“Em,” she murmured.
“I’m gonna get out of here.” I cut her off as I threw my things in a duffel bag.
“Get out of there? What do you mean?” she said in a rush. “Em, I’m sure he had a good reason. He adores you,” she added hurriedly.
“I’ll be fine, I’ll check in with you tomorrow,” I replied, knowing I sounded curt, but I didn’t have time to listen to her trying to talk me out of this.
“But E—”
I hung up, wincing at how unlike me the move was, but I just didn’t have the time to worry about it at the moment. Instead, I gathered up what I could and shoved a very unhappy Buster in his cat cage. Able followed as I took one last look at Travis’s place—a house I could never imagine would feel like a home.
My phone rang half a dozen times and pinged with multiple texts as I made my way out to my car.
I had very few options, and wished like hell I’d pressed Travis on what the latest was with Roy. In the end, I made what was likely not the smartest decision, but in my state, I felt strongly that there was really only one option.
I needed home.Myhome.
I turned my phone off, tired of the incessant beeping, and blinked back tears as I guided my car toward my neighborhood. I kept hearing Travis’s voice in my head saying, “I’ll check in with you later, babe. Have to work late tonight.”
The lie kept rolling through my brain on a painful loop.
When I pulled up to the curb, May’s house was dark. I wished fervently for my friend and hoped wherever she was, that she was having the time of her life.
I took a deep breath, bracing myself for the walk back to my cottage. Roy had threatened me if I talked to the police, but I hadn’t. That combined with the fact that Travis had relaxed some about me going out alone, had me telling myself this wasn’t the stupidest thing I’d ever done.
Hopefully.
I just couldn’t stand the thought of facing Danny or Sam, of seeing the pity in their eyes.
I needed to be alone.
I unlocked the door, the smell of home wafting into my nostrils. I turned on a few lights and let Buster out of his cage. I was so exhausted I doubted I’d have trouble sleeping, despite the night’s events.
I locked the door and headed for my bedroom, collapsing into bed. Then I did something I hadn’t done since my parents left.
I cried myself to sleep.
****
A pounding on my front door woke me from a fitful sleep. I sat up with a frightened gasp, bracing for the worst—until I heard Travis’s deep bellow.
“Emerly, open the goddamn door!”
The fact that he had the nerve to sound angry had me glaring at the direction his voice was coming from. I flopped back down in bed, having no intention of opening the door.
He could stay out there all night for all I cared.
I should have known he’d do no such thing.
Moments later the sound of the front door crashing open had me gasping in shock. His hulking frame appeared in my bedroom doorway a second later. The fact that he was still dressed in the suit he must have worn to his event sent anger surging through my veins. The further fact that he looked handsome as hell catapulted that anger into fury.
“Go to hell, Travis,” I bit out.
“Go to hell?” he demanded incredulously. “What the fuck were you thinking coming here, Em? It’s not safe.”
“I was thinking I’d rather put myself in danger than be under the roof of a man who lies to me,” I replied, cuttingly proud at my strong tone despite the tears that threatened.
His nostrils flared. “I didn’t lie.”
