3 Chapter 3: Beyond Flirting

Travis scoffed a bit too loud, letting his head fall back on the sofa, and distracting me momentarily from the subject at hand, as I took in just how big he was getting. I knew he spent more time lifting weights in the garage these days with a few of his friends than he did down by the riverbed. I also knew how having grown so much all over in the past few years had the girls—even the older ones—throwing themselves shamefully at him.

My eyes were still roaming until they met his. My face instantly heated as the amused smile on his face spread. Before he could do or say anything that might have me stuttering as only he could ever make me do, I spoke up. “I’ve heard rumors.”

The brow lifted as he sat up straighter, but the smirk on his face remained. “About me?”

I nodded, holding in a breath because the way he was looking at me now was the new way he’d begun to look at me just this past year. There was so much more in those eyes lately. More than just lust and his desire to see me squirm. A hint of vulnerability seemed to slip more and more lately. Just like when he was around his brothers, there was a softer, caring side about him, a side most would think didn’t exist in a bad boy with such a bad rap like Travis. But there was so much Travis said to me without ever having to utter a word. All the vulnerability, all his fears and frustrations, spoke to me through his eyes. What’s more I was fairly certain it was something he reserved for just me.

“What kind of rumors?” he asked, licking his bottom lip.

I shrugged, swallowing hard, wishing I had the nerve to ask about some of the racier rumors I’d heard about him—about the things he did with, and to, girls. But I dared not. Already I could feel my face was likely fiery red, and the rumor I was talking about was harmless. It was the way his eyes searched mine so deeply, and how his smile went even heavier with implication as he’d licked that bottom lip. I was certain he was assuming which rumors I was referring to. No way was I brave enough to ask him about those.

“I’ve heard you take the fall for your friends a lot.”

Once again, the smirk nearly vanished, and I was certain now he knew what I was getting at, and my heart skipped at the thought that he might actually admit it out loud. Trace and Trevor rushed into the room from the hallway. “I smell KFC!” Trevor said, already making his way to the kitchen.

Travis and I both got up at the same time. “Easy with the hot sauce, Trev,” Travis warned as we both walked to the kitchen. “Remember last time.”

The conversation we’d been having was momentarily interrupted as Travis and I helped the boys get plates together and I served them each a glass of Coke.

Travis and the boys laughed as he explained about Trevor’s previous incident with the KFC hot sauce. “It burned more coming out than it did going in.”

Trevor laughed shamelessly then stopped as if to ponder for a moment with a pained expression before dropping the hot sauce back on the table. “Yeah, maybe I better not have the scorcher one this time.”

Mussing Trevor’s hair, Travis laughed as he walked toward the fridge. “Yeah, stick with just hot this time.”

The boys finished piling up their plates then ran back into their rooms where they’d, no doubt, be eating in front of their TV while they played video games.

As always, once alone with Travis, my insides began fluttering again. “So, I’ve heard rumors about you too,” Travis said, taking a seat at the table and motioning for me to take a seat across from him. As if my heart wasn’t already thudding, I took the seat and braced myself. “About prom. You really not going?”

I shook my head but refused to look at him. Instead, I focused on reaching into the bucket of chicken for a drumstick. “I know it can’t be because no one asked,” he teased.

Shrugging, I concentrated on my piece of chicken, shredding pieces off with my fingers and eating them slowly. But I didn’t dare tell him why I really wasn’t going. “Not my thing, I guess.”

“I was asked.” I didn’t even realize I’d frozen mid-shred of my chicken until he added the next part. “But I said, ‘hell no.’” He laughed as I finally glanced up to meet his eyes, beyond relieved to hear he wasn’t going. “If you think it’s not your thing, you can imagine how much it’s not mine. Me and monkey suits don’t exactly mesh, but you . . .” He paused and smiled. “Getting all dolled up and wearing a fancy dress seems like something right up your alley. In fact, you might be the first girl I know who’s not into that shit.”

I actually was into that shit. Very much so. But I’d already heard the rumors of girls asking Travis to the prom. Already, because of the unspoken connection he and I had, I could barely stomach seeing and hearing about him around other girls. No way was I going to endure an entire night of seeing him in a tux while whomever he was there with fell all over him. Any girl who’d invite him to the prom, despite his reputation, was, without doubt, the kind that’d be throwing themselves at him all night then shamelessly flaunting the intimate details of how their night ended. Though I had to admit, if I thought for a second my parents would allow it, I might’ve asked him myself.

“What’s the matter?” he pushed on. “None of the guys who asked you—because I’m sure there were more than one—good enough for you, Cherry?”

That last part had a little bite to it. For months, I’d picked up on his resentment that the ongoing flirtation, even if mostly on his part, could never go any further.

“No, they weren’t actually.”

I knew that’d surprise him, but I braced myself, once again wondering if he’d catch what I really meant. I’d hoped it might ease up a little of the ever-growing resentment he was incapable of masking about this now. I didn’t mean for this subject to become even more tense, and at first, it didn’t. He smiled as what I just said seemed to sink in.

“You know, as much as proms and tuxes aren’t my thing, I might’ve said yes if the right girl had asked. In fact . . .” He paused just as my heart seemed to do the same. Then his tongue was at it again, licking his bottom lip as those inviting lips curved into a smile again. “I definitely would say yes.”

Despite my heart nearly bursting because I knew exactly what he was saying and just the thought of Travis being my date to prom was beyond anything in my wildest dreams, it was an impossibility, and we both knew it.

As if my response or lack thereof was telling enough, one shake of my head had him standing up. “My bad. I forgot Daddy would never allow it.”

Stepping on the bottom part of the trashcan to pop the top open, he dropped his paper plate into it. I was at a loss for words. For a long time, we’d tiptoed around this, evading an actual conversation about it, but things had inevitably moved beyond just flirting. Maybe not physically but definitely emotionally.

What he’d done for Lana was a perfect example. There were plenty of girls’ boob texts passed around school all the time. What he did for Lana was probably partly him being disgusted with the idiot, but we both knew who he’d really done it for. The longer I was around him and the more we got to know each other, the more it was impossible to deny there was so much more to our relationship. I’d been witness to a side of Travis I was certain no one beyond his immediate family had.

Before I could address his comment, he started out of the kitchen. “I may not be able to leave tonight, but no one said anything about keeping anyone from climbing into my window. You hear any strange noises, just ignore.”

He winked, but the playfulness in his eyes was not what it usually was. It was like all the other things I’d begun to understand about Travis. He hid his real emotions behind the sinful grins and innuendo. Only I knew him well enough to see the hurt in his eyes now. He added one last zinger before making his abrupt exit. “Not everyone’s daddy is as strict as yours.”

With that, he walked out of the kitchen, leaving me sitting there to stew. From that day on, things took a turn. While he continued to enjoy making me squirm, he became increasingly blatant about it. Almost as if he knew how close I was to giving in and he was daring me to do so. Being around him from then on would become even more of a challenge. But, by God, as much as I knew I should, I just couldn’t stay away.