The next Friday night, I was having coffee with Eric. He was on a business trip in Manhattan. He figured he’d see me first before he went back to Connecticut.
We were interrupted when my phone rang. My heart pounded when I saw Chris’s number on the screen.
“Chris. What’s he calling me for?”
“Realizing what a big fool he’s been?” Eric suggested.
I answered the call. “What?”
I heard Chris’s intake of breath on the other line. “Brianne…” His voice was sober. “I’ve been waiting for you in your apartment.”
“What? Who told you to go there? I should have changed the locks! I cannot believe you had the nerve to actually use your keys!”
He didn’t say anything for a while. He took another deep breath. “Are you coming home anytime soon? It’s been nearly two weeks now. And I see no signs of you. I dropped by the dance studio, hoping you’d be there. Sarah told me you’d gone to Manhattan.”
“I’m selling everything in that apartment!” I muttered.
“Are you…moving to Manhattan for good?”
“Yes. Why not? Everything I love is in Manhattan!”
“Including Travis Cross?” he asked.
“Especially Travis Cross!” I snapped. “Did you call me for a good reason, Chris?”
He took a deep breath. “I guess…I just want to apologize for everything. I was…I don’t know what came over me. I talked to Cindy again. She told me everything. She also told me that you didn’t see Cross again until graduation. That he avoided you after the huge favor you asked of him.”
“I still don’t see this as a good reason.”
“You were a stupid girl in high school, weren’t you?” he asked, and he chuckled humorlessly. “I was even more stupid for letting jealousy cloud my thinking! I’m so sorry, honey.” He was crying now.
I bit my lip, trying to get a grip of all the emotions enveloping me. But out of all those feelings, I recognized the most potent one—anger.
“If there’s a way…if there’s ever a way that I can make that up to you, I would do anything! I love you, Brianne! I promise I’ll never forget that again. And if…if you say that you and Cross are like brother and sister more than anything…I will believe you. I will…get to know the guy! I’ll do anything just to be given another chance!”
“How many hours after we broke up did you sleep with Alana?” I asked him.
Silence.
Then a sharp intake of breath. “That’s…not fair, Brianne! I was drunk! I was a mess!”
I took a deep breath. “How stupid do you think I am?”
“I know you’re not stupid! I was just shooting for another chance. I realized how…different you were! I guess I had to be with Alana to realize what an amazing woman I was already in love with! And I may never forgive myself for hurting you. But I want just one chance. And I will use that to make it up to you. Even if I have to make it up to you for the rest of our lives!” He kept on crying. And I felt like crying, too.
“Brianne…I realized that it’s you. I miss the warm smile you have when I wake up in the morning. I want to have kids with your hair, your eyes, your smile…and you can teach them how to paint, how to dance. I was so wrong…” He paused. He sucked in a deep breath and then he said, “There are more important things that matter in life. And I want my life to be filled with your laughter, your smile. If…if you’ll have me…we can plan our wedding! Cindy told me about your family tradition and how pressured you were to get married by the time you’re thirty-one. I would rather rush you to the altar…than not have you at all in my life! I guess it takes something like this to realize a lot of things. I love you! I am not asking for much. Just a chance!”
I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. Tears were rolling down my cheeks now, but I didn’t want him to realize that.
Why would Chris call me and ask me this now? Now that I had started settling in my new life? That I had gotten comfortable with my life with Travis? That I was beginning to find a routine with Travis?
“I can’t,” I said. I tried my best to keep my voice steady. “I can’t trust you anymore, Chris. I didn’t do anything wrong. I was happy…all in love with you, introducing you to my family…and you went all cold, accusing me of sleeping with the person who’s probably the only close family I have left…the only tie that binds me to my brother. And if that wasn’t enough, you slept with Alana. You wouldn’t have touched her if you didn’t have the hots for her long before we had a fight. You weren’t just devastated! You were waiting to find an excuse to justify…having a taste! And I can’t be with a guy whose love and loyalty for me was…so weak!” I took a deep breath. “And it’s too late now, Chris! I can’t go back!” And I hung up on him.
Eric didn’t say anything. He put an arm around me to provide the only thing I needed at that moment—comfort.
“If I didn’t know your sexual preference, Eric, you would be flying to the street corner by now,” I heard a cold voice say behind us.
I didn’t turn around. Instead, I quickly wiped my eyes and my cheeks.
Travis sat in the empty seat in front of us. My efforts to hide my tears were futile. He was, after all, the one person who could read me like a book.
“Who died?” he asked icily.
I glared at him.
“I guess Christian came to his senses and wanted our girl back,” Eric replied for me.
Travis narrowed his eyes. “I hope you didn’t say yes.”
“Of course not,” I said. “He…said he’d marry me right away. He’d make it up to me for the rest of my life.”
“Did he also say he’d give you the moon and the stars?” Travis asked sarcastically.
“Well, at least he’s realized this now,” Eric said. “You could have gotten back together with him…had he not slept with somebody else. And you were right. He wouldn’t have touched that slut if he hadn’t been interested in her beforehand!” Eric smiled at me encouragingly. “You did the right thing, sweetie.”
