Travis's Stand

by A. C. Bextor

  “It’ll scare her.”

  “She’s not a kid anymore.” He smiles. “But if anyone knows that, it would be you.”

  “Fuck off.”

  “I think you and Sarah should take some time away before you say anything to the others. You said yourself you’re just starting, so maybe a weekend away from everything here to be certain this is what you want would be good for both of you.”

  He has a point. And I hate that.

  “Take her to the beach house. I’ll warn you it hasn’t been cleaned in a while. Cathy isn’t Dad’s maid anymore, so it’s probably in need of some attention.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  “Sarah needs a break anyway, Trav. Just do it.”

  “I’ll talk to her.”

  Hayden pauses for a second, then says, “It’s weird.”

  “What’s weird?”

  “You. You just agreed to talk to someone else before making a decision. I’m not used to it.”

  “Don’t get used to it. Sarah or not, I still make the decisions.”

  Rolling his eyes, he stands. He pushes in the chair and heads for the door. “Think about it. You don’t have to tell anyone else you’re leaving. Just go and talk to her. Tell her what goes on in that thick head of yours. Who knows, maybe she’ll run like hell and Ace won’t matter.”

  I stand as well, but have a question I want to ask. I’ve never discussed the relationships in my life, simply because I’ve had very few. The others are older than I am and I watched them break hearts and leave a trail of tears as they did. I wanted no part of that.

  And I’d never want to hurt Sarah.

  “Hayden,” I call. He turns around.

  “Something’s on your mind. What is it?”

  Hesitating, I put it aside. “Never mind.” Hayden’s right. He’s known me for a long fucking time. Without me having to ask, he offers further advice.

  “Do what I did,” he says.

  “What’s that?”

  Clearing his throat, Hayden ensures I’m listening. “Close your eyes, Trav. Imagine a life without Sarah in it. Imagine walking away from her and knowing you’d never see her again. Once you do that, and I mean really do that, your answer will come. If you only see her as a passing chapter in your life, let her go. If a life without her in it terrifies you, make her yours.”

  Looking down, I contemplate his words.

  “But do it right. I mean it. Close your eyes and really try to imagine being without her. I did. To this day, I regret how I treated Lacey. I loved her, Travis, and I hurt her. She’s the best person in my life, she’s my best friend.”

  “I know,” I confirm.

  “And Sarah’s yours.”

  Trying to lighten the mood, I shift in my seat to get comfortable. “I still want to wring her neck. Is that wrong?”

  Hayden laughs out loud, holding his stomach and smiling wide. “Fuck no, it’s not wrong. Just because you love Sarah doesn’t mean you’ll change her. She’s a pain in the ass on a good day.”

  “Fuck, she is isn’t she?”

  “You two still fight all the time?”

  “Yes,” I confirm. “But making up is a lot more fun than it used to be.”

  “I fucking bet.” His eyes shine. He’s waiting for me to say more. When I don’t he prods, “And?”

  “I’m not discussing it.”

  “What? That’s shit. Just because it’s Sarah—”

  I cut him off. “No, not because it’s Sarah. I don’t talk about that shit like you and Ace.”

  “God damn you’re no fun.”

  Wanting to get this discussion over and done with, I straighten my posture and ask, “How’s your dad?”

  “In love,” he answers quickly and with a proud smile. He’s letting me off the baited hook. “He and Cathy are moving up the wedding. So much for September; they’re pushing this shit for July.”

  “Love does that to people, I guess.”

  “It does.” Opening the door to the apartment, he stops before heading out. “I’m really happy for you two, if this is what you both want. Don’t let anyone else, Ace included, try to change what you’re feeling.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Sarah

  “PACK A BAG,” I hear Travis say as soon as I walk into the apartment from work. I haven’t had even a moment to take off my shoes, much less put my purse down.

  My clothes are soiled with cold coffee, which I spilled on myself to avoid soaking a four-year-old racing through the diner. My hair has flour in it because I spilled it on myself trying to reach for the syrup stacked on the top shelf of the pantry, and my shoes are caked with dirt from being wet while sweeping before finishing my shift.

