Fifteen

   “Is it too late to get some of my stuff?” Autumn asked Jacob after throwing up again.

   “Uhh...” Jacob checked the time on his phone. “I guess not... Do you want to go now?” He fingered on his car keys. He loved driving and he did it whenever he had a chance.

   “Yeah...” Autumn said. “I'd like to have at least few of my stuff.” Jake nodded and put on his shoes.

   “Let's go then!” He opened the door for Autumn and closed it softly behind them. “So where do you live?” He asked as he backed out from the driveway.

   “You take a left up there, go straight for half a mile and then another left. It's not that far, actually.” Jacob nodded and drove as she had instructed. They pulled up to a large brick house with the number 26 on it.

   “Do you want me to come with you?” Jacob asked, turning off the engine.

   “Uh...” Autumn glanced at the building. “Sure. You can help me carry, if nothing else.” They walked together up the stairs and Autumn unlocked the door.

   “Oh my god, Autumn. Where have you been?” Sarah's hysterical voice sounded through the apartment. “I've been so- Oh hello.” Sarah cut herself off after seeing Jacob standing behind Autumn. She looked at both of them and then it struck her. “You've been with him?” She asked, her hands still resting on her hips from earlier.

   “Yeah...” Autumn replied, brushing past Sarah on her way to her bedroom. She started packing the most important things in one of her bags; cellphone charger, toothbrush, makeup, some clothes to sleep in, her favourite pillow and a hairbrush.

   “Hey, where are you going?” Sarah asked as Autumn came back with her stuff.

   “Jacob's.” Autumn simply said. “Would you mind taking this?” She handed Jacob her handbag and turned back to Sarah. “I'll be staying with him, so you might want to find a new room mate.” She went over to hug Sarah. “We'll be picking up the rest of my stuff later this week, okay?” Sarah looked absolutely shocked.

   “Oh-Okay...” She stuttered and blinked. “I'll miss you!”

   “I'll miss living with you, but I think this is for the best. Now, you won't have to deal with me.”

   “Thank god for that!” Sarah joked, breaking up the hug. She looked over at Jacob. “Good luck with her.” Jacob smiled.

   “I think I'll be fine.” He said. “But thanks.” A moment of silence passed before Jacob spoke again. “Are you ready to go?” He asked Autumn and cleared his throat. “Because this bag does so not go with my shoes!” Autumn and Sarah laughed.

   “He's funny, too.” Sarah whispered and Autumn nodded.

   “Yeah...”

   “Have fun.” They hugged again, and Jacob had to cough to break it up.

   “Yeah, yeah, I'm coming.” Autumn sighed, turned around and walked out with Jacob.

   “How do you feel?” He asked and put his arm around her waist as they walked toward the car. Autumn glanced back at the building and sighed.

   “I don't know.” She admitted. “I'm glad that I won't have to see her and Shawn, but I'm going to miss my apartment.” Jacob opened the car door for her and kept the conversation going when they drove off.

   “But you like my house, don't you?” Autumn smiled and hugged her bag.

   “I love your house.” She said and looked over her shoulder to see the building again. “But I've lived in that apartment for quite a while, and it's going to be weird not to go back there every day.” Jacob gritted his teeth together and took a firm grip of the steering wheel.

   “I'm sorry.” He said. “This is all my fault.” He moved his right hand to shift gears, and Autumn put her hand on top of his. She stroke it a couple of times and kept her eyes on his face.

   “Jacob...” She whispered, afraid to speak. “Don't say that. I told you... it's not your fault.”

   “Of course it is.” Jacob sighed. “I could have been more careful.”

   “And I could have been on the pill.” Autumn snapped. “But the damage is done. We have to look forward, Jacob. We can't undo what has been done. We have to take our responsibility.”

   “Of course.” Jacob sighed. “But it's my fault you're pregnant at 21. You're so young...” Autumn sighed. This was so stupid.

   “So are you!” Autumn said. “Remember?” Jacob turned right and slowed down, as they were approaching his house.

