Autumn The Matchmaker Novels & Stories

I said, sounding like a fucking waitress. And I hated it. Maria turned and looked at me. “Where are you from?” She asked me out of the blue. “New York,” I answered. “And my name is Autumn,” I said even though she hadn’t bothered to ask, but I would rather tell her than have her address me with something that I might find offensive. “If you are Mabel’s daughter and she is Mateo’s wife, that makes you Dante’s stepsister, right?” She asked. “Yes, it does,” I responded.

“Jace, I thought we were friends!” He rolls his eyes, and I sigh. “Fine, fine!” I walk over to the matchmaker’s table, trying to compose myself. I have no idea what to expect, but I can’t let my nerves get the better of me. I owe it to myself to give this a shot. After all, how else will I ever find my true mate? The matchmaker hands me a stack of photos, each one featuring a different man. As I flip through them, I can feel Jace’s eyes boring into me. It’s like he’s trying to read my mind, trying to figure out what I’m thinking.

Morning had finally made itself as it sheds itself onto anything it made contact with. But this particular morning was different compared to other mornings. The atmosphere felt tense, suffocating, and overwhelming. In the lonely, quiet house of Micheal, sat Autumn, who waited patiently while clenching onto her cellphone waiting for a cue that her ride had arrived to take her to her destination. She wore a pair of jeans, black heeled boots, a marron long-sleeved turtle neck, a thick scarf wrapped around her neck, and a black jacket that covered her entire outfit.

And Gavin—well, Gavin’s three hours away, counting down the days until graduation, already acting like he’s got one foot out the door. Gemma texted me last night: You ever feel like you’re suffocating, even when the window’s open? I didn’t know how to answer. I keep thinking about summer, the salt wind and the laughter and the promises we made, but autumn isn’t summer. –And the truth is, maybe none of us are the same anymore. The thing about autumn is that it looks prettier than it feels. Everyone talks about the leaves—red, orange, gold, the whole cliché—but no one talks about the gray sky behind them, or the way the air smells like endings.

Her heartbeat had settled into a steady rhythm, and I won’t lie and say it didn’t feel good when she ran her fingers on my arms. “You are my mate Autumn. I don’t know what you are, but the one thing I can tell you is that there’s no one I trust more than Hades, and I trust what he’s feeling. If you are lying to us, then that’s that. You probably have your reasons, but personally, I don’t think you are. I think you’re just terrified.” She didn’t say anything for the longest time. “It’s a lot to process. You’re telling me that my whole life has pretty much been a lie.”

I'd been in a secret relationship with Nathan for six years. He said we couldn't go public because of his career. So we always split the bill, and anniversary gifts never cost more than fifteen dollars. The night before our anniversary, I asked him for the sixth time when he'd come home with me to meet my family. He turned me down again. "Ivy, I just think things are moving a little fast. Marriage is a lifetime commitment, after all." So I went home alone, carrying the expensive cheese and wine he'd bought for my mom. I pushed open the door and found the living room trashed. My stepsister Chloe stood there with a smug grin on her face. "Mrs. Mercer, you owe my family a million dollars. You'v

His eyes brought back all those memories she thought she had already forgotten— her past which she didn't have the strength to tell Aidan. “Just one night, Autumn. We just have to dance. Our customers won’t be able to recognize us because we’re wearing masks. It's up to you whether you want to be fucked or not,” Snow, her best friend, told her. Snow already has her make-up on and her black lingerie. Her lips were so red as if she had really prepared for this night.

Anyone raised by such incredible women has to be a good guy, right? I miss him already. This mate bond is strong. Nova is eager to get to our mate as well. I quickly shower and change into a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. I brush my teeth and throw my hair up in a messy bun. I don't know how to do all those make-up trends like contouring and shading, and it just isn't me. I put on mascara, which is my normal makeup routine, and some lightly tinted sunblock and figure that's good enough. I didn't come with much, but I figured my outfit would have to do as I laced up my Converse and headed out to look for Luke.

And at the same time, I had seen him approaching me as well. I had tried to run away, but my body wouldn't let me. It was as if it had taken a mind of its own that day. And Anya’s sudden excitement that day had been another case on its own. When we had gotten closer to each other, we stood and stared at each other lustily for about a minute. My heart had raced so bad that I thought it was going to leave my chest. And when we both suddenly uttered the word, ‘Mate’ simultaneously, I knew a change of plans was occurring. And that was what landed me here.

My dark mood lifted the moment I saw Autumn. She seemed like a ray of light in her pink, flowery dress paired with black flats. Her short bangs were tucked neatly into a tight bun—so tight I feared it might hurt her scalp, yet it lent her an air of meticulousness. Lovely, poised, and far too mature for her years, she took the seat opposite me and next to Nicole. I couldn’t tear my eyes away as she fidgeted with the napkin in front of her, her small hands smoothing its edges nervously. Then, her gaze flicked up to mine, and she smiled. That smile—tentative and shy—made something inside me ache.