When I leave here the first thing I’m doing is going back to bed. I want to see her again. I clench my hands, feeling like I’m in withdrawal. It felt so real.
My dad comes back into the office. His shoulders are slumped. “What?” I ask. I don’t like the defeated look on his face.
“She’s gone,” he says simply.
“Really? I swore I heard her screaming.” I roll my eyes.
My dad could only be so lucky if Porsha left him, but I don’t think she will. I made sure that prenup was perfect. She’d walk away with almost nothing. Maybe that’s where I went wrong. I should have given her a nice payout instead. Maybe she would have been long gone by now and onto the next poor sap. I think it would be husband number seven or eight.
“Autumn,” he snaps at me. The look he sends me isn't one I’ve seen before. “Leave, Hunter.” I stare at him for a moment, not quite sure if I heard him right. Maybe my brain is still a little foggy.
“Dad?” I stand.
“I don’t have time for this. Get your shit together before you come back here again. I won’t have you acting the way you do when Autumn is around.”
“You just said she’s gone,” I throw back at him. Is he really picking his stepdaughter over me?
Dad slams his hand down on the desk. I’ve never seen an act of anger from him before. My stomach turns. I don’t know if it’s from all the alcohol from the night before or the way my dad is acting.
“I’m sure she’s fine, Dad. She’s eighteen, isn't she?”
I try to dampen the disdain in my voice now that I see how much she means to him. These women have their claws in him.
“Hunter, I have some things I need to look into,” he says, dismissing me. I begin to say something but stop myself. I nod instead and head for the door.
“I love you, son,” I hear him say.
“Love you too, Dad,” I respond before pushing open his office door.
I call my driver and slip into the car as soon as he pulls up. My mind goes back to my dream and I play it over and over in my head. The little sounds she made, the sweet scent of her. I swear I can still taste her on my lips. It felt real, but perfection like that doesn’t exist in the real world.
When I finally get home I go to bed and close my eyes. I’m not tired, I just want to see her again. When I finally drift off, nothing comes. It’s so frustrating.
I try to sleep most of the weekend away with no luck. I even try drinking, thinking maybe that’s what will do it, but still nothing.
As the days go by a pit grows deeper and deeper in my stomach. It’s eating away at me and I feel more lost than I ever have in my life. How can I miss something so much if it isn't even real?
“Sir, we need to go over your schedule.” I look up to see Peggy standing in front of my desk. She looks pissy.
“Cancel whatever it is,” I tell her, looking back at my computer. I’m staring at a blank screen. I don’t know how long I’ve been sitting here doing this.
“Sir,” she barks with frustration.
Everyone is annoyed with me, but I can’t seem to give a flying fuck. I look up at her and give her a hard look. I’m normally pretty laid-back, but I feel strung out. At any moment I feel like I might lose it. I clench my hands into fists and try to cool the anger that’s been festering within me.
“Peggy.” I growl her name. Her face softens a bit and she moves around the desk toward me.
“You’re so tense lately. Maybe I should help you with that.” I push back from my chair as she gets closer. I stand right at the moment she drops to her knees in front of me. She reaches for me and I jump back, nearly tripping over my chair in my haste to get away from her.
“I’m seeing someone,” I snap at her.
The anger I was feeling moments ago comes back full force. My dream girl flashes through my mind. Her body against mine. Her hair falling all around me as I make love to her. She took away all the sadness and made me feel whole once again. She made me feel like I had found home again.
“You’re hard,” she says, breaking my reverie.
I look down at Peggy on her knees. Her eyes are on the outline of my cock, which is hard but only because I was just thinking about my dream girl. I put my hands over myself and glare down at her. My hard-on quickly slips away.