Camping With Travis

14. SHE STARTED CRYING BECAUSE OF THIS?!?

Lacey

I was fuming when I walked back to the camp site. If Travis had decided to follow me to the tent I'm pretty sure the palm of my hand would have left an imprint on his cheek.

In other words, I would have slapped him. Hard.

And I'm not a violent person. Usually. But he seems to bring it out of me. It was at the point when just seeing him, just looking in his eyes, could make me want to attack him. What was wrong with me?

However, after getting to the site, alone thankfully, and cleaning myself up, I started to calm down. I ate lunch in peace and quiet. Except for some birds chirping, there was complete silence. I checked my phone and saw I had a few bars, so in a completely lonely and messed up moment I sent an SOS text to Sophie. What the hell was I supposed to do now?

Of course, the second I hit send, the bars disappeared and it was back to radio silence. Travis hadn't taken me to a regular campsite, which was the main reason for our off the grid status. He had literally taken me to the middle of nowhere and set up a tent.

But what a gorgeous middle-of-nowhere it was. I'm now sitting on a fallen tree trunk near the tent and taking in the view. It is just beautiful. A meadow stretched out in front of me, with a waterfall as the scenic backdrop. As I sit here, still sort of muddy in places I just couldn't get clean, I relax into the nature around me.

Who knows how long I've been sitting here, but enough time has gone by that I start to wonder where Travis has gone...and when he would be coming back. How do we move past our anger at each other? How do we finish this last day out here alone?

He was right, in a way. I did huff a lot, I did roll my eyes. I had been a brat about most of the things we had to do. But I had done them anyway. I knew my attitude irritated him, and that's why I kept the "Lacey Mitchell, YouTuber" status going. I didn't want him to get the best of me.

That was a mistake. Maybe if I had been real, he would have toned it down too. Now I find myself regretting it. Even if he is a douche, even if he has made me so mad I can't see straight, I should have been real. I kind of think I don't know what real is anymore.

I putter around camp for a while, still no Travis. The emotional strain has gotten too much for me, so I decide to lay down and rest. I've been holding a lot back, and a lot in, and it feels like the dam is about to burst. Laying down in the glam tent, I close my eyes and fall asleep.

--💋⛺️--

When I wake up, what must be hours later because once again it is pitch dark, I take in a startled breath. For a second I'm disoriented and can't remember where I am. I flip from my side to my back in a flash and then remember...everything. That's when the dam bursts and the tears flow. I'm sobbing quietly, not wanting him to hear me if he's nearby. My hands come up to cover my face and the tears roll down my cheeks, pooling in my ears.

"Hey...are you...okay?" His deep voice asks, thick with sleep.

I choke off a sob, startled that he's in the tent, and mumble, "you're right," as quietly as I can.

The sound of him turning to face me fills the silence. "What do you mean?"

"I have had an attitude. But it's not really who I am. I've just been playing The Lacey Mitchell because I thought...I thought.." but I can't finish as the emotions tighten my throat.

"You thought I'd rip you to shreds." He finishes for me.

I start to nod, but realize he can't see me. "Yes." I manage to whisper.

"Yeah. And you were right, too. I probably would have. I'm sorry."

When I turn towards his voice, surprised by his change of tone, I'm even more surprised by how close he is. Closer than I realized. Close enough to feel his breath on my face.

"I kept wondering where you were, the sweet version. I could tell you had that side..." Travis stops for a second, the moment of silence wrapping us up like a blanket. Then as the smallest whisper, he's finishes his thought "...and I finally found her."

He inches his face closer to mine. It's pitch dark but I can sense him, feel the warmth from his skin. He's testing me, waiting to see how I respond. And after seconds without my moving away or saying a word, he closes the space between us, pressing his lips to mine.

And I've never felt anything like it in my life.

^^^^^

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