by M Dauphin
"What came up? What's so secret that you can't talk about it? Are you in some kind of trouble, Travis? Illegal shit that you shouldn't be wrapped up in?"
"What?" I blurt. "Fucking seriously, Charlie? You automatically think I'm involved in some illegal shit?" My voice is raising and people are starting to look so I take a deep breath before I grit out, "I'm saving up money to take you to Paris."
She lets out a small gasp and brings her hand to her mouth. "Paris?" she whispers, her eyes bright. "You're taking me to Paris?" She's trying not to smile but failing miserably. "You're taking me to Paris even after I just basically told you that you're a criminal?" She laughs excitedly.
"Well…I don't know about now. I'll probably take Gus instead." I don't want to smile but the look on her face is too adorable to ignore. "So, I'm sorry I've been distant." I pull her toward me. "And that I didn't tell you. But will you go to the Eiffel Tower with me?"
"I wouldn't miss it!" she yells, flinging her arms to wrap them around me but I don't move into her soon enough and her finger goes straight into my eye.
"Oh!" I blurt and she gasps. "Shit!" I cover my watering eye but start to laugh.
"Shit, I'm so sorry! Was that your eye?" She's holding back laughter. "Oh God, are you still taking me to Paris?" she whispers in horror, her eyes going wide.
"With an eye patch." I pull her into my arms and kiss her before we fuck this up again.
"Can I help pay my way please? I'd feel better if you let me help. It's probably an expensive trip and I have a lot saved up," she mutters into my chest as she holds me so tight I can't breathe.
"Yeah, no. I already have the tickets paid for. If you need a passport though… Shit, do you have a passport?"
"I do!" she chirps. "I needed it a few years ago when I was traveling to Canada to learn about a procedure they were offering for blind patients. Something about a new procedure that wasn't cleared in the US that could possibly help me gain some sight back."
"Wait…so is that a possibility? Has it been cleared here yet? Can you just go to Canada to have it?"
"It permanently took away all the taste buds of half its patients. They had to table it." She shrugs and smiles. "But anyway. Paris!"
"Paris." I grin and go in for a kiss but she pulls back just before our lips touch.
"Are we staying with your brother? Do I get to meet him?" She's smiling and I wince, glancing away.
"Yeah, no. That relationship…" I look down toward Gus. "There's no relationship there anymore, Blue. My brother stopped talking to me when I was locked up. And, that was when I needed him most, so no. I won't be seeing my brother. I don't even know if he's in Paris anymore." That's the last person I want to see. He abandoned me when I asked him to come back to the states because Mom and Dad wouldn't even take my phone calls.
"Oh," she says, her face falling. "Well…he's missing out. You're a good man, Travis." She nudges me and I pull her close, finally pressing my lips to hers.
"Bev?" I call out when I walk into the quiet house. The telltale sign of a woman in tears comes from the living room and I shove a chair out of the way to get to her. It's not Bev crying, it's Violet and Bev's comforting her. "What's goin' on?" I ask and Violet pulls away, dipping her head to wipe her face before looking up at me. A split lip and dried blood on her chin makes me shout, "What the fuck happened?"
"Travis," Bev tries to calm me but I'm going to kill her brother.
"Your brother do this?" I scream and Violet startles before she starts to cry harder.
"Travis, just calm down and let's talk," Bev tries but I'm already on my way out the door. "Travis!" she shouts right before I get in my car.
I whip into the driveway of Violet's and see her brother's semi cab so I jump out without turning the car off. Pounding on the door, her mom answers. I've never seen or met this woman, and I've dropped Violet off several times. According to Violet she works far and long hours, but it's not an excuse for what she lets go on in the house when she's not home.
"Where's Drew?" I snarl and her eyes get wide as she takes a step back.
Her brother comes around the corner to see who's at the door and I push in past Violet's mom to get to him. Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, my fist cracks him in the jaw.
"Keep your fucking hands off your sister!" I scream and hit him once more before letting go of his ripping shirt and he drops to the ground.
