Okay, so no I didn't really need help because I've seen people play it before but the warmth of his skin, I couldn't resist. I looked up at him and rolled my eyes and looked back down to the table. I moved my arm back while keeping my other arm to hold the stick in place and I pushed the white ball.
"I made it!" I jumped up as the ball fell in the corner hole. He gave me a quick peck on the cheek and a high five.
"Ana..." Emma said. I looked at her and her face paled.
"He's-“
"Well well well, if it isn't Stasia." My eyes widened and the color drained from my face as well.
I saw Travis look at me with his brows furrowed. Fuck.
"Emma right?" He looked at her and smiled. His voice makes me sick. I feel a panic attack coming on. I need to run. I need to go to the bathroom. I feel sick but I can't move. I'm numb. Completely frozen in place.
"Don't," I shocked myself when I spoke. My mouth was dry. I'm parched, I need water. "You need to leave."
"Anastasia, who is this?" Travis started walking towards me confused. I looked at Emma not knowing what to say.
"I'm Liam. Stasia, who is this?" He asked me in an unpleasant way.
Travis looked at me and his face instantly turned from confusion to realization to anger to furious. He turned around very slowly and I saw his hands ball into fists. I looked at Emma with worry and she whispered something to Ethan that I couldn't make out. "I. Am.
Travis." He said slowly through gritted teeth.
"Ah Travis hmm. Well, Stasia? Can I talk to you outside please? Right now." Liam said ignoring Travis.
"Stay away from her." Travis told him while stepping closer to Liam.
"Liam please leave me alone." I pleaded before Travis could say something. Travis just stepped closer to him.
"Who's this...? Travis?" He asked while smirking.
"That... is none of your business." I stated.
He tried to step closer to me but Travis stopped him.
"Who's this tough guy?"
"I'm warning you Liam... leave." I told him.
"Listen to her." Travis said through gritted teeth. He's just getting angrier and angrier and this doesn't look good right now.
"Oh you gunna act all tough in front of the ladies? Well, I hate to break it to ya but I don't want to fight a pussy." Liam stated.
Shit Liam. You have no idea what you just did. As those words left his mouth, Ethan walked over slowly to see if he needed to step in. Ethan is built like Travis so Liam is very outnumbered here.
"Travis..." I calmly said slowly. This is when I think I need to get him to relax. I put my hand on his arm and gave it a little squeeze and he relaxed a little bit.
"Stasia, call me when you're ready for a real man. I'd like to continue what I started. You know... mark MY territory." He stayed while exaggerating the 'my'.
That was enough for Travis to hear. He got out of my grip and pushed Liam back and swung at him, punching Liam right in the nose. I will never be able to get that crack noise out of my head.
"Travis!" I yelled while Ethan tried to pry Travis away but it wasn't working.
Emma came by my side and held me back from the fight.
"Travis! Stop please stop!" I kept yelling as I was trying to get out of Emma's grip but it was no use. She’s too strong. Travis just kept throwing punches.
Liam was now on the ground and he hadn't gotten one punch in. Every guy in this area tried to break apart the fight but Travis grabbed Liam and just kept punching him.
"Stop it! You're going to kill him!" I yelled hoping he would stop but he just wouldn't listen.
"You won't stop me from doing anything." Liam smiled and said to Travis while blood was dripping from his nose, lips, mouth, everywhere. Damnit, he doesn't know how to keep his fucking mouth shut.
"You... will... never... ever... lay... another... hand... on... her! You hear me?!" Travis yelled at him while still on top of him throwing a punch after every word he said.
I finally got out of Emma's grip and ran to Travis. I bent down and grabbed his face and held it in my hands. I made him look at me and he relaxed a little, not a lot but just enough for him to listen to me.
"Travis you need to stop! You're going to kill him!" I yelled in his face as I linked my arm under his arm to pull him up.
Not one ounce of blood on Travis was his. I got him up and pushed him towards Ethan so he could help me stop and control him. Emma was standing near Ethan not knowing what to do.
