And just like that, the messages temporarily stop. Thank God. I throw my phone on the couch just as Travis walks from the kitchen, removing his suit jacket. He places it on the back of the couch and undoes his tie with one hand because he’s holding tight to the bottle of Jose Cuervo in the other. Even though he’s not himself at the moment, he still looks hot as hell. I want him to talk to me, tell me what’s going on, but he’s sealed so tight I doubt the CIA could hack into him.
“I wish you’d tell me what’s going on,” I say but don’t sound confident or even believable. I’ve not seen Travis like this in years. Not since he’d come over defeated from hearing his father scream at his mother.
“I don’t want to talk about it.” He pushes his shoes from his feet and props them on the couch and closes his eyes. I imagined when he came home, things would be much different. We have a few hours to spend together, to be together, but it’s obvious he wants to be alone right now.
“Fine.” I try to sound like I’m not hurt or disappointed, but my voice gives me away. I wish he’d talk to me, but I won’t force him.
I walk over to the couch and bend down to grab my phone. Courtney started with the texts again, and I shoot her a quick one.
Viola: Drew went to watch the game at a friend’s house, so I’m coming over. Cool if I stay over?
Courtney: YES! OF COURSE! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE PRONTO!
Before I can walk away, Travis grabs my hand and pulls me toward him. When I don’t budge, he pulls harder until I’m in front of him. The corner of his lips tilts up slightly because he knows I’m going to make him work for it.
He wraps both arms around my waist and pulls me down to him. Straddling his legs, I fall on top of his, and the warmth of him grazes my skin. I can see the pain in his eyes as I search his face, wanting him to talk to me.
He runs his fingers through my hair, and I can’t help but sigh and lean into his touch. I inhale his cologne that’s mixed with a hint of tequila. Travis leans up, and his lips trace the outside of mine, causing my body to melt into him. Want and need travels through me and swirls in the pit of my stomach. Not being able to hold it back any longer, our lips crash together, causing a pool of emotions to spill over. Kisses aren’t supposed to steal your breath away, but somehow, that one did. We pull apart, and I take a moment to study his face while his eyes are closed.
“Viola,” Travis whispers; our eyes finally meet. They tell me everything he wants to say and nothing all at the same time. His voice is a plea, and I wish he’d let me in.
I finally break the silence. “I’m going to stay at Courtney’s tonight. Her high school sweetheart dumped her for someone else, and she’s a hot mess. I have to stop her from eating a gallon of ice cream.” Alone anyway, I think to myself.
It’s the first time he’s cracked a smile since he’s been home, even if it was a small one.
“You don’t have to go,” he says, genuinely. “I don’t want you to go.” His words go straight to my heart.
I shrug, feeling defeated by the tug-of-war consuming me. “She needs me right now.”
He bows his head and nods. “I’m sorry for snapping at you.”
“We’ll talk when I get back,” I reassure him, but I need the reassurance too.
I nod with a small smile and grab a change of clothes from Drew’s room. If I know Courtney, she really is eating like the world is going to end tomorrow.
Loud bass echoing off the walls, and Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” is blaring through Courtney’s apartment when I walk through the door.
Apparently, it’s worse than I thought.
“Courtney?” I call out, setting my bag down on the table and kicking my shoes off. I go in search of the music to turn it down, but before I find the stereo, I see Courtney sitting in the middle of her living room with pictures surrounding her in a circle.
Way worse.
“What are you doing?” I yell over the music, searching for the remote to turn it off. The song finally ends, and I breathe out in relief.
“Don’t make me sit down here all by myself,” she says, holding a picture of her and Toby and rips it right in half. “Blank Space” begins, and I squeeze my eyes shut.
Yeah, she’s lost it.
“Court,” I say, sitting down next to her. She grabs the remote next to her and finally turns the music down. “Talk to me. What happened?”
“He’s a cheating asshole who didn’t have the balls to break up with me before he slept with someone else.”
“He’s an idiot.” I take the picture from her hand and throw it down. “He doesn’t deserve you.”
She rolls her eyes, and I can tell she’s been crying hard. They’re red and bloodshot.
“Yeah, I know. But it doesn’t make the pain hurt any less.”
I wrap my arms around her shoulders and squeeze. “I know.”
We sit in silence for a few moments, listening to Taylor’s lyrics. “Want to go trash his car? Find a couple of golf clubs or bats and go all T-Swift on his ass?”
That makes her giggle as she wipes a tear from her cheek. “Yes.” Her lips form into a small smile.
I chuckle. “He’s not worth your tears. Or the amount of bail money it’d take to get us out of jail.”
She sniffs, wiping her face once again. “I just never imagined someone you love could hurt you so much. He was just telling me last week how he couldn’t imagine not having me in his life, how happy he was with me, and how excited he was for our future. I thought he was hinting at getting engaged, and now this? How the hell did it go from that to this?”
“Sounds like he was trying to convince himself more than anything. He’s a dumbass for letting go of the best thing that’s ever happened to him.” I grab her hand and grip it to grab her attention. “You know that, right? He wasn’t good enough for you.”
She nods in agreement, although I’m not sure she really believes it yet. I know she’s hurting, and she has every right to be, but I want to take it off her mind.
“Want to go out? Or get some ice cream? I won’t allow you to wallow over him alone,” I say firmly, but with a smile as I play to her ice cream weakness.
“You could give me all the dirty details on you and Travis?” She perks up, her brows rise with hopefulness.
I sigh, rolling my eyes at her. “Seriously? Hearing sex details of Travis and me will not help.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
I finally talk her into leaving the apartment. We drive around for a bit until we find a cute little ice cream shop. I give her some details about Travis and me, but there isn’t much to say because I don’t really know what’s going on between us. I’m just as confused as I was after the first time we fell into bed together, but a part of me doesn’t want to question it just yet. The more I get emotionally involved, the higher the risk for getting hurt by him again.
“So now that I’m an old single lady again, how do people my age meet guys?” she asks, licking the ice cream off her spoon.