The Unwanted Bride Of Atticus Fawn

The Unwanted Bride Of Atticus Fawn Chapter 58

~ATTICUS~

I wanted to speak with Anya before I talked to anyone else. I trusted her with my life, and I wanted to believe that she would be honest with me if I gave her a chance to explain.

I knew there had to be a reason she pretended that we were still together even though she knew I was married to Autumn.

Her eyes brighten when she spots me near the park where I told her to meet me earlier.

I watched as she ran to me and threw herself into my arms. I stiffened, not sure what to do now that I knew who Autumn was to me. This felt wrong. Holding Anya felt like I was making a big mistake.

“I’m so happy that you came to see me today,” She said as she hugged me tightly. “I couldn’t sleep last night. It was hard for me, Atticus; you have no idea how traumatized I’ve been. I’m still shocked by what Autumn did to me last night. I can’t believe she’s such a horrible person. I loved her like a sister, but she tried to kill me yesterday. I wish it were all a dream. It would be better for all of us if she were the same Autumn as in the past.”

I stared at the ring on my finger, not paying attention to what she was saying. When I woke up on the hospital bed, one of the first things I noticed after returning home was the ring on the table near the bed. I’d asked Anya about it first since she had joined me in my room that day. She’d told me that this ring was something she’d bought for me. Now, I knew it had to be a lie. I don’t know why I hadn’t realized it was a lie sooner. When had Anya ever been able to give me something like this in the past?

I’d been so caught up in my lost memory and everything I was missing to realize that she had been lying to me since then.

How stupid have I been this entire time?Why did it take me this long to go looking for answers? Have I been afraid to learn the truth this whole time?

“You said once to me that you were the one that bought this ring for me.” I finally say, running my finger over it. “Is that not true?”

She smiles, “yes, it was my promise to be yours for the rest of your life. A promise ring. A ring of our love for each other. I remember how happy you were when I first gave it to you. It’s a memory I want to keep with me for the rest of my life.”

I nod and stare into the distance, “How could you afford something this expensive?” I ask.

I was giving her a chance to tell me the truth, and she kept digging a hole deeper for herself.

I thought that I could trust her. I felt that Anya would at least tell me the truth or something close to it if I kept asking her questions. Not once did I think that she would make up even bigger lies to convince me that it was the truth. I was both disappointed and angry with her. But I didn’t want to show her my genuine emotion. There was plenty that I still wanted to do before I confronted her. She wasn’t the only person I had questions for. Everyone close to me, everyone that I trusted, all had explaining to do. And I wanted to give them all the opportunity to tell me what I wanted to hear.

Her eyes widen, “what are you insinuating?”

I shrug my shoulders, “it’s a reasonable question considering your condition. I’m not trying to insult you if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m curious about who gave you the funds to get this for me. It doesn’t look like a promise ring, either. It seems like something much more than that. It looks like a ring a wife would get for her husband.”

I can see the uncertainty in her eyes as she tries to respond. Was she searching for more lies to cover up her other lies?

I exhaled before taking a deep breath once more. I had to remind myself to stay calm.

She smiled, “since I couldn’t afford it on my own. I got Damon and Dante to help me. But that doesn’t change the amount of love I placed into getting this for you. Look how well it suits you. Who else would know exactly what you like?”

My jaw clenched; she was no doubt continuing to lie to me. This was my f*****g wedding ring. All of the articles showed it. Knowing my parents, they wouldn’t have missed the opportunity to get pictures of this ring and Autumn’s in the magazines. It hurt to know that Anya could lie so easily to me without remorse. It hurt that my entire family could lie to me as well.

And Autumn.

I had no idea what to think about her. Could I trust her? She had plenty of opportunities to tell me the truth; why couldn’t she tell me that she was my wife? All of the proof was there; I would have believed her. My heart would have understood her.

Instead, they all made me look like a fool. The entire school. Everyone. They fooled me. They made me think that I was still with Anya. All this time, my conflicted feelings, fighting myself, feeling guilty for wanting Autumn when I should have been with Anya, everything was a blasted lie that they all made me believe. And I was foolish enough to believe them because I trusted each and every one of them.

My hands tightened into fists at my sides.

All this time, I hugged and kissed Anya while I had a wife. A WIFE.

They let me kiss another woman when my wife was still in my life. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I’ve never been that way. I’ve never been a f*****g cheater. That was for a weak man. If I had gotten married to Autumn, there was no way I would have touched Anya inappropriately. The fact that my feelings were still there for Autumn, even after losing my memory, was proof of that.

They’d all betrayed me. They’d all let me down, and for what?

What was their reason behind it? Why did they think the best thing was to keep the truth from me? I’d made a mess out of my life because of this lie.

Still, I couldn’t find it in my heart to hate them. Still, I partly knew why they did it in the first place.

But f**k. This just made everything so much worse. I didn’t understand anything that happened.

How did I ever marry Autumn when Anya was my mate? How did my feelings for Anya change, and all of them suddenly turn towards Autumn? Nothing made sense to me. The last thing I remembered was loving Anya like crazy; I would do anything for her in the past, so what had caused everything to change and so quickly?

I had no idea what had happened before and during the accident. I wish I knew. I wish I could remember every single detail that I was missing. There were still plenty of things that were unclear to me. And I needed them to fill in those missing blanks for me.

Did Autumn truly have feelings for me? I know the feelings I had for her, but I wasn’t sure that hers were real. If she was willing to let me be with Anya even while we were married, what does that say about her feelings for me?

I expected her to try and separate us, to do something, anything to make sure that Anya didn’t take her place. But she stood back and let it all happen. She never said anything when Anya hugged me, and not once did she try to stop it.