  Pack a bag wasn’t the first thought I had when I came home.

  “What the hell are you talking about? Are you kicking me out?”

  Travis walks to me. The small smile on his face is contagious and I forget my shitty day and listen as he suggests, “Let’s get out of here.”

  “Uhh, and go where?”

  “The beach house.”

  Oh, my God. That sounds so nice.

  “I work tomorrow.”

  “Call in.”

  “I like my job and they’ll fire me. We can leave Sunday.”

  “We’re leavin’ in twenty minutes. Pack a bag,” he repeats his demand as he heads to his room.

  I follow him, but only to the hall. I turn right and head into my room. Grabbing some clothes, I make my way into the bathroom for a desperately needed shower and an even more desperate minute to think.

  After undressing, I turn the water on. Trav hits the door with his fist and I jump. “Ten minutes.”

  Impatient ass.

  “I still need to call Lettie and see if she’ll cover for me tomorrow.” He doesn’t answer as I plead my case through the closed door, so it’s safe to assume he’s blowing me off.

  After my shower, I put on a small summer dress I picked up a couple of years ago when Raegan took me shopping. I don’t care it’s not summer; I like the dress. It fits smaller than it did when I bought it and I fill it out more than I ever thought I would.

  As I step out of the bathroom, I’m met with Trav’s scowl. At first glance it appears he hates it and I wait for his instructions to change, which I’ll refuse to do, but although his body tenses, his eyes are soft.

  “I used your phone while you were showering to call Lettie. She’s takin’ your shift for you tomorrow.”

  “You did what?”

  “Four minutes,” he informs me then turns to gather some things off the table.

  “Stop timing me, damn it! I haven’t packed.”

  “Did that for you, too.”

  “What?”

  Turning around with a look of exhaustion, he explains, “You spend more time in the bathroom than Lacey ever did. I didn’t think that was possible, but I do know we don’t have time for you to do whatever it is your people do in there.”

  “My people?”

  “No time to debate, Sarah. Let’s get goin.’”

  “Does anyone know we’re leaving?”

  “You gonna miss them?”

  “No.”

  “Then it doesn’t matter if they know or not.”

  “Did you grab my iPod?”

  “Yes.”

  “My razor?”

  “Yes.”

  “My—”

  “Sarah, I got it all.”

  “Well, okay.”

  “Okay.”

  Travis holds his hand out for me to take, so I walk to him. He grabs my hand and squeezes gently. Then he grabs my bag and his that are sitting by the door. We walk to his Jeep without another word said.

  After stopping at the store on the way out, where I learned Travis has as little patience as I do for those in less of a hurry than we are, we made our way to the main highway leading out of town. On the drive there he doesn’t say much. He’s as lost in his own thoughts as I am mine. This trip, although a great idea, is surpr
ising and I’m unsure what the expectations are.

  “I’ve only been out here a couple of times,” I say to break the silence.

  “Hayden’s wedding,” he returns.

  “That night was interesting,” I murmur to myself.

  “What?” he asks, smirking at the road ahead. The sun is still high and he’s squinting to see.

  “That night was the second time you kissed me.”

  “First time,” he corrects. “The second time we kissed was on me. First was all you.”

  “If that’s how you remember it, okay.” I shrug.

  “Do you still keep count?”

  “No.”

  “Thank fuck.”

  “I just take mental notes of each one so I don’t forget.”

  “Why do you think you’ll forget?”

  “Doesn’t matter,” I tell the houses we pass as we pull onto the street of Hayden’s father’s beach house.

  “It does.”

  Turning to him, I give him the honest answer. He’ll understand my madness. “I don’t want to forget any of the times you’ve kissed me because if you ever stop I’ll want to have something to remember.”

  He reaches across the console, and I realize since we’ve been together like we are, this is the first time he’s ever done that while driving. I stare down at our fingers laced together and appreciate it for what it is.

