17. Travis

I gotout of the house early this morning, Bea was still sleeping when I left. I thought she would have been up, and at the pool, but she wasn’t. I’m not sure if it was because she was at my house, or because sex last night took it out of her.

Leaning against my car, I’m waiting for August’s dad. Blake and Logan are meeting me in thirty minutes, so we can go talk to Bea’s teacher, and find out what he is doing talking to my dad.

August’s dad pulls up, and shakes his head when he sees me. “Mr. Parker, how can I help you?” he says, shutting the car door behind him, then takes out all his stuff from the back of the car. “It can never be good when it comes to you three.” I take the box from him and follow him to his office. “Is my daughter okay?”

“August is fine, but there is something.”

“What is her name?” he says, laughing at his own question. I don’t reply and he turns to face me. “The only time you three need something is if a girl is involved. Logan wanted something for Meadow, Blake asked for August, so what’s her name?”

“Bea, she goes to this college.” I walk straight to the desk to place the box on top, and turn to face him. “A teacher will be quitting today, and all I want is for you to not stop him.”

“And why would I do this?” He walks around his desk, before sitting down. “Which department?”

“Law.” I don’t even say anything else because he starts shaking his head. “He’s in the pocket of someone, and?—”

“Travis, do you know how hard it is to find good teachers? I’ll tell you, it’s extremely hard. I can’t lose a good teacher because he is failing your girlfriend.” I sit down in front of the desk, and stare at him, and smile. “Travis?—”

“Sir—”

“Travis, it’s not happening. I can bring a student in, but I can’t get rid of a teacher for failing a student. Maybe she needs to work harder.”

“She is, I know the teacher is in someone’s pocket. I honestly wanted to do this the simple way?—”

“Do not finish that sentence Travis, I don’t need to know anymore, I’m not sacking a teacher, or losing a teacher because your girlfriend is upset.” I lean back in my seat while I think about my next move.

Money is not going to help me here, and neither is he. So now I have to think of something else. Killing him was my thought, anyone involved with my dad isn’t going to be good news if you ask me.

“Well, if you decide to change your mind, let me know.” I smile and leave his office, pulling out my phone from my pocket as it starts to vibrate.

It’s probably the guys calling to let me know they are waiting for me, so I answer without looking. “I’m on my way—” no reply, making me look at my phone. No ID, fucking hell this is a getting to the point I want to change my number. “Hello? You know when I find out who you are, I’ll bury you!” I shout and the line goes dead.

I have no idea why my dad thinks this is the best way to piss me off, but the more it’s happening the more it’s working. The only thing I don’t understand about this fucked up game of his is, what he wants to accomplish, is it to drive me crazy?

Walking out to my car, just in time for when Blake and Logan pull up. Looking at my phone again, as it vibrates.

Bea - No morning sex, my day is going to be shit now. X

Travis - Good Morning. I’ll fuck you in my car

if it will brighten your day.

Bea - Don’t really want the whole college watching

while your car is bouncing like crazy. Maybe an empty classroom?

I have to laugh at her message, I love how I get the girl who is sex crazy, and would easily let me fuck her five, six times a day, if I wanted to.

Travis - Let me know when you’re here.

“What did he say?” Logan asks.

“Not happening, so we—” I stop talking when I look at the car driving through the parking lot. I’ve seen that car before, but it’s not the car that has my attention, it’s the person in the back.

I know I’m going fucking crazy, and seeing things. There is no way what I saw is really what I saw.

“What are you looking at?” I hear Blake. I look at the plate quickly then the back seat again, but there is no one there. What the fuck? There was a person sitting in the back, I saw them. I whisper to myself. “What is that prick doing here?”

“Whose car is it?” I ask, still looking in the back seat.

Fucking hell there was someone in the backseat, I’m fucking sure of it, but now there is nothing.

“Jasper,” Blake answers my question, and I rub my forehead, because I’m getting a fucking headache right now. “Travis!” Blake pushes me a little. “You good?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m good.” I turn to face them both looking at the car, as it drives out of the lot.

