10. Bea

I feelhis hand loosen around my neck, and I don’t like the feeling, it’s crazy how much I like the feeling of his hand. Now I’m no stranger to sex, or having a hand around my neck, but this is the first time I’ve felt like I’ve lost something, when he removes it. A piece of jewelry, a necklace, that’s how his hand away from my neck makes me feel.

Travis stands up, the moment I look up at him he smiles and speaks. “Don’t you look all sexy on your knees.”

I press my lips together to stop myself from smiling at his words, giving his leg a slap, I stand up, tiptoe and give him a small kiss. “And don’t you look sexy when you choke me.”

He places his finger over my cut lip again, and over my jaw and down the side of my neck, Travis starts to move his finger across my neck, almost like he’s now fighting himself to choke me.

“How about you stop playing the fucked game in the water, and let me choke you while I fuck your mouth, then we can see how long you hold your breath for?” The smile spreading over his face, also has me smiling, because now that does sound like fun, but only if he knew the reason for why I need the water to do it.

I need to feel the pain of drowning, how do I explain that without crying or freaking him out. Plus, it’s another thing I don’t need him knowing about me.

“I’m pretty sure you lost a bet, come on, get it done.” I’ve never had sex with a man with their dick pierced, but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. So, if Travis can make me scream the way he does, how is it going to feel with it pierced. “Oh, and I’ve been googling it too, I think I want you to have a ladder.” Travis starts laughing, a full loud roar of laughter. Now, I’m not sure if that’s a nervous laugh, or a laugh which is telling me he has a plan, and I don”t have to worry.

“So, I have to get my dick pierced for a woman I’m fucking?—”

“You wanted the bet, remember. Are you backing out of it?” I ask, stepping away from him so I can grab my bag, but Travis takes it off me.

“I never back out, I’ll get it done, but tell me does it turn you on thinking I’m going to fuck you with bars on my dick?” Travis wraps his arm over my shoulder and pulls me closer to him, and kisses the side of my forehead.

“It does, never fucked anyone with a piecing before.” Travis holds the door open for me, and as I step out he pulls me closer again.

“Glad to be a first for you, but it’s a long fucking recovery, not sure I can last that long without touching you.” He stops talking as we get closer to everyone, and I mean everyone, I thought it was just Blake and Logan, but no, their girlfriends are here too.

Travis really is trying to make me become friends with them, but I turn to Quinn who looks like he’s about to lose his shit, and I’ve seen that look enough times to know something has ruined his mood.

“What’s wrong with you?” I ask him, and he looks at the others before finally opening his mouth, whereas normally he has no trouble opening his mouth.

“He’s over there.” He hands me an envelope, and I look at the car a few rows back from us. “It was on your car window.”

Opening the envelope, I stare at the check, fifty thousand dollars. I turn to Travis. “Open your trunk.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I’ve asked, please, will you open your trunk?” I go through my bag quickly and grab my pocketknife, as the trunk opens, I smile knowing he would have one in the back. Picking up the hockey stick and flicking out the knife I start walking to my dad, and hear Quinn behind me.

“Oh fuck.”

Jumping on the front of the car, I swing the hockey stick, I smash it into the front window, a few times, until it fully cracks. For extra fun, I start kicking it a few times, then getting off, I hit the side windows a few times.

I walk around to the front of the car, looking my asshole dad in the eyes and I smile, if he thinks he can win me over with some fucking money he is wrong.

“Fuck you.” I shout at him, showing him my knife, and carve the letters FU on the hood of the car.

Now I feel a little better, got some of my anger out about Jasper, fucked up my dad’s car, getting Travis to get a ladder. I suppose it’s not a bad ending to the day.

“You fuck with me again and that will be your car next,” I shout at my dad, then walk back to Travis. I throw the hockey stick back in the trunk, then slam it shut. “I’ll buy you a new one, don’t think you can use this one.” I smile, and he shakes his head at me.

Oh I’d love to know the thoughts going through his head right now.

“You’re amazing.” August smiles at me.

“It will be fun arguing and fighting with you—” he leans in closer, and I feel the hot air hitting my skin. “I like it rough.”

Does he only think about sex, because that’s what it feels like. I mean I’m not going to complain about it.

“Bea—”

“Go die already, what’s taking you so long?” I turn around to face my dad. “I thought maybe I was lucky, and you’d be dead by now.” There is no need for him to be in my life, he wasn’t in it when we needed him, and I sure as hell don’t need him now. “If it’s so hard, I’ll be happy to put the needle in you and smile while I watch you die.”

