Beautiful Disaster (16 page)

I walked into the living room, pulling my purse over my shoulder. They watched me open the door to wait for America, and Shepley scooted forward on the couch.

“She's coming here?”

“She doesn't want to see you, Shep. I told her you'd stay inside.”

He sighed and fell against the cushion. “She hates me.”

“I'll talk to her. You better get one amazing apology together, though.”

Ten minutes later, a car horn beeped twice outside, and I closed the door behind me. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, Shepley rushed past me to America's red Honda, and hunched over to see her through the window. I stopped in my tracks,
watching America snub him as she looked straight ahead. She rolled down her window, and Shepley seemed to be explaining, and then they began to argue. I went inside to give them their privacy.

“Pigeon?” Travis said, trotting down the stairs.

“It doesn't look good.”

“Let them figure it out. Come inside,” he said, intertwining his fingers in mine to lead me up the stairs.

“Was it that bad?” I asked.

He nodded. “It was pretty bad. They're just getting out of the honeymoon stage, though. They'll work it out.”

“For someone that's never had a girlfriend, you seem to know about relationships.”

“I have four brothers and a lot of friends,” he said, grinning to himself.

Shepley stomped into the apartment and slammed the door behind him. “She's fucking impossible!”

I kissed Travis on the cheek. “That's my cue.”

“Good luck,” Travis said.

I slid in beside America, and she huffed. “He's fucking impossible!”

I giggled, but she shot a glare in my direction. “Sorry,” I said, forcing my smile to fade.

We set out for a drive and America yelled and cried and yelled some more. At times she broke into rants that seemed to be directed at Shepley, as if he were sitting in my place. I sat quietly, letting her work it out in a way only America can.

“He called me irresponsible! Me! As if I don't know you! As if I haven't seen you rob your dad of hundreds of dollars drinking twice as much. He
doesn't know what the hell he's talking about! He doesn't know what your life was like! He doesn't know what I know, and he acts like I'm his child instead of his girlfriend!” I rested my hand on hers, but she pulled it away. “He thought you would be the reason we wouldn't work out, and then he ended up doing the job on his own. And speaking of you, what the hell was that last night with Parker?”

The sudden change of topic took me by surprise. “What do you mean?”

“Travis threw you that party, Abby, and you go off and make out with Parker. And you wonder why everyone is talking about you!”

“Hold on a minute! I told Parker we shouldn't be back there. What does it matter if Travis threw me that party or not? I'm not with him!”

America looked straight ahead, blowing a puff of air from her nose.

“All right, Mare. What is it? You're mad at me now?”

“I'm not mad at you. I just don't associate with complete idiots.”

I shook my head and then looked out the window before I said something I couldn't take back. America had always been able to make me feel like shit on command.

“Do you even see what's going on?” she asked. “Travis quit fighting. He doesn't go out without you. He hasn't brought any girls home since the bimbo twins, has yet to murder Parker, and you're worried that people are saying you're playing them both. You know why that is, Abby? Because it's the truth!”

I turned, slowly craning my neck in her direction, trying to give her the dirtiest look I knew how. “What the hell is wrong with you?

“You're dating Parker now, and you're so happy,” she said in a mocking tone. “Then why aren't you at Morgan?”

“Because I lost the bet, you know that!”

“Give me a break, Abby! You talk about how perfect Parker is, you go on these amazing dates with him, talk to him for hours on the phone, and then you lie next to Travis every night. Do you see what's wrong with this situation? If you really liked Parker, your stuff would be at Morgan right now.”

I clenched my teeth. “You know I've never welched on a bet, Mare.”

“That's what I thought,” she said, twisting her hands around the steering wheel. “Travis is what you want, and Parker is what you think you need.”

“I know it looks that way, but—”

“It looks that way to everyone. So if you don't like the way people are talking about you—change. It's not Travis's fault. He's done a 180 for you. You're reaping the rewards, and Parker's getting the benefits.”

