Autumn Masters is a failure in her own mind. She is about to let her dream of being a writer die when she is given an opportunity that may be too good to be true. She has to navigate dating, sex, attraction, writing, teaching, and learning all at the same time. Will she survive the torture, use it to her advantage, or be swept beneath it all?

The Torture of Autumn

Autumn met Steve at a bus stop. When he arrived, she didn’t say a word, just stood there with him. He smiled at her, even waved. She smiled back, but didn’t talk.


When the bus came, she got on and motioned for him to get on too.


She didn’t sit with him. Instead, she sought out a place where she would be sitting among a bunch of other people, without any empty seats near her.


At first, Steve didn’t know what to do. He slumped into a seat when the bus started moving again, sitting by himself.


Autumn sat and watched everyone around her. There was a couple on the bus, sitting pressed so tightly together you would think there were no empty seats anywhere on the bus and it was so cold they needed to huddle together for warmth. They weren’t kissing or anything. They were just so close to one another that you could feel the affection.


Chapter 40: Bus rides; for research