Page 118 of Love and Memories

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TRAVIS

Travis leaned against the wall in Bella’s hospital room. He hadn’t slept in over twenty-four hours, and the whole room was beginning to blur.

“Travis?”

He shook his head to clear the brain fog at Matt Benson’s words. “Sorry. What did you say?”

Matt’s strained smile faltered. Maybe Travis wasn’t putting on a good front. “I asked if you need me to bring you anything from home.”

“Gage is bringing a bag for both of us. He’s on his way with Hadley right now. I think we’ll be here a few more days, so I might take you up on that offer before this is over.”

Tammy sat in a chair beside the bed, holding up her phone so Bella could see the things she’d found for the baby. Bella was actually smiling. He’d have to get Tammy something amazing when all this was over.

In fact, he owed every single one of their friends. At least one person they knew had been here since the moment Bella arrived by ambulance.

“What is the latest news?” Matt asked.

“They’re both stable. They’ve given her steroid shots to speed up the baby’s lung development just in case this causes early labor. As of right now, the contractions have stopped, and everything looks good on the ultrasounds.”

Bella glanced up from whatever Tammy was showing her and gave him a wink. She was so strong, but that wasn’t anything new. She’d been through a lot since they met almost five months ago, and none of it had been easy.

“They said Bella is great. She’ll be bruised, and she has a knot on the back of her head that’s bothering her.”

Bella’s hands rubbed over her baby bump. She hadn’t taken her hands off it since they arrived.

“It’ll help that Gage and Hadley are stopping to pick up a home fetal heart monitor on their way. Ava Ford said it might help ease Bella’s worries.”

Matt crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall beside Travis to watch the two women talking. “I know you haven’t had time to process things yet, but I’ll be here if you ever want to talk.”

Travis nodded, but he couldn’t look away from Bella. “I’m sure that day will come.”

He’d taken two lives today, but he’d also saved two. It helped to remember that he hadn’t killed maliciously, even though they’d done terrible things to Bella.

“So, she didn’t kill him,” Matt said.

It wasn’t a question. Apparently, the man who’d attacked Bella was Gunner. She hadn’t killed him after all.

But Travis had.

“Yep. At least Bella isn’t being blamed for it.”

Matt rubbed a hand over his short beard. “Is it going to be self-defense?”

Wasn’t that the question that had been gnawing at Travis’s brain for a few hours. He’d been protecting himself from Switch,sure. But Gunner? He’d been protecting Bella and the baby. To Travis, that meant a whole lot more than protecting himself. “I’m not sure yet. Camille is on her way. I wonder if the lack of witnesses is going to be an issue.”

“What about Bella? Doesn’t she count?” Matt asked.

“I guess, but I think she was unconscious when I killed Gunner, and she didn’t see me kill Switch.”

Just talking about it made Travis’s stomach roll, but he needed to get used to it. He had hundreds of questions to answer. Police, lawyers, detectives, investigators, jurors–he’d have to tell the story over and over.

Matt slapped a hand on Travis’s shoulder and squeezed. “You’re going to need each other more than ever now.”

Travis huffed. “I needed her before all this. She thinks she needs me, but it’s been the other way around. Loving her is easy and terrifying.”

Matt chuckled. “Terrifying?”

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