“A week ago you wanted to pack me up and never let Travis come near me again! Now you're defending him?”

“Abigail! I'm not defending him, stupid! I'm looking out for you! You're both crazy about each other! Do something about it!”

“How could you possibly think I should be with him?” I wailed. “You are supposed to be keeping me away from people like him!”

She pressed her lips together, clearly losing her patience. “You have worked so hard to separate yourself from your father. That's the only reason you're even considering Parker! He's the complete opposite of Mick, and you think Travis is going to land you right back where you were. He's not like your dad, Abby.”

“I didn't say he was, but it's putting me in a prime position to follow in his footsteps.”

“Travis wouldn't do that to you. I think you underestimate just how much you mean to him. If you'd just tell him—”

“No. We didn't leave everything behind to have everyone here look at me the way they did in Wichita. Let's focus on the problem at hand. Shep is waiting for you.”

“I don't want to talk about Shep,” she said, slowing to a stop at the light.

“He's miserable, Mare. He loves you.”

Her eyes filled with tears and her bottom lip quivered. “I don't care.”

“Yes, you do.”

“I know,” she whimpered, leaning against my shoulder.

She cried until the light changed, and then I kissed her head. “Green light.”

She sat up, wiping her nose. “I was pretty mean to him earlier. I don't think he'll talk to me now.”

“He'll talk to you. He knew you were mad.”

America wiped her face and then made a slow U-turn. I was worried it would take a lot of coaxing on my part to get her to come in with me, but Shepley
ran down the stairs before she turned off the ignition.

He yanked open her car door, pulling her to her feet. “I'm so sorry, baby. I should have minded my own business, I … please don't leave. I don't know what I'd do without you.”

America took his face in her hands and smiled. “You're an arrogant ass, but I still love you.”

Shepley kissed her over and over as though he hadn't seen her in months, and I smiled at a job well done. Travis stood in the doorway, grinning as I made my way into the apartment.

“And they lived happily ever after,” Travis said, shutting the door behind me.

I collapsed on the couch, and he sat next to me, pulling my legs onto his lap.

“What do you wanna do today, Pidge?”

“Sleep. Or rest … or sleep.”

“Can I give you your present first?”

I pushed his shoulder. “Shut up. You got me a present?”

His mouth curved into a nervous smile. “It's not a diamond bracelet, but I thought you'd like it.”

“I'll love it, sight unseen.”

He lifted my legs off of his lap and then disappeared into Shepley's bedroom. I raised an eyebrow when I heard him murmuring, and then he emerged with a box. He sat it on the floor at my feet, crouching behind it.

“Hurry, I want you to be surprised,” he smiled.

“Hurry?” I asked, lifting the lid.

My mouth fell open when a pair of big, dark eyes looked up at me.

“A puppy?” I shrieked, reaching into the box. I lifted the dark, wiry-haired baby to my face, and it covered my mouth in warm, wet kisses.

Travis beamed, triumphant. “You like him?”

“Him? I love him! You got me a puppy!”

“It's a cairn terrier. I had to drive three hours to pick him up Thursday after class.”

“So when you said you were going with Shepley to take his car to the shop …”

“We went to get your present,” he nodded.

“He's wiggly!” I laughed.

“Every girl from Kansas needs a Toto,” Travis said, helping me hang on to the tiny fuzz ball in my lap.

“He does look like Toto! That's what I'm going to call him,” I said, wrinkling my nose at the squirmy pup.

“You can keep him here. I'll take care of him for you when you're back at Morgan,” his mouth pulled up into a half smile, “and it's my security that you'll visit when your month is up.”

I pressed my lips together. “I would have come back anyway, Trav.”

“I'd do anything for that smile that's on your face right now.”

“I think you need a nap, Toto. Yes, you do,” I cooed to the puppy.

Travis nodded, pulled me onto his lap, and then stood up. “Come on, then.”