“I just want to help with the debt?—”

“It’s my debt, and I’ll pay it myself, not from you and your rich fucked up wife, and family.” I take a step closer to him, so does Travis, I suppose from the last time, he isn’t taking the chance on me hitting him. “I would happily struggle every single day of my life to get out of debt, rather than take a cent from you. I was there for mom when she needed someone, me. Not you, so you can go die now, and leave me the fuck alone.”

“You won’t take money from me, but him?—”

“I will not be taking money from him, I promise you that much. Where were you when mom needed you? When we needed you? Oh, that’s right, you were telling us that we were too little for your big mind, and you were too busy fucking—” I stop and rub my forehead. “You’re not worth it, my time, my energy, you are dead to me.” I turn around, and get to my car, but before getting in, I look over at Travis as he stops next to me and pulls me closer to him.

“You’re driving with me.” he opens the door for me, and I look at Quinn.

“I’ll meet you there, right behind you.” Then I narrow my brows together when I see Logan and Meadow sitting in my car.

“No one drives alone, little firecracker. You’re with me, which means Quinn is with us.” He holds the door waiting for me to get in. “Welcome to our life now.” He leans in closer and gives me a kiss, and his hand rests softly around my neck, making me smile as he continues to kiss me. “Let’s get some food for you, if I’m lucky I might be able to burn the calories.” he gives me a wink, as I sit in the car, and wait for him to get in the driver’s seat.

Am I getting Travis all wrong, because the more I’m around him, the more I’m starting to feel like he isn’t the enemy, he might even be the one I need on my side. I should tell him everything I know about his family, yet I can’t. Because I don’t know how much I can trust a Parker, not after they have taken everything from me already.

Mr. Parker knows who I am, maybe he got Travis to get me closer to him, and then bang they will hit me hard when I least expect it.

My head is telling me one thing, and my gut is telling me another. Which one is pulling me in the right direction? Or do I risk it by following the one which has the bigger pull?

I’m not sure where Travis had to leave straight after dinner last night, but I got one quick kiss with no explanation, but he was in a hurry to go. Someone called Cain was back in town, who the fuck is Cain?

Once we get back to my dorm room, I tell Quinn I’m too tired to even talk about today, but he needs to be here early so I can tell him everything that happened with Jasper. As he walks to his car, he shouts he has much to tell me too.

“Tell me now.” I snap.

“No, you need to rest because tomorrow there are going to be a lot of questions. Besides, if I tell you now, sleep will not come easy.”

He’s crazy….

But the moment my head hits the pillow, I am out.

“I’ve got coffee—” I hear Quinn shouting as loudly as he can. Good job. My roommate isn’t here. “Where are you?

“In my room, where else would I be? Did you get two coffees?” I turn to the door, as he walks in with four coffees, which makes me laugh, did he not sleep last night?

“I don’t think one was enough, a lot to catch up on, and I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be anything good.” Quinn hands me my coffee.

“How was your night?” I ask him, before we get crazy in the conversation.

“Uneventful. Yours? Did you sleep?” He knows me too well, knowing I wasn’t going to sleep wondering what he has to tell me.

“I did sleep actually. So who’s starting?” I ask him as he lies on my bed which isn’t even made. To be fair, I never make my bed, I’m only going to get back into it afterwards, anyway.

“I think you should start. I want to know all about this Jasper creep.” I laugh at Quinn, he always loves to know all the assholes around us.

“Arrogance. He thinks he knows everything, as if he’s untouchable—” I turn to face him. “One thing I do know is that he’s easily up there, with how much I hate him, very very close to my dad. Actually, he might be worse.”

“Really?”

“It was what he said to me, Quinn. I was…I don’t know, something was wrong with the way he said it.” I shake my head, still thinking about it.

“You should have seen Travis yesterday. He didn’t let go of his phone, was checking if it was on, and made sure there was no message. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone go so crazy over not getting a message.” Quinn looks at his phone when it beeps.

“I don’t blame him. Jasper was really creepy. He asked me about a rumor, and if I had heard it?—”

“Rumor?”

“Yes, which I knew nothing about, so I asked him what the rumor was. Now I don’t know if it’s true, or not, but the way he said it?—”

“Said what?” Quinn asks impatiently.

“He raped Travis’s sister.”

“What?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I was shouting to myself yesterday.”

“Are the rumors true?” Quinn sits up straight.

