by K. G. Reuss
Despite me having given up, Travis was still winning.
Sixty-Eight
Travis
I watched as she entered the room in her black leggings and green off-the-shoulder sweater. My dick tightened immediately in my pants. I wanted nothing more than to go to her, sweep her into my arms, pepper kisses along her creamy white shoulders, and whisper I loved her into her ear.
Instead, I sat in my chair, my heart aching at her distance. I hadn’t even looked at the divorce papers. I didn’t plan on signing them. I wasn’t sure how I was going to do it, but I was going to get her back.
“Lexy, you look beautiful!” Mom gave Lexy a big hug before pulling away and smiling at her. “We were just talking about you.”
“All good I hope.” She gave my mom a smile that didn’t quite reach her pretty eyes.
“Of course.” Mom laughed as Lexy settled into her seat beside me. Our moms continued talking and laughing. Alex gave me a tight smile before backing out of the room. We’d managed to make up the first day back home. But it came with a warning. Hurt Lexy and pay the price.
I wanted so much to talk to Lexy, but I didn’t even know how to approach her now. I opted with a tried and true Travis Owens’s special.
“Challenge?” I murmured softly. She tensed as I leaned in. When she didn’t answer me, I pressed forward. “Come on, honey pot. It’s the holidays. They’re bad enough without you. Please don’t make them worse.”
“What do you want?” she whispered at me as our moms continued whipping up cookie batter and laughing.
“You,” I answered back. “Can we talk? That’s the challenge.”
She looked down at her hands and sighed. “It’s not a good idea, Travis—”
“It’s the best idea. Please?” I reached out to cover her hand with mine. Gently, I gave it a squeeze. “Please, Lexy?”
“Fine. For a minute.” She pulled her hand from mine, leaving cold in her wake. But fuck it. She wanted to talk. I’d take my victories where I could find them. We got up from our seats. Both moms widened their eyes, smiles playing on the edges of their lips. I gave my mom a quick nod. They didn’t say a word as I took Lexy’s hand and led her out of the room.
We went straight to her bedroom, passing by our dads and Alex, whose eyes were narrowed at me. When we got upstairs, I let out a sigh of relief that no one had made our departure super awkward.
“What did you want to talk about?” She sat on her bed and stared up at me.
“We got an A on our presentation.”
“I know.”
I sighed again and knelt in front of her. Once again, she tensed.
“Don’t do that, Lexy,” I whispered, taking her hands in mine. “Weeks ago, you’d lean into my touch.”
“If you asked to talk just to try to make a move on me—’
“I’m not trying to make a move,” I argued, frowning down at her. “I just fucking miss you, Lexy. I want you back. Fuck. Please take me back. It’s my Christmas wish.”
“Travis, I-I…” The words faltered on her lips, but it was the look in her eyes that made me do what I did next.
I pressed my lips to hers. And just like always, she melted against me. Her lips parted, and I took full advantage of it, dipping my tongue into her mouth and tasting what I’d been craving for weeks.
But it ended as fast as it started. She broke the kiss off and shook her head at me, tears in her eyes.
“No, Travis. It’s over—”
“Shh,” I interrupted her, pressing a finger to her lips. Tears prickled my lashes as I stared down at her. “I’m a fuck up, Lexy. I know I am. But you have to know how fucking much I love you and how I will do anything to make this work. I’ll give up anything for you. Just please don’t tell me I’ve lost you. Tell me anything but that.”
“I’m telling you we had an expiration date, Travis. You know we did.”
I hung my head as she spoke, my heart cracking with every word she said.
“We’re too different. You know how I feel. Don’t think this doesn’t hurt me. It does. I was just so blinded by everything that was you that I couldn’t see past the differences. I’m going to be a doctor. You’re going to go live your football dreams. Our paths just don’t coincide. It’s a literal fork in the road. You’re going to do great things, Travis.” She reached out and cradled my face in her hands. We locked gazes. I couldn’t take it. I let the tears fall, matching hers. “I believe you’ll do amazing things. Just not with me,” she whispered.