He carried me into his bedroom, pulled back the covers, and then lowered me to the mattress. Crawling over me, he reached over to pull the curtains closed and then fell onto his pillow.

“Thanks for staying with me last night,” I said, stroking Toto's soft fur. “You didn't have to sleep on the bathroom floor.”

“Last night was one of the best nights of my life.”

I turned to see his expression. When I saw that he was serious, I shot him a dubious look. “Sleeping in between the toilet and the tub on a cold, hard tile floor with a vomiting idiot was one of your best nights? That's sad, Trav.”

“No, sitting up with you when you're sick and you falling asleep in my lap was one of my best nights. It wasn't comfortable, I didn't sleep worth a shit, but I brought in your nineteenth birthday with you, and you're actually pretty sweet when you're drunk.”

“I'm sure between the heaving and purging I was very charming.”

He pulled me close, patting Toto, who was snuggled up to my neck. “You're the only woman I know that still looks incredible with your head in the toilet. That's saying something.”

“Thanks, Trav. I won't make you babysit me again.”

He leaned against his pillow. “Whatever. No one can hold your hair back like I can.”

I giggled and closed my eyes, letting myself sink into the darkness.

· · ·

“Get up, Abby!” America yelled, shaking me.

Toto licked my cheek. “I'm up! I'm up!”

“We have class in half an hour!”

I jumped from the bed. “I've been asleep for … fourteen hours? What the hell?”

“Just get in the shower! If you're not ready in ten minutes, I'm leaving your ass here!”

“I don't have time to take a shower!” I said, changing out of the clothes I fell asleep in.

Travis propped his head on his hand and chuckled. “You girls are ridiculous. It's not the end of the world if you're late for one class.”

“It is if you're America. She doesn't miss and she hates being late,” I said, pulling a shirt over my head and stepping into my jeans.

“Let Mare go ahead. I'll take you.”

I hopped on one foot and then the other, pulling my boots on. “My bag is in her car, Trav.”

“Whatever,” he shrugged, “just don't hurt yourself getting to class.” He lifted Toto, cradling him with one arm like a tiny football, taking him down the hall.

America rushed me out the door and into the car. “I can't believe he got you that puppy,” she said, looking behind her as she backed out from the parking spot.

Travis stood in the morning sun in his boxers and bare feet, clutching his arms around him from the cold. He watched Toto sniff a small patch of grass, coaxing him like a proud father.

“I've never had a dog before,” I said. “This should be interesting.”

America glanced at Travis before shoving the Honda into gear. “Look at him,” she said, shaking her head. “Travis Maddox: Mr. Mom.”

“Toto is adorable. Even you will be putty in his paws.”

“You can't take it back to the dorm with you, you know. I don't think Travis thought this out.”

“Travis said he'd keep him at the apartment.”

She raised one eyebrow. “Of course he will. Travis thinks ahead, I'll give him that,” she said, shaking her head as she slammed on the gas.

I puffed, sliding into my seat with one minute to spare. Once the adrenaline absorbed into my system, the heaviness from my postbirthday coma settled over my body. America elbowed me when class was dismissed, and I followed her to the cafeteria.

Shepley met us at the door, and I noticed right away that something was wrong.

“Mare,” Shepley said, grabbing her arm.

Travis jogged to where we stood and grabbed his hips, puffing until he caught his breath.

“Is there a mob of angry women chasing you?” I teased.

He shook his head. “I was trying to catch you … before you … went in,” he breathed.

“What's going on?” America asked Shepley.

“There's a rumor,” Shepley began. “Everyone's saying that Travis took Abby home and … the details are different, but it's pretty bad.”

“What? Are you serious?” I cried.

America rolled her eyes. “Who cares, Abby? People have been speculating about you and Trav for weeks. It's not the first time someone has accused you two of sleeping together.”

Travis and Shepley traded glances.

“What?” I said. “There's something else, isn't there?”

Shepley winced. “They're saying you slept with Parker at Brazil's, and then you let Travis … take you home, if you know what I mean.”