When I looked at Travis, I saw that he was staring at me with a cold, measuring expression. He was reading my wordless reactions toward Christian. I blushed. It was one of those times when Travis stared at me like that and I felt unnerved all of a sudden.
I turned away from him for a minute. When I looked at him again, he gave me a crooked smile.
Eric told us that he was meeting another friend in half an hour, and he’d leave us alone. He promised to visit again the next month.
I was left with Travis. He stood up and placed some bills on the table for the coffee that Eric and I drank.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Let’s take your mind off your stupid ex. I don’t like seeing you this way,” he said, pulling my hand.
“What way?” I asked.
He turned to me. Then he took a deep breath and said, “Having second thoughts about marrying me.”
I stopped in my tracks. That wasn’t my intention. I never had any second thoughts about marrying Travis. Of course, it only felt natural to feel pain again after Chris called, but the thought of breaking off my engagement with Travis never really crossed my mind.
Especially now…when Travis and I had formed a bond different from the one we used to have. When we now both seemed to feel comfortable about the prospect of marrying each other. When our relationship had changed from being the best of friends to being betrothed. When recently, I found myself constantly finding comfort in his arms, and he seemed comfortable in taking down his cold, ruthless mask in front of me.
Travis raised a brow at me, as if challenging me to deny that. I glared at him. He wasn’t trying to hide the fact that he was pissed. He continued staring at me with a cold expression on his face.
Because I didn’t know what else to do or how to prove to him that I never had second thoughts about our engagement, I reached up and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
Then I walked away as fast as I could. I was pretty sure I was blushing like hell. Travis caught up with me after a few seconds. We walked in silence.
Finally, I looked up at him. He had a grin on his face, one that I had never seen before. It was mischievous, boyish, and teasing. I glared at him again. Finally, he laughed. Without saying anything, he took my hand in his and intertwined our fingers.
***
We went to dinner. Then we went to check out the bars. I had too much to drink, and I was tipsy and laughing all the way home.
I don’t remember much, but I know I was still able to shower and dress into a matching pink silk cami and shorts.
When I woke up again, I found myself in bed, locked in Travis’s arms.
I stared up at him. He smiled at me. “Good morning, angel,” he whispered.
I smiled. “Good morning, Travis.”
I glanced at the clock on our bedside table. It was already nine in the morning.
“What are you up to today?” I asked him.
He shook his head. “I thought I’d spend the whole day with my fiancée,” he said. “After all, another guy is vying for her hand. Perhaps I should show her that she’s still better off marrying me.”
I laughed. “Will you let it go? You know I’m not going back to Chris,” I said. “I haven’t changed my mind. I’m still going to be Mrs. Travis Cross. And besides, shouldn’t you be relieved that you have a chance to be off the hook? Off the vow I forced you to take fourteen years ago?”
“Fourteen years ago, I probably wouldn’t have stopped you from going back to him,” he said. “But things have changed now, haven’t they?”
I stared up at his handsome face. He was right. Things had changed between us. It was like neither of us thought of marrying the other as a last resort anymore.
I rested my head on his shoulder. “Yes,” I whispered softly.
He gave me a tight squeeze and I felt him kiss the top of my head. “When are you going to start preparing for our wedding?”
“When do you want to get married?” I asked.
“Three months?” he asked. “Is that enough time for you to prepare?”
I propped up on one elbow and stared back at him. “That soon?”
“I figured you’d want to be married before your thirtieth birthday,” he said.
“Yes. But don’t you need more time?”
“For what?’
I shrugged. “Get your women accustomed to the fact that you have to be discreet because you have a wife now?”
He fell silent. Then he took a deep breath. “If that is the case, then you need not worry about that at all.”
“I can be toxic to you. I’m sorry,” I whispered.
He reached for my hand and then brought it to his lips. “You don’t need to say sorry. You are my fiancée. That is real. I will marry you. That’s real too. So don’t feel as if everything you ask of me is a favor. Remember, I am Travis Cross. Nobody could force me to do something I don’t want to do.”
I felt touched by what he said. I closed my eyes for a moment. Somehow, I could not imagine myself being in Chris’s arms anymore. Because, there in Travis’s arms…I felt much safer.
Travis and I decided to spend the day at a resort. I had been indoors too long, and I missed swimming and basking in the sun.
We ran into Karl in the corridor on our way out. He looked lost in his thoughts, as if he was trying to compose some sentences.
“Karl!” I called him.
He froze when he saw us. “Good morning, Miss Montgomery. Mr. Cross.”
“Are you okay?” I asked him.
He nodded.
Travis raised a brow at him. He didn’t need to say anything, and I could tell Karl swallowed hard before opening his mouth to speak.
“Sir…” he started. “I was…going to ask if…if…if I could take Monday off…I mean…I don’t think it’s going to be a busy day…”
“Don’t you think it’s up to me to say if Monday is a busy day or not? If you’re not busy, Karl, maybe I should start reviewing your job description…or your salary package,” Travis said in a cold, unemotional voice.
“Yes, sir,” Karl said immediately. “I’ll be in the office on Monday!”
