Keep My Heart (Top Shelf Romance Book 7)

by Lex Martin

  There was no legit reason for Drew and me to visit Mom this weekend. She just wanted to see her kids and mentioned the possibility of moving closer to the beach. There was no emergency, no death, no wedding, or birth announcement. It was Mom being quirky, like always. I swear if Phoebe on Friends were an actual person, she would be my mother. On the way over, Drew and I made up so many different scenarios that we began taking bets on why we were summoned. Needless to say, I won ten dollars that I will gladly be cashing in.

  Sunday morning, I laid in bed for a long time before going into the living room. I could hear Larry and Drew talking about football, and I’d rather not. As soon as I woke, it’s like Travis knew and texted me.

  Travis: I need you to hurry home.

  Viola: Got an itch that needs scratching?

  I laugh, thinking about where we were and where we’re at now.

  Travis: Something like that. And we need to talk.

  I don’t type for a while. What does that mean, exactly?

  Viola: Well, mister, that sounds pretty serious.

  Travis: By talk, I mean, balls deep inside you.

  I laugh.

  Viola: Well don’t hold back AT ALL.

  Travis: Did you expect anything less? ;)

  Viola: Actually, no.

  Every day I’m awake, I feel like I’m living a dream. At breakfast on Sunday, I couldn’t stop smiling.

  “I love seeing my children so happy,” Mom mentions after we eat. Once we help clean up, she hugs us both goodbye. “You both must be in love,” she jokes.

  My cheeks go pink, and I hurry to grab my bag before she notices, but I’m not quick enough. I make eye contact with her, and my deepest, darkest secrets are written across my face. She glances over at Drew, then back at me, before her smile widens. Being the man he is, he’s completely oblivious to the fact that Mom just called me out.

  “Let them leave,” Larry says with a big smile. He reminds me of a big lumberjack, especially when he wears those plaid button-up shirts—his everyday wardrobe. Even he knows that if we don’t rush out the door right at this moment, she’ll keep us until after lunch. That’s how she is. We have to escape while we can.

  “Fine,” she says, patting him on his stomach as he wraps his arm around her.

  “I love you two. Be careful. Tell Travis I said hello,” Mom says to Drew. I don’t dare look at her, at the mention of his name.

  “I’ll tell him.” Drew swings his bag over his shoulder, and we walk out to the truck.

  “Mom’s being weird, too,” he says. “What’s with you girls these days?”

  She knows. Fuck. She knows too much.

  “I didn’t think she was being weird.” I throw my bag in the back seat of his truck. It’s so tall that I struggle to climb inside. This is why I wanted to take my car.

  “All this talk about love. It kind of makes me sick. Oh, and the way she kisses Larry. Oh my God! At least when I visit Dad, I don’t have to watch him be with someone else.”

  Drew is rambling, and I’m okay with it. I feel kind of guilty that we didn’t visit Dad while we were home, but Drew has to go into work today, and we need to get back.

  Halfway through the middle of Drew’s ridiculous playlist, a text rings out, and it’s Courtney.

  Courtney: WHERE ARE YOU? SERIOUSLY!

  I lean against the door and snap a picture of Drew driving. He’s wearing a baseball cap and a shirt that’s too small, which I teased him about this morning. His tattooed biceps are busting out from under the sleeve. She’s going to like this too much.

  Courtney: OH MY FUCKING GOD! OVARIES EXPLODING!!

  I can’t stop laughing. I interrupt him as he continues talking about work.

  “Hey. Can you say hi to Courtney real quick?”

  I hurry and press record on my phone to capture the whole thing. At first, Drew acts all shy and gives a sly little smile, but I know better. He’s working the camera right now.

  “Hey, Courtney.” He winks at the end.

  I turn the camera on myself and give her the evil eye before I stop recording and send it over. “She might actually die.”

  “Why?” He glances over at me completely confused. He really has no idea the affect he has on women, especially her.

  “No reason. She mentioned something about you and handcuffs, and well, it’s gross and kind of makes me sick.”

  He bursts out laughing. “The cop fantasy? Really?”

  “Oh, you’re aware of it then?” I say, waiting for my phone to detonate with texts from her.

  “Don’t all women dream about that?”

  “No. Definitely not. Gross. I think you ruined that one for me.”

  Courtney: Can you have him take his shirt off too?

  I scoff. Drew looks over at me as I type a message back to her quick.

  Viola: OMG! Give you an inch and then you want my brother naked.

  Courtney: I wish I had an inch of him. And hey, you started it!! Give him my address. I’ll get him out of your hair.

  Viola: YOU’RE RIDICULOUS!

  “What did she say?” Drew asks, and I think he genuinely wants to know.

  “Trust me when I say you’re better off not knowing.” I leave it at that. Because ew.

  “Come on, I want to know.”

  I shake my head, and he reaches over to grab my phone. I panic as he reads Courtney’s text message that is thankfully still on the screen, and I rip it out of his hand. Note to self: Always lock cell phone.

  “Holy shit! Your friend’s a freak!”

  “Who will seriously murder me if she ever finds out you read that.”