What game is Jasper playing now? He has no reason to be here, so I know he is up to something. Taking out my phone, I double check to see if Bea is still at home, not taking the chance on my dad playing games with me. The only time I’ll be relaxed is when she’s with me, I’m not really sure Quinn can protect her when it comes to my father.

We know they will make a move soon, so it’s got me watching everything I’m doing. We’re not sure what they want from us? But we know it’s got to be something to make sure we don’t come for them.

“We need someone watching Jasper, he’s up to something.” Logan looks around the parking lot again making sure there isn’t anyone from his inner circle around.

“I am more than happy to kill the bastard,” I snap.

I want him dead as much as I want my father dead. Not sure which one I want to suffer more, out of the two.

“It will happen. When are we going for the hotel?” Logan asks, as we walk into the University.

I need to have some words with a teacher. Not sure what my dad is paying him, and I don’t care, all I want to know is what my dad told him to do.

“Aren’t we waiting for them to make a move?” I ask. The three of us want this to end, and soon, but we also know if we move too soon, we will end up with nothing.

I don’t want anything from him, I don’t need anything from him. Never have. We always had the plan to take the hotel, but things change, we’ve changed. We want to make sure they die, and nothing else.

Before walking through the door, I look back around at the parking lot to see if Jasper is still around, when I hear Blake on the phone.

“Create a reason to be in the car with Bea…she doesn’t leave the house alone…message me when you’re in the car.” He ends the call, not saying anything. I make my way to the teacher’s classroom.

The three of us walk down the stairs to his desk, his face hasn’t changed in expression. He knew we would be coming, he doesn’t look scared, which surprises me. We sit in the front row, and he just stares at us.

“I’m sure you three aren’t in my class. So how can I help you?” he asks.

“What deal do you have with my dad?” I ask, and his lip curls a little.

“You can’t touch me. So…”

“And why would we want to touch you? What have you done?” I ask.

I’m missing something, my dad doesn’t talk to anyone but his friends, and the three of them are worse than us. We’ve at least let women into our lives, and now I can’t see any of us being without them.

“I haven’t done anything, but I know who you three are and how protective you are of your women. And the reason you’re here is because of Bea, I take it.” He sits on the chair not a care in the world. “Your dad never said I can’t say anything.”

“You’re a cocky bastard,” I snap. We’ve met some fuckers in our time, but this guy really thinks the fucking world of himself. I can’t wait to take him down too.

“Well, your dad has promised me I will be safe, I don’t need to worry about anything.” Now that does make me laugh, and I show him how funny I think it is, and he sits up in his seat. “Your dad told me to fail her, and make sure she doesn’t pass the class. It’s a shame, she would make a good lawyer one day.”

He stops talking when I get out of my seat and walk over to him. “I came here to tell you to stop playing this fucked up game with Bea. But now, keep playing, because when I finally get rid of my dad, it’s you I’ll be coming for. You’ve decided to play with the wrong person, and I can’t wait to come for you. Enjoy the game while you can.”

I leave the classroom not really doing what I wanted, but now he knows I’m okay playing the long game. I’ve done it my whole life, played the long game to get to this point, so I can finish my dad. I can wait for him too.

“Travis, you good man? You seem off,” Logan asks, but I choose not to say anything to him, because my head isn’t in the right place at the moment.

“The girls are here.” Blakes tells us from behind me, and I make my way to the parking lot to meet Bea.

“Travis?” Logan asks again.

“I don’t know.” Is all I can say to them, because I don’t know what the fuck I’m feeling at the moment. “You two good to watch Bea? I just want to…go visit someone.” I turn to face them, and they stare at me, then behind me as I hear the cars pull up to park.

“You know, you can talk to us,” Blake is the first to talk.

“Yeah, we’ll watch her.” Logan adds, and I give them both a nod.

“Morning, Firecracker.” I smile when Bea stands in front of me. Crazy that this woman has buried herself in me, and I never want her to crawl her way out either.