“I don’t accept that,” I choked out, pulling her forward and resting my forehead against hers. “I don’t fucking accept it. I’ve never fought for anything in my life, Alexis, but you? I’ll start a war for. I want you. Forks and roads be damned. You. My wife. I don’t care if I have to become a nurse and be your sidekick, Doctor Owens, because I will. I’ll give up everything for you.”
“Travis, don’t do this. Please. It hurts me too—”
“I love you so fucking much. I’ll never love anyone like I love you. You don’t get to decide this on your own. We’re a team. When one of us falls, we pick each other up. We don’t fucking get scared, and we don’t run away. You are my wife. If it means I have to spend my entire life proving to you that we’re worth it, then I will. You’re it for me, Alexis Owens.” I pressed a fierce kiss to her forehead, got to my feet, and stared down at her.
She sniffled before leaning over the edge of her bed and grabbing something out of her bag. The jersey with my name on it I’d given to her. She rose to her feet and handed it to me.
“It’s over. I-I’m sorry,” her voice cracked as her tears fell. She shoved the shirt into my chest before backing away.
I ground my teeth as I stared her down, the jersey in my hands.
“This isn’t over,” I growled, backing away to her door. “I’m not signing the divorce papers, honey pot. You’ll have to kill me to get rid of me. I’m yours for the long haul.”
And with that, I left her room, the jersey in my hands. My throat was tight and burning from completely losing my shit. I crumpled to the floor in a weeping heap of shit in the hall. I meant what I said though. I wasn’t giving up even though it looked like she might actually win this one.
That did nothing to calm me.
Sixty-Nine
Lexy
Christmas vacation sucked. I stayed in my room whenever the Owens were at our place. I even declined the invitations to go to their place for our annual Christmas Uno game. On Christmas Eve, I sat in a chair away from everyone while they exchanged presents. I smiled when appropriate but didn’t speak much.
I bought Travis a new watch. He’d been saying he wanted a smart watch to pair with his phone. I’d picked it up before all our shit happened, so it seemed like a waste to let it sit in my drawer and Alex already had one. Had I not lost the receipt, I would’ve returned it. So, when it was my turn to exchange with Travis, I sat forward and handed him the box.
His eyes widened in surprise at me, and he took the gift before handing me one. A hush had fallen over the room. All I wanted to do was rush out of there and hide beneath my covers. Instead, I fumbled with opening my gift as he opened his. My heart caught in my throat as I stared down at my Mrs. Owens jersey. In the box, beneath the jersey was a ticket to the Sugar Bowl and a plane ticket to New Orleans for the game.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
He smiled down at his gift and then locked gazes with me. “I love it, sweetheart. Thank you. I’ve been wanting one.”
I sat wordlessly as he moved toward me and leaned in to whisper in my ear. “I had a better gift for you, but I’m keeping it until you come back to me. I love you so fucking much.” He pressed a kiss to my cheek before moving back to his spot.
It took everything I had to set the gift aside and get to my feet.
“Lexy, honey, where are you going?” Mom called out as I retreated to my bedroom.
And that was Christmas Eve. Christmas day went a lot better because we di
dn’t see the Owens. We’d always celebrated Christmas Eve with them and left Christmas Day to our families. Aunts and uncles poured in. We opened gifts. It was a happy affair, but I supposed it didn’t look that way as I downed my fourth glass of spiked eggnog courtesy of Alex. Travis’s parents had shown up on a whim, but no Travis. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.
“You’re going to have to be carried to your room,” Alex grumbled as I stared bleary-eyed out at our family laughing as Christmas music played in the background.
“I could crawl there,” I slurred, grabbing a fifth glass.
Alex chuckled. “Ava and I are going home tomorrow so we can spend some time together before I have to head out with the team. You leaving the thirtieth?”