I bent down to look at Liam's injuries and he could barely keep his eyes open.
"Somebody call 9-1-1!!!" I yelled out pleading for anyone to call.
"Liam. Hey. Stay awake. Keep your eyes open and look at me." I told him while I felt someone lifting me up. I turned around to see Travis. I looked at him in horror and pushed him away. "Go! Just leave!" I yelled at Travis and he just put his head down. He could have killed Liam. I bent back down to see him and he looked at me with pleading eyes. I looked up and looked around me realizing that I was the only one within two feet from him. I bent down, looked him in the eyes and said, "I hope it hurt… I don’t feel sorry for you. You deserved this."
I heard the ambulance and the EMT's walk in to find Liam practically unconscious. They cleaned up the blood and helped stop some of the bleeding before putting him on a stretcher and taking him to the hospital. I looked at everyone crowded around us and then back at Emma, Ethan, and Travis. All I could hear was the yelling of men.
"STONE!"
"Get ‘em Stone!"
"Yes Stone!"
I looked Travis right in the eyes, turned around, and walked out of the building. I just needed to get back to my dorm. I can't believe what just happened.
"Anastasia wait!" Travis yelled behind me. I ignored him and just kept walking. "Hear me out!" He said. He was out of breath from fighting and running towards me.
He gently grabbed my arm and turned me around.
"Hear you out? Hear you out?! Travis are you out of you fucking mind?! You know what? Yes you are!!! You could have killed him!!!" I looked up yelling right in his face. I turned around and started walking faster back to my dorm.
"Damnit! Please wait." He whined. I just kept walking.
"Leave me alone Travis. I'm going back to my dorm." I looked behind me to see Emma and Ethan trailing slowly behind us with their heads down.
"Why are you being like this?" He spoke softly. I turned around furious.
"Because you can't just let it go! You should have let it go! He doesn't go to school here! I would have called security to escort him out but nooo, here comes Stone everyone!" I look around as if there was an audience.
"It's not like that Anastasia and you know it!" He yelled.
"What'd you do it to build your ego? Give Stone an even bigger name? Made sure that everyone saw? Kept going so they could know that no one still can't mess with you? My god Travis, you are unbelievable!" I yelled at him. I had to back away a little before I gagged at the metal stench radiating off of him.
"No! I did it to protect you and how could you not tell me he was here!" He yelled while gesturing his hand towards me.
"Protect me?! The only thing you did was make me scared of you! You didn't protect me and I didn't tell you because I knew this is exactly how you would react!" I swear you could see the steam coming out the top of my head.
"He deserves what he got tonight! I did protect you! He would have burned you again and you know it!!" He instantly knew what he said and looked at me with widened eyes. I looked back at Emma and Ethan, tears prickling my eyes and ready to fall down my cheeks. Emma's jaw dropped and so did Ethan's, she looked like she wanted to cry. Not even Emma knew what Liam did to me. Now she knows all because of Travis. I just wanted to crumble down and go home. Not my dorm, but my home.
"Anastasia... I didn’t mean that… It just came out… I...
I'm so-"
"Don't you dare say you're sorry!!? You would have never said it if you were the real Travis
I knew! The one from the diner, the house, the horse trail! You are nothing like the man I thought you were!" I was now crying and I tried to blink them away so I wouldn't be weak in front of him. "I don't know you." I cried. His tears were evident at what I just said. I knew I hurt him... but he hurt me.
"I didn't mean it. I didn't mean any of it! I wish I could take it all back and I will apologize. I'm sorry Anastasia."
"You hurt people for a living. I get why and I respect why, but that doesn't mean its right to do. Stone, you physically hurt people." I said not yelling anymore.
"Don't call me that, that is not who I am." He cried.
"Yes it is! It's exactly who you are!" I yelled gesturing towards him. "You did this tonight, what else are you capable of?!"
"I'm not him no. I'm not Stone. I'm Travis, that's who I am. I would never hurt you. I would never lay a finger on you!" He desperately yelled.
