Beautiful Disaster 01 (31 page)

I spied Finch in the middle, and pushed my way out to him.

“We’re leaving!”

“What?” Finch yelled over the music.

“Travis is in a pissy mood! We’re leaving!”

Finch rolled his eyes and shook his head, waving as I left the dance floor. Just as I spotted America and Shepley, I was tugged backward by a man in a pirate costume.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he smiled, bumping up against me.

I laughed and shook my head at the silly face he was making. Just as I turned to walk away, he grabbed my arm. It didn’t take long for me to realize he wasn’t grabbing
at
me, he was grabbing
for
me—for protection.

“Whoa!” he cried, looking beyond me with wide eyes.

Travis barreled his way onto the dance floor, and plunged his fist straight into the pirate’s face, the force sending both of us to the ground. With my palms flat on the wooden floor, I blinked my eyes in stunned disbelief. Feeling something warm and wet on my hand, I turned it over and recoiled. It was covered in blood from the man’s nose. His hand was cupped over his face, but the bright red liquid poured down his forearm as he writhed on the floor.

Travis scrambled to pick me up, seeming as shocked as I was. “Oh shit! Are you all right, Pidge?”

When I got to my feet, I yanked my arm from his grip. “Are you
insane
?”

America grabbed my wrist and pulled me through the crowd to the parking lot. Shepley unlocked his doors and after I slid into my seat, Travis turned to me.

“I’m sorry, Pigeon, I didn’t know he had a hold of you.”

“Your fist was two inches from my face!” I said, catching the oil-stained towel Shepley had thrown at me. I wiped the blood from my hand, revolted.

The seriousness of the situation darkened his face and he winced. “I wouldn’t have swung if I thought I could have hit you. You know that right?”

“Shut up, Travis. Just shut up,” I said, staring at the back of Shepley’s head.

“Pidge…,” Travis began.

Shepley hit his steering wheel with the heel of his hand. “Shut up, Travis! You said you’re sorry, now shut the fuck up!”

The trip home was made in complete silence. Shepley pulled his seat forward to let me out of the car, and I looked to America, who nodded with understanding.

She kissed her boyfriend goodnight. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Baby.”

Shep nodded in resignation and kissed her. “Love you.”

I walked past Travis to America’s Honda, and he jogged to my side. “C’mon. Don’t leave mad.”

“Oh, I’m not leaving mad. I’m furious.”

“She needs some time to cool off, Travis,” America warned, unlocking her door.

When the passenger side lock popped, Travis held his hand against the door. “Don’t leave, Pigeon. I was out of line. I’m
sorry
.”

I held up my hand, showing him the remnants of dried blood on my palm. “Call me when you grow up.”

He leaned against the door with his hip. “You can’t leave.”

I raised an eyebrow, and Shepley jogged around the car beside us. “Travis, you’re drunk. You’re about to make a huge mistake. Just let her go home, cool off…you can both talk tomorrow when you’re sober.”

Travis’ expression turned desperate. “She can’t leave,” he said, staring into my eyes.

“It’s not going to work, Travis,” I said, tugging on the door. “Move!”

“What do you mean it’s not gonna work?” Travis asked, grabbing my arm.

“I mean the sad face. I’m not falling for it,” I said, pulling away.

Shepley watched Travis for a moment, and then turned to me. “Abby…this is the moment I was talking about. Maybe you should…,”

“Stay out of it, Shep,” America snapped, starting the car.

“I’m gonna fuck up. I’m gonna fuck up a lot, Pidge, but you have to forgive me.”

“I’m going to have a huge bruise on my ass in the morning! You hit that guy because you were pissed at
me
! What should that tell me? Because red flags are going up
all
over the place right now!”

“I’ve never hit a girl in my life,” he said, surprised at my words.

“And I’m not about to be the first one!” I said, tugging on the door. “Move, damn it!”

Travis nodded, and then took a step back. I sat beside America, slamming the door. She put the car in reverse, and Travis leaned down to look at me through the window.

“You’re going to call me tomorrow, right?” he said, touching the windshield.

“Just go, Mare,” I said, refusing to meet his eyes.

The night was long. I kept looking at the clock, and cringed when I saw that another hour had passed. I couldn’t stop thinking about Travis and whether or not I would call him, wondering if he was awake as well. I finally resorted to sticking the ear buds of my iPod in my ear and listening to every loud, obnoxious song on my playlist.

The last time I looked at the clock, it was after four. The birds were already chirping outside my window, and I smiled when my eyes began to feel heavy. It seemed like just a few moments later when I heard a knock at the door, and America burst through it. She pulled the ear buds from my ears and then fell into my desk chair.

