You Made Me Fall, But That's Okay

Chapter Thirty-Four - Here You Come Again

He was back. Travis Wayne Phillips was back. I couldn’t believe it. Sinead was crying her heart out into a bunch of tissues in her hands, sitting down on one of the stools in the kitchen. And there he stood beside her. The long-lost Trav was grinning almost threateningly at me as he patted Sinead’s back in an attempt to sooth her. I didn’t even know what to say to him. Was there even anything to say? Everything in me was just frozen in shock, and all I could do was stare open-mouthedly at him like an idiot. I felt Ryan wrap his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him, as though he was trying to protect me from the monster in my kitchen.

‘He’s back,’ Sinead sobbed, looking up at us when she finally noticed we were standing in the doorway. ‘I – I don’t even know w-what to say …’ she croaked, and then started bawling back into her tissues again.

‘Me neither,’ I whispered, though it was barely audible. Eye to eye, I stared at my enemy. He hadn’t changed at all since the last time I saw him. He still had spiky brown hair, slightly tanned skin, nearly-black eyes, and he was still wearing that innocent expression on his face. But I knew the real him. ‘Where’s James?’ I said icily, peeling my eyes away from him to Sinead.

She looked up again, and frowned at me. ‘Laura, Trav is back,’ she told me, saying it like I was stupid. ‘What the hell are you talking about James for?’ 

‘So now that he’s back, you’re just going to forget about James?’ I demanded, hoping and praying that she wasn’t going to get back with Travis. I needed her to be with James, he could protect her against him.

Sinead shook her head. ‘No, of course I’m not. Laura, what’s wrong with you? Travis is back! You’re supposed to be happy! You’ve missed him as much as me!’

‘I’ve missed you a lot, too, Laura,’ Travis said, pretending to be innocent, and his eyes alight with menace as he opened his arms wide. ‘C’mon, Little Miss Tiny, give me a hug.’

‘No.’

Sinead’s jaw dropped.

‘If you even think that I’m going to let you come back into our lives after what you did, well you’re one heck of an idiot!’ I screeched, not even caring that Sinead was there. ‘There is no way in hell that you deserve someone like my sister, you filthy piece of shit! Do you know how heartbroken she was after you left? What were you thinking? Just going completely missing for a month – no reason, no notice, absolutely nothing! Everyone was looking for you, even the cops! Little do we know where you went, anyway! You could’ve been gone off with some girl, or trying your best to ruin someone’s life –’

‘What the hell are you talking about?’ Sinead said, glaring at me.

‘Ever since he’s been gone, really bad things have been happening to me! Don’t you think that it’s a bit too coincidental that as soon as Travis goes, things start to get worse and worse? Oh, and don’t forget about the fact that you’re in a g–’

Ryan grabbed my arms. ‘Laura, be quiet, right now!’ he growled warningly, just as Travis said ‘Laura, you need to calm down!’

I stormed out of the room, violently slamming every door I passed behind me, absolutely fuming. When I got up to my bedroom, I grabbed a teddy, flung it across the room, and instantly felt a little bit better. I could hear someone running up the stairs, so I quickly locked my bedroom door so they couldn’t come in. I was too angry with Ryan because he was the reason I couldn’t tell the truth. I was too angry with Travis because, well, he was Travis. And I was too angry with Sinead because she was so oblivious to the real Travis, even though I was just as ignorant last month.

There were three knocks on the door, and then when I didn’t answer, the door handle shook. ‘Laura, let me in,’ I heard Ryan sigh after figuring out that the door was locked. ‘Come on, honey, let’s talk.’