“I don’t know.” All I know about the Parker family is what my mom told me, and a few things I found out, but there was nothing about his sister, so why would I think anything bad.

“From the way Travis had acted, it explains a lot, doesn’t it? The way he acted the moment he saw him. Did he try it with you? Is that why you ended up getting that cut?”

“Not necessarily?—”

“What the fuck does that mean?” Quinn snaps at me, and it’s not very often he loses his shit with me.

I take a sip of my coffee while I work out what word should be coming out of my mouth next.

“Bea, what happened?”

“He did try, but I kicked him where it would hurt, then left.” Taking another sip of my coffee, because there is still one thing, I have to tell him, which is going to make him very worried about me. “There is one more thing, and I have no idea what the hell to do. Do you want to know word for word because I remember them?” I haven’t been able to forget the words since he has said them.

“Do I want to know word for word?”

“Mr. Parker says, ‘Hello, sweet little Bea. He’s excited to play again.’” I continue telling him everything else that happened with Jasper just reliving it makes me shiver. Feels like the creep is still on my skin.

“What’s next?”

This is the question I’ve been asking myself since I left the asshole’s house.

“I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t know.” It’s not a lie, I have no idea where my plan goes from here.

“Do you think he’s going to make a move on you, since he knows who you are?”

Now, that’s a question I never thought of asking myself… Would he be stupid enough to hurt me? I mean when I was with Jasper, everyone knew I was there, but now, he can do anything.

“Well, we already know he doesn’t care. I mean, he’s willing to work with the guy who raped his daughter. So fuck knows what the man is planning.” Fuck I’m going to be checking over my shoulder every second I’m out of the dorm now. He seems like a man who doesn’t care what he does.

What he did to his wife is proof of that.

“Are you telling Travis?—”

“No.” I answer before he can even finish the sentence. I sit on the bed next to Quinn.

“Are you having second thoughts about Travis?” I turn to Quinn.

“You know what? It’s another thing I don’t know. Honestly. I have no idea what I’m feeling about Travis.”

“Well do you want to know what happened at his house, it might help you make up your mind?” I don’t know if Quinn is becoming team Travis, but one thing I do know, he doesn’t hate him anymore, and there has to be a reason for that.

“Yes,” I snap at him. “Of course, I want to know. You left me on a fucking cliffhanger yesterday.” Quinn starts laughing, and I push him a little, to start talking.

“Do you know something? I don’t think Travis is going to be the enemy with you?—”

“What do you mean?”

“He hates his dad. Like I mean he hates his dad.” Quinn puts a bit more bite in the word hate this time when he says the word. “He came over to the house and asked if we knew where you were. Travis laughed about it, and kept saying things like he doesn’t care, and you can be where you want to be. The weird thing is he does care, his phone didn’t leave his hand. But in front of his dad, he was a different person. “What was he saying?”

“Things like, I don’t care where she is, or she’s just pussy, why do I care? Maybe it was like he was trying to tell his dad you mean nothing to him to protect you.”

“Why would he do that?” I cut Quinn off his story.

Travis doesn’t care. He’s the college playboy, and it’s funny to think he will be with one girl.

“Maybe for the same reason you’re wondering what to do about Travis, you like him. Anyway, then his dad mentioned his mom, and Travis lost it. I thought I had seen anger in Travis’ eyes at the auction, but I was wrong. He lost his shit as soon as his mom’s name was mentioned, then he mentioned the sister, and it pushed him over the edge. He punched his dad in the face. I had to stop myself from cheering him—” Quinn stops talking for a moment to take a sip of his coffee, and I want to ask something, but I have a feeling Quinn isn’t finished yet. “I think he hates his dad as much as you do.”

I lean my back against the headboard and think about everything Quinn has just told me. Is it worth having Travis on my side? Hating him isn’t going to help me take down his dad.

“You’re fucking him, and you’re happy around him. I say forget Travis as part of the plan and enjoy college with him.” Quinn leans back against the headboard, and I roll my eyes at him because I’m not thinking about having fun with Travis. I’m thinking about him being scared that his dad would do something.

What’s his dad capable of?

My mom has told me some things about Travis’s mom, but how much might be true… she couldn’t be sure. Maybe it is true.

“Are you going to tell Travis about his mom?”

“I don’t know. Seriously, I don’t know, Quinn. I don’t know if what my mom said is true, or if it was the end of her illness and it was just something she was saying, I mean she said some crazy shit toward the end.” I love my mom, and miss her every day, but toward the end, she was talking crazy, even telling me things that happened a few days ago, even though she was in hospital. So what was true and what wasn’t, I have no idea. “What would you do?”