  Travis and I are together.

  “Are you going to cook for me this weekend?” I ask.

  He turns his face to mine and gives me his standard “you’re being ridiculous” look as an answer.

  “My feet, though. You’ll rub those, right?”

  I kick my flip-flops off and put my bare feet on his dash. My dress slides up my thighs, toward my waist, and his hand lets go of mine. He runs his finger along my bare skin and I close my eyes and concentrate on the feel of his touch.

  “No,” he replies, taking his hand away.

  “Fine, whatever.”

  As we start to get settled in the house, Travis unpacks our bags in the guest room. It smells stale from not being used. Now that Cathy is no longer Brian’s maid, but his fiancée, no one has seen fit to clean the place.

  “Can’t we stay in the big room?” I ask, watching him methodically finish emptying his bag and then go for mine.

  He doesn’t look at me with his response. “Where Lacey and Hayden stayed on their honeymoon?”

  “I guess.” That doesn’t bother me, but it seems to creep Trav out.

  “Where Cathy and Brian fuck when they’re here?”

  “Uh, never mind.” Now I am creeped out.

  “We’ll sleep here.”

  “You’ve preplanned our sleeping arrangements,” I tell him, pointlessly.

  “I’ve preplanned a fuck of a lot more than sleeping this weekend.”

  “Suppose you did,” I mumble, trying not to smile.

  Turning around to face me, Trav walks in my direction as I sit waiting for him to unpack. His hand reaches to my face and his finger traces my jaw then moves toward my neck.

  “You are beautiful even when you wear me out,” he says quietly.

  “Thank you,” I return just as softly. “This was a good idea.”

  Leaning down, Travis braces both hands on either side of me on the chair. “It was,” he whispers against my mouth before I feel his tongue lick my bottom lip.

  My hands move to frame his face. While maintaining eye contact, Travis doesn’t know I’m praying to God to stop time. We just got here and I never want to leave.

  * * *

  An hour later we’re lying on a blanket at the beach watching the sunset across the water. We’ve done nothing but hang out in near silence since we got here. I admit I’m getting a little bored, and there’s no Internet or television service back at the house.

  Angry Birds on my phone are my new best friends.

  “Are you getting hungry?” Trav breaks through my concentration just as I’m about to beat the level and move on to the next.

  “Hold on,” I answer, lifting my finger to signal a minute and wishing I had another bird life.

  “Sarah?”

  “Wait!” I snap.

  Just as I’m about to end the game and turn off my phone, Travis leans in to my side and snatches the phone from my hand. I don’t have time to scream or stop him before it goes sailing through the air and lands in the shallow water not ten feet in front of us.

  I sit up, angry as fuck. “I can’t believe you just did that!”

  “We’re on a break.”

  “Why the fuck didn’t you just ask if I could put my phone away?”

  “I don’t know. Would you have?”

  “No! But that’s not the point.”

  “We’re hanging out together today,” he says, affirming the obvious.

  “So you murder my phone?”

  “I’ll get you another one.”

  “You’re God damn right you will.”

  “Next month,” he chides.

  He sits up to grab me before I’m about to blast him with further anger. His large hands grasp my sides and he pulls me up so I’m straddling him. He’s lying down, staring up at me. The sun is setting so it’s not as bright as it was earlier and I get a clear, unobstructed view of his face. Running his hands up my thighs on both sides, he smirks when he reaches my panties.

  “What?” I snap.

  “You look really fuckin’ good in that dress.”

  “You noticed,” I reply with a softer tone. “I didn’t think you did.”

  With the strength Trav’s been known to have, he sits up and adjusts my body on top of his so I’m forced to wrap my hands around his shoulders, fitting me exactly where he wants me. His face goes to my neck, I feel him lick the skin under my ear and then hear him murmur, “Hard not to.”

  “Well, I’m glad you like it.”

  “I’ll like it more when it’s lying on the bedroom floor and you’re naked in the bed.”

