America looked worried. “Huh uh, Abby. Are you saying you’re okay with what happened?”
I looked to all of them. “Travis can bring home whoever he wants. It’s his apartment.”
America stared at me as if I’d lost my mind, Shepley was on the verge of a smile, and Travis looked worse than before.
“You didn’t pack your things?” Travis asked.
I shook my head and looked at the clock; it was after two in the afternoon. “No, and now I’m going to have to unpack it all. I still have to eat, and shower, and get dressed….” I said, walking into the bathroom. Once the door closed behind me, I leaned against it, and slid down to the floor. I was sure I had pissed off America beyond repair, but I made Shepley a promise, and I intended to keep my word.
A soft knock on the door tapped above me. “Pidge?” Travis said.
“Yeah?” I said, trying to sound normal.
“You’re staying?”
“I can go if you want me to, but a bet’s a bet.”
The door vibrated with the soft bump of Travis’’ forehead against the door. “I don’t want you leave, but I wouldn’t blame you if you did.”
“Are you saying I’m released from the bet?”
There was a long pause. “If I say yes, will you leave?”
“Well, yeah. I don’t live here, silly,” I said, forcing a small laugh.
“Then no, the bet’s still in effect.”
I looked up and shook my head, feeling the tears burn my eyes. I had no idea why I was crying, but I couldn’t stop. “Can I take a shower, now?”
“Yeah…,” he sighed.
I heard America’s shoes enter the hall and stomp by Travis. “You’re a selfish bastard,” she growled, slamming Shepley’s door behind her.
I pushed myself up from the floor, turned on the shower, and then undressed, pulling the curtain behind me.
After another knock on the door, Travis cleared his throat. “Pigeon? I brought some of your stuff.”
“Just set in on the sink. I’ll get it.”
Travis walked in and shut the door behind him. “I was mad. I heard you spitting out everything that’s wrong with me to America and it pissed me off. I just meant to go out and have a few drinks and try to figure some things out, but before I knew it, I was piss drunk and those girls…,” he paused. “I woke up this morning and you weren’t in bed, and when I found you on the recliner and saw the wrappers on the floor, I felt sick.”
“You could have just asked me instead of spending all that money at the grocery store just to bribe me to stay.”
“I don’t care about the money, Pidge. I was afraid you’d leave and never speak to me again.”
I cringed at his explanation. I hadn’t stopped to think how it would make him feel to hear me talk about how wrong for me he was, and now the situation was too messed up to salvage.
“I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” I said, standing under the water.
“I know you didn’t. And I know it doesn’t matter what I say now, because I fucked things up…just like I always do.”
“Trav?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t drive drunk on your bike anymore, okay?”
I waited for a full minute until he finally took a deep breath and spoke. “Yeah, okay,” he said, shutting the door behind him.
CHAPTER FIVE
Parker Hayes
“Come in,” I called, hearing a knock on the door.
Travis walked in, and froze in the doorway. “Wow.”
I smiled and looked down at my dress. A bustier that elongated into a short skirt, it was admittedly more daring than I had worn in the past. The material was thin, black and see-through over a nude shell. Parker would be at that party, and I had every intention of being noticed.
“You look amazing,” he said as I slid on my heels.
I gave his white dress shirt and jeans an approving nod. “You look nice, too.”
His sleeves were bunched above his elbows, revealing the intricate tattoos on his forearms. I noticed that his favorite black leather cuff was around his wrist when he shoved his hands in his pockets.