Hey guys! I am SO excited to post this chapter! I've been wanting to share it for forever because it's one of my favorites and now I can! Yay! Also, the super cool picture on the side was made by talesofalost-girl. Isn't it the coolest? I love it SO much, thanks darling!

Autumn could hear Eric’s words repeating in her mind. And she could breathe again; well barley. A very tiny amount of the pressure on her heart was eased knowing she had talked to someone.

Stepping into the hall, the first thing she noticed was Tate. He was hovering at the end, by Cade’s office. He was speaking with Clarke, pacing around, running a hand through his hair. Clarke was trying to calm him down, but Tate wasn’t having any of it. Autumn froze, coming to a halt at his appearance.

Hearing the door shut behind her, Tate’s head whipped around.

The two shared a moment of intense eye contact, Autumn’s heart ripping to pieces just looking at him.

“Autumn!” Tate shouted. Autumn rolled her eyes, storming into her room as Tate charged toward her. Autumn slammed the door behind her, Tate leaping inside a minute later.

Autumn’s back was to him. At first, he didn't say anything, just caught his breath.

“Autumn, where have you been?” Autumn didn’t say a word. He shut the door behind him. “Autumn, where have you been?”

“None of your business.”

“Come on, talk to me,” Tate gently grabbed onto her arm, trying to whirl her around. Autumn ripped her arm from his grip. “Autumn please, talk to me. I’ve been searching for you for hours.”

“Why do you care?” She wondered, spinning around on her heels to face him. He was taken aback by the sudden outburst.

“Why would you ask something like that?”

“Because I feel betrayed . . . You just have such a funny way of showing you care,” Autumn tried to cross her arms over her chest, however, the sling made that impossible.

“You know I care a lot about you. It’s not fair of you to-”

“Oh I know? Do I? So you find out that Mark is dead, and instead of telling me you just . . . leave!” Autumn had thought she was out of tears. However, just saying Mark’s name brought them back.

“I didn’t know how to tell you.”

“So me walking in and finding out for myself is how you wanted it?”

“It wasn’t-”

“Oh! So you just thought disappearing and making me think I did something wrong was the way to go? I was worried sick for days, Tate, because I thought I angered you. I was so worried about disappointing you. I was terrified to hurt you.  And I find out your hiding this from me.”

“Autumn, I can explain everything-”

“Save it! I don’t want to hear your lame excuses!” Autumn’s throat burned from shouting. “There is no reason you shouldn’t have told me this! I have every right to know that he . . .” She couldn’t say it again.

“Autumn, I just didn’t know how to tell you. I didn’t want to see you like this.” Autumn and Tate just gazed at each other, Autumn’s vision blurry do to the tears of frustration.

“Well,” Autumn slapped her hand against her side. “You didn’t have to tell me. You got to weasel out of it.”

“Autumn-”

“How long did you know?” The question lingered in the air. Autumn bit her lip, attempting to hold back the tears. Through gritted teeth, she repeated herself. “How long did you know?”

“A few days.” Autumn figured as much, his disappearance matching up with his story. However, hearing the words from him hurt even more. She blinked, hard, a single tear rolling down her flushed cheek; the first tear of many.

“Was his death an accident?” Tate shuffled uncomfortably. “I heard you talking when I walked in. You said you figured something out.” Tate didn’t answer. “Tate!”

“We don’t think so,” Tate gulped.

“What?” Autumns heart stopped.

“Autumn, do you want to sit?” Tate tried to shuffle Autumn to the bed, but she shoved him away.

“It was Kyra wasn’t it?” Tate froze. “Oh god! Another thing you didn’t think was important!”

“Autumn-”

“I wish I had never come here,” Autumn held her hand over her mouth, letting out a muffled cry, allowing more tears to escape.

“You don’t mean that.” Tate scrunched his face in pain.

“Oh, I think I do! Ever since I saved your life mine’s just . . . gone to hell!” Tate eyed his shoes, his chest heaving. “And maybe Mark would be alive.”

“You blame me for that?”

“I blame myself! If I had run out of that door with him, I would have gotten my happily ever after. It wouldn’t have been amazing, but it would have been normal! It would have been mine!” Autumn paused, tears staining her cheeks. “And then you come along, and you change everything! You make me feel alive and . . . happy.”

