The Unwanted Bride Of Atticus Fawn

Chapter 9

~ATTICUS~

"You need to get Autumn a ring." My father tells me. "It has to be appealing to the eyes. Remember, everyone would be looking at her hand. Make them stop and stare. They must know that the Fawns do not play when it comes to things like that."

I should have expected this is what he wanted to discuss when he called me into his office earlier. Choosing a ring felt like something I should be doing with someone I was in love with; not a woman my family was forcing me to marry. Okay

"She can choose it for herself," I tell him. "I'll give her my card."

The thought of choosing a ring for a woman I didn't love made me angry.

My father narrows his eyes and twitches his mouth in disapproval. "That will not do. You must choose it together and don't return home unless it's one of the most expensive rings in the store."

I sigh; of course, that's all he's concerned about—everyone's opinion on the ring. The only person's opinion he should be worried about is Autumn. She's the one that would be wearing it.

I look at my phone when I receive a notification. It's from Anya. My heart races at finally getting a reply from her.

I'm not happy with what she's said, however.

'I thought you loved me. I was wrong about us.'

"I hope you aren't still talking to that girl." My father says to me. "You're about to marry Autumn, respect her, and do not disappoint our family."

"Are you truly asking that from me, father?" I demand. "You already destroyed my life and are forcing me to marry someone that I do not love for the sake of making more money and connections. How can you ask me also to stop speaking to Anya?"

I couldn't just cut her out of my life like she was nothing. I needed time to come to terms with everything . I needed time to get her out of my life slowly. I couldn't just close my eyes and pretend she was never anything to me.

"She will be a distraction." My father says as he ignores my question.

"I can't exactly ignore her when my brothers have her around the house, now can I?" I demand. "She isn't out of our lives. Whether you like it or not, father, Anya will one day become part of this family. Whether it be Dante or Damon, one of them will marry her."

He looks pissed that I just pointed out the obvious to him. He may have succeeded in getting me to marry Autumn, but my brothers were much more stubborn than I was. They would not have given in this easily.

"I will inform Autumn that you will pick her up at her home in an hour." He finally says. "Do not be late."

I glare at him but do not say anything else. Speaking to my father about this entire thing would make me angrier than I already felt.

I grab the car keys from the desk and storm out of his office.

"Wow there," Griffin says when I bounce into him. "You're not in a good mood."

"Yeah?" I ask. "What gave it away?"

My younger brother scratches his chin as he pretends to find an answer. "Hmmm, that's a tricky one."

"You stay here and try to figure out an answer," I tell him. "I have somewhere I need to be."

He grins, "it's to meet your future wife, isn't it?"

I ignore the look of bliss on his face. He has never tried to hide his dislike for Anya. Of course, he will be happy that I was marrying someone other than her.

"Laugh now, but one day your turn will come, and you'll marry someone you don't want to, "I warn him.

"I have a solution for that." He responds. "Never to fall in love."

I ignore him because I know that isn't possible. Love creeps up on you, and when it happens, it's something that you can't simply ignore. He will know this soon enough.

I knew where Autumn lived. I dropped Anya there a few times before. It doesn't take long for me to reach my destination.

I'm surprised when she's already waiting by the gate. How long has she been waiting there for me? Her beauty strikes me at first. I've ignored it before, but this time it's hard to do the same when I know she's waiting there just for me with her short black dress and her hair tied in a messy bun.

I get out of the vehicle and face her with concern, "why didn't you wait inside for me?" I ask her.

Her face turned red at my question, "I didn't wait that long. I know how quickly you drive, and your father said you would be here in an hour."

She's even more breathtaking up close. I'm not prepared for it. I take a step back from her before her scent could infect me.

I open her door and wait for her to enter the car before shutting it and returning to the driver's side.

I can tell how nervous she is by the way she's playing with her fingers on her lap.

"Where are we going?" She asks me.

I glance at her, and I wish I hadn't. Autumn is a sight in the front seat of my car. Her long tanned legs are folded and gently shaking. Her exposed neck is begging for a kiss, just like her pink lips were. My fingers tightened on the steering wheel as I fought the urge to touch her still trembling thighs.

I dragged my gaze away before she could find me staring at her.

Fuck.

I knew seeing her half-naked body would have been the death of me. Now I wanted to remove her clothes and see the one thing hidden from me that day. It was an image that would haunt me for the rest of my life.

I clear my throat before saying, "we have to get you a ring before the engagement party."