Her mom's frantic while on the phone, probably with the police so I walk out the front door and get back in my car. I drive past Bev's road. I need to see Charlie right now, and I need to cool off. By the time I get to Bind Date, I'm calmer and I shoot Bev a text that I'll be back soon. When I walk in, Kevin's in shambles while Frankie's yelling from the other room. I find my way to Charlie's office and she's holding her head while leaning over her keyboard.
"Hey." I put my hand on her back and she startles. "Sorry. What's goin' on?"
"One of our competitors stole my new idea about first date face-times for long distance matches. No one else offered it and I thought we were going to make it first. Fuckers." She huffs then smiles and stands. "I'm glad you're here. What's up? Late lunch?"
Seeing she's stressed, I'll wait to tell her what just happened. I kiss her forehead and grab her purse so I can get her out of the office for at least an hour and help her relax.
Bev apparently talked to Violet's mom and the lady backed off some when Bev threatened calling the police on her for allowing her son to beat up her daughter. So that means Violet's been at my place. Bev wants her at hers, but I'm closer to the school so on my way to Bev's in the morning, I drop Violet.
"Hey." I walk in the front door and Pete jumps onto my shoulders. "Hey, you." I kiss him and drop him to the ground.
"Hey." Violet comes around the corner. "I just fed him, don't let him trick ya." She smirks.
"I'm heading to Charlie's soon. You gonna hang here?"
"I'm going to go to Brooklyn's," she mumbles and crosses the room.
"I'm going to grab a change of clothes first, but you want a ride?"
"Why don't you leave stuff at Charlie's?" Her tone and the look on her face is like it's the weirdest thing she's ever encountered.
I mean, maybe it's inconvenient, but it's not strange. I guess I'm sleeping at Charlie's most weekends and if possible once or twice during the week, but I think it's too soon for me to have a spot for stuff there. Maybe. I don't know. Maybe not.
"I don't know," I mutter heading for my bedroom. "We're not there yet."
"I'm surprised you haven't asked her to marry you yet." She chuckles, following behind me.
"Not yet." I glance back at her with a smile then walk into my room, finding it odd she's still following me.
"You don't want to make her Mrs. Austin Cusp?"
With my back to her, I freeze hearing my birth name.
"What's up with that?"
Turning to face her, I look down at her hand where she's holding a license. Walking to the doorway, I snatch it from her hand and look down at my eighteen year old face with my birth name, actual birthday, and my address in the Bronx.
"Where'd you get this?" I snap and look toward the closet in the hall where I crammed a ton of shit, including things I shouldn't have kept. But honestly it wasn't kept for sentimental reasons, it was kept because it was in a box I never went through after getting released from prison.
"I opened that closet looking for light bulbs and a box almost killed me when it fell out."
"You went through my shit?" I glare at her, clutching the license tight.
"There was records and stuff that looked cool." She shrugs like it's no big deal.
"You can't go through my shit, Violet!" I head for the closet and snatch up the box so I can take it to Bev's and burn the whole thing.
"Can we get back to the point here? Who's Austin Cusp and why is it you in that picture."
I glower at her, not owing this girl shit for an explanation, but if I don't explain she might start
talking.
"That was me from a long time ago, okay? Stay the fuck out of my shit or you can get placed in a foster home until you're eighteen," I snarl.
"Why are you so pissed? What's the big deal you're some kinda weirdo with a fake name.” She chuckles and plops onto the couch. "Does Bev know?"
"I'm not a weirdo," I snap. "And you can't talk about this shit."
"Oh…I'm talking about it," she assures. "If you don't tell me why, I'm talking about it."
My hand slams to the counter and I drop my head, taking a deep breath before I go off on her.
"I had to change my whole life when I was twenty-five so I could get out of prison. I'm in witness protection," I grit out. "Do you know what that is?"
"Is that where like you're running from bad guys?" she asks in excitement.