  On cue, I get another text message, and it’s from Travis. I open it up and see a picture of a dick. His dick. Hard. Longing. Waiting. The words on the bottom say ‘For Mary-Kate and Ashley.’

  I instantly blush and fumble to password protect my phone, not even able to reply to him. Courtney’s text messages go off like crazy, and I sit there frozen, trying to ignore them both. Travis is a dead man the next time I see him. But it’s Drew’s words that pull me back to reality.

  “Have you seen a woman at the house by any chance?”

  My face scrunches, and I try to process this odd question. “What?”

  “I just have this suspicion that Travis is seeing someone. Wondering if you’ve seen her around between classes.”

  My heart is hammering, and my throat goes dry. “Nope.”

  “Hmm,” he says, not paying attention to my anxiety. Thankfully.

  “I’m going to find out who it is.” Drew takes the exit toward the campus. He has that detective look on his face while he looks out toward the road. It’s scaring the shit out of me.

  “Probably some cum-drunk slut,” I add.

  “No. No. This seems different. I can’t put my finger on it yet. Shit, what was that girl’s name that he really liked?”

  “I have no clue,” I say, utterly unamused. I wish the conversation would end. Over the years, there were probably tons of girls he liked. And I don’t want to talk about it.

  “Yeah, the one he joked about marrying before she cheated on him. Do you remember her? It’s the only one that lasted more than a few days.”

  Silence.

  “He just seems happy, like he was when he was with her before she became a raging bitch. But that was years ago. It’s going to bother me until I think of her name.”

  My cheeks heat, but I continue staring out the window. I don’t know this story, and while I want to ask questions, I don’t want it to seem out of place. It must have been before I moved closer or started hanging around them again. Because I have no recollection of this story. Instead of getting tied up in it, I snap into my Travis-King-is-an-asshole mode and allow the words to flow out.

  “It’s probably the pain meds that are making him seem so happy. And honestly, I don’t give two shits about Travis King, okay?” It kind of hurts to say that. I’ve said those words so many times over the years, and it seemed natural, but right n
ow, it seems awkward and foreign.

  “All right. Jesus Christ. You don’t have to bite my head off. Sorry for bringing it up.”

  By the time we pull up to my dorm, my mind is running so fast that I’m at a loss for words. I didn’t know Travis even joked about marriage with someone or that it was that serious. Or that he, of all people, had been cheated on. I thought his relationships were just wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am one-night stands, but maybe my perception over the years was distorted by jealousy.

  “Drew.” I turn to him before opening the door.

  “Yes?”

  I know he’s in a rush, but I have to tell him about Boston today. “I...”

  “Vi, I’m in a hurry. I can’t be late to the station.”

  “I was offered an internship in Boston at Union International.”

  His face lights up, and I can tell he’s excited for me. “Viola! That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you, sis.” He leans over and gives me a big hug. “So when are you leaving and all of that?”

  “I have to accept it first, but two weeks after graduation.”

  “You have to accept it. There’s no question about it. And that’s SOON. Does Mom know?”

  I shake my head. “You’re the only person I’ve told so far.”

  “I’m proud of you. Now get out, Bill Gates. I have a city to save.”

  “Is this where I cue in the Superman music?” I grab my bag from the back and hop down. “Thanks, Drew.”

  “Bye, Vi. I’m happy for you. Congratulations.”

  Sometimes Drew can be a douche, but to know that he’s supportive of this makes it a little easier to handle. I’ve been going back and forth with it for the past forty-eight hours, and I have to tell Travis. I look up at the dark clouds rolling over the horizon, and I pray that I’m not making one of the biggest mistakes of my life.

  Chapter 10

  Travis

  Drew comes home, changes into his uniform, and is out the door in all of ten minutes. The dude is like fucking Batman. One minute, he’s in regular clothes, and the next, he has a gun strapped to his side, ready to fight crime.

  Just like clockwork, Viola texts me.

  Viola: You know what I could go for right about now?

  Travis: A piece of King cake?

  Viola: Ha! Some coffee. Want to join me?

  Travis: Did you really have to ask?

  I’m smiling, which seems to happen a lot when I’m thinking about, talking to, or around her.

  Viola: I’ll be there in 5.

  On time, Viola pulls into the driveway but doesn’t get out. Instead, she honks. I can’t help but laugh at the pathetic horn on the Prius. It’s like a cartoon car with a cute little meep-meep sound.

  “You need a Mustang or something. One that roars when you honk.”

  She gasps and rubs the steering wheel while I buckle. “Don’t listen to him, Tatum. He’s just jealous because you’ve got the Magic Mike moves and he doesn’t.”

  “Magic Mike? Ha. I have the Travis King moves, which trumps any of that lame shit.”

  She blushes as I run my hand up my shirt, revealing my stomach. Once she glances down, I lift an eyebrow and laugh. “You’re too easy, princess.”

  “Ugh. Why do you keep doing that?”

  While she drives, I place my hand on her thigh. “I had lunch with my mother yesterday.”

  “Really? That’s great.” She grabs my hand.

  “She told me my father has cancer.”

  Once she pulls into the parking lot and puts it in park, she turns her whole body and searches my face, trying to read me. “Are you okay?”

