A North Carolina Autumn

Chapter 21

3.28.2022- Smut warning:):)

After the movie ends, it's only 9:30pm, so we decide to play Nertz. The last time I played was with the group in the Fire Tower. This time, we had too many people for one group, so we split.

Once back upstairs in the kitchen, half of us sit at the table, the other half at the counter on stools. Decks of cards are passed out, and I grin when I get the blue deck. We had the actual game of Nertz cards, which was basically just a box full of 12 different colored decks of cards, making it easy to sort them after each game. Luckily, we had two of these boxes so there were more than enough cards.

I groan when I look up and see who is sitting at the counter with me. Sawyer, Jensen, Sam, Olivia and several other cousins sit around the counter, with Rylie to my right. All of them were good at Nertz. Not to say I was used to easy wins, but I was kind of used to easy wins.

Sawyer and I tie the first game, I manage to beat him the second and third games, but he absolutely demolishes me in the fourth round.

"How do you even get that many cards out?" I shout. HIs final score was 42. I had never gotten 42.

"It's okay, Aspen. Now you know how I feel." Rylie says.

"I don't know if that's your attempt of cheering me up, but it's not working." I grumble. I feel slightly better when she kisses my cheek, but only slightly. Always seeming to read my mind, she gently grasps my chin to turn me towards her before kissing my lips. My mood lifts significantly after that.

We play until nearly 1:00am, sometimes stopping to take breaks to snack on something, hang out in the living room, or just talk. By the time we separate for bed, I'm exhausted.

Rylie takes my hand once we reach our room and grabs a blanket from the chest at the base of the bed before pulling me onto the deck. Despite my exhaustion, I follow without complaint. I sit beside her on the cushioned porch swing as she pulls the blanket around us, and I lean into her warmth.

The rain is still falling, the sound musical and rhythmic as each drop lands on the roof above our heads, or the leaves of the trees around the house. The smell alone is amazing. Rain was one of my favorite smells.

"Hey, Aspen?" Rylie's voice sounds by my ear, and I enjoy the way her breath tickles my skin.

"Hmm?" I respond as I take her hand.

"Do you think we're rushing things?"

I sit up, instantly taking in the worried look in her eyes, even in the dim lighting. "What? Do you?" I ask quickly.

"No, not at all. In fact, I wouldn't mind if it all happened faster. It's just... the day of the... of the accident, when we were on the pier, I asked how soon was too soon for you. We never really got to finish that conversation..."

"Rylie," I take both of her hands gently. "I meant what I said. There is no 'too soon' with you. The moment I started falling in love with you was the moment I knew I wanted you by my side. The day you become my wife can't come soon enough." I promise her.

Her eyes quickly change from worried to full of love and happiness. "God, Aspen." She breathes. "How did I get so lucky?" Tears fill her eyes, and I quickly brush one from her cheek with my thumb.

"I love you so much, Ry." I kiss her softly before pulling her into a hug. Suddenly, I remember another question. "What do you want to do for our honeymoon?"

She takes a moment to answer, and I look up to see a soft smile on her face. "How about a cruise?"

My jaw drops before I giggle. "Really? You'd actually want to do that?"