Autumn

Summer; it’s the season between spring and autumn. To most, it’s three months of sunshine but to others, it’s three months of pure love.

It all started the day Matthew Gray Gubler broke his knee. It was early June, on a night out with the guys from (500) Days Of Summer. The dance contest took a sharp turn when Matthew decided to bring out the dance move of all known dance moves.

After spending the night in the hospital, he was placed on crutches for at least two months. Then the doctor said they’d see.

It was mid-June when the movie was coming out, and Matthew had to attend the premiere on crutches, ensuing question after question about his injury.

“Did that happen on set?” “What about Criminal Minds?” “Will this affect your future work?” “Are you going to regain knee function?” “Are you going to have surgery?”

It bored Matthew but he was polite nonetheless. That was just who he was.

It was after the premiere that Matthew decided to go back to Las Vegas, his first home. He couldn’t do much in Los Angeles due to his destroyed knee, so heading home seemed like the perfect plan.

His first day home, Matthew and his younger brother headed to the movie rental store. He loved the movie store, it was his church or at least he called it that.

This was the day he met her. The day she walked into his life.

As Matthew was hobbling around on his crutches, Dakota was strolling carelessly through the comedy section.

She wasn’t paying attention she told him as she accidentally bumped into him. Her face lit up when she saw the big smile plastered on his face.

Matthew was never the guy who just asked out girls, mostly because he was awkward and just didn’t know what to say. But something about this girl made him set his awkwardness aside and he just go for it.

“I’m Matthew,” he said, stretching out his right hand. She took it in hers, “Dakota. Nice to meet you.”

Matthew tried to act casual as he asked her for her phone number. He pulled his shiny black iPhone out of his jeans pocket. She smiled as she took the phone from him and started typing in her name and number.

She handed him back the phone, “I’ve got to go, but you should call me or something.”

Matthew’s hazel eyes were wide and he just nodded his head. “Yeah, I will,” he muttered as he watched her walk out the door.

One day later, he called her.

After awkwardly telling her about his day, Matthew asked her if she would like to grab dinner that night. He had never been so nervous in his life. Relief washed over his body once she said yes.

This was the beginning of them. After that initial date, they become almost attached at the hips.

Through the end of June to the beginning of July, they were always together. Dakota was like a package deal if Matthew was somewhere. She was integrated into Matthew’s group of friends; it was like she had known them for years.

When August came quickly, so did the fights.

The fights were always about small things but somehow they always made it back to their larger problem: the autumn.

In the fall, Matthew would have to return to Los Angeles and Dakota would have to fly back to Boston. They both knew it was inevitable, that it was going to happen. They just didn’t think it would sneak up on them like it did.

The night before Dakota was to leave, she and Matthew were sitting in an abandoned park.

“Matt, I, uh, need to say something.”

Matthew turned his body to face her. He nodded at her.

“I think that we should probably put this on hold.”

His eyebrows were unsure of the pose they should take. They contorted themselves until they settled on taken aback.

“B-but why? It’s so good between us.”

Dakota bit the bottom of her rose-colored lips, “It’s just not right. We’re in two completely different places. I just, I don’t know, I need to clear my mind.”

“How can this not be right?” Matthew’s voice slightly peaked. He inhaled sharply before continuing, “This isn’t wrong, Dakota. We’re perfect for each other.”

She shook her head. Her dark hair shined in the moonlight.

“Okay, fine. You need time. I understand that. But hear me out, I’ll be waiting for you tonight. At the clearing, you know, the woods clearing. And I’ll wait for you, until you decide what to do.”

Dakota shook her head again, “I won’t com-”

“Yes, you will. I know you will,” Matthew said, standing up. He pulled her up with him. He didn’t let go of her hand, “You will.”

As Matthew bent over, he took the safety-pinned snail off of his black knee brace.

“Here, take this. It’ll remind you of us,” he said before placing the sewn snail into her hands.

He placed a light kiss on her lush lips and started limping to his beat up station wagon. Dakota just stared at him. “I love you Matt,” she silently whispered.

That night Matthew waited, and waited, and waited. She never showed up.

Three days later, he was back in LA. He was back to work on Criminal Minds. He was still hobbling. He was missing Dakota. He was many things at that moment.

He kept telling himself that he should just hop in his car and drive. He should drive all the way to Boston. Let the electric lines be his guide and just drive the nearly three-thousand miles and be with her. It would have meant driving by eleven “Welcome to insert name of state here” signs and losing tons of sleep, but he would have made it to her and would be with her, by her side.

Matthew still wasn’t sure why he hadn’t done it yet.

He was alone and all he could do was think about her, and think about calling her. He never did though. The closest he got was dialing her number a few times but hang up quickly.

It was the beginning of October when Matthew reached his bony hand up to grab the photograph from its place wedged in the side of the mirror. He held it between his index finger and thumb, just staring at it. After a few moments, he returned the picture to the mirror and smiled to himself.

Instantly, he was back to three months ago. He was back to the summer. He was back to being with her.

The picture was taken in a clearing of woods, on the Fourth of July. The night sky was lit up and beautiful.

Matthew was in a knee brace, due to his dancing incident the month before, but he was happier than he could remember. Dakota was cautiously sitting on his good knee with her legs draped over the left arm of the beach chair, careful not to disturb Matthew’s broken joint.

The fire was raging in the foreground and the fireworks were exploding in the background. The beauty of it was not lost on the two.

Both of them were smiling brighter than the bursting colors behind them. The look in their eyes said more than words could.

That was the night he knew he had fallen for her.

From his room, Matthew heard a loud knock on his front door. He slowly made his crippled way to it.

His face went from confused to surprised to happy, then back to confused, all in under thirty-seconds.

“Dakota,” he breathed, “You’re here, in LA.”

She nodded and her dark brown hair fell into her face. Matthew reached out to move it from in front of her green eyes.

“I should have done this sooner,” she said grabbing either side of Matthew’s face and pulling him into her kiss.

He broke away and with ragged breathes said, “B-but this was wrong. I waited all night for you and you decided this was wrong. That we are wrong.”

“I was dumb, and scared, and I didn’t know what I was missing. I got home and I couldn't stop thinking about what would have happened if I had gone and met you that night,” Dakota said without stopping to take a breath.

Matthew ran through the scenario in his mind. He did miss her. But she left him. He loved her though. A small smile crept over his face, “I missed you. A lot. And this.”

Matthew moved his lips back to hers.

“God, you’re so lovely.”

In an instant, Dakota’s body was being swept off the ground by a very unstable man with a bum knee. They spun three times before they came crashing down, landing on the floor.

“I missed you,” Matthew said, hovering over Dakota’s body. His hands were placed on either side of her head.

“You said that already,” Dakota spoke softly. He looked down at her with a smile.

“I love you, Matt,” she said before pulling him down to her.

Matthew smiled at her and before kissing her said, “I love you, too.”