Jamie McGuire

“I’ll hold onto it, sir,” the officer said. “It will only be for a moment.”“I promised her I’d never take it off,” Travis said through his teeth.”

“I can’t believe you gave her the green light to let us have it for an entire hour,” I said, following him through the revolving door.“You don’t really think I’m going to let her yell at my wife, do you?”

“Hello?” he said, waiting out the shrill stream on the other end of the line. He smiled, “Because I’m her husband. I can answer her phone, now.” He glanced at me, and then shoved open the cab door, offering his hand. “We’re at the airport, America. Why don’t you and Shep pick us up and you can yell at us both on the way home? Yes, the whole way home. We should arrive around three. All right, Mare. See you then.” He winced with her sharp words and then handed me the phone. “You weren’t kidding. She’s pissed.”

“We rode to the airport hand in hand, and I giggled as I watched Travis stare at his wedding band without apology. His eyes held the peaceful expression I was becoming accustomed to.“When we get back to the apartment, I think it will finally hit me, and I’ll quit acting like such a jackass.”“Promise?” I smiled.He kissed my hand and then cradled it in his lap between his palms. “No.”I laughed, resting my head on his shoulder.”

“Are you sure about that, Mrs. Maddox?”“Are you ever going to stop calling me that? You’ve said it a hundred times since we left the chapel.”He shook his head as he held the cab door open for me. “I’ll quit calling you that when it sinks in that this is real.”“Oh, it’s real all right,” I said, sliding to the middle of the seat to make room. “I have wedding night memories to prove it.He leaned against me, running his nose up the sensitive skin of my neck until he reached my ear. “We sure do.”

“We did it, Baby,” he said in a hushed voice. “I still can’t believe you’re my wife.”“Believe it,” I said, smiling.”

“Covered in tats and can’t take your girlfriend getting a simple script. I’ll be finished in a minute, Mate.”Travis’ frown deepened. “Wife. She’s my wife.”

“I’m going to kill you, Abby Abernathy!” America cried. “Kill you!”“Technically, it’s Abby Maddox, now,” I said, smiling at my new husband.”

“My eyes followed my hand as Travis brought it up to his lips. “I’ve imagined what this would look like on your hand a million times. Now that it’s there….”'“What?” I smiled, watching him stare at my hand with an emotional grin.He looked up at me. “I thought I was going to have to sweat five years before I’d feel like this.”“I wanted it as much as you did. I’ve just got a hell of a poker face,” I smiled, pressing my lips against his.”

“It’s….my God, it’s amazing,” I whispered as he took my left hand in his.“Can I put it on your finger?” he asked, peering up at me. When I nodded, he pressed his lips together, sliding the silver band over my knuckle, holding it in place for a moment before letting go. “Now it’s amazing.”

“Are you insane?”“I know. I know what you’re thinking, but I had to. It was The One. And I was right! I haven’t seen one since that was as perfect as this one!”

“Abby Maddox…,” he said, his smile beaming in the moonlight.I pressed my cheek against his bare chest. “Travis and Abby Maddox. Has a nice ring to it.”

“I lifted my head up once more, noticing the contentment in his eyes as he looked at me. It was similar to the peace I had seen on his face after I lost the bet to stay with him in the apartment, after I told him I loved him for the first time, and the morning after the Valentine’s dance. It was similar, but different. This was absolute—permanent. The cautious hope had vanished from his eyes, unqualified trust taking its place.I recognized it only because his eyes mirrored what I was feeling.”

“It’s us, Trav. Nothing makes sense unless we’re together. Have you noticed that?”“Noticed? I’ve been telling you that all year!” he teased. “It’s official. Bimbos, fights, leaving, Parker, Vegas…even fires…our relationship can withstand anything.”

“This is it,” he said with a sigh.“What?”“The moment. When I watch you sleeping…that peace on your face? This is it. I haven’t had it since before my mom died, but I can feel it again.” He took another deep breath and pulled me closer. “I knew the second I met you that there was something about you I needed. Turns out it wasn’t something about you at all. It was just you.”

“I felt the tears fill my eyes, but before they touched my cheeks, Travis’ solid arms were surrounding me. Immediately I felt protected, flush against his skin. Feeling so at home in his arms had once terrified me, but in that moment, I was grateful that I could feel so safe after experiencing something so horrific. There was only one reason I could ever feel that way with anyone.I belonged to him.”