  I know my face is turning red. I’m still not used to hearing him talk this way.

  “Sarah?” he asks, breaking into my thoughts. My eyebrows lift in question. “Stop thinkin’ about shit and kiss me.”

  “Bossy.”

  My fingers clutch his shoulders for balance as he puts his hand between us and shifts my panties to the side before gently rubbing my clit with his finger. I look down and take his mouth, no longer worrying if anyone knows we’re gone, if my phone has been harshly murdered, or what the expectations of the weekend could be.

  Nothing matters here, but us.

  * * *

  Travis

  “I hate predictable endings,” Sarah complains as we finish watching the second romantic comedy of the night.

  “You’ve seen this shit before, it’s bound to be predictable.”

  She ignores my comment and lifts her leg from the couch, putting her foot in my face. “It’s time.”

  “For what?”

  “My feet!”

  Grabbing her foot, I start to massage it and she sighs, closing her eyes.

  After we came in from the beach, we made a late lunch using the groceries we’d stopped to pick up on the way. It was quick, simple, and the food was perfect.

  Sarah can cook. Thank fuck, because I hate cooking.

  I know I’ve got to talk to her about why we’re here. She hasn’t asked, but I can tell she wants to. I want to enjoy our time alone together before the chaos of friends and family puts a strain on what we’ve only just started.

  “What are we doing tomorrow?” she asks, as I continue massaging her foot.

  I smile, moving my hand up the back of her leg and watching her face and neck flush. “Whatever you want.”

  “This was all your idea. Remember the whole ‘pack a bag’ demand back at the apartment?”

  My hand makes its way farther up the back of her thigh and my shirt she’s wearing moves with her leg as she raises it, giving me more access. “Are you making fun of me?”

&nb
sp; “A little,” she says, losing her breath.

  “Are you tired?” I ask as I grab her hand and sit her up, positioning her in a straddling position on my lap. I’ve already grown to crave the feel of Sarah on top of me. “I’m not.”

  Her hands frame my face and her expression becomes blank and uncertain. “Travis?”

  I freeze, my hands on her waist. “Yeah?”

  “What are we doing?”

  “I. . . .”

  “Is it real?”

  “I think so.”

  “How is it possible it doesn’t feel weird being together like this?” she asks and my eyebrows rise in question. “I mean, I’ve known you for so long, and it used to piss you off when I wouldn’t wear many clothes, remember?”

  “Sure as fuck doesn’t anymore,” I return without smiling. I mean what I say.

  “Maybe it hasn’t sunk in yet, then.”

  Her doubt once again wears me down. “Why do we have to have this conversation, Sarah?”

  “I’m glad we’re here,” she whispers quietly. “I like being here.”

  God, I love when she’s sweet.

  “I do too.”

  Standing up, I take her with me and carry her to the bedroom as her face rests against my neck and her arms drape over my shoulders. Laying her on the bed, I blanket her with myself and move her hands above her head. My fingers squeeze her wrists and when I let go, she leaves them in place.

  Slowly moving down her body, I take off her shorts, finding her bare and exposed underneath them.

  “Travis?” Her voice is soft.

  “Yeah?” Mine is raspy.

  “Don’t be gentle.”

  “Hadn’t planned on it.”

  I feel her smile as her lips kiss my cheek, then jaw, and finally my lips. Her hands run through my hair and her tongue searches mine with hunger.

  Pulling back, I look down at her. Her eyes are shining. I lift her shirt and kiss the skin of her chest gently.

  I nip her pebbled nipple, then move to the other side and do the same. My hand moves between us and I unbutton then unzip my jeans, freeing myself. Lining up at her entrance I don’t wait to undress entirely. I push inside her and she gasps, like she’s done before at my body’s intrusion, then she releases a small moan.

  Her hands wrap around my back and she pushes my jeans down enough so she’s able to grasp my ass in both hands. Her knees bend and her legs pull up closer to her body, offering deeper penetration.