“Get in. I’m taking you home.” I snort to myself. “Funny I’m saying that considering it’s the exact opposite of what you told me earlier.”
Travis leans down, crossing his arms against my window frame, his face uncomfortably close to mine. “I need my car for work in the morning. Unless you plan to be my personal chauffeur?” The corner of his lips turns up in amusement.
“Fine. Give me your keys then.” I hold my hand out in front of him. “You can’t drive like this.”
He chuckles and dangles the keys in my face. “I don’t think you can handle it.”
I groan. “You’re such a child.”
“That’s not what you were saying earlier.”
“If I can handle you, I can handle your precious car,” I say, snatching the keys out of his hand. I roll up the window and slam my car door shut before locking it. I don’t wait for him before I head toward his car. I unlock the Challenger and climb inside the driver’s seat as he slips into the passenger seat.
“Buckle your seat belt. I won’t be held responsible iftheTravis King gets a boo-boo.” I shake my head and push down the clutch before I snap it into first. It’s a smooth takeoff, and before I know it, I’m going over sixty. The engine screams for me to push it to its limits, but I don’t. I look in the rearview mirror and see the back seat and exhale deeply.
“Viola, I’m sorry. I should’ve never treated you like that. I’m a fucking asshole. And when you say I don’t want you . . .”
I pull into the driveway and shut off the engine. I hand him his keys and get out of the car. As much as I want to hear what he has to say, I know it’s better to leave it where it is. I walk into the house and kick my shoes off by the door. Travis walks in and takes off his suit jacket and throws it over the back of the couch.
I should just let it go for now, walk away, and take the high road.
But I can’t.
“You know, Travis, that’s an apology I’ve been waiting on for years.” I walk to the kitchen and grab a bottle of water from the fridge. He stands in the doorway with his shirt completely unbuttoned. I force myself to look away from his abs and how his pants sit haphazardly on his hips.
“For years?” He crosses his arms and studies me. “For what?” He looks genuinely confused, but that doesn’t surprise me.
I roll my eyes at him and take a sip of water. I don’t even know if it’s worth mentioning anymore. As I try walking past him, he blocks me, and I’m forced to look at him.
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, Viola.”
His features are hard, and he’s not letting me pass by him.
“Don’t act stupid,” I state harshly. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. I was your pity friend, and I won’t allow myself to be that girl again…” His face tightens, and he clenches his jaw. The man is a human wall, blocking me from running away.
“I don’t.”
“Whatever.” I don’t have the strength for this argument right now. “Please let me by,” I bite out. I need to leave before the tears come. I don’t know how much longer I can hold them in.
“Just wait a goddamn minute,” he demands. “When have I ever said I was your friend out of pity?” He’s dangerously close. I inhale his cologne, stirring up all my emotions.
“My thirteenth birthday. You made it the worst one I’ve ever had. Thanks, asshole.”
The emotions start to surface, so I try to walk past him again before he can respond, but he makes it impossible. “I never said—”
I cut him off before he has a chance to deny it. “You were talking to Drew. You said I’d never be anything more than your best friend’s annoying little sister. I was a loner with no friends. That I only had my books and stupid characters, along with a lot of other shitty things. You took pity on me and only befriended me because you felt sorry for me.”
“Viola…”
“You broke my heart, Travis. I was only a kid, but I trusted you. I held out hope every single day that I’d get to see you, even if just in passing. You didn’t make me feel like a burden to have around. You made me feel special.” I close my eyes, holding the tears back.
Realization sets in, his body tensing. “You were never a burden, Viola.” I hear the sincerity of his words, but I shake my head. I don’t want to hear it.
“It’s one thing to hear those things from your big brother but hearing them come out of your mouth; I was destroyed.”
“You have to know, I didn’t mean what I said, Viola. I would never think those things.”
“You know, it’s funny, because even while I was listening, I kept holding out hope that maybe just maybe you were pulling some stupid birthday prank on me.”
