Until Autumn

“I understand that you had good intentions, yet your actions led her to deliver her baby on the floor of a trapped elevator with no access to medical assistance if something were to go wrong.”

She looks back at her friend. “See? I told you he’s an asshole, a complete dick. Dr. Dick.”

The guy looks back at me with a cringe. “I’m sorry to tell you, Autumn. It kinda sounds like the dude knows what he’s talking about.”

“What?” she screeches, her jaw dropping as she gapes at him. “You didn’t just agree with him. What kind of girls' night is this? You’re completely going against the rules. No matter what bitchy thing I say about the accused, you're supposed to respond, ‘damn girl, you’re totally right. He really is an ass.’ ”

“Oh, shit. Sorry,” he laughs, clearing his throat for an announcement. “In that case … Damn girl, you’re totally right. He really is an arrogant ass.” He grins at Autumn, completely proud of himself. “Do you like what I did there with the ‘arrogant’ twist? I think it really added a little flavor.”

Autumn smiles at the guy. “Yeah, you’re really starting to get the hang of it.”

The bartender sets down another glass of wine, and half of it is gone before the guy even reaches his bar again. Her friend watches her annihilate her drink with wide eyes as I fear for the patients that she’ll be assigned to watch over tomorrow, though to be fair, she did have a shitty day. Anyone else would have allowed her to enjoy her first delivery. Usually, we have small celebrations when students are finally allowed to take a solo delivery, but she got nothing but paperwork, punishments, and reports because of her unique situation. There is no denying it, she really did have pure intentions of just trying to help, but they came from a place of naivety.

The big guy looks back at me. “I don’t think I introduced myself earlier,” he says. “I’m Breaker.”

I nod his way. “I’d like to say it’s a pleasure to meet you, but it’s more interesting than a pleasure.”

“Right back at you,” Breaker says with a smirk.

I nod toward Autumn, more curious about her life than I have the right to be. “How do you guys know each other?” I ask, hoping to whoever exists above that this isn’t some odd sugar daddy arrangement the two of them have.

Autumn meets my eye before Breaker has the chance to respond. “He’s my father,” she says. “He came by to help me kick out my douchebag boyfriend.”

“Oh, yeah?” I ask, silently pleased with what I’m hearing and a little more interested in the fact that she has a biker for a father. I’m sure that would have made for a unique childhood. “What did the boyfriend do to deserve your wrath?”

She downs the rest of her wine and goes to slam the glass down on the table, but Breaker catches it before she gets the chance to shatter it. “He welcomed himself into my apartment after stealing a key, specifically after I told him not to when I wasn't home. Then he trashed my apartment, stole all my savings to buy himself a Playstation … seven, or maybe it was an eight.”

“Five?” I suggest, helpfully.

“No,” she says, shaking her head and somehow forcing a smile to spread wide across my face. “Seven. Definitely seven.” Breaker meets my eye and smirks, both of us knowing damn well that it’s a PS5 she’s referring to, but letting her go on without any interruption. “Anyway, he bought this thing and then had the nerve to claim that he was doing me a favor because his birthday was coming up, and that’s what he expected me to buy him. Like as if the twenty-dollar sweater from Walmart wasn’t going to be enough.”

I stare at her blankly, unable to believe dickheads like that actually exist in this world. “Are you fucking serious?” I ask, struggling to hold back a laugh.

“Right,” she says with a grunt before a hiccup echoes through the whole bar. “I’ve never met such a loser. He then had the nerve to try and take the fucking thing with him.”

“No,” I laugh, loving just how animated she gets as she’s telling her story, but loving her filthy mouth just that bit more. “I meant that you were only going to get him a twenty-dollar sweater from Walmart.”

“Hey,” she snaps. “That sweater was already more than he deserved.”

I can’t help but laugh. “I’m just screwing with you. No one deserves to be treated like that, especially a woman like you.”

“A woman like me?” she questions, her brows furrowing as Breaker watches on with a deep curiosity. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

I just grin, refusing to answer her question. Curiosity burns in her eyes, but as Breaker yawns beside her and nudges her elbow, he steals that gorgeous gaze right away. “It’s getting late. I’m going to head in. Should I walk you back to your apartment?”