And with a slumped shoulder, he turned on his heel and walked toward the stairs, obviously not wanting to share the elevator with us.
I glared at Travis.
“What?” he asked.
“You didn’t even wait to hear what he was about to ask you! For all you know, he needs to take the day off because one of his loved ones is sick! Just because you don’t have family doesn’t mean everybody else around you doesn’t have one, either.”
“Of course I have family. You. Not my fault if you rarely get sick I don’t have to take a day off work.”
“How could you be so…insensitive to the people around you?”
Travis took a deep breath. “Let’s not fight about this, Brianne,” he said. “Don’t ruin our day because of one of my employees.”
“You only look at Karl as an employee,” I said. “But if you really look closely, you will see that the guy cares about you. He knows what you want and do not want! He’s sensitive about your preferences and your needs.”
“You make me sound so gay, Brianne! Cut that out.”
“You know what I mean, Travis!” I said, this time raising my voice. “Karl takes his job to a different level! He’s a high-caliber employee. You should be lucky you have him as your assistant.”
“And I thank him enough every time he gets his paycheck. More than enough, actually, if you know how much he’s earning.”
“And because of that he’s lost his right to be…treated with consideration?”
Travis sighed. The elevator door opened into our parking lot. “What do you really want me to do, Brianne? Just say it and I’ll do it, and let’s get it over with.”
“I want you to find out what Karl wants to do on Monday and give him the day off if it’s reasonable to do so.”
He handed me his phone. “You thought of it—you do it.”
“That’s beside the point. I’m not Karl’s boss,” I said. “You are!”
“But since we got engaged, you’ve become the boss of me. Override my orders to my employees if you see fit!” he muttered, and then he turned toward his car.
I dialed Karl’s number.
One ring.
“Yes, sir?” Karl asked in an alert voice.
“Travis runs a military rule in the office, doesn’t he?” I asked, my tone light and teasing.
It took a moment for Karl to respond. “Am I…am I on speakerphone?” He really sounded scared.
“Of course not. You’re on friendly grounds, don’t worry.”
“Thank you, Miss Montgomery. How can I assist you?”
“Why were you going to ask for a day off?”
It took a moment for him to respond. “Well, my grandmother is sick. I wanted to drive to Jersey to visit her for the day.” His voice actually sounded teary.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” I said sincerely. “Okay. You can take a day off.”
“But…but Mr. Cross will not…”
“Will not contest that. I’ll send you a text confirmation. Go visit your grandma. And buy her a box of cookies from me. Charge it to Travis’s card—I’ll just pay him back.”
Karl didn’t say anything for the next ten seconds.
“Karl?”
“Thank you, Miss Montgomery,” he said. “My grandmother and I are very close. I really appreciate this. You’re…a wonderful woman. You are the woman that Travis Cross needs.”
I handed Travis his phone back.
“Happy?” Travis asked.
I raised a brow at him. “Yes. Because Karl’s grandma is sick. I felt good about giving him the day off on your behalf.”
I turned away from him. I heard him sigh, and then he gave my arm a tug and pulled me to him into a hug.
“Okay, it’s done,” he said. “Can we please stop fighting now?”
“I just want you to learn, Travis. Learn to be sensitive to the people around you. You’ll know that more than half of them care about you sincerely.”
He sighed. “I’ll try…next time.”
Travis checked us in to a suite. We had breakfast on the balcony and watched the people sunbathing by the poolside.
“Do you do this much?” I asked him.
He shook his head. “Rarely. The apartment has an indoor pool. I’m on the priority list.”
I raised a brow.
He sighed. “It means they can kick anybody off of the poolside if I choose to go for a swim.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “People are at your disposal, and sometimes you like using the privilege.”
He looked away from me and took a sip of his coffee. “What is the use of having privilege if you aren’t going to use it?”
Logical. But then again, it wasn’t right. Travis’s disposition was improving. But I knew a total makeover was impossible overnight.
Baby steps, I thought to myself.
I stood up from the table, still angry but refusing to have another argument with Travis.
“I’ll go change,” I excused myself.
I took a quick shower, applied lotion on myself, and then finally changed into a two-piece suit.
I heard a knock on the bathroom door, and then Travis peeked in when I was trying to tie my halter-top bikini. I looked at him in the mirror.
“I was wondering what was taking you so long,” he said. He opened the door. He was already in his board shorts.
Seeing that I was struggling to tie my top properly, he walked over to me and took the strings of my top in his hands. Carefully, he tied the strings. I felt self-conscious. I was only wearing matching boyshorts, and my back was bare in front of Travis as he tied my suit into a nice, secure knot. I was pretty sure I was blushing.
When he was done, he stared at me in the mirror. He took a deep breath. “Will you forgive me if I promise I will schedule my swims to make sure Mr. Ferguson need not kick anybody out of the pool from now on?”
I stared back at him. I realized then that he was trying to change his ways…for me…because he was slowly trying not to be such a difficult, ruthless man…the man he was all those years…the man his father made him to be.
I nodded. I turned around to face him and held my pinky up for him. He stared at it for a moment, and then he hooked his pinky to mine and smiled at me.