  Since I heard the news, I’ve been stuck in limbo about it. I’m not sure if I’m sad or not, and it’s a strange feeling. I can’t really explain it. “I’m okay.”

  Viola leans over and gives me a hug. With her arms wrapped around my neck, I can feel the love pouring out of her. “I’m sorry,” she whispers.

  “It’s going to be okay. So how ’bout that coffee? They have venti mocha grande chocolate shit here?”

  “It’s a venti white chocolate mocha with an extra shot, occasionally made with soy. And if we go in there spouting off that lingo, they may kick us out and ban us for life. They are pretty much anti-establishment.” She lifts both eyebrows and puckers her lips with a hard head nod.

  “I’ll take your word for it.”

  Before I open my door, she glances over at me. “Do you want to just get it to go?”

  “Embarrassed to be out with me, princess?” I’m fucking with her, and she notices.

  “I want to be alone with you while I can.”

  Dammit, she’s so beautiful. I don’t even argue with her about it.

  “Only if I can drive.” I shoot her a wink, and she doesn’t protest.

  We order our coffees, and I drive past the college, turning down a few side streets until we arrive at this little park I found my senior year. Never being one for the library, I used to come out here and study. When she sees people walking their dogs and children playing, her eyes widen. It’s a happening place.

  “Talk about a diamond in the rough! This park is awesome.”

  We get out of the car, and I take her hand and lead her across the grass to a picnic table under a tree. The sun is high in the sky, but dark clouds tumble in. It looks like it could start raining at any moment, but we continue toward the low-hanging branches.

  I sit next to her, and with our backs pressed against the tabletop, we watch the people in the park.

  “I have something to tell you,” I whisper into her neck. I love the way her skin smells like fresh spring flowers.

  A soft moan escapes her. “Hmm?”

  I open my contacts list and hand her my phone. “I deleted all the hos.”

  Viola bursts out laughing and looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. Maybe I have.

  “Why?” She gasps.

  “Because you’re the only ho I want.” I reach over and tickle her.

  “I’m not a ho.” She swats at me, fighting back her laughter. She tries to tickle me back but sucks at it.

  “You’re my ho.” I interlock my fingers with hers as she leans over and kisses me.

  “You’re so damn romantic.”

  “I try.” I smile before I take a sip of my coffee.

  “Oh, I owe you an ass kicking for that picture.” She narrows her eyes at me. “Drew almost saw it, idiot!”

  “Shit. I’ll allow you to spank me if you want,” I quip.

  She glares at me. “He’s onto us. Like for real onto us. He asked me if I had seen a girl around the house due to the way you’re acting. So get your shit together, King!”

  “What, seriously?” Now I’m confused. Drew has never cared about my sexcapades.

  “Yeah, he mentioned you were acting the same way you did when you were dating some chick, the one you joked about marrying.”

  My body stiffens, and I swallow hard. She notices my reluctance and turns and looks at me, waiting for me to explain.

  “Viola, that was a long time ago, when we first got the house. I was never going to marry anyone. I was nineteen and horny, and she was a cheater. That’s ridiculous.” And the truth.

  “Good to know the only thing that’s changed is your age.” She smirks.

  I offer a shrug.

  “Anyway, he’s going all Sherlock Holmes on us. He said he would find out who it was, and you know how he gets. I’m hoping Mia derails him.”

  Mia. Funny how she keeps popping up in conversations.

  “Not good.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, a bolt of lightning strikes out. Viola jumps, nearly spilling her coffee on herself, which causes me to laugh. Without warning, rain pelts from the sky like speeding bullets, and it hurts like hell. We stand, leaving our coffees behind, and Viola runs across the grass with everyone else.

  “I hate the fucking rain,” she yells, ignoring the children around, trying to cover her body with her jacket.

  It hurts to move quickly,
so instead of jogging with her, I walk, taking my time. I’m already wet, so I might as well be soaked. By the time I climb inside, she’s shivering even though the heater is blowing on high. Water is dripping from the tips of her hair, and when she looks over at me, it takes everything I have to hold back laughter. She really is a rain hater.

  “What a day to wear white.” A sly smile slides across my lips because her shirt is like tissue paper, sticking to her skin.

  Viola smiles and opens the middle console. She pulls out an envelope with a red wax seal stamped on the back. It’s been opened already. Before saying another word, Viola glances down at it, holding it a little too tightly. I’m not sure what’s going on until she hands it to me. I open the envelope and pull out the letter addressed to her in a fancy writing. The words seem to leak off the page as I read because I realize what this means. Viola is leaving, and it crushes me. I glance up at her and can tell she’s upset. She covers her face to hide the tears.

  “Whoa. No need for that.” I open my arms, and she falls into them. After a moment, she pulls away, and I grab her shoulders.

  “Viola. This is a huge deal. Please tell me you’re going.”

  She looks up at me, her eyes finally meeting mine, and I can see a small glimmer of relief. “You’re okay with this?”

  “Trust me when I say I want to be selfish, but you cannot pass this up. Union International? They choose five people a year for their internship program. This is an opportunity of a lifetime, and if you don’t go, I’ll withhold sex from you for the rest of your life.”