Chasing Desire (Chasing Love 3)

Everything was gone.

She was gone…

He ran through the house.

Empty.

He called out her name.

She was nowhere.

But they’d been happy… He’d been happy…

Huck shot upright in bed, his breathing hard, sweat drenching his forehead. He reached out and felt cold sheets next to him.

“Where is she?” he said aloud to no one.

This wasn’t right. It was a bad dream. He remembered falling asleep with her. The feel of her warm skin. The smell of her hair. He had her in his arms just a moment ago…

Not Sydney.

Autumn.

Fog cleared from his head. He hadn’t had a dream like that in over a year. But the fact remained. Autumn was gone.

He glanced out the window and saw the sun peaking over the horizon with a bright Kansas morning.

He gripped the sheet next to him. She’d left. Again. He’d let his guard down and let her leave him a-fucking-gain.

“Fuck!” He threw the pillow, his chest heaving. That feeling rose quicker than the bile in his throat—the sick emptiness he’d been pushing down since Sydney left. Just like it had the other night Autumn left him as well.

He had no control. He was sitting like a chump while his blood roared in his ears and his temples pounded, mocking him. Reminding him what an idiot he was.

It was the past all over again.

He’d actually thought something had happened to Sydney. Turned out, all that had happened was she’d fallen out of love with him.

And Autumn? She hadn’t even cared to say goodbye, to wake him when she left.

Left.

He closed his eyes, trying to focus on the present. His world had fucking shattered once. Disappeared. And he was a fool not to see it coming. A fool for wanting more.

He’d thought this thing with Autumn would be simpler. No complications.

Why did he even care that she’d left instead of him?

Fuck no. He had to shut down this line of thinking. He was not going down this path again. It had taken months to get over this shit with Sydney. He clutched his chest like his damn heart was burning, got up, and pulled on his pants.

This woman was messing with his mind. He needed to get a grip. Because he wasn’t about to admit that being left was twisting a knife in his gut. Nope, he was a man, damn it. This was bullshit. He just needed her out of his system. And he needed these fucking nightmares, the memories, to stay where they belonged: gone.

Time he set the leggy, raven-haired beauty straight and end his personal hell once and for all.

Chapter Six

“These are the best pancakes in the state,” Penny said, putting a short stack in front of Autumn.

After last night, Autumn was starved, and even though it wasn’t even eight in the morning yet, she remembered that Jenna had mentioned that Main Street was where the locals went to get anything, including good food from Miss Diamond herself.