“It’s not funny. Do you want the whole school to think I’m one of your sluts?”Travis frowned. “No one thinks that. And if they do, they better hope I don’t hear about it.”

“Do you want the whole school to think I’m one of your sluts?” My sluts? They weren’t mine. Hence them being sluts.”

“I know you deserve better than me. You think I don’t know that? But if there was any woman made for me…it’s you. I’ll do whatever I have to do, Pidge. Do you hear me? I’ll do anything.”

“I wanted to sleep with you. I thought about throwing you over my couch fifty different ways, but I haven’t because I don’t see you that way anymore. It’s not that I’m not attracted to you, I just think you’re better than that.”

“The way I feel about you . . . it’s crazy.”“You got the crazy part right,” she snapped, pulling away from me.“I practiced this in my head the whole time we were on the bike, so just hear me out.”“Travis—”“I know we’re fucked-up, all right? I’m impulsive and hot tempered, and you get under my skin like no one else. You act like you hate me one minute, and then you need me the next. I never get anything right, and I don’t deserve you . . . but I fucking love you, Abby. I love you more than I’ve loved anyone or anything, ever. When you’re around, I don’t need booze or money or the fighting or the one-night stands . . . all I need is you. You’re all I think about. You’re all I dream about. You’re all I want.”

“The suspense is killin’ me, Pigeon!” Travis called.I walked out, fidgeting with my dress while Travis stood in front of me, blank-faced.America elbowed him and he blinked. “Holy shit.”“Are you ready to be freaked out?” America asked.“I’m not freaked out, she looks amazing,” Travis said.I smiled and then slowly turned around to show him the steep dip of the fabric in the back of the dress.“Okay, now I’m freakin’ out,” he said, walking over to me “Okay, now I’m freakin’ out,” he said, walking over to me and turning me around.“You don’t like it?” I asked.“You need a jacket.” He jogged to the rack and then hastily draped my coat over my shoulders.“She can’t wear that all night, Trav,” America chuckled.“You look beautiful, Abby,” Shepley said as an apology for Travis’ behavior.Travis’ expression was pained as he spoke. “You do. You look incredible…but you can’t wear that. Your skirt is…wow, your legs are…your skirt is too short and it’s only half a dress! It doesn’t even have a back on it!”I couldn’t help but smile. “That’s the way it’s made, Travis.”“Do you two live to torture each other?” Shepley frowned.“Do you have a longer dress?” Travis asked.I looked down. “It’s actually pretty modest in the front. It’s just the back that shows off a lot of skin.”“Pigeon,” he winced with his next words, “I don’t want you to be mad, but I can’t take you to my frat house looking like that. I’ll get in a fight the first five minutes we’re there, Baby.”

“I’m done, Travis.”“Don’t say that.”“It’s over. Go home.”“You’re my home.”