“Morning.” She leans up and gives me a kiss. “You okay?” she asks, and I give her a small nod.

Wow she picked up on my mood fast, not sure if that’s a good thing or not. I don’t like that she can read me so well.

“Travis—”

“I’m good.” I cut her off, hoping she will drop the subject. I go in to kiss her, but she leans back from me. Blake and Logan walk over to the bench, waiting for Bea, since I’ll be leaving soon.

“I’m sorry my lips are off service, until you tell me what’s up with you.” I bite my bottom lip to stop myself from laughing, but she laughs, and it’s the cute sound I like to hear. “I might have to find a new fuck buddy who talks to me.”

Without a second thought, my hand is around her neck, squeezing tighter than I wanted to, but she’s pissed me off.

“You even think about another man fucking you, I’ll tie you to my bed, and fuck you over and over until you can’t walk, your body is so tired, it screams my name, and only my name. You understand?” I pull her closer to me, her nose touching mine. “I’m not fucking with you Bea, you understand?” I ask again, and she nods, then I let my grip relax.

“Something is up with you?—”

“And when I want to talk about it, I will.” I let her know. What the fuck am I supposed to tell her? I don’t even know what to tell the guys about how crazy I think I’m going.

The phone calls, the things I’m seeing, it’s not normal. Not for me anyway, I’m the one who is more carefree on things, planning in silence. I mean I never had it as bad as Blake and Logan. Yes, I got the crazy beat out of me, but I had Tess, for most of it, I had my money, but in the end, I always knew my dad would suffer, and he will.

“I have to go somewhere, the guys are here.” I pull her closer and give her a kiss.

“When are you back?” she asks.

“I’ll be there to watch your swim practice.” She has swim practice in the afternoon, and I’ll be back by then.

I look over at the guys, who give me a nod, and I tell Bea I’ll see her then. Walking away to my car, I need to clear my head, and I need to talk to someone, someone I haven’t seen in a while.

I lay the flowers down on both graves, and sit on the bench in front of mom and Tessa. I take in the peacefulness around me as other people walk around coming to visit their loved ones.

“Tessa, he’s back, and it’s taking everything in me not to kill him.” I look at her tombstone. “Dad’s being all friendly with him, and…you always said to watch my back, and I have. But he’s hiding something.” I glance over at my mom’’s grave, before turning back to Tessa. “I’m going to find out what he’s hiding, and then I’m going to make sure he’s in the woods.”

I look up at the sky, then over to the group to my right who are here for a funeral. Look at how many people have shown up for them. No one came to my mom’s funeral, apart from Logan’s mom, but that’s it. He took all her friends away from her, so she only had him and no one else. And Tessa, well that funeral happened the following day, and my dad told no one about it, the only reason I was there was because I refused to leave her side.

“You know I still haven’t opened your letter—” I shake my head, so many years and I still have it in the back of my drawer. “If I read it and find out I could have saved you, I don’t think I’ll be able to live with myself. What if you were hurting for so long and I never saw it.”

I’ve been blaming myself for Tessa, since the day I saw her in her bedroom. I was in the next room, she could have knocked on the door, she could have shouted at me for help. But she didn’t and I lost my best friend, because I was too blind to see she needed me.

I shake my head, because I couldn’t protect her, I couldn’t help her.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed me. I’m sorry he’s walking around town like he did nothing wrong. I’m sorry Tess.” I look over at mom’s grave again. “Mom, I really wish I could make you proud of me, is it the guilt that’s making me see you everyday?” I ask, as if she will answer me.

I know I’m going crazy. I saw her, but then it was someone else. But it looks so much like my mom, then in the back of the car, I swear it was her, but then there was nothing.

Is the guilt taking over my head, and I’m seeing mom everywhere.

“You will both be happy to know, I’ve met a girl. She’s…she’s amazing. Tessa you’d love her, she’s a fighter, fights me all the time on everything.” I chuckle to myself, wondering when our next fight will be. “She swims, wants to be a lawyer, and I wouldn’t want to fight against her.” I turn to the group, when one of the women shouts no, as the coffin is lowered to the ground. “Mom, if you can hear me, give me something to stop myself from going crazy.”

