Jamie McGuire

“We went to buy you two flowers, but neither of us thought j just one bouquet would do it.”

“What is that?” I asked, squinting at the vertical symbols.“It’s Hebrew,” Travis smiled.“What does it mean?”“It says, ‘I belong to my beloved, and my beloved is mine.”My eyes darted to his. “You weren’t happy with just one tattoo, you had to get two?”“It’s something I always said I would do when I met The One. I met you…I went and got the tats.” His smile faded when he saw my expression. “You’re pissed, aren’t you?” he said, pulling his shirt down.”

“He held the door shut with his hand. “I’ll stop fighting the second I graduate. I won’t drink a single drop again. I’ll give you the happy ever after, Pigeon. If you just believe in me, can do it.”“I don’t want you to change.”“Then tell me what to do. Tell me and I’ll do it,” he pleaded.”

“I’m…pretty sure I’m in love with Travis,” I said, bracing for his reaction.”

“You’re my perfection. I’m all of those things for you,”

“I said I wasn’t going to fight with you about Jared anymore, I never said I wasn’t going to fight for you.”

“It was unforgiveable,” I said. “But I forgive you.”

“I followed Jared outside and eyes the slick, black beauty parked on the curb. “What is that?” Jared sighed. “It’s a Vulcan.” “Weird. I thought it was a motorcycle.” I smiled, but Jared didn’t find the humor in my words. I put up my hand and separated my fingers into a ‘V’. “Live long and…no?” I shook my head, seeing that Jared was in no mood for jokes.”

“Don’t interrupt my anxiety attack. It’s rude.”

“Pros before bros.”

“He was devastatingly handsome, kind, and spoke a second language. If the sweet potato fries turned out to be all that he’d promise, I might have fallen out of my chair.”

“Neither one of you will just come out and say it, that’s the problem. You’re both so scared of what might happen that you’re fighting it tooth and nail. I know for a fact that if you looked Travis in the eye and told him you wanted him, he would never look at another woman again.”

“I missed a fight tonight,” he said. “Adam called. I didn’t go. ”“Why?” I said, turning to face him.“I wanted to make sure you got home.”

“I'm going to kill David Lapinski!" America announced, shaking snow out of her hair as she approached."Direct hit!" Shepley laughed. America shot him a warning glare and his laugh turned into a nervous chuckle. "I mean... what an asshole.”

“Finch?" I ask him with my best fake smile. "Will you go to the stupid Sig Tau Valentine's Date party with me?"Finch hugged me to his side. "Yes, But only because you called it stupid.”

“It's over. Go home."His eyebrows pulled in. "You're my home.”

“He was afraid of nothing. Until he'd met me.”

“You slept just fine in the recliner. Why couldn't you sleep with me?""You mean next to a guy who still smelled like the pair of bar flies he had just sent home? I don't know! How selfish of me!”

“Let me guess, it's the love of your life?" I said quoting Travis' statement about his motorcycle."No, it's a car. The love of my life will be a women with my last name.”

“Travis took a step, but America pointed her finger at him. "So help me God, Travis! If you try to stop her, I will douse you with gasoline and light you on fire while you sleep!”

“And I know it doesn't matter what I say now, because I fucked things up... just like I always do.""Trav?""Yeah?""Don't drive drunk on your bike anymore, okay?”

“You just want me to hold you until you fall asleep?"I didn't answer.He shifted to look straight into my eyes. "I should say no to prove a point," he said, his eyebrows pulling together. "But I would hate myself later if I said no and you never asked me again.”

“I perched my chin on his shoulder and smiled. "That was because you were trying to win our bet."He angled his neck to face me. "Damn right I was.”

“Did you forget I was with you? Are you trying to get me killed?""It's hard to forget you're behind me when your thighs are squeezing the life out of me." A smirk came with his next thought. "I couldn't think of a better way to die, actually.""There is something very wrong with you.”

“If you come within two feet of this curtain, I will poke out your eyes while you sleep.”

“America's eyes darted in Kara's direction. "Good idea, Kara. The fact that you're a total bitch comes in handy sometimes.”

“Make way! Move it, people! Lets make room for this poor woman's hideously disfigured, ginormous brain! She's a fucking genius!”

“You're a lunatic!"Travis chuckled, leaning his bike onto its kickstand before dismounting. "I went the speed limit.""Yeah, if we were on the Autobahn!”

“Travis grabbed my wrists and wrapped them around his middle. "There's nothing to hold on to but me, Pidge. Don't let go," he said pushing the bike backward with his feet.”

“I like the au naturel thing you have going on. Girls don't come over here like that.""I was coerced into coming here. It didn't occur to me to impress you," I said, aggravated that my plan had failed.”

“I'm not trying to bag you. I just wanna hang out.""Bag me? How do you ever get laid talking like that?”

“Don't you remember, Travis? You ruined her sweater."Travis smiled. "I ruin a lot of sweaters.""Gross," I muttered.”

“Who can tell me which president had a cross-eyed wife with a bad case of the uglies?" Chaney asked. "Make sure you get that down," Travis whispered. "I'm gonna need to know that for job interviews.”

