Page 79 of Love and Memories

Hopefully, he hadn’t been about to kiss her and changed his mind because she tensed up. She wanted to kiss him–wanted it now more than ever.

Travis pressed his lips to her forehead, warming her skin and leaving it burning in his wake. How did he unravel her with such a small touch?

“Good night. Sweet dreams,” Travis whispered deep.

“Good night,” Bella whispered back. She broke out of the shocked paralysis and slipped into Anna’s room.

As soon as she closed the door, Anna rolled over under the sheets. “Will you turn off that light?” she asked as she placed her phone on the nightstand.

Bella flipped off the light and slipped under the covers beside Anna.

“It’s like we’re having a sleepover,” Anna said with a giggle.

Her excitement pushed away some of Bella’s exhaustion. “I know. This is kind of fun.”

Both women settled onto their backs, looking up at the ceiling. The moon shone into the bedroom through the sheer curtains, and the quiet of the night had settled over the house.

“Do you want to talk about what happened earlier? Was it Dean?” Bella asked.

Anna sighed. “It was Dean. Then my mom. I’ve spent too much time dwelling on it already. I need to let it go.”

“You need to lethimgo?” Bella asked.

Anna actually hesitated, something Bella hadn’t expected.

“No. Relationships aren’t always perfect, but I don’t want to give up on us if we’re still trying to figure out how to work as a team. You know?”

Bella hadn’t thought about it that way. She saw Dean’s flaws and had made up her own mind that he wasn’t good enough for Anna. But one reason Bella loved Anna was because she didn’t expect anyone in her life to be perfect.

“You’re right. I hope you two can work it out,” Bella whispered.

Anna reached over and grasped Bella’s hand. “What I do want to talk about is you and Travis. Now that you know who your baby’s father is, could the two of you have a relationship now?”

It was a question that had been hiding just out of reach all day. What did her new memories mean for the two of them?

“I really don’t know. On the one hand, this is kind of worse than I feared.”

“How so? You weren’t in a loving relationship,” Anna pointed out.

“Yeah, but it means I put everyone around me in danger. I still have no idea if they’re looking for me.”

“Right, but you know who will be the first to make sure you’re safe?” Anna asked.

Bella sighed. “I know, but that doesn’t mean he wants to be in a relationship with me. Everything is so complicated.”

“Of course it’s complicated. That’s life.”

“I don’t want him to feel chained to me. I don’t want to be a burden.”

That was exactly what she’d become, and it was the thing she feared almost as much as Gunner and the Iron Fist. She couldn't take it if Travis saw her as a hot mess that sucked the life and happiness out of him.

“You’re blind if you think Travis could ever see you like that. The man is head-over-heels for you, and he’s waiting for you to give him a chance.”

The floor creaked outside Anna’s bedroom door, and both women tensed, gripping each other’s hands.

“That’s Travis,” Anna whispered. “The man is sleeping outside your door to make sure you’re protected. Tell me he doesn’t have feelings for you.”

Bella focused on calming her breaths. Just when she thought the day had drained everything out of her, Travis showed her a new way he cared for her.

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