I shook my head. I’d refused to tell anyone if I was going to the game or not. I hadn’t decided yet. “No. I’m gonna leave as soon as Mom lets me. I can’t stand seeing Travis right now. It hurts too much.”
“Listen, Lex,” Alex started. “He loves you. Like loves you. The real deal. He’s head over heels for you. So what are you going to do about it? Because this isn’t working.”
“I don’t know,” I grumbled. “Drink another eggnog and hope I don’t puke it up.”
“Go to bed, you damn lush, and really think this through, OK? Imagine not being with him. Imagine all the shit that comes with divorcing one of your best friends. I’m not trying to sway you to go back to him. I just want to make sure you’re making the right choice. I almost lost Ava. Hell, I’m still not out of the woods on that, but I’m getting damn close. I don’t like seeing either you or Travis in so much pain. Promise me you’ll be damn sure you’re making the right choice, OK?”
I nodded numbly, my heart clenching in my chest at the mention of Travis. I slurped down my eggnog and handed the glass back to Alex.
“I’m going for a walk.”
“Lex, you’re drunk. Go to bed.”
“I just need to clear my head. I’ll be back.” I shoved off the counter and stumbled out the front door. The lights at the Owens’s were off, but Travis’s truck was in the driveway. It took me a moment to stumble my way to his front door, but I pounded on it once I got there.
“Lexy?” Travis called out, his brows crinkled as he took me in. “What’s wrong? Are you OK?”
“No.” I poked my finger into his chest, the slurred words sliding out of my mouth before I could stop them. “You made me love you. I’m mad at you.”
He let out a soft chuckle and tugged me inside his house. Quietly, he directed me to his room.
“I don’t want to want you, Travis. It’s a disaster waiting to happen. I’m trying to protect myself from it. Please sign the papers.”
“No,” he murmured, resting his hands on my waist.
“Why are you so stubborn?” I demanded.
“Why are you?” he shot back.
“Why won’t you just sign them?” My whiny slur made me wince.
“Because I love you. We had a misunderstanding. We just did a whole presentation on the importance of communication. Which reminds me, you changed your status on social media. Do you know what it felt like when I saw? It killed me inside.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled. His hands tightened on my waist as I swayed. “But I guess I should be honest about something.”
“What’s that?”
“I went to your Heisman ceremony. I stood in the back and took your picture. I’m so proud of you.”
“Oh, honey pot,” he murmured as I swayed again. I blinked my eyes rapidly, hoping to wake my body up.
“How much did you drink?”
“Lots.”
“Alex spiked the eggnog, didn’t he?”
I nodded and looked up at him. There was no anger on his face as he stared back at me. I figured he’d be pissed about the social media stuff. Instead, only adoration covered his face. It made my belly clench. Maybe I’d fucked up.
I went to move away, but he held fast.
“Don’t go,” he called out softly.
“I’m sorry I came here. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“You missed me too.”
I reached out and cradled his cheek in my hand, the rough stubble tickling my fingers. “I do miss you.”
“Then stay and never have to miss me.”
“But then you’d leave, and I’d miss you.”
“Never for long, baby,” he answered, leaning down and pressing a kiss to my cheek. “The devil couldn’t keep me away from you.”
“Do you promise?” I breathed out, letting go for a moment to see how much I really felt. The feelings crashed into me, making my knees wobble.
“I swear it, Alexis. Nothing could stop me.”
“I’m scared.”
“So am I,” he murmured, wrapping his arms around me.
“We should just get divorced and start over,” I mumbled into his chest.
He let out a soft chuckle, his deep rumbling sending warmth flooding through me. “I’ll do anything you want, but I won’t give you a divorce.”
“Why?” I looked up at him.
“Because losing you even once is too much. The thought of a complete dissolution would wreck me. I’m not going to give up on us.”
“We didn’t even have a normal relationship. We fucked when we were drunk and got married. I never had a beautiful wedding dress. My mom wasn’t there to plan it with me. Alex and Ava and Mason didn’t get to be there.” I started babbling, but my words faltered on my tongue as Travis brushed his lips against mine.