“Mornin’ sunshine. You look like hell,” she said, blowing a pink bubble from her mouth and then letting it smack loudly as it popped.

“Shut UP, America!” Kara said from under her covers.

“You realize people like you and Trav are going to fight, right?” America said, filing her nails as she chewed the huge wad of gum in her mouth.

I turned over on the bed. “You are officially fired. You are a terrible conscience.”

She laughed. “I just know you. If I handed you my keys right now, you’d drive straight over there.”

“I would not!”

“Whatever,” she lilted.

“It’s eight o’clock in the morning, Mare. They’re probably still passed out cold.”

Just then, I heard a faint knock on the door. Kara’s arm shot out from under her comforter and turned the knob. The door slowly opened, revealing Travis in the doorway.

“Can I come in?” he asked in a low, raspy voice. The purple circles under his eyes announced his lack of sleep, if he’d had any at all.

I sat up in bed, startled by his exhausted appearance. “Are you okay?”

He walked in and fell to his knees in front of me. “I’m so sorry, Abby. I’m
sorry
,” he said, wrapping his arms around my waist and burying his head in my lap.

I cradled his head in my arms and peered up at America.

“I’m uh…I’m gonna go,” she said, awkwardly fumbling for the door handle.

Kara rubbed her eyes and sighed, and then grabbed her shower bag. “I’m always very
clean
when you’re around, Abby,” she grumbled, slamming the door behind her.

Travis looked up at me. “I know I get crazy when it comes to you, but God knows I’m tryin’, Pidge. I don’t wanna screw this up.”

“Then don’t.”

“This is hard for me, ya know. I feel like any second you’re going to figure out what a piece of shit I am and leave me. When you were dancing last night, I saw a dozen different guys watching you. You go to the bar, and I see you thank that guy for your drink. Then that douchebag on the dance floor grabs you.”

“You don’t see me throwing punches every time a girl talks to you. I can’t stay locked up in the apartment all the time. You’re going to have to get a handle on your temper.”

“I will. I’ve never
wanted
a girlfriend before, Pigeon. I’m not used to feeling this way about someone…about
anyone
. If you’ll be patient with me, I swear I’ll get it figured out.”

“Let’s get something straight; you’re not a piece of shit, you’re amazing. It doesn’t matter who buys me drinks, or who asks me to dance, or who flirts with me. I’m going home with you. You’ve asked me to trust you, and you don’t seem to trust me.”

He frowned. “That’s not true.”

“If you think I’m going to leave you for the next guy that comes along, then you don’t have much faith in me.”

He tightened his grip. “I’m not good enough for you, Pidge. That doesn’t mean I don’t trust you, I’m just bracing for the inevitable.”

“Don’t say that. When we’re alone, you’re perfect. We’re perfect. But then you let everyone else ruin it. I don’t expect a one-eighty, but you have to pick your battles. You can’t come out swinging every time someone looks at me.”

He nodded. “I’ll do anything you want. Just…tell me you love me.”

“You know I do.”

“I need to hear you say it,” he said, his brows pulling together.

“I love you,” I said, touching my lips to his. “Now quit being such a baby.”

He laughed, crawling into the bed with me. We spent the next hour in the same spot under the covers, giggling and kissing, barely noticing when Kara returned from the shower.

“Could you get out? I have to get dressed,” Kara said to Travis, tightening her robe.

Travis kissed my cheek, and then stepped into the hall. “See ya in a sec.”

I fell against my pillow as Kara rummaged though through her closet. “What are you so happy about?” she grumbled.

“Nothing,” I sighed.

“Do you know what co-dependency is, Abby? Your boyfriend is a prime example, which is creepy considering he went from having no respect for women at all to thinking he needs you to breathe.”

“Maybe he does,” I said, refusing to let her spoil my mood.

“Don’t you wonder why that is? I mean…he’s been through half the girls at this school. Why you?”

“He says I’m different.”

“Sure he does. But why?”

“Why do you care?” I snapped.

“It’s dangerous to need someone that much. You’re trying to save him and he’s hoping you can. You two are a disaster.”

I smiled at the ceiling. “It doesn’t matter what or why it is. When it’s good, Kara…it’s beautiful.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re hopeless.”

Travis knocked on the door, and Kara let him in.

“I’m going to the commons to study. Good luck,” she said in the most insincere voice she could muster.

“What was that about?” Travis asked.

“She said we’re a disaster.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” he smiled. His eyes were suddenly focused, and he kissed the tender skin behind my ear. “Why don’t you come home with me?”

I rested my hand on the back of his neck and sighed at the feeling of his soft lips against my skin. “I think I’m going to stay here. I’m constantly at your apartment.”