Page 105 of Nightmare

“Liv,” He hesitates, “What’d you do?”

“I’ll show you.” I say, pulling at his hand when I start walking closer to the bench we’re stopped in front of. I get close enough that he can read the words engraved in the wood of the bench, but not so close that he can hulk smash it and throw it into the lake.

Right there, in the light brown of the wood, the nameJasmine Martinais carved, burned at the edges so it doesn’t crack over time.

I hear Travis suck a huge breath of air into his lungs, then he pulls his hand from mine, letting it drop to his side. I can’t find the courage to turn my head to look at him, but then he’s moving forward on heavy feet. Stepping towards the bench, then dropping to his knees in front of it.

“Olivia.” He says, his voice cracked and hoarse.

“Please don’t be angry.” I whisper, watching as his back lifts with another deep breath then falls, his shoulders caving forward towards the bench.

He turns his head to look at me, eyes filled with tears.

“Angry?” He asks, making my chest cave. Then I’m moving towards him on instinct, desperate to protect him, help him.

I wrap my arms around him from behind, pressing my head into the back of his neck. I keep myself quiet, letting him have this moment. I wait, crouching there wrapped around him, feeling his chest shake underneath me as he cries.

Minutes pass and he doesn’t stop, he just cries silently while tracing the letters on the seat with his fingers over and over, letting me hold him and rub my hands on his skin.

His breathing slows again after a while, the muscles in his back relax, then he’s standing up to pull me around his body. “I can’t believe you did this. How did you do this?”

I give him a small smile, “I had some help from Mac. You need somewhere to go to see her, Travis. To talk to her. Youneedthis.”

He nods, then slams his lips against mine so hard that my teeth shake. I welcome his mouth with a small moan from my throat, my fingers getting tangled in his shirt as I grip at his back for dear life.

His mouth moves against mine hard and fast, making my stomach fall in my gut, leaving me breathless.

By the time he pulls away to look at me, I have his tears spread across my face too, so he reaches his hands out to wipe them off my skin with a chuckle.

His hand slides down my face to my jaw where he rubs my skin with the pad of his thumb, his ocean eyes pulling me in and drowning me with emotion.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you, pretty girl, but thank fucking god you came into my life.” He shakes his head on a chuckle. “I love you so much.”

I smile, lifting my hands to cup his face, “And I love you, Travis Monroe. Always.”

Epilogue

Olivia

one month later

I wake up alone,wrapped in Travis’s comforter like a cocoon, and try to untangle myself mid-sleep fog but fail horribly, ending up off the side of the bed with a crash.

“Goddamn it.” I mutter, kicking my legs out from the blankets, throwing them over my head back onto the bed.

“You good?” Travis laughs, making my head pop up to find him sitting at his desk across the room, pencil in hand.

“Shut up.” I grumble, standing up and walking over to him, then throwing myself down on his lap.

His hands wrap around my hips instinctively, then he presses his face into my neck to kiss my skin. “Good morning, pretty girl.”

I sigh, “Morning, handsome. Whatcha working on?”

He pulls out from my neck and lifts the sketchbook up to show me, “Finishing your sleeve.”

I roll my eyes, “I can’t even start getting it for another two months when the show ends, you know I have to wear a leotard on stage.”

“I know,” He says, “But I want to have it ready.”

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