"I don’t know who you are and I don’t know if what you're saying is the truth." My voice was raspy. I have a lump in my throat and I refuse to cry in front of him anymore.
"Please Anastasia Please please no. Please don't leave me." He pleaded while crying. He went to hug me and I backed away "Baby please please. I wouldn't ever hurt you please." He pulled me towards him and hugged me but I kept trying to pull away. He wouldn't let me go. It kills me to see him cry and be in pain but I just need to think. What he did wasn't right and I can't let a crying Travis change my mind. I need to think.
"Let me go Travis." I tried pushing his chest away and his grip got tighter. "Let me go!" I yelled. He whimpered and loosened his arms and I pushed him away while running back to my dorm with Emma trailing behind me. I glanced back to see Ethan walk up to a Travis I've never seen before. A Travis that was on his knees, crying.
Chapter 13
The next morning
Last night was a blur after the fight. I came in the dorm with Emma and told her I think I needed to take the rest of the semester off and start fresh after Christmas, in January. With Liam coming here and then the fight last night, it was just too much for me to handle with a load of school work. Emma understood me, and my dorm will be waiting for me when I get back. I called my mom last night and told her that Liam came here and I just wanted a little break. We tell each other everything, but I left out the fight part because I didn't want her worrying too much about me.
"I'm going to miss you." Emma said with tears in her eyes as she was helping me get all my stuff together.
"We will keep in contact and FaceTime and I will see you in three months!" I told her trying not to cry myself.
"I know, but it still won't be the same. I just want to fast forward to the day you come back." She stopped putting my stuff away and gave me a hug. I hugged her back.
"I'll be back before you know it." I let a few tears fall and she did the same.
"What about Travis, Ana?" Emma asked softly.
"I don’t know about Travis. I can't have him knowing that I'm leaving." I told her and she nodded her head.
"I understand. I just don't know what I'm going to say to him when he comes looking for you and you're not here." She told me quietly as we were finishing packing. "I don’t know. I just can't talk to him right now, Em. I need to focus on myself right now. From seeing Liam for the first time again to finally moving on and liking Travis to the fight that they had. I just need myself for a while." I told her while I zipped up my suitcases.
I heard a knock at the door and Emma walked over to open it.
"Hello Miss. Reilly." Emma smiled to her and gave her a hug.
"Nonsense, please, call me Elena!" She told Emma.
"Mom! Ugh I've missed you so so much." I cried while running to give her a big, tight hug. It's been so long, too long. We've only gone a few days without seeing each other before, but never almost a full month.
"Oh honey, I've missed you too. It's getting lonely up at home." She explained to me.
My mom and Emma helped me carry my stuff out of the room. I looked back in my dorm room and my side was completely empty. Shedding a tear, I looked at the bed where I slept and couldn't believe I was leaving for a few months. This was a place that was home, and it will be home again. But for now, I need to go to my real home and as upset as I am, I know I need to do this.
We all went downstairs and packed all my stuff in my mom’s car.
"Well, this is it." Emma said while holding back tears.
My mom went up to her and gave her a hug.
"I'll see you soon and don't hesitate to come visit us if you'd like." My mom told her smiling.
"I'm keeping that in mind. Thank you Elena, I will see you soon." She told my mom.
I walked up to her and gave her a big, tight, long hug.
"We will talk every day okay? I want details about
Ethan and school, studying, the classes, everything. When I get back, I better not see someone new sleeping in my bed." I joked, trying to lighten up the mood a bit.
"No one is stepping foot in OUR dorm." Emma states while exaggerating 'our'.
I laughed and hugged her again.
"Love you girl." She said while I got in the car.
"Love you too and I will talk to you as soon as I get on the road." I laughed while waving to her and shutting the door.
She waved back and walked into our building and my mom drove off.
I finally got all settled at home and have been talking to Emma nonstop. I talked to my mom about everything but the fight. I also left out the 'Stone' of Travis, but I told her about the hospital and everything else.
