We walk out of the store with a large bag of dog food and two bags filled with toys and treats. “Hand me your keys,” Travis says, holding his hand out. I dangle them in front of him, and he grabs them before I can pull away. “Nice try, princess. Now I get to drive the Prissy Prius.”
I scowl at his nickname for my precious car. “I’m going to teach Gryff to bite you anytime you make a snide comment.”
“And then I’ll just unteach him, and when you come back, I’ll have taught him all kinds of good stuff like fetching beers from the fridge and taking out the trash.”
“Geez, don’t set your standards high or anything.” I roll my eyes as I get into the passenger side with Gryff. “You think we should drive around before going back home?”
“Are you expecting Courtney to make her move finally?” he asks, turning the key and shifting into gear.
“It’s that obvious, huh?”
“Not to Drew, apparently. He’s kind of blinded by the fog of Mia.”
I sigh. “So, Drew really never asked about that night with Mia?”
I see his throat tighten, and I wonder if I hit a nerve. “No. I’ve offered to tell him everything, but she should really be the one to.”
“Do you think she will?”
“Honestly? No.” He shrugs. “If she tries to pull any of her usual shit, though, I’m telling him, whether he wants to hear it or not.”
I pinch my lips, wanting to ask him, but not wanting to sound like I don’t trust him. Mia has always been up to no good, but I trust Travis’s judgment.
Instead of saying anything, I distract myself with my phone and see that Courtney has sent me multiple text messages.
Courtney: He has the best laugh ever. *sigh*
Courtney: OMG I want to have his babies.
Courtney: Would it be weird to cut a piece of his hair off and sleep with it?
Courtney: Our babies would be so pretty with my blue eyes and his wild dark hair, don’t you think?
Courtney: He winked at me.
Courtney: I just died.
Courtney: DIED.
Courtney: DEAD.
“Good Lord,” I murmur, shaking my head. “Courtney shouldn’t be left alone with Drew. I almost feel bad. Perhaps I should've warned him before we left…”
“Nah, it’s good for him.”
“She’s not usually this crazy, but she’s crushed on him since the first day they met.”
“Let me guess. Drew barely flinched.”
“Pretty much. He wouldn’t recognize flirting if it smacked him in the face, pulled his hair, and gave him a titty twister.”
“Jesus. Remind me not to piss you off.”
I shoot him a look, and he smirks at me.
I send Courtney a text.
Viola: Code red: We’re on our way back. If you’re naked, warn us now.
Courtney: Oh like you haven’t seen me naked before?
Viola: Well, I didn’t plan on making it a habit.
Courtney: Fine...but if you must know, Drew and I are at least an arm’s length apart, so I’d say the friend zone has been set in place. :(
“He friend zoned her,” I tell Travis, typing out my response. “If her signs were any brighter, he’d go blind.”
“Should’ve seen him in college.” He snorts. “Girls were nearly crawling at his feet, and he was just so oblivious to it.”
I nod in agreement. “I imagine a lot of broken hearts followed.”
“Yeah, that’s why this whole thing with Mia pisses me off. I wish he’d just let her go and move on. She’s bad news.”
I swallow again, fidgeting with Gryff’s collar as I think of a way to bring up that night. Figuring the best way is just to rip it off like a Band-Aid, I ask, “Has she cheated on him?” Cringing, waiting for his reaction, I watch as his fingers tighten around the steering wheel.
“She claims she didn’t, but she was with a guy when I found her.”
My blood boils, and I’m tempted to call her up myself and tell her to stay away from Drew, but knowing the conniving bitch she is, she wouldn’t, just to piss me off even more. In a weird way, it’s also comforting to hear she was with another guy, which solidifies my trust for Travis.
“Not surprised,” I say on a shallow breath.
We pull into the driveway, and Travis takes Gryff from me before getting out. “Let’s take him for a walk.” He flashes a knowing smile and winks.
We silently walk hand in hand as Travis holds his leash with his free hand. It’s so peaceful and easy, and I almost forget Drew is in the house sulking.
“I’m really going to miss you when you leave,” he says in a soft tone. He doesn’t look at me, but I can see that his mind is going a thousand miles a minute.
“I’m going to miss you, too.” I squeeze my hand in his, letting him know everything I don’t know how to say. “Gryff will like taking all these walks with you when I’m gone.”
“He’ll be pretty big by the time you return.”
“Maybe show him a picture of me every few days, so he doesn't forget,” I say, smiling and finally getting a laugh out of him.
“I can do that, but just know they’ll be the ones of your tits and ass.” He smirks, and I playfully bump my hip into his.
We walk a few more steps before he stops and pulls me into his chest. “I hope you know I would wait for you, even if it was a year or six years. Every day you’re gone is going to suck major ass, but I’ll be thinking of you every second.”
“You know you really suck at not making me feel guilty.” I pout, sticking my lower lip out at him.
He leans in and pulls it between his teeth before releasing it. “Good. I want the guilt to consume you.” A smile plays at his lips, and I can’t resist smiling back at him.
“It’s just six months,” I remind him. “That’s easy peasy.”
He sighs, brushing his thumb over my cheek. He presses a soft kiss to my lips, and I melt into him. Gryff starts whining, tangling his leash between our legs.
Travis breaks the kiss and untangles the leash while muttering a few curse words.
“Maybe you can take him to a few of those puppy classes and get him all trained before I’m back.” I smile at my brilliant idea.
“He might need more than just a few.” He groans, adjusting the leash again and leading us back to the house.
Courtney is in heaven when we return, and she makes me promise to invite her over again soon to “visit Gryff.” Travis and I avoid each other the rest of the night while I finish laundry. Drew’s already suspicious, so the more distance between us right now, the better.
The weekend flies by, with studying for finals and coming over to play with Gryff. Fortunately, Drew works all weekend, so we don’t have to pretend while we’re together. He continues wallowing around when he’s home, so I do my best to cheer him up and casually mention Courtney in conversation. As expected, he doesn’t take the bait, so I’m left watching him mope on the couch instead.