Page 55 of Travis

Clint walks over and gives her a hug. “Ah, come on, Becky. You’re going to be fine.”

“Clint, this has never happened to me before.” She sobs. “There’s something wrong.”

Then I feel it in my stomach. The fact that I’ve been feeling for weeks now that something is wrong. Sure, I was right about Greg, but that’s not it. Or, at least, that’s not all of it, anyway. Something in my gut has been telling me that there’s something bad that’s going to happen. I try to swallow the dread but it’s no use. The proof is in the pudding right here. Becky’s collapsed tonight, and now she’s in the hospital. Today’s my birthday, and up until now, this has always been the best day of the year, but it seems like since Becky and I broke up, that now this theory is right down the toilet.

Now, perhaps, this is my curse.

Chapter 16

Becky

Mystomachisrolling,my head is spinning, I can’t stop crying, and I’ve never been so scared in all my life. If I’m sick, I’m going to let so many people down, as if I haven’t already let so many people down. I hate myself for needing Travis, and for loving that he’s here for me, even though I’ve punished him for something that he didn’t do. I don’t deserve him. Half of me wants to hold him tight to me, which always makes me feel better, but the other half is telling me that it’s not fair to keep leading him on like that.

I never realized until now just how overwhelming my life is. At the same time, I’m more successful now than I’ve ever been, and more independent, too. But I’d give it all away in a heartbeat if things were different. If I could take it all back. But I can’t. And as I look into Travis’s eyes, as the night grows longer and longer, and there are no answers still, I could swear I see a hint of hopelessness and fear in his eyes. Something that I’ve never seen before. Travis is unstoppable. Hell, I threw him out, and he’s still not giving up. Thoughts keep swirling around inside my head, when suddenly it’s too much.

“Travis, hand me that sick basin, please.” I utter quickly, feeling the bile rise in my throat.

He swiftly gives it to me and holds my hair back as I wretch into it. Sara walks in just as I finish puking. “Fuck, where the hell is Grayson.” She gasps, rushing over to me. “We’ve got to get this figured out, Becky.”

“I’ll go see if I can track him down.” Travis says, leaving with Ron.

Sara takes the basin from me and places it on the table next to me. “Do you feel any better after that?”

I can’t stop crying. “No. Sara, what am I going to do?”

“Just what everyone else does, Becky. You take it day by day.” She says, giving me a hug. Then she changes the subject. “Mama’s worried sick. Daddy’s trying to keep her calm. I think he gave her a shot of brandy.”

I chuckle at that. My mama hasn’t drunk a drop since she got tipsy at her fortieth birthday. That’s the one and only time we got video evidence that my mama can sing all the lyrics to ‘I Will Survive’, even though she claims she hates the song. “God, it must be bad.” I chuckle as I blubber.

“Gosh, where is my sister Becky? Is she in there?” Sara says to me, searching my eyes. “Come on, you’ve been through worse than this.”

“Sara, I’ve never been sick before. Sure, I’ve had ups and downs in my personal life, but I’ve never had to deal with something like this.”

“Well, that’s why y’all have an army of friends and family to help you.”

I change the subject. “Where’s Macey?”

“With mama and daddy. She doesn’t know what’s happened. I think daddy has his hands full with mama already.”

“Did they tell anyone else?”

Sara shakes her head. “I asked them not to. Not until we know what’s going on. There’s no sense causing a fuss if we’re just going to leave people hanging, Becky.”

I think about that for a second. “Sara, I don’t want anyone to know. Even if this turns bad. I don’t want people to look at me differently.”

“Now, Becky, let’s take things one step at a time, okay? Let’s not talk like that until we know.” She urges.

“But, Sara, I collapsed. Passed right out on Buck’s living room floor.” I remind poignantly. “That can’t mean good things.”

Sara tuts. “Becky, lots of people pass out for lots of reasons. Don’t just think the worst.”

I swallow, and then Greg comes into my mind. “I bet you that sumbitch is dancing right now.”

“Greg?”

I nod. “Yeah. I bet you he slipped me something.” I joke. “He’d love nothing more than to see me fall, so he can take over and pick up the pieces.”

“And just what in hell were they doing at that party, anyway? What business did he have to be there?”

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