“Is that from the fight or the window?”“The window,” he answered, frowning at my bloodied nails.“You saved my life, you know.”His eyebrows pulled together. “I wasn’t leaving without you.”“I knew you’d come,” I smiled, squeezing his fingers between mine.”

“I’m sorry, Abby. I panicked.”I shook my head. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”“Me? I would have been better off dead if Travis had seen me come out of that building without you. I tried to find you after you ran off, but then I got lost and had to find another way. I walked along the building looking for that window, but I ran into some cops and they made me leave. I’ve been flippin’ the fuck OUT over here!” he said, running his hand over his short hair.”

“This ain’t fucking right. He shoulda never been there.”“It was an accident, Travis. You couldn’t have known something like this was going to happen,” I said, touching his cheek.”

“Travis ran his hand over the stubble on his scalp, shaking his head. “He didn’t get out,” he whispered. “He didn’t get out, Pidge.”My breath caught as I watched the soot on his cheeks streak with his tears. He fell to his knees and I fell with him.“Trent’s smart, Trav. He got out. He had to have found a different way,” I said, trying to convince myself as well.Travis collapsed into my lap, gripping my shirt with both fists. I held him. I didn’t know what else to do.”

“Back the fuck up or I’ll kill you!” he yelled to those staring at the fallen men. I gripped his arm tighter and he patted my hand. “I got ya, Abby. Just watch the fight.”

“I’ll guard her with my life, little brother,” Trent said, tugging on my arm. “Now go kick this guy’s ass and let’s get out of here.”

“I’ll feel better when Trent gets his punk ass here.”“I’m here, you whiny little girl,” Trent said in a hushed voice. I could barely see his outline in the darkness, but his smile gleamed in the moonlight.“How ya been, sis?” he said. He hugged me with one arm, and then playfully shoved Travis with the other.”

“You’re lucky I love Abby. I wouldn’t do this shit for just anyone,” Trent grumbled, brushing off his shirt”

“Pidge, how many times do I have to say it?” he frowned.I shook my head at his impatient tone. “I don’t understand it, though. You didn’t need me there before.”His fingers lightly grazed my cheek. “I didn’t know you before. When you’re not there, I can’t concentrate. I’m wondering where you are, what you’re doing…if you’re there and I can see you, I can focus. I know it’s crazy, but that’s how it is.”“And crazy is exactly the way I like it,” I smiled, leaning up to kiss his lips.”

“Hey, Pigeon.”“Everything okay?”“It is now,” he said, pulling me against him.”

“Travis walked me to class, his grip tensing a few times when my feet slipped on the ice. “You should be more careful,” he teased.“I’m doing it on purpose. You’re such a sucker.”“If you want my arms around you, all you have to do is ask,” he said, pulling me into his chest.”

“I told you, Baby. They’re gonna love you. Love you like I love you, love you,” Shepley said, tucking her hair behind her ear.”

“I’m so…so sorry.”“You’re forgiven,” he said with a grin. “Don’t ever do it again.”“I won’t. I promise.”He flashed his dimple and shook his head. “I fucking love you.”

“That was for you! I was afraid I’d lose you if I didn’t pretend to be okay with being friends. I could have been with you this whole time? What the fuck, Pigeon?”“I….” I couldn’t argue; he was right. I had made us both suffer, and I had no excuse. “I’m sorry.”“You’re sorry? I damn near drank myself to death, I could barely get out of bed, I shattered my phone into a million pieces on New Year’s Eve to keep from calling you…and you’re sorry?”

“Are you fucking kidding me? I was just trying to make it easier on you! Do you know how miserable I’ve been?”I frowned. “You looked just fine after break.”“That was for you! I was afraid I’d lose you if I didn’t pretend to be okay with being friends. I could have been with you this whole time? What the fuck, Pigeon?”“I….” I couldn’t argue; he was right. I had made us both suffer, and I had no excuse. “I’m sorry.”“You’re sorry? I damn near drank myself to death, I could barely get out of bed, I shattered my phone into a million pieces on New Year’s Eve to keep from calling you…and you’re sorry?”I bit my lip and nodded, ashamed. I had no idea what he’d been through, and hearing him say the words made a sharp pain twist inside my chest. “I’m so…so sorry.”“You’re forgiven,” he said with a grin. “Don’t ever do it again.”“I won’t. I promise.”He flashed his dimple and shook his head. “I fucking love you.”

