that maybe she just needed her best friend?”
Aubrey’s silence gave Travis the only answer he needed. The truth was he’d only been her friend for about a week, and he was still a better friend to her then any of them were.
“Do you think we’re that horrible of friends?” Chelsea asked breaking the silence. She sounded so small.
“It’s not my business,” Travis whispered.
“Whatever. You’re such a moron. Stay away from her,” Aubrey said.
“I don’t think you have the right to tell him to stay away from me.” A voice from behind them said. They turned around to see Annabella and Ryan standing in the doorway. She had a cast on her hand that wasn’t there before.
“Bella, I’m going to clean up your bathroom, and then you need to go upstairs and rest,” Ryan said as he vanished.
“What the hell is your problem, Aubrey?” Annabella yelled at her, moving closer to them.
“You belong with Matt. Not this lowlife pig who probably wants to just get in your pants.”
“You know nothing about Travis. He and I are just friends, not that it’s your damn business. Matt and I will never be together again. Get that through your thick skull. I don’t love Matt, I’ll never love him. So stop trying to push me to be with him,” she said. Everyone stared at her in shock.
“But you belong together,” Aubrey whispered.
“Except we don’t,” Annabella whispered. Turning to Travis, she asked, “What are you doing here?”
“I needed to see you. We need to talk,” He stated.
Feeling the eyes on her, Annabella just nodded. She couldn’t run away from him anymore; he didn’t deserve that. And right now, she felt like he was the only friend she had. “Come on.”
“Why have you been avoiding me?” Travis asked when they sat on her bed. Ryan had already finished cleaning up the bathroom.
“I was embarrassed,” Annabella admitted, not able to look at him.
“For what?”
“You were messing around, and I just ran away. I- I’m –” Annabella started.
“Hey, don’t do that. Don’t feel embarrassed. Listen, I care about you, and if I pushed you too far, I’m really sorry. I never wanted that. I know that you have a hard time with being touched, for whatever reason that is. I should have known better,” Travis apologized.
“It’s not you Travis, there are just some things that... I just… I –” she stuttered.
Rather than say another word, Travis just put his arms around her in a way to comfort her.
“Travis, I don’t want to lose you as a friend. You’re the only one who doesn’t look at me with pity. I know I freaked out, and I know that you have every reason to walk away, but please don’t leave me,” Annabella begged, surprised by her own words. She thought that maybe it was the medication she was on, but if it was she was glad because everything she’d said had been the truth.
“I’m not going anywhere, but your brother said that you need to get some rest, so how about you do that, and I’ll come by later?”
“Please don’t go,” she whispered.
“You want me to stay?” he asked, surprised.
“Yes,” she whispered, right before the darkness hit her and she slipped into unconsciousness.
***
Travis stared at Annabella while she slept. She’d been sleeping for three hours now. He found the sight of her asleep fascinating. With all her behavior, the way she hated being touched, the clothes she wore, Travis knew that somewhere deep inside, she held a secret, one that she probably never shared with anyone.
His heart broke for her. He wasn’t sure why to be honest, maybe it was the fact that he cared about her in a way that he’d never cared for another girl before.
It was all so wrong, and he had no right to feel this way, but he couldn’t help it. He was all sorts of wrong for her. She needed someone like Matt, and as much as that twisted a knife in his pounding heart, he knew it was true.
The fact was that no matter how hard he’d try he
Aubrey’s silence gave Travis the only answer he needed. The truth was he’d only been her friend for about a week, and he was still a better friend to her then any of them were.
“Do you think we’re that horrible of friends?” Chelsea asked breaking the silence. She sounded so small.
“It’s not my business,” Travis whispered.
“Whatever. You’re such a moron. Stay away from her,” Aubrey said.
“I don’t think you have the right to tell him to stay away from me.” A voice from behind them said. They turned around to see Annabella and Ryan standing in the doorway. She had a cast on her hand that wasn’t there before.
“Bella, I’m going to clean up your bathroom, and then you need to go upstairs and rest,” Ryan said as he vanished.
“What the hell is your problem, Aubrey?” Annabella yelled at her, moving closer to them.
“You belong with Matt. Not this lowlife pig who probably wants to just get in your pants.”
“You know nothing about Travis. He and I are just friends, not that it’s your damn business. Matt and I will never be together again. Get that through your thick skull. I don’t love Matt, I’ll never love him. So stop trying to push me to be with him,” she said. Everyone stared at her in shock.
“But you belong together,” Aubrey whispered.
“Except we don’t,” Annabella whispered. Turning to Travis, she asked, “What are you doing here?”
“I needed to see you. We need to talk,” He stated.
Feeling the eyes on her, Annabella just nodded. She couldn’t run away from him anymore; he didn’t deserve that. And right now, she felt like he was the only friend she had. “Come on.”
“Why have you been avoiding me?” Travis asked when they sat on her bed. Ryan had already finished cleaning up the bathroom.
“I was embarrassed,” Annabella admitted, not able to look at him.
“For what?”
“You were messing around, and I just ran away. I- I’m –” Annabella started.
“Hey, don’t do that. Don’t feel embarrassed. Listen, I care about you, and if I pushed you too far, I’m really sorry. I never wanted that. I know that you have a hard time with being touched, for whatever reason that is. I should have known better,” Travis apologized.
“It’s not you Travis, there are just some things that... I just… I –” she stuttered.
Rather than say another word, Travis just put his arms around her in a way to comfort her.
“Travis, I don’t want to lose you as a friend. You’re the only one who doesn’t look at me with pity. I know I freaked out, and I know that you have every reason to walk away, but please don’t leave me,” Annabella begged, surprised by her own words. She thought that maybe it was the medication she was on, but if it was she was glad because everything she’d said had been the truth.
“I’m not going anywhere, but your brother said that you need to get some rest, so how about you do that, and I’ll come by later?”
“Please don’t go,” she whispered.
“You want me to stay?” he asked, surprised.
“Yes,” she whispered, right before the darkness hit her and she slipped into unconsciousness.
***
Travis stared at Annabella while she slept. She’d been sleeping for three hours now. He found the sight of her asleep fascinating. With all her behavior, the way she hated being touched, the clothes she wore, Travis knew that somewhere deep inside, she held a secret, one that she probably never shared with anyone.
His heart broke for her. He wasn’t sure why to be honest, maybe it was the fact that he cared about her in a way that he’d never cared for another girl before.
It was all so wrong, and he had no right to feel this way, but he couldn’t help it. He was all sorts of wrong for her. She needed someone like Matt, and as much as that twisted a knife in his pounding heart, he knew it was true.
The fact was that no matter how hard he’d try he
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