Blair
Armelle Miliani had talked the whole way on the drive from the airport. She had slept for the entire flight. I hadn't been able to do anything but stare out the window. My thoughts had been on Travis and the boy she'd described. He sounded exactly like the man I had fallen in love with. One text had made me doubt everything. All he had done to show me how much he lived me, and I hadn't let him explain.
I hadn't been a charity case. He wasn't trying to fix me. He was fighting my battles because he loved me. He didn't even know about the text. I had deleted it before putting his phone back. He had no idea what had changed that morning, I was now going to show up at his house unannounced. I knew that just because his mother said he wanted me, that didn't mean I wouldn't have to fight for him.
He could have moved in in other ways. Celeste could be keeping him warm at night. I wouldn't think about that. I listened to Armelle talk instead. I had to focus on her words, not what I could be facing soon. But no matter what it was, I would fight. He had fought for me once. I was going to fight for him now.
"His house is up the road a bit. He might be in bed by now. It's late, and he's been going straight to sleep after dinner. But knock on the window to the left side of the house if he doesn't open the door. I'm going to let you walk from here. I don't want him to see my truck. It's all on you now. You go show my boy he's worth fighting for."
I opened the truck door, and jumped down. Armelle pointed to the dirt forgoes lit by moonlight right behind her house.
"Follow that trail. It'll take you right to his door."
I started to walk that way, then stopped and glanced back at her. I caught her wiping her eyes.
"Thankyou. I know you did it for him. But you saved me, too," I said.
I didn't wait for her response. I headed up the hill toward the rooftop I could barely see in the distance. The metal roof fought the moon's rays, and I followed them. My heart was racing for the first time in months. I was going to see him. I was going to see Travis. If Celeste was there, I had to keep ,y calm and now claw her eyes out. But the closer I got to his house, the more I realised I couldn't not attack her if she was touching him. If he had touched her. I was going to make myself sick. I couldn't think about that.
There was a black truck similar to the silver one his mother drove parked outside. It was the only vehicle, and I wanted to sigh in relief. I could fight the Celeste battle later. Right now, I was going to focus on getting him to forgive me. I stepped up onto the front porch and stopped. Now that I was here without Armelle coaching me, I was frozen in fear. But I had come this far. Flown for the first time in my life and left the only safe place I'd ever know. To come here. To face a man I had thrown out of my life.
The last time I'd heard his voice, he'd been shouting through my door that he loved me.
Did he still? Had I waited too long?
The door swung open before I even got close enough to knock, revealing a shirtless Travis. The shadows covered his face, but I knew that cheat. I also knew those boxer briefs. I had to say something. My entire body seemed to freeze up on me.
"I came to fight for you," I blurted out, and then I burst into tears.