Keep My Baby Safe

by Bella Grant

  “What?” Diana asked, jerking her head around to stare at Travis, who looked as bewildered as she felt.

  “What the fuck?” Travis glowered at Alyssa, his expression murderous. He looked at Diana after his face settled, and said, “I did not try to fuck her. She tried to seduce me.”

  Diana’s head swiveled to stare at Alyssa, who scoffed. “Oh, please. You’re going to believe him over me?”

  “Diana, I didn’t try to sleep with her. You know how much I hated her. I never hid it,” Travis defended, pointing out the obvious.

  “Why would you hate me? Because you couldn’t have me?” Alyssa spewed, nearly spitting at him. Diana had never seen her look so ugly, so mean and hateful, and the expression on her face was frightening.

  Travis glared at her. “I think you’ve got it backwards.”

  “You fucking liar! You’ve been trying to boot me out of her life since you walked into it!” Alyssa screamed.

  “And you helped boot me out of hers, didn’t you?”

  Alyssa opened her mouth to argue with him, but Diana yelled, “Stop it! Just stop it!”

  Both Travis and Alyssa looked at her, frozen by her outburst. Diana looked back and forth, then her eyes settled on Alyssa. “What does he mean, you helped boot him out of my life?”

  “I have no idea,” Alyssa answered, though her eyes were looking at the wall behind Diana’s head.

  “Dammit, Alyssa! Tell me the truth,” Diana yelled. Alyssa stared at the wall, and a single tear slipped down her cheek. Diana sucked in a breath, disbelief flitting through her. “We’ve been friends for so long. What did you do?”

  Alyssa sighed, put her hands on her hips, and let her head fall forward so she stared at the ground. A moment passed, and she looked up. “The night you two ended your marriage, I bribed one of the guys you were dining with, Travis. To hold you up.”

  “You paid some man to make Travis late? Where did you get the money?”

  Alyssa threw her hands out and marched to the couch, where she flopped down as if all her energy had dissolved. “I was dating him, didn’t actually pay him with money, if you know what I mean. I found out who Travis was working with and asked him out. Talked him into doing me a little favor. So he did.”

  “You…prostituted yourself in order to ruin our marriage?” Travis asked, sneering.

  Alyssa shot off the couch. “Shut up, asshole! I was dating him, not just fucking him. Diana probably remembers him.” She rattled off a name Diana vaguely remembered as Travis cursed.

  “Alyssa…” Diana stared at her as tears began to flow, “Are you serious? You did that on purpose?”

  Alyssa nodded her head and gazed at Diana. “Yep.”

  “Is that the only time?”

  Alyssa shrugged but didn’t answer. “He took you away from me. You’re literally my only friend.” She threw her hands up and yelled, “Your marriage was dying anyway. It would have ended, so I helped it end sooner rather than later.”

  Silence fell over the group. So many emotions flitted through Diana’s heart that she didn’t know how she felt. Disappointment. Anger. Sadness. Disgust. All battled for her full attention, but disappointment was strongest amongst them.

  “You stupid bitch,” she whispered. “I loved him. Love him more now. And you tried to destroy our relationship. You succeeded once, and you tried to do it again by using the one thing that nearly killed us last time.” She glared at Alyssa and yelled, “You knew I would doubt him because of his work, and that he would doubt me because of the gambling! You are a horrible person!”

  “Diana, please. I’m not a horrible person,” Alyssa begged, stepping forward until Diana lifted a hand.

  “How many other friendships have you ruined for me?” Diana shook her head as tears raced down her face. “I can’t look at you right now. Get your shit and leave.”

  “Diana, please. Let’s talk about this,” Alyssa pleaded. “I admit I posted the picture so he’d think you were gambling.” She looked at Travis as she wiped tears and last night’s mascara off her cheeks. “I swear she didn’t. We went inside, went straight to the bar, and listened to jazz. When we left, she didn’t even look in the direction of the slots.”

  Diana had watched her recite the truth, a truth she had been ready to tell Travis. She looked at him and said, “I was getting ready to tell you that when you started yelling. I’m healed, clean, whatever the right word is.”

  “I’m so proud of you,” Travis murmured, a sparkle in his eye that might have been a tear. “I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions.”

  “We’ll work on that, in both of us,” Diana told him. She wanted to walk over and kiss him more than anything, but she had to deal with Alyssa first. Her eyes were trained on the woman she’d thought loved her.

  When Alyssa looked at her again, she whispered, “I’m so sorry, Diana.”

  Diana nodded. “Okay. But I can’t forgive you right now. I need some time to calm down. Go get your stuff. You can take my car back and I’ll get it from you tomorrow.” Alyssa rose and walked towards Diana, who stepped back and lifted a hand. “No, I don’t want you to touch me or hug me or anything today. I just want you to leave.”

  A sob slipped through Alyssa’s lips, but she turned and walked into the bedroom to get her things. Diana looked at Travis, who watched her, and she was so grateful that he knew her well enough not to walk over to her and hug her. She’d lose it if he did.

  When Alyssa returned to the living room, she said, “I’m really sorry.”

  “I’m not the only one you should apologize to,” Diana informed her staunchly.

  Alyssa looked at Travis, her scowl of hatred back in place. “I won’t apologize to him.”

  Diana’s spine stiffened. “Get out. My keys are on that table.”

  Alyssa opened her mouth to speak again, saw the look on Diana’s face, and walked out, grabbing the keys to Diana’s car on the way. Diana, who remained rigidly straight until the door closed behind her, lost the rod in her spine and crumpled. Travis rushed forward to catch her, and he lifted her as if she weighed nothing and carried her to the bedroom where he laid her gently on the bed. He kicked off his shoes and climbed in beside her, holding her as she sobbed.

  “I love her,” Diana whimpered when she could speak again. “She’s my best friend. My only friend, really.”

  “Not true,” Travis whispered. “You have me, and Cameron, and Ronnie.”

  Diana let out a watery chuckle as she looked at him. “So funny. Alyssa said the same thing to me when you and I split.”

  “Maybe that’s why we don’t get along…because we’re alike,” Travis said, though he grimaced playfully.

  “No, you’re nothing alike.” She rolled over on her back and wiped her face with her hands. She stared at the ceiling as she told him, “She’s always been a step away from being a total bitch. Snarky comments about everything, rude looks. I was her only friend because I could put up with her.”

  “I think you need to sleep on it before you make a rash decision,” Travis said sagely a few minutes later. “Let’s you and I have a great night, and tomorrow, when you go to pick up your keys, you can talk to her.”

  Diana frowned at him. “Did she really try to seduce you?”

  “Um, sort of,” Travis admitted. “She showed up at my parents’ house right after I moved out of our house. She offered subtly but clearly. I said no.”

  “I had no idea,” Diana murmured, staring hard at the ceiling so she wouldn’t cry. “If you had fucked her, we would never have gotten back together. And it would have ruined my friendship with her as well.”

  “I would never have slept with her. She’s your best friend,” Travis explained. “No one should cross that line.”

  Diana turned so her face was in his chest. She breathed deeply, enjoying his scent. “You smell like home.”

  Travis chuckled, deep in his throat. “I want to be your home.”

  Diana looked up at him. “I want that, too. More than
anything.” She snuggled against him again. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “I’ll always be here. For the rest of your life.”

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