Travis POV
What do I say to her? Here I am, pacing back and forth in front of her room and I don't know if I should knock and talk to her today, or if I should maybe give her a few days? Ugh Travis, what the fuck did you do? The ONE girl that I can actually see myself being with. The ONE girl who knows what she wants. The ONE girl that's nothing like every other college girl who just wants to party and sleep with every guy in the dorms. The ONE girl who accepts me for, well me. She accepts all of me and my baggage. She doesn't treat me differently now that she knows everything in my life. That's Anastasia and I maybe fucked it up over an anger issue that I have. Why could I have just kept my fists to myself?
I did it, I knocked.
"Coming!" I heard Emma yell through the door. I took a deep breath as she opened it. She looks upset, scared, I don't know. Like she's seen a ghost or something.
"Travis... uh hi." She said quietly.
"Look, I know she wanted you to answer probably because she doesn't want to see me right? Anastasia, I know you can hear me. Please just hear me out. You are so perfect and beautiful and I'm such a fucked up idiot and I didn't mean to do what I did last night. I'm so sorry. I swear I would never ever hurt you please. You can't just not talk to me. You have to talk to me at some point please. You just need to hear me out. I'm so so sor-"
"Travis," Emma cut me off. I sucked in air because I was out of breath, "she's gone."
"What? What? What do you mean she's gone?" I hurriedly asked her nervously and she looked at me sadly.
"She left Travis. She went home." Emma said upset.
"What? No. When will she be back?" I asked her, impatiently waiting for an answer.
"She won't be coming back," she said with tears in her eyes, "not until January."
"No. No no no no." I feel like my heart just got ripped from my chest. She left? She left me? The most beautiful girl I have ever seen. The perfect woman... and she's gone. All because of me.
"I'm sorry Travis. She said she needs her time. She took the rest of the semester off and she'll be back in January." She said sadly.
"Please tell me you're kidding... Anastasia!" I yelled while walking into the room.
Everything is empty. Her side of the room is completely empty. Drawers are open with no clothes, no white sheets, no pictures on her walls, no perfume on her dresser. That smell. I won't smell that smell anymore. A champagne vanilla smell. It's all empt
y. I looked at Emma sadly and she put her head down.
"I'm sorry Travis. I'm really sorry." She told me sincerely.
"What am I going to do?" I choked out.
"There's nothing you can do right now, other than give her time." She told me quietly.
How did I let her slip right through my fingertips? How can I be so stupid? This girl... this woman... how awful does someone have to be to push away someone they love? Love? Do I love her? I mean, it hasn't been long but man, I do love her. The way her hair flowed in the wind when she was on my motorcycle. The way she comforted me when I told her about my sister. The way she kissed me. The way her green eyes would sparkle in the sun. Her beautiful blonde hair. Her button nose. The way she laughed, and when she laughed, she really laughed. She'd throw her head back if she thought it was really funny. The way her hand fit in mine. How our
bodies connected as one when we slept in my bed and cuddled together. The way she hugged my mother.
Fuck… I love her.
One month later
Anastasia POV
October 30, 2018 4:52 pm
Travis. He's tried to contact me in more ways than one. Texts, calls, flowers, cards, letters, social media. I haven't responded to anything. I've just been talking to Emma and spending a lot of time with my mom. I heard on social media that Liam got out of the hospital two weeks after the fight and he came back home. I haven't seen or spoken to him since the fight. I somehow thank Travis for that.
Travis. That's all I keep thinking about. Every second, every minute, every hour, of every day. I wish I had the guts to just answer one of them but I know I can't right now. What I saw was too much. But I miss him so much. His laugh, his eyes, his tattoos, his humor, his voice, I miss it all. He's left voicemails but I can't bear the thought of him crying or begging for me to come back.
He goes to my dorm and talks to Emma all the time and asks about me and she tells him the same answer every day... “She needs time."
Eyes For You (Chasing Tomorrow Book 1) Page 7