“Autumn-”

“Let me finish. You were perfect, and when I needed you,” Autumn paused to swallow the lump in her throat. “When I needed you the most, you weren’t there.”

“I didn’t want to hurt you, please-”

“You did a pretty crappy job.” Tate glanced at her, his eyes becoming glossy themselves. “You hurt me. Physically and emotionally. Tate,” her voice squeaked. “You broke my heart.”

“Autumn-”

“I depended on you! You were my biggest support from day one. You were my crutch. And you just snapped from under me. You broke my arm, Tate! And I got over it. I got over your disappearing act then but . . . I can’t leave it this time. Mark is gone because of me.”

“He’s not dead because of you,” Tate shook his head.

“Then he’s dead because of you!” Autumn shouted, her hand balling into a fist.

“You’re angry.”

“Hell yeah I am! The first person I loved is dead and it’s my fault!” Autumn tried to leave the room, but Tate stepped in front of her. “It’s my fault!” Autumn went to push him, but Tate held her wrist.

“Autumn, it’s not.” Autumn broke down again, ripping her arm from his grip and punching him in the chest. Tate acted like it was nothing, allowing her. Autumn couldn’t handle it anymore, she buried her face in his chest and cried.

Tate pulled her close, a tear slipping from his own cheek.

“Shh,” Tate rubbed her back.

“It’s my fault,” Autumn wept. They hugged for another few minutes, Autumn again letting every out. She felt comfort in his warm embrace. Autumn wanted to sink to the ground, but Tate held her upright and kept her on her feet.

Her slinged arm was pressed against his chest, making her slightly uncomfortable, but the pain in her chest was far worse.

“I’m sorry that I did this all to you,” Tate cleared his throat, stepping back and away from Autumn. “I shouldn’t have brought you here.” Tate spun around and reached for the door handle in one quick swift motion.

“Wait,” Autumn called; she was so anxious to say what she was about to. Tate hesitated, forehead against the door. He glanced over his shoulder at her, and now it was Autumn’s turn to watch someone hold back tears.

Seeing Tate like that hurt more than anything.

“I feel so guilty.”

“Autumn-”

“Please,” she held up her palm. “I feel so guilty because Mark was my first love,” Tate bobbed his head, clearly uninterested. “And he’s dead and I’m angry because . . . I’m over him. I-I’m in love with someone else.” Saying the words caused butterflies to flutter angrily in her stomach.

Tate appeared confused and startled. Autumn could see his mind trying to process what she had said.

“I’m in love with you,” Autumn found herself weeping again. Tate didn’t move; didn’t speak. Autumn was unsure of what to do. She feared she had scared him off, and now things wouldn’t be the same. What Tate did next surprised her, he shuffled forward, resting his hand on her cheek.

Using his thumb, he wiped away the tears. Autumn just stared at him, watching his eyes study her face. Autumn had no clue what was going to happen next.

“I’ve loved you from the first moment I saw you,” he spoke up, eyes meeting hers. That unbreakable gravity was back, forcing their heads closer together. Everything in Autumn’s body tingled in fear. She was so unbelievably scared and anxious.

She could hear her heart thumping in her ear, Autumn finding herself unable to catch her breath. She found her eyes slowly shutting, her lips tingling in anticipation.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Tate whispered. Autumn opened her eyes, finding his shut. He peeked them open a few seconds later. Autumn could see a flash of pain, as if he had told another girl ‘I love you’ once before, and he was afraid of the same outcome as the last.

“Sometimes, you need a little pain.” Two seconds was all it took for Tate to lean down and plant his lips on hers. Electricity shot through her body, from her head all the way down to her toes. Autumn threw her arms around his neck, Tate resting his hand on the small of her back and pulling her closer; deepening the kiss.

His lips were soft and everything felt perfect. This moment was special, but it was also right. It made Autumn feel safe. It was, as if, her heart was being mended the longer they were connected.

Because that’s what they were; connected.

Not only physically, but emotionally. It was as if this one kiss fixed every problem they ever had. This one simple gesture of love had erased the past few hours, giving Autumn and Tate a blank slate.

Autumn quickly decided in that moment, Tate was who she belonged with. She couldn’t describe the feeling.

She just knew. She knew without proof, or question. It was the only thing she could think of as Tate began to pull away.

He was the one.