Courtney: Toby just broke up with me. WITH ME!
Courtney: Over text message.
Courtney: What a fucking ASSHOLE!
Courtney: SERIOUSLY, LOLA! I’M PISSED! HE MET SOMEONE ELSE.
Courtney: I saw pictures of them together on Facebook and asked who she was.
Courtney: SO HE BREAKS UP WITH ME! I’M SO FURIOUS!
The text messages go on and on, and she’s still sending them.
Viola: I’m so sorry. Everything is going to be okay. I’ll text you back in just one minute. I’m not ignoring you, I promise.
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, tobetogether, 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.