“What can I say to you that I haven't already said? What can I give you that I haven't already given? Is there anything of me that isn't yours already? My body, my mind, my heart, even my soul. Everything that is me belonged to you long before this, and it shall be yours long after this. I will follow you anywhere and everywhere you lead. I will keep you and anyone created with our love safe from all harm. From this day on, I choose you, my beloved, to be my wife. To live with you and laugh with you; to stand by your side, and sleep in your arms; to bring out the best in you always, and, for you, to be the most that I can. I promise to laugh with you in good times, to struggle with you in bad; to wipe your tears with my hands; to comfort you with my words; to mirror you with my soul; and savor every moment, happy or sad, until the end of our lives and beyond.”

“Ryan held out his hands. "What the hell is this? Beat The Shit Out Of Ryan Week?" "I didn't think you'd mind, since you're always insisting upon getting yourself hospitalized,"Claire said.Ryan's face screwed into disgust. "That was uncalled for.""The truth hurts, baby."He smiled. "If you're going to talk to me like that, you can insult me all day long."Claire pulled her car keys from her pocket, and then pulled on Ryan's hand. "I meant that you're a baby. It wasn't a term of endearment.""Yeah, right.”

“The snow began to fall again, drifting against the windows, politely begging entrance and then falling withdisappointment to the ground”

“You can’t tell mewhat to do anymore, Travis! I don’t belong to you!”In the second it took him to turn and face me, hisexpression had contorted into anger. He stomped towardme, planting his hands on the bed and leaning into my face.“WELL I BELONG TO YOU!” The veins in his neckbulged as he shouted, and I met his glare, refusing to evenflinch. He looked at my lips, panting. “I belong to you.”

“I don't know what I'm going to do with you, Trav! I've dumped someone for you-twice-I've picked up and went to Vegas with you-twice-I've literally gone through hell and back, married you and branded myself with your name. I'm running out of ideas to prove to you that I'm yours." A small smile graced his lips. "I love it when you say that." "That I'm yours?" I asked. I leaned up on the balls of my feet, pressing my lips against his. "I. Am. Yours. Mrs. Travis Maddox. Forever and always.”

“I'll put everything I have. I don't regret a single second with you, Pidge, and I never will.”

“Marry me," I said without hesitation. I was surprised at how quickly and easily the words came. His mouth spread into a broad smile. "When?" I shrugged. "We can book a flight tomorrow. It's Spring Break. I don't have anything going on tomorrow, do you?" "I'm callin' your bluff," he said, reaching for his phone. "America Airlines," he said, watching my reaction closely as he was connected. "I need two tickets to Vegas, please. Tomorrow. Hmmmmm...," he looked at me, waiting for me to change my mind. "Two days, round trip. Whatever you have." I rested my chin on his chest, waiting for him to book the tickets. The longer I let him stay on the phone, the wider his smile became.”

“Travis staggered backward, the hurt plainly displayed in his eyes. "A toast!" he yelled. I flinched, turning just in time to see him climbing onto a chair, stealing a beer from the shocked Sig Tau brother closest to him. I glanced to America, who watched Travis with a pained expression. "To douchebags!" he said, gesturing to Brad. "And to girls that break your heart, he bowed his head to me. His eyes lost focus. "And to the absolute horror of losing your best friend because you were stupid enough to fall in love with her.”

“I'm not your anything," I snapped, glaring up at him. His eyebrows pulled in and he stopped dancing. "You're my everything.”

“He grabbed my arm. "Wait. You're mad?" I yanked my coat from his grip. "You know...I don't even know why I'm surprised." His eyebrows pulled in. "I can't win with you. I can't win with you! You say you're done...I'm fucking miserable over here! I had to break my phone into a million pieces to keep from calling you every minute of the damn day-I've had to play it off like everything is just fine at school so you can be happy...and you're fucking mad at me? You broke my fuckin' heart!" His last words echoed into the night.”

“I smiled to fight the tears. "Fifty bucks says you'll be thanking me for this when you meet your future wife." Travis's eyebrow pulled together as his face fell. "That's an easy bet. The only woman I'd ever wanna marry just broke my heart.”

“His features were taught, unaffected by my expression. "If this is really it...if you're really done with me...will you let me hold you tonight?”

“I'm done, Travis." He winced. "Don't say that." "It's over. Go home." His eyebrows pulled in. "You're my home.”

“He won't hurt you, Pigeon," Travis said. "I won't let him.”

“You should have asked her first, Trav," America said, shaking her head and covering her mouth with her fingers. "Asked her what? If I could get a tattoo?" he frowned, turning to me. "I love you. I want everyone to know I'm yours. I shifted nervously. "That's permanent, Travis." "So are we," he said, touching my cheek.”

“I'm not sure what I ever did without you," he said, holding me up with one hand and unbuckling his belt with the other, "but I don't ever want to find out. You're everything I've ever wanted, Pigeon.”

“I'm a mess!" I said, frowning in the mirror. "Do you even realize how beautiful you are?" he asked, kissing my neck.”