At seventeen, Alex Thorne and I discovered we were living in a romance novel. He was the hero. I was just a background character. Alex tore the book to shreds, furious. "I don't give a damn about being the hero! And I will never love anyone else!" At twenty-two, just as the book predicted, I had to leave the country. Alex stroked my hair, promising, "When you come back, we'll get married." At twenty-seven, I returned. To attend Alex's wedding to the female lead. 01 The ceremony was in an hour. I stood in the hotel lobby, staring at the welcome sign. "Groom: Alex Thorne; Bride: Autumn Chi." It felt like I was seventeen all over again, pulling an unmarked book from a library shelf, only to see the cover: "Hero: Alex Thorne; Heroine: Autumn Chi." It was a Pandora's box. I was terrified to look inside. "What'cha looking at?" The seventeen-year-old Alex appeared, leaning over my shoulder, his chin hovering just above it. "What idiot is using my name to write a novel?" He took the book and started flipping through it, muttering the whole time. "What kind of stupid name is Autumn? The person I like is named Cora." "Cora... where's my Cora..." His voice got quieter as he read, until his face was pale. The book, starting from when Alex was twenty-two, told the story of his epic romance with the heroine. Everything in it, aside from the future parts, was a perfect match for our reality. And his Cora... was just a name in a flashback. "I don't give a damn about being the hero! And I will never love anyone else!" Alex's eyes were red. He ripped the book apart with trembling hands. "Cora, don't believe it. That person... it's not me." I couldn't say anything. Seventeen-year-old Alex held me, his voice choked with sobs and anger. "I hate the fall." "Cora, from now on, I hate autumn." ... The boy's pained voice faded, replaced by the lobby's bustle. I came back to myself. Sunlight was streaming onto my shoulder. I looked out the window. Of course. It's autumn. 02 "An autumn wedding. It's too hot for this." An older woman fanned herself as she walked into the hotel, complaining to her friend. "And did you see the date? It's not exactly a lucky day. What was the Thorne family thinking...?" "It's just Alex being in a hurry to get married. I heard he proposed five times before she finally said yes!" Her companion looked proud to have the gossip. "The Thornes have had this wedding planned for years. The moment she agreed, they put it together in a week." "Wow. He must really be in love with that Autumn girl..." Their voices faded down the hall. I couldn't help but remember. How much did the Alex in the book love Autumn? Enough to start planning their wedding six months after meeting her. Enough that, even though the love was mutual, he was so scared of losing her that he spent five years carefully maneuvering his way into her life. He was never a patient person. He was all impulse and swagger. He loved her so much... he completely forgot... Seventeen, picking up a shredded piece of the book. On a blank corner, he had childishly scribbled: "I, Alex Thorne, hereby warn all authors: 1. Alex does not want to be the hero. 2. The only person Alex loves is named Cora Lin. 3. ... " "This is not subject to change. Alex will only ever, ever love Cora!" ... "Mommy, what does that say?" A little girl was pointing at the welcome sign. I followed her finger to the elegant script at the bottom: "We invite you to witness the ceremony that marks our lifelong decision. — Alex & Autumn" 03 Fifteen minutes had passed. I was still standing there, unable to take that first step. "Cora." A familiar voice behind me. I turned, and my arm was instantly grabbed. "It really is you... Cora, you're finally back." I was pulled into a fragile, familiar hug. A choked sob sounded in my ear. My throat burned. "Mrs. Thorne..." Alex's mother let out a small, broken sound, then quickly covered her mouth. "It's... it's my fault, Cora. I'm so sorry..." After graduation, at Alex's 18th birthday party. He'd invited me to his house. We walked in the door and ran right into his mother. "Mom, I'd like you to meet your future daughter-in-law, Cora Lin." Alex slung his arm around my shoulder, proud and confident. "Cora, this is our mom, your future mother-in... oomph!" I'd stood on my toes to cover his mouth, just as his mother rapped him on the forehead. Amidst Alex's yelp of pain, we all froze for a second, then looked at each other and laughed. That was the first time I met her. It set the tone for every visit after: Alex causing chaos, me trying to contain him, and his mother cleaning up the mess. And in the end, we were always laughing. On my 20th birthday, she gave me the Thorne family locket. She'd promised me, her voice firm: "Cora, if Alex ever does you wrong, I'm kicking him out of this house and disowning him." Now, she was telling me she was sorry. I hugged her back, patting her shoulder. All I could say was a thin echo of her own words: "It's not your fault, Mrs. Thorne." 04 She pulled away first. "Cora, this isn't the place to catch up." She quickly wiped her eyes, regaining her composure. "It's hot out here. Come in, please. Sit down." I let her lead me by the hand, and before I knew it, I was inside the ballroom. We only took two steps before she stopped, her voice suddenly tense. "Cora... don't misunderstand..." I looked up, confused, and saw the wedding decor. Golden ears of wheat and bright sunflowers were mixed with flowers in every shade of autumn, creating a romantic, rustic field. Scarecrows stood guard. Baskets of fruit and vegetables were artfully arranged. A crescent moon hung over the stage. It was like a Van Gogh painting. It was like walking out of autumn and straight into... autumn. I stopped breathing. "Cora, please, the timing was just too tight. This was a design Alex commissioned years ago, we didn't have time to change it..." I gripped her hand, cutting her off. "Mrs. Thorne, where is Alex right now?" "Cora..." I stared at the stage. At the very tip of the crescent moon, a single, perfect ear of wheat was placed. Maybe a grain of wheat fell from God's hand and the wind just blew it there? Clutching that impossible hope, I asked again. "Where is he?" She was silent. Finally, she sighed. "He and Autumn are taking photos... They're in room 1019." I turned and ran. As the noise and colors blurred past me, I had the strangest feeling. My seventeen-year-old Alex was waiting for me.
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