Page 53 of The Lair

“That’s amazing.” The thought of Travis taking time out of his day and spending his money on kids warms my heart like nothing else ever has. “Why do you do it?”

Far more carefully than I’ve ever imagined he would, he ties a knot to secure the bracelet and grabs the scissors. “Do I need a reason?”

“You don’t, but I’m sure you have one.”

That big hand moves forward, palm up, as he passes me the bracelet. It doesn’t look half bad, and I already know I’m never going to take it off. “Thanks, Travis. It looks amazing. Here’s yours.”

I pass it to him and will my heart to behave as he puts it around his wrist.

He mutters his thank you, sitting back again with—I’m guessing—zero intentions of making another bracelet. That’s too bad—he’s a natural. I’m not done with my bunch, though, so I focus my attention back on the one I’m making and decide to add a charm or two.

“I never got any Christmas presents growing up. I don’t want other kids to go through that shit.”

When I look up, his eyes are already on me. There’s a layer of vulnerability in them that has never been there before.

“You have a big heart, Travis,” I tell him truthfully. No matter how hard his rough exterior tries to conceal it, I can see right through it. “Those kids will have an amazing Christmas thanks to you.”

He lowers his eyes to the ground. Is he embarrassed? He shouldn’t be because this is the most adorable he’s ever looked,and that’s a word I never thought I would use to describe this mountain of a man.

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s everything.” I search his gaze. “What charity is it? I would like to donate something too.”

He tells me the name, and I make a mental note to go to the shops in the next couple of days before Christmas week rolls around. I’m sure I can make a bunch of bracelets to donate, too, with different colors and charms.

I never got any Christmas presents growing up.

How devastating is that? It hurts too much to imagine a scowling little boy waking up on the most special morning of the year and not finding anything under the tree.

“I’m guessing you didn’t have an easy childhood?” I wonder out loud, my voice turning softer.

After losing his parents, it isn’t difficult to imagine why his childhood might not have been the best.

Those thick fingers scratch the side of his neck, a telltale sign that he’s uncomfortable. But he still answers, which I appreciate more than he’ll ever know.

“My parents passed when I was a kid, and I went to live with my uncle. He didn’t have much, so I didn’t have much. I don’t blame him for not getting me anything for Christmas. Having food on our table was our priority. It wasn’t until after I enlisted and started sending him money that things started looking up, and he opened the bar.”

My heart is beating so fast, it can’t be healthy. Travis is opening up to me about his past. I don’t understand why he’s trusting me with it, but I’ll take it—I’ll take any minuscule piece of information about him and treasure it forever.

“I’m sorry you had it rough.” My voice turns quiet in the darkness of the living room. “But thank you for telling me aboutit. If it’s any consolation, you’ve turned out pretty good, and Uncle Neil seems happy. You’re both great men.”

He says nothing to that. My phone shows it’s already past four in the morning, and I’m still wide awake, which means another tiring day at work looms ahead. Just great.

As I finish my next bracelet, this one with a butterfly charm, I ruminate about Travis’s confession. He’s the most closed-off person I’ve ever met, yet he’s told me about his troubled past. Hechoseto share those things with me. I know I don’t owe him anything in return, but…

Would it hurt to tell him why I’m here? Would he start treating me differently if I…

Of course he will.

I’ve been lying to him for a year. He’ll hate me.

I swallow, but the uncomfortable lump in my throat doesn’t go anywhere.

We chat about easy, casual things for a bit after that, and then I get cozy on the couch with a book while he watches a Western movie on TV. And when the clock hits seven in the morning, Travis heads home to take a shower, promising to be back for the apartment tour.

I let out a deep sigh as I lock up behind him, regret swirling in my stomach.

Chapter Sixteen

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