“He didn’t speak; his lips continued working against mine. His solid arms enveloped me, and then he buried his face in my neck.“You’re quiet th”

“I had fought my feelings, guarded them, and bottled them up. I had experienced the happiest moments of my life while at Eastern, all of them with Travis. Fighting, laughing, loving or crying, if it was with him, I was where I wanted to be.”

“We’re both drunk,”“This isn’t right,” he said.“I want you.”“I need you to say it,” he said.“I’ll say whatever you want.”“Then say that you belong to me. Say that you’ll take me back. I won’t do this unless we’re together.”“We’ve never really been apart, have we?” “I need to hear you say it. I need to know you’re mine.”“I’ve been yours since the second we met.”“Say it again,”he said.“I’m yours,” I breathed. Every nerve, inside and out ached for more. “I don’t ever want to be apart from you again.”“Promise me,”“I love you. I’ll love you forever.”

“I pounded the mattress with my fists. “You can’t tell me what to do anymore, Travis! I don’t belong to you!”In the second it took him to turn and face me, his expression had contorted into anger. He stomped toward me, planting his hands on the bed and leaning into my face.“WELL I BELONG TO YOU!” The veins in his neck bulged as he shouted, and I met his glare, refusing to even flinch. He looked at my lips, panting. “I belong to you,” he whispered, his anger melting as he realized how close we were.”

“Do your worst, Pidge. I’m tired of your shit.”I released his skin and jerked my arms, struggling against his grip. “My shit? Let me out of this fucking car!”He pulled my wrists close to his face. “I love you, dammit! You’re not going anywhere until you sober up and we figure this out!”

“If you don’t back away from my girl, I’ll rip out your fucking throat. Right here on the dance floor.”

“You don’t really hate me…do you?” he asked.“Sometimes I wish that I did. It would make everything a whole hell of a lot easier.”“So what pisses you off more? What I did to make you wanna hate me? Or knowing that you can’t?”

“But I…that wasn’t the only reason I took you to the fight. I wanted you there with me, Pidge. You’re my good luck charm.”“I’m not your anything,” I snapped, glaring up at him.His eyebrows pulled in and he stopped dancing. “You’re my everything.”

“You’re going to make me dance to this, aren’t you?” he asked.“It’s Valentine’s Day, Finch. Pretend I’m a boy.”He laughed, pulling me into his arms. “It’s hard to do that when you’re wearing a short pink dress.”“Whatever. Like you’ve never seen a boy in a dress.”Finch shrugged. “True.”

“All along I believed that I was important to Travis; that he needed me. But in that moment, I felt like the shiny new toy Parker said I was. He wanted to prove to Parker that I was still his. His.“I’m nobody’s,” I said to the empty room.As the words sunk in, I was overwhelmed with the grief I’d felt from the night before. I belonged to no one.I’d never felt so alone in my life.”

“My eyes filled with tears. “Get out.”“Pigeon,” he said, taking a step toward me.“Get OUT!” I said, grabbing the glass from the night stand and throwing it at him. He ducked, and it shattered against the wall in hundreds of tiny, glistening shards. “I hate you!”

“I’m so sorry, Pigeon. I tried to get to you. I tried….” He cleared his throat of the anger and worry that choked him. “I couldn’t get to you.”

“Good luck,”Travis grabbed my shoulders and planted a kiss on my lips. He pulled away quickly, nodding once. “That’s all the luck I need.”

“Travis shrugged. “She’s not my girl, anymore.”I kept my features smooth, but he had said the words so matter-of-factly, it caused a stabbing sensation in my chest.”

“I’ve got a fight in fourty-five minutes, Pidge. I want you there.”

“I don’t want her,” he said, staring at my lips. “I’m just so fucking unhappy, Pigeon.”

“I’m different. I don’t know what happened to me in Vegas. That wasn’t me. I was thinking about everything we could buy with that money, and that was all I was thinking about. I didn’t see how much it hurt you for me to want to take you back there, but deep down, I think I knew. I deserved for you to leave me. I deserved all the sleep I lost and the pain I’ve felt. I needed all that to realize how much I need you, and what I’m willing to do to keep you in my life.”

“This was the best Thanksgiving we’ve had since Mom died.”I pulled my head up to see his expression. He was smiling, but it was tinged with sadness.“I’m glad I was here to see it.”

“You made plenty, Abby. We just wanted to tide ourselves over until next year…unless you’d like to do this all over again at Christmas. You’re a Maddox, now. I expect you at every holiday, and not to cook.”