Page 24 of His Fractured Girl

“What are you doing here?” I ask, finally noticing all the candles lit around my room, and the coffee table covered with atablecloth and a giant vase of magenta roses sitting in the center of it. “You did all this?”

“Yes, babe. You said you had to work tonight. But I figured you had to eat so I made you dinner.”

“You did?” No one’s ever done something so special or romantic for me before. He’s too good for me. I don’t deserve his kindness, not after lying to him this morning.

“Here. Let me take those from you.” He stands, grabbing the bags from my hands, and places them on my desk.

“How did you get in here?”

“Torrin gave me her key. She’s staying at our house tonight.”And that means we’ll have the place to ourselves. “Are you hungry?”

I nod, still too overcome by the gesture to speak. I’m terrified that once he learns the truth about me, he’ll realize I’m not the one for him.

“You didn’t have to do all this. You already made me breakfast. This is too much.”

“It’s never too much. And I can’t help it. I wanted to spend a little time with you. But I promise I’ll take off after dinner so you can do your work.”

I don’t want him to leave. And I already got my work done. I spent the entire afternoon locked in the library, trying not to think about Travis and how my past might destroy my chance with him.

“I want you to stay, Travis.”

He walks to me, pulling me in close. His hand cupping around my chin. Those eyes make me melt. The way he looks at me…

“I missed you today, pretty girl.”

God, I missed him too. His lips press to mine and every thought drifts away. I don’t know how he does it, but just fromthe touch of his lips, he can right all the wrongs. I let him take me to that place where everything feels warm and tingly. And safe.

“You’re so incredible, Sophie.”

I pull away, feeling unworthy of such an amazing man. I’m not incredible. Far from it.

“Baby, tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong.” I shake my head, feeling the sting behind my eyes. “I’m just hungry.” I pull away and turn. “So, what are we having?”

“You know you can trust me, right?” His body is at my back, voice deep and tender.

“I know I can.” I just can’t trust that he’ll still feel the same about me once he learns the truth.

“I’m really trying here, babe. I’m trying not to pressure you to talk to me, but I’m falling for you, Sophie.” The air gets locked inside my lungs as he steps in front of me, forcing me to look at him again. My heart is thumping wildly in my chest. “I don’t want to find out two months down the road that I never stood a chance. That there’s someone else you still have feelings for.”

“I don’t.” There’s never been anyone else. A drunken hope saturated in lies, but that’s it. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. “I promise, Travis. There’s no one else.”

“Then what is it that you’re keeping from me? Why won’t you tell me who this Maddock guy is?”

Because you won’t feel the same anymore.

“If we’re going to give this a fighting chance, you can’t keep secrets from me, baby.”

He’s right. I know he is. And I know he deserves the truth. I’m trying to safeguard myself from getting hurt, but that’s a selfish choice. I need to tell him. Whatever the outcome is, I’ll have to face it. And it’s better now than two months down the road when it will shatter me when he walks away.

“Can we sit down?”

He nods, taking my hand and leading me to the couch. I look at the pretty roses. The twinkling lights on the table that are now blurred streaks. The magenta tablecloth that he went to the trouble of finding. He spent so much time making it special for me, and now I’m about to prove that I’m not as special as he thinks.

“I was at a party.” I swallow the lump of nerves as the memory floods in, capsizing my calm. My voice is unsteady. My nerves rockier. “We’d all been drinking.” I’d had too much to drink. But so did everyone else. The memory of Presley passed out and lying beside us makes my stomach hurt. I never thought in a million years she’d wake up. But she woke up to a nightmare. “At some point, we all crashed in Sarah’s basement. All of us just sleeping on the floor. I remember being woken up by Maddock.” He stiffens to his name, but I keep going. “He wanted me to kiss him.”

Travis’s jaw clenches as his hands squeeze mine tighter. They feel clammy, like he’s just as nervous as I am.

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