Page 24 of Love Me Forever

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Chapter Six

Bonnie

Two days later, I wasmeeting Travis in front of Oceanwell Bay Museum for an exploratory trip. I headed there after I finished work, and I was basking in giddiness. I tried not to think about the fact that we had an expiration date, but who was I kidding? I was counting down the days, hating to see him go. Could I convince him to stay a bit longer? Maybe the hotel manager would make Travis work harder at convincing him.

I arrived at our meeting point a few minutes earlier and glanced around. The museum didn’t look as impressive in person as it had in the pictures I found online. It was old as dirt, and right now it was also closed. The sign read "Be right back. I went to buy a snack.” The opening hours were until eight o'clock in the evening, which was surprising because I couldn't imagine too many visitors came here.

Travis approached me a few minutes later. He looked triumphant and even more self-confident than usual. He was wearing his black coat with the top buttons open.

"What's with that smug smile?" I asked when he was right in front of me.

"I've got great news. I convinced Tim to join me."

"Oh, congrats," I said. I was extremely happy for him, but a pang of unease settled in my stomach. "How did you manage it?"

"I laid out the pros and cons again and figured out what his weak spot was when I casually mentioned that he can still contribute to the setup. He was interested, so I figured what he really wanted was to have a say in the development, and I was right."

“You’re very good at this," I said.

"Yes, I am. And not even humble."

I was nervous all of a sudden. I licked my lips, fiddling with my thumbs behind my back. "So what does that mean? Are you flying back to Chicago earlier?"

Travis looked at me intently. "I could, but I happen to have a very good reason to stay here until the end of the week, like I’d originally planned."

"Oh?" I asked, even though the amusement in his eyes was a clear indication of what he meant. "And what would that reason be?"

"You," he said simply.

That one word unleashed a heat wave in my body.

"And we can spend that time any way we want." Looking behind me, he added, "Which apparently includes visiting this relic."

I smiled sheepishly. "It does look more... quaint than it did in pictures."

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