I’m met with silence from Quinn. He’s no help at all.

“I don’t know, but one thing is for sure Travis isn’t the enemy .So, if you want to fuck him, fuck him with a peace of mind knowing he might just want the same thing as you.”

I don’t even think he knows what’s happened to his mom. Everything I had in my head about Travis was all a lie.

Maybe I need to talk to his sister? No one’s mentioned her, I’ve not seen her around, Travis hasn’t mentioned her either. I thought she’d just left town for work. She would have finished college. But now Jasper says he raped her, but he says it’s a rumour. So maybe she left because her dad didn’t protect her?

So many questions.

Getting off the bed quickly, I stand up. “What are you thinking?” Quinn follows me.

“Who out of us knows the guys? Who went to school with all of them? Laura.” We both say her name at the same time.

“We’re gonna meet her for breakfast.” I quickly grab my bag and head out the door. “You think she’s going to know anything? If she did, wouldn’t she have told you about the rumor, when she found out about the auction?” I have to laugh at Quinns’ comment.

“I bet she didn’t even know who got who at the auction, the only reason she knew about it was because we told her. Little Miss Goody two shoes Laura, I don’t even think she left the dorm room this weekend.”

“Okay, okay, let’s go. She might have some answers. She might not know anything.” Quinn has to remind me, maybe I’ve jumped ahead and got my hopes up.

“Yeah, I’m not taking the chance of knowing nothing. The answers to all my questions, might lie with his sister,” I tell Quinn, getting into my car.

I know about his mom, well maybe, which is something else I need to make sure I know is true before I say anything.

Laura is where she says she was going to be, I wonder if she’s ever done anything bad in her life. I smile to myself as I think of her breaking a rule or two. Bet she wouldn”t be able to sleep for days.

“Morning, did you guys struggle with the work for today?” she says, and I can’t help but laugh.

“Laura, we really need to get you out for a night, I need to ask you something.” I sit at the bench, placing my stuff on the table. “Don’t look so worried, it’s about Travis.”

“Oh, thought you were about to kick me out of the group—” she stops talking, when both Quinn and I burst out laughing. “It’s not funny.” She snaps at us, which only makes us laugh more.

“We’re not kicking you out.” I look around to see if I can see Travis anywhere, the last thing I need is him knowing I’m asking questions about him.

“Oh good. what do you want to know?” She sits down next to me.

“Where is Travis’ sister?” I just come out with it, no point working around it. “You know the auction the swim team was up for, well someone called Jasper?—”

“What? And Travis didn’t rip his head off?” Laura looks between the both of us, before she locks eyes with me. “You know what he did, don’t you?”

“He told me something, saying it was a rumor, but I don’t believe him, he shouts ‘I’m a creep.’” I reassure her, because I don’t want her to worry about something she doesn’t need to.

“Well, I don’t care what anyone says, it’s true. Tessa was never the same after that, she didn’t leave the house. Long story short, Tessa—” Laura stops talking, and drinks her water, and looks at me. “Tessa, killed herself?—”

“What?” I choke on the word.

“Yeah, she hung herself in her bedroom, Travis is the one who found her. It killed him. If it wasn’t for Blake and Logan, who knows what would have happened to Travis. For a year, he was shut off, dark, and wanted Jasper’s head, it wasn’t good.” Laura looks around the area, before continuing. “It’s nice seeing him laugh with you, at school he would fuck them and never look at them again, but with you. He laughs, jokes—” Laura stops when Quinn starts coughing, and looks behind us.

I look over my shoulder and see the five of them walking over to us, I can’t believe Travis found his sister. It’s one thing hating Jasper for what he did to Tessa, but it’s also the reason why his sister isn’t here anymore. So where does his father fit in all of this, because at the auction they looked very friendly with each other.

“How is my Firecracker this morning?” Travis sits on the other side next to me, and softly wraps his hand around my neck pulling me in for a kiss.

I look at Quinn laughing, and he answers my question without me even asking it. “Perfect name for you, you are explosive when you want to be, never know when you will go off.”

“Shut up.” I look away from Travis, not wanting him to see the look in my eyes, because I want to hug him, and tell him it’s okay, but at the moment he thinks I don’t know what happened to his sister, he didn’t tell me about what Jasper did to his sister, so why would he tell me anything else.

Why is he not telling me what Jasper has done? There has to be a reason for it.