“If only it was so simple, you three boys like to bring drama with you.” I turn around and smile at Aunt Lizzie. Should have known Logan would have called her. She sits down next to me, and looks at my moms grave. “Logan called, both of them are worried about you.”

“I’m seeing mom around, well I think I’m seeing her around. A woman walking, I swear it’s her, but then like a ghost she disappears. A lady in a car, the same thing. I don’t know how to explain it.” I look back down at the graves, biting on my inner cheek. I sound crazy, I don’t need others to think I’m crazy too.

“It is coming up to the anniversary of her death, and Logan said you’ve found a girl. All boys want their moms to approve of the girl they’ve falle—” She stops when I turn to face her, and she chuckles quietly to herself. “They are seeing, maybe both things are making you wish your mom was here for you.”

Fuck, maybe this is the reason I’m seeing her around. It only started when I started getting more serious about Bea. I would have loved for mom and Tessa to meet her. Tessa and her would have hit it off straight away. Tessa was a fighter too, she was, until they broke her down to the point she had nothing left.

“Travis, you know I’ve loved you like a son. You can always talk to me.” She takes my hand in hers, and I know she has. Well as much as she was allowed before Logan got her away from his dad. “I’d love to meet your girlfriend. Logan said out of the girls, you got the one who’s crazy, and fights.” Both of us start laughing, because the prick would say that.

“She does enjoy pushing my buttons, but I would—” I stop talking, and look at the woman across the other end. “There.” I point, quickly, not taking my eyes off the woman. “Please tell me you see her.” Aunt Lizzie stands up to get a better look.

“Travis, sweetheart…that’s just a woman looking at a grave,” she tells me, but how can you tell when she now has her back to us.

“She has her back?—”

“Travis, your mom died.” Lizzie looks back over the woman, staring at her for a moment. There is a small part of her which thinks I’m right. I can feel it. “Travis.”

Before she can say anything I run over to the other end of the grave yard, and stop at the grave she was looking at. Where the fuck did she go? I never took my eyes off her. I look around, she couldn’t have gotten far, the parking lot isn’t close.

“Excuse me!” I shout at the woman, and she stops, thank fuck. Standing in front of her my heart sinks, and I shake my head. “I’m sorry I thought you were someone else.” The lady gives me a smile and walks away from me.

Shaking my head, I make my way back to Aunt Lizzie, who thinks I’ve gone crazy. But even though I can see it in her eyes, there is hope. It feels good to be right.

“Travis—”

“It’s okay, Aunt Lizzie. Maybe you’re right. I’m missing them both so much at the moment, and I’m seeing what I want to see.” I look around to make sure I don’t see anyone else.

Aunt Lizzie wraps her arms around me, hugging me. Something I’ve never needed, but fuck…I do right now.

“Travis, I know it’s not the same, but I would love to meet your girlfriend,” she says, cupping my face with a smile. “Come for dinner, just us.”

“Aunt Lizzie, you’re the closest thing I have to a mom. It will always be enough. We would love to come for dinner. I will let you know when she doesn’t have swim practice.” It might not mean anything to her, but she’s the only woman who’s been there for me when I’ve needed it.

“You got class?” she says.

“Not until later.”

“Good, I’ve got some brownies for you, and we are going for coffee.” She puts her arm out for me to link mine with hers, and I smile.

Before I do, I walk back to the graves and kneel before my sisters. “I promise I will get answers. He won’t die until I do?—”

Then, I look over at my mom’s grave. “I love you.”

I kneel there for a moment and try to remember one thing which brings a smile to my lips when we are together, but nothing. I was too young to remember her. All my memories are of what Tessa has told me about her or Aunt Lizzie with her stories, which always makes me laugh.

My dad will regret the day he betrayed his family if it’s the last thing I do.