took up the handful of darts and took aim. “I knew that.”

Connor sat on the stool Autumn had just occupied. “She’s beautiful, smart. Probably comes from a good family.”

“She’s from a farm in Nebraska,” I said and tossed a dart. Four.

“Yeah, but some of those farms are like empires,” Connor said. “If her family has a business—”

“She doesn’t have any money,” I said. “She’s here on scholarship.”

“Oh.” Connor thought for a second, then shrugged. “Even better. She’s salt of the earth. Can you just see me bringing her home to meet my parents? They’ll eat that shit up.”

I glanced around at him. “What are you talking about?”

“They’re on my ass, Wes.” Connor absently took up Autumn’s half-full pint of cider. “They think I’m just fucking around out here, not getting serious about anything.”

“Because you are fucking around out here, not getting serious about anything.”

“I know, I know. But I picked a damn major I’ll never use.”

Connor had picked Economics too, ostensibly so I could help him with the course load, but mostly because it was the only one his parents approved of.

“So drop out,” I said. “Open your sports bar.”

“You know they won’t release my trust fund until I graduate. And even then, I have my doubts…”

“We’ve had this conversation a hundred times,” I said. “Forget the trust. Take out a loan and do it yourself.”

“Sure. Because walking away from six million dollars is that easy.”

I shrugged. “I don’t see how Autumn helps your case. If you’re only using her to impress your parents…” I tossed a dart. Eighteen. “That’s messed up.”

“I wouldn’t. But she’s not like anyone I’ve dated before.” He sipped her cider and made a face. “Holy shit, this pear-water got her drunk? That’s cute as hell.” He chuckled. “I really like her.”

I froze. “You do?”

“Sure. Who wouldn’t?”

I clenched my teeth. Who wouldn’t?

My dart flew.