Well, that wasn’t exactly true. There were certain times when she showed her real emotions, but I never paid enough attention to them.

The only proof I had of her feelings for me was what she did to Anya yesterday. But I wasn’t even sure if that was for me.

Maybe the signs were there, but I wasn’t looking for them.

Everything she said when she saw me at the beach party or yesterday when she cried while looking at my jeep were all signs of what we shared. If those emotions were real, I wasn’t the only one who cared between us.

Maybe I should at least give her a chance to explain what happened to us. Perhaps I could trust her more than I did Anya at this point. Anya was no longer someone that I could trust. Everything that she did was suspicious to me now.

If Autumn also had feelings for me, why couldn’t she be honest with me? Why this big secret?

Maybe my parents had something to do with it. I knew how influential they were. There’s no telling how far they went to keep this secret from me. Did they threaten her to keep quiet, or did she decide to lie to me on her own?

It was the reminder I needed to know that she was still in front

me. Now that I knew Autumn was my wife, it didn’t matter

kick Autumn out of your home last night?” She

and ignited the anger I felt. How could

good friends?” I ask. “She was your closest friend, but I can’t help but notice how the both of you treat each other ever since

surprised, and it’s the reaction I was expecting from her. Someone that

you’re talking about. I’ve only been unhappy with her after she tried to kill me yesterday. Did you already forget what happened?” She demands. “It was traumatizing for me, Atticus. Do you even know what it feels like to almost die at the hands of

Autumn was still in the pool. I didn’t see you move an inch to try and help her get out. Unlike Autumn, you’re a

that pool. All I could think about was saving

her, but after knowing what I knew, I realized that she wasn’t completely

but now

doing, Atticus?” She demands. “I thought you, out of everyone else, would know the type of person I am. I can’t believe you would ever think so low

words like that out of her

shook my head. “I’m not accusing you of anything. I’m asking you to explain so I can get

want to know the truth?” She

to understand what’s been going on between the

why I decided not to be friends with Autumn anymore.”

out that

I realized she was only friends with me to get closer to you. I felt betrayed because of

last thing I expected her to

Once again, Anya was lying

knew that she

I was married to Autumn. My marriage to her best friend is most likely what caused the drift between them. I gave

I should know?” I ask,

are you asking

plenty since I woke up after the accident. I’m allowed to ask

not threatened by them. It’s just surprising to me that you’re asking them today. I thought you would be more concerned about what type of monster Autumn was. The power

she was my wife

truth now. “You’re the one I have to question. Not her. Unless there’s something else that I should

nothing else concerns you. I’m sorry. I’m just surprised by your questions. That’s all.

questions, but

“are you taking me for dinner

gathering with all of my family members present. Since you’re close to me,

“I’ll be happy to join

wasn’t the gathering she was hoping for. Tonight she would find out why

. . . .

~AUTUMN~

you okay?” Clarissa asks me. It’s the next day after the party, and

do to me. He still trusted her, and it frustrated me that he didn’t remember anything. If he remembered even a little about

were not working, and it hurt. Why couldn’t he believe me? Why couldn’t he

her. Just maybe a little, but my intention was never to kill her. I didn’t want to stoop as low as her, but

I was nothing like my father, but it would seem that I couldn’t hide from my past no matter how much I wanted to. I couldn’t hide from the sins of my father either. It was out to destroy my life, and I wasn’t sure

normal, and now Anya

answer me the first time. I’m very worried about you.

with me? He never once returned

acting that way because he’d lost his memory,

never

words have managed to shock me to the core. How could he not

return home last night?” I repeated her words to ensure I’d heard her

calling his phone, but he never answered. No one knows where he is or where he went

through my

happened to him?” I demand. “Shouldn’t we

anyone. I don’t know why he would

knows why he chose to leave.” She answers. “I don’t think anything bad happened to him, or we would have heard about it by now. It must be hard for him not to remember anything. I think it’s affecting him negatively. I knew my parents should have told him the truth from the beginning. When Atticus learns what happened, he’s not going to trust anyone. He will

doing the right thing.” I agree. “I feel we’re doing more harm than good

wasn’t my only fear. I’ve always been terrified that he would choose Anya over me. I’ve seen him do it all my life; I was scared that he would still do it even after knowing

parents again.” She says. “I can convince them that it’s time for him to know the truth. We’ve waited far too long. What are they waiting for? For him to ask Anya to marry him? They’re playing a dangerous game, and they don’t

married to me,

we made the hard decision and told him the

me yesterday flashes before

sure that would make a difference after yesterday. You should have seen the way he looked at me. Like I was a monster. And maybe I am one. After all, my father was

see Atticus today, but I was also worried about how he would

way about you. He was most likely just startled by what he saw. Besides, Anya deserved everything. She pushed you into

I ask as I

sure she would have plenty to say to me after what she saw. Her hateful comments would only get worse from now on. I was prepared for all of them. Her opinion of me did

feeling well and chose to skip the academy. Her not being here is already a sign that

Atticus never shows up today, I could only assume he chose to spend the day with her. He was probably still

He would have taken

still inside

face brightens when Damon approaches us, “aren’t you late

nods, “I am late, but that’s

“let’s go to class, Clarissa. You’ll have

after I also agree with him, she goes without insisting on staying

as Damon walks her to class, and I’m left alone in the classroom until he returns. Dante was not present either, he was probably out searching for Atticus, or he could also

of the class passes quickly, most likely because Atticus never showed up.

for everything to pass quickly so I can return home. The guards were the only thing keeping me company at this point, and even they didn’t try to speak to me. They couldn’t. Our family was strict about

and I’m relieved to have her next to