   “It's different.”

   “Why? Because you seem to think that you're 25 or something?”

   “That's not what I meant!” Jacob parked the car and when he turned his head back to Autumn, the door slammed and she was walking towards the house. Lucky for her, the front door wasn't locked, so she hurried inside and continued to the bathroom.

Jacob sat still in his car, his head in his hands. Why had he said that? He was such an idiot. Five minutes passed before he moved, and then he walked slowly up to the house.

In his mind, he saw Autumn yelling at him and throwing pillows across the room, but when he opened the door everything was quiet and nothing seems out of place.

   “Autumn?” Jacob tried, taking off his shoes and looking around the room. When she didn't reply, he went through the house, searching for her.

He opened doors and looked around the corners in all rooms before he found her on the bathroom floor. He squatted next to her and stroke her back.

   “I'm sorry.” He said, feeling terrible when he heard that she was crying. “I didn't mean what I said. It's just...” He paused. “I blame myself for all of this.” Autumn sighed.

   “Stop doing that! I hate when you make me sound like a child. Like I didn't know what I was doing.”

   “But you were drunk...” Jacob said quietly.

   “Yeah, I was, but believe me: I didn't do anything I regret.”

   “Really?”

   “Oh, come on Jacob. You're hot and you know it.” Autumn felt something move inside her and crawled to the toilet to throw up. “Fucking hell.” She spat and kept her head over the toilet. Jacob was standing behind her now, keeping her hair away from the vomit. “When is this shit going to be over? If there's one thing I hate, it's things coming out of my mouth.”

   “I'm sorry.” Jacob whispered. Autumn rolled her eyes.

   “I know. You've said it like a million times.” Jacob bit his bottom lip and let go of Autumn's hair when she moved away from the toilet. She checked her reflection in the mirror and pulled up her shirt to above the bellybutton.

   “Hello stretchmarks.” She muttered. “I'm going to be so ugly, Jacob. You won't even want to touch me.”

Jacob took a few steps forward and placed his arms around her.

   “Of course I'll want to touch you.” He said, meeting her gaze in the mirror. “Nothing can make you ugly.” Autumn dropped her gaze and looked at his hands. Why was it so hard to be upset with him? He always did or said something that made Autumn melt and want to hug him.

   “Why do you have to be so perfect?” She said. “You're making me look like a bitch who only complains.” Jacob chuckled.

   “I'm not perfect. Not at all.”

   “But you always know what to say, and you never screw up.”

   “Yeah, right...” Jacob snorted and let go of Autumn. “I'm going to bed. Do you want me to make yours for you?”

   “Mine?” Autumn asked, looking puzzled. “What do you mean?”

   “Well, the bed in the guest room. I thought you might want to sleep alone.”

   “Oh...” Autumn had expected to sleep in Jacob's room, but if he had an extra bed, why not? “That's okay, I can make it myself.” She walked out after Jacob and he showed her the way to the guest room. There were sheets lying on the sofa in the room, so Autumn could choose which one she preferred.

   “Good night then.” Jacob said and walked over to his room.

   “Night.” Autumn started making the bed and after brushing her teeth and changing into a t-shirt, she slipped under the covers and relaxed.

For half an hour, Autumn tried to fall asleep, but it was impossible. She sat on the edge of the bed, thinking. The thought of sleeping next to Jacob entered her mind, and at last, she tiptoed into his room.

   “Jacob?” She whispered. “Are you awake?”

   “Autumn, what's wrong? Is it too hot? Too cold?”

   “No... I couldn't sleep. Can I sleep in here?”

   “Uh, sure.” Jacob moved to the left side of the bed and let Autumn take the right side.
Next to Jacob, it seemed easier to fall asleep, and just as she was about to doze off, she felt Jacob's hand on her stomach and heard him whisper:

   “Hello, tiny baby. I can't wait for you to be born. I love you.” Autumn tried her best to act like she was sleeping, but right then and there, she started falling for Jacob.