“I want to give you all of that. Please let me.”
“But—”
“Just shut up.” He pressed his mouth to mine again.
This time, I opened and let him in, the kiss deepening as my world spun. I tugged his shirt off, and he let it fall to the floor, our hands all over one another.
I was trying to work on the button on his jeans when he pushed my hands away.
“You’re too drunk, baby. It kills me to tell you no, but I have to. I don’t want you to regret this. I want you to wake up in the morning and want me, not wake up in the morning and hate yourself for doing this with me when you were drunk.”
“We did it before,” I slurred.
He chuckled softly again and pressed a kiss to my temple. “And I regret not being completely coherent to enjoy every bit of you. If you want me, come tell me when you’re sober. I’ll leave the ball in your court. I won’t pursue you. I’ll simply wait for you. Forever if that’s what it takes.”
“Challenge,” I whispered.
“Accepted,” he answered back.
I closed my eyes as the spinning reached a new height. I felt myself falling but didn’t remember hitting the floor or finishing the challenge.
I woke up alone in my bed the next morning, even more confused than I was before.
Seventy
Travis
She asked me to give her time. That was the challenge. Christmas and the following days spun past. Now it was New Year’s Day, and I sat on the bench in the locker room waiting for kickoff of the Sugar Bowl. I couldn’t focus. I couldn’t concentrate. We hadn’t spoken since that night. I’d said the ball was in her court, but damn, I wanted to reach out to her first. It had killed me not to call and ask if she was coming to the game. I wouldn’t even let myself ask Alex.
“Owens, you ready?” Coach called out as everyone gathered for his pre-game pep talk. I nodded and got to my feet. I was lying. I wasn’t ready.
Coach went through his ritual pep talk, citing we’d run laps until our feet blistered if we fucked up before setting us free to rush the field. I looked to the stands as I ran out. My parents were in the seats I’d gotten for them. Alex and Lexy’s parents were in the stands with my parents. But the seat next to them was empty. No Lexy.
“Fuck,” I growled, tearing my eyes away from stands.
And fuck pretty much described the entire game. I fucked shit up. Bad. The whole world watched as the Heisman winner couldn
’t complete a pass for shit and got sacked twice. Coach yelled at me until he was blue in the face before throwing his clipboard. If not for our defense and our running game, the score would be a blowout.
“Man, get your shit together,” Alex snapped at me in the huddle as the game clock was winding down. We were down by four points. “We need to get this fucking touchdown, or we lose.”
“Where’s Lexy?” I finally asked, unable to take not knowing anymore. Had she skipped the game because she was truly done with me? Was she still thinking? Had something happened to her?
“Dude, play the fucking game and stop worrying about where your wife is,” Dean, one of our receivers grumbled.
“Eat shit, Dean—”
“She’s sick,” Alex called out. “Flu. She’s been in bed since yesterday. Can we win this thing now?”
“She’s not staying away because she’s still pissed at me?”
“Oh, I’m sure she is, but right now, she’s hugging the toilet.”
“Bro, don’t let her down by losing the game. No one wants to be married to a Heisman winner who can’t complete a pass,” Mason called out.
I shot him the finger, a new resolve setting in.
We broke and went to the field. I got the ball and looked out. Everyone was covered. I’d have to make a break for it or risk another incomplete pass or worse, a fucking interception—something else that had also happened twice already that game.
I did what I had to do. I tucked the ball against my chest and made a run for it.
Because I’m a fast guy, I managed to sneak by everyone. I kept my mind focused on getting the game over with so I could get back to Lexy and make sure she was OK. I ran, crossing the thirty. The twenty. The ten.
Touchdown.
Fuck yeah. I threw the ball to the ground as my team surrounded me. Clock was out. Game won. But just barely. I rushed off the field without so much as a celebratory hip thrust.