"No," I bark, having a hard time keeping my cool but screaming at this kid isn't going to change the situation. "It means I live quietly and happily in this tiny ass town and I don't go back to jail or end up dead. And it also means that if you start running your mouth, anything could happen to you too."
"How?" she blurts like I'm lying.
"Because!" I scream. "To you I'm Travis Burr. You don't want to fucking know Austin Cusp, Violet! Let it go. He's a bad dude that dangerous people want dead and don't give a shit about a little girl he's trying to help graduate! Let it fucking go!"
"I'm letting it go," she mutters. "Does Bev know?"
"A little," I grumble, heading back to my room.
"Charlie?" she calls out.
"Don't talk about this again!" I slam my door before leaning against it and taking a deep breath.
"Charlie," I call out frantically. We need to be to the airport in less than an hour and I'm freaking out. Taking Charlie to a different country is scary as shit. "Are you ready, yet? Can I please help you?"
"Who are you and what have you done with my calm, cool, collected boyfriend that just hours ago wasn't hyperventilating? I'd like him back." She huffs, lifting her bag off the bed. "I had to make sure everything would fit. See! It does and I can still carry it." She gives the bag a few shallow lifts like she's suddenly a body builder.
This outfit she's got on is cute as hell. She looks more comfortable than she does when she sleeps. She's wearing tights with one of my t-shirt's that covers just past her ass and I almost want to take a few extra minutes to get her out of them, but we don't have time.
"Yeah, the bag’s great. Good to go, Blue. And can I remind you of that message your dad left on your voicemail? Ya know, the one we listened to less than an hour ago that said he would murder me if anything happened to you?" My arm is around her back as I walk her out of the apartment, and low and behold we don't get far before Frankie jumps out her door like she caught us trying to sneak away or something.
"Frankie, Travis is worried about my father murdering him if anything happens to me on this trip." She laughs and Frankie growls at me.
"He'll have more people after his balls if he hurts or loses you on this trip." She punches me in the arm then turns to fuss with Charlie's bags. "And why the hell are you carrying these?"
I grab the bags and start heading toward the stairs.
"You're going to have to enter witness protection if I die on this trip, Travis. There's no coming back here without me." She laughs and her hand finds the stair rail.
"Do people do that? Just randomly lose or get someone their traveling with killed?" I snip, my tensions are high, not only about their joke, but Charlie's comment. "Frank, don't forget about Gus," I say to piss her off.
"Gus is my step-son, Perv. I'll make sure he's nice and spoiled by the time you return."
"Please don't ruin almost seven years of training, Frankie," Charlie whines from the bottom of the stairs. "My trainer told me he'd be un-trainable, but I fought it and he's perfect. You ruin him and you owe me another round of service dog training lessons."
"I wouldn't dare make your life more difficult," she scoffs. "I love that pup. He'll be fine."
"He'll be fine," I insist, ushering Charlie out the door and to the car. "We're gonna be late."
"It stinks here," Charlie laughs, covering her nose as we head into the bed and breakfast.
"Charlie." I laugh, hurrying her along.
What happened with Violet before we left is threatening to ruin this for me and as much as I want to because she always makes me feel better, I can't tell Charlie about it. She can know about the part that she's going to yell at me about though.
We get settled into the room and I glance around for her, finding her standing in the window in front of bright beam of sunlight shining in.
"Charlie," I call her name and her head turns so her attention is on me. That smile on her face makes me wish I've had her my entire life. "I love you."
I know I want to be with her for the rest of my life, and I really was going to wait to do this, but I need the reassurance that she feels the same. If I thought she didn't, I wouldn't risk this.
"I love you too." Her smile brightens and she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.
Moving across the room, I kiss her and take her hand, glancing out the window as nerves start to make my stomach sick. As I get to my knee, I see her brows furrow.
"What are you doing?" Her face contorts in confusion and she grins. "What's going on? Are you okay?" She chuckles.
