Chapter 20
“Honey?” I called to Travis as I walked in through the garage that Monday. I was starving after an adventurous day teaching at both the preschool and studio.
Able came rushing in to greet me as I looked around our house that now felt like a home, and grinned. The space had truly been transformed with the changes we’d made. Colorful rugs now warmed the hardwood floors, a gorgeous sectional and loveseat sat in the great room, and artwork and family photos now hung on the walls.
My gaze turned toward the upstairs, thinking of the gorgeous upholstered bed, grand dresser, and bedside tables now filling our bedroom, along with a kickass mirror and artwork.
The house felt loved and lived in.
“Hi, babe. Be right out,” I heard Travis call from the command center, the one room we hadn’t touched in our home-ify efforts.
I sifted through the mail, opening my student loan bill with the usual sigh. Every month I paid through the nose, and the amount due only seemed to reduce by a marginal amount.
My brow was wrinkled in confusion as I stared at the balance listed when Travis walked in.
“I think there’s something wrong with my bill.” I sighed in frustration. The last thing I wanted to do was deal with the bank.
“What bill?” he asked as he slid alongside me, kissing my temple before looking over my shoulder.
“My student loan bill. It says I owe $0, and of course that isn’t possible,” I huffed. I threw the bill on the counter. “I’ll call them tomorrow.”
He shifted his stance and cleared his throat. “You don’t need to call them. I paid it, baby.” His declaration had me spinning in shock to face him.
“What do you mean, you paid it?” I demanded.
He shrugged. “I meant to mention it—with everything going on, it slipped my mind. I paid it off last month.”
My mouth gaped. “I owe $40,000, Travis.”
He eyed me steadily. “Youdidowe $40,000,” he amended.
I was so flustered I couldn’t tell if I was angry or if I wanted to jump in his arms to thank him for such a grand gesture. I was still deciding which way to lean when he pulled me close and tipped my face up to meet his gaze.
“I should have talked to you,” he apologized, his gaze full of warmth and a touch of concern. “You’ve been taking care of everyone else all your life, Em.Iwant to take care of you. This is only one small step in doing that. I know you love your job—I just want you to have choices. Maybe you don’t work quite so much, maybe things stay as they are.” He shrugged. “But I wanted that to be your choice and not because you’re beholden to bills you wouldn’t have if your parents had done their job and not been such assholes.”
“But… it was my debt,” I protested.
“There is no such thing anymore, baby,” he murmured. “Everything of yours is mine and mine is yours, whether that’s wealth or debt. Do you get that? Because it’s really fucking important to me that you do.”
“You should have talked to me about it,” I whispered.
“I know,” he agreed, his gaze steady, grip firm on my hips as he held me close.
“I don’t know what to say,” I admitted, still shocked.
“How about I say that I’ll always talk to you about these decisions in the future. And how about you say you understand that I’ll always protect you and take care of you.”
“I know you will,” I agreed softly. “I’ll always take care of you too.” It was important to me that he understood that.
A gentle smile tilted his gorgeous mouth. “Love you, baby.”
“Love you, too.”
He pulled back slightly, his gaze turned toward the fridge, which thankfully was now regularly stocked with food beyond meat and vegetables. “How about we get you something to eat? You must be hungry.”
I was still stunned by what he’d done, but nodded in agreement. When it came down to it, as what he’d done sunk in, I wasn’t all that surprised, really. Travis was the most protective and caring person I’d ever known, aside from my brother. He’d do anything to make sure I was cared for. I’d never known that growing up, and it was something I was readily coming to terms with. I was no longer afraid to get used to it—instead, I embraced having a true partner for the first time in my life. With that realization, any anger I’d felt slipped away, and returned to that warm flutter in my belly, ever present since I’d first laid eyes on him.
****