"Right behind you is a set of French doors and the sun is shining in through the glass, erasing everything in this city except you. It's coming right in our window shining on you and you look so fucking beautiful." I nervously chuckle and take a deep breath. "And now I'm on my knee in front of you." I clear my throat. "Because, Charlie, it's only been eight months but I know I wouldn't last a day without you. Marry me, Blue." I place Bev's antique pearl ring at her fingertip so she can feel it.
All I hear is a small gasp as her fingertips trace the pearl and set of diamonds surrounding it.
"You brought me to Paris just to propose?" she whispers as her lip quivers. "You know I would have said yes back at home, too, right?" A smile spreads across her face.
I chuckle feeling relief I shouldn't have had built up. I knew she'd say yes. "I knew you'd say yes, but I thought you might tell me to wait longer than eight months of being together." The ring slips onto her finger and sits snuggly, just like Bev promised it would. Jumping to my feet, I crash my mouth to hers. "I love you so much," I say into her mouth while kissing her over and over.
"God, I love you." She grins holding onto me tightly. "This would have been a really awkward trip if I'd have told you no, huh?" She pulls back and giggles, tracing the ring with her fingertips. "It's beautiful," she whispers.
"It was Bev's. She said it was hers during her best years of life. When I told her I was ready to propose, she practically begged me to take her ring. I'm sorry I couldn't spend a few G on a new ring for you, Blue, but this honestly means something more to me than a new ring would." I kiss her hand over the ring.
"I love it. Rings are just material, Travis. It's the love behind it that means the world to me. And the fact this is not only from you but Bev too." She grins and squeals a little.
"I love you, and I love you're going to be my wife." I connect my lips with hers and start walking her backward to the bed. "And I love your body, and your eyes, and your cute nose, and pretty hair. And this mole right here." I place my finger over a small mole on her cheek. "That grows hair. It's so cute."
"Ew stop!" She laughs, hitting my arm. "It does not. And I love that I'm going to be Charlie Burr," she purrs, pushing her body against mine.
"Fuck, that sounds good." I grin and kiss her harder while sliding my hand down her stomach and right into the front of her pants, not wasting time finding her clit. She moans, pushing her lips to my neck and grinds against my hand before going for the hem of my shirt. In record time for us, we're undressed and I'm sliding inside her. Inside my fiancée.
"God, this is perfect," she hums, her body wrapped around mine.
>
I roll over and smile when I see Charlie's face only inches from mine. "Hey." My voice is gruff from sleep. "Blue." I kiss her nose until she yanks back, wiping at the drool slipping from her lip.
"Ew," she mumbles, rubbing her face then stretching her body. "How long was I passed out for?"
"It's seven Paris time. I don't know what time we fell asleep. But we're in Paris. There's no time to sleep." I yank the covers back exposing her naked body and grin. "We'll sleep when we're dead." As I move toward her nipple, she pushes me back.
"Morning breath, nooo," she grumbles, reaching for the covers. "And I think I need a shower. And about seven more hours of sleep."
"You're jet lagged." I grab her hips and hold her steady, clamping my teeth around her nipple making her first yelp then moan. "And my morning breath isn't that bad. I'll just stay south." I grin and kiss down her stomach.
"It's not yours I'm worried about," she murmurs, sliding her hands into my hair. "But please, go on." She gasps and her hands go to the bed sheets when I start nipping her inner thigh and trailing my finger down her core.
My tongue meets her clit and she moans until I slide it inside her, licking upward, then she gasps. I repeat it until she's panting heavily and tugging at my hair. She's trying to pull me up her body, but I'm not stopping until she comes. Her hips start to raise, pressing against my face and she does my favorite thing in the world. She starts to rock her hips, grinding against my mouth like she can't get enough. I slip a finger, then two inside her and grin when she tightens around them.
"God, don't stop, Travis," she pants.
My fingers curl and rub that spot until she's trembling underneath me.
"Oh fuck!" Her screams can probably be heard rooms away but I'm not stopping. "Shit, shit, fuck!" she hisses as her orgasm rips through her.
I don't let up until she's giggling and pushing me away, then I crawl up her body and press my lips to hers.
