BRITNEY ASTON I furrowed my brows, a frown appearing on my face. It wasn’t one of anger but instead, one of confusion. And worry. His dad killed his mum? Just what in the world was he talking about? Before I could ask him to elaborate, he took the cue himself, returning to his words with an aggressive kick in the pool. “My dad was a cheater,” he continued. “Or rather, is a cheater. Despite being married to my mum, she was never enough for him. Like they weren’t married, he used to see other women. A whole lot of them.” “I was still so young, you know. But I was stil able to figure but because he didn’t really care enough to hide it. He made it very obvious and my mum- she was just always silent.” “I was very confused,” he continued with a bitter chuckle. “I wondered if that was how all married couples were. “Ah, is it a normal thing to see different people despite having a wife?” “Oh, it must be normal since my mum seems so okay with it”. Different thoughts like that floo
TRAVIS LEWIS For months, I’d been telling myself over and over Britney was impossible to understand. Even more, I was convinced my feelings towards her was more impossible to navigate. I couldn’t like her. I couldn’t actually like her. But that was far from the truth. It was only the truth I wanted to believe. It was the truth I’d deluded myself so much into believing, it finally got to the point I no longer believed it. Love was scary. It had always been a scary emotion for me. But suddenly, denying how I felt towards her for even a second longer, felt even more scarier. “What?” She muttered to me, uselessly trying to look away from me. She shook her head slowly like she was trying to tell herself it wasn’t true and couldn’t be possible. “Travis-“ “No, it’s not just a thought,” I shook my head as I interrupted her. “I’ve fallen for you, Britney. Really really hard.”“I tried to tell myself that wasn’t the case. And even if it was the case, I was convinced it couldn’t happen. W
BRITNEY ASTON I woke up with a huge smile on my face, the smile growing wider with every passing second. It wasn’t a dream. It really all wasn’t a dream. I rolled in my bed, kicked my feet and giggled, throwing my sheets all over me. It was my reality but it was a really hard one to come to terms with. Yesterday had really happened and out of the blue, Travis had confessed how he really felt about me. I sat up and folded my arms, thinking about all that happened all over again. He liked me? He liked me back? But had just been too scared to realize it all these while? Too scared to admit it? I unfolded my arms and crossed my legs, my thoughts deepening. For some reason, he had finally gotten the courage to face how he really felt and admit it to me but now what? What was going to happen to us next? What was already going on between us? Before I could get an answer to my question, I was interrupted by a knock on my door. Instinctively, my first guess of whoever was behind the doo
TRAVIS LEWIS The second Britney left my room, my phone vibrated, signifying not one but two different messages. One was from August and the other, from Amber. August: I thought we were done with this rebelling phase of yours. Where did you vanish to this time? Amber: Did you go somewhere without telling me?? I sighed and opened August’s message, my fingers dancing on the keypad as I typed a response to him. Me: I wish Me: I’m on this family vacation. Like he had been waiting for me to text, his reply came in almost immediately. August: Family vacation? August: With your dad and his new wife? August: Wait a second, plus your step sister? Me: Yup. August: And you went there? Voluntarily? August: Your dad threatened to block all your cards if you refused, didn’t he? Me: You wish. Me: I went on my own. I took a break from texting him to look around me. He was right. It was completely unlike me to say yes to such ridiculous requests from my father. But
TRAVIS LEWIS My father couldn’t be any more obvious about his true intentions even if he tried. After breakfast, we got into his rented car and began our ride to wherever he claimed he had to be. I had my doubts it was nothing but an excuse and few minutes into driving, my doubts were confirmed. The whole outing was nothing but an excuse from both he and Rosaline’s side. It began with him asking me where he was headed. After arching a brow at him in response, his next question was whether he should go shopping for new suits or new tires for his car. Regarding him with nothing but silence, he eventually made the decision himself, pulling over in front of a shopping mall about an hour later. “We’re here,” he said to me as he unlocked my seat from his. “I heard they sell really nice clothes here. My wardrobe needs a change anyways so this is the perfect opportunity.” “Sure,” I muttered, unable to believe any words he could have to say. With a sigh, I got out of the car and watched
BRITNEY ASTON “Should we go to my room?” After lasting a couple of minutes, I finally pulled away from the hug and instead, held Travis’ hand, a soft smile on my face as I looked at him directly in the eye. He was trying his best to return the smile, exhaustion still written all over his face. With a nod in response, he finally tightened his grip around my hand and allowed me lead the way to my room. My day was spent with my mum and if I was being honest, it went better than I imagined. We spent the day going through shops and stalls, trying out different snacks and drinks and having light discussions about random things. It felt nice and I could tell my mum was actively trying to become a better parent and fix our broken relationship. But regardless of how nice it was, I found my mind traveling towards Travis a bit too often. I wondered how his day with his dad was going. They had a more complicated relationship so i knew it was going to take more than a single outing
BRITNEY ASTON “Britney? Britney, are you up?” I shook my head in my sleep, snuggling towards the body next to me. In response, I felt arms wrap around me, tightening all over again followed by a kiss on my forehead. Refusing to open my eyes, I smiled, enjoying every bit of the moment. It felt warm and cozy, my whole body enveloped by a familiar warmth I just couldn’t get enough of. “Britney? Britney are you still asleep? Alright, I’m coming in then.” With a soft groan, my eyes slowly fluttered then finally opened only for me to immediately meet Travis next to me, his arms wrapped around me. My eyes shot open, memories rushing towards me in a flash. He was in my room. Travis had spent the previous night in my room. We were only supposed to stay all cuddled up for no longer than fifteen minutes but somehow we had both slept off. “Crap.” “Britney!” The voice i’d been hearing in my sleep called out to me, my eyes widening all over again. “Britney, are you even in there?” “Oh, sh
TRAVIS LEWIS If I was being completely honest, I wasn’t expecting my father to give in so easily to Britney’s request to have us spend the next couple of days alone at the resort. But surprisingly, he accepted. And like that wasn’t enough of a shocker, accepted easily when I asked him if I could also use the rented car for the next couple of days. With Britney by my side, we then escorted them out of the house and watched them take a cab to the airport. Then immediately they were out of sight, returned inside the house to face our new reality. “So.” “So.” Britney immediately burst into a fit of giggles, her cheeks properly colored. It was probably the thought that we were really now home alone or something else but she seemed excited. Really excited. “We’re really the only ones here now,” she confirmed my guess as she spoke up, poking me by the sides as she did. “Just me and you.” “Yes,” I smiled at her. “So, is there anything you want to do?” “And by that you mean?”
EPILOGUE “Britney, you’re going to be late for school!” Rosaline’s words pierced through the thin walls of the house, accompanied with Jack’s laughter as he scooped his breakfast into his plate, glancing at the empty seats that were supposed to be occupied by Travis and Britney. After a long summer break, it was finally time for Britney and Travis to return to school. The morning was unusually chaotic with Rosaline screaming at Britney over and over, travis parading the house in search of one thing or the other and the he and his wife, seated on the dining, impatiently waiting for their children to grace the table with their presence. A whole lot had changed during the last couple of weeks and jack dared to say, it was the best change that had ever happened in his life. “Hey, Rosaline,” Travis finally arrived, his eyebrows raised as he greeted rosaline in his familiar manner. “Dad. Good morning.” “Morning, sweetie,” Rosaline spoke up before anyone else could. “You’re here a
TRAVIS LEWIS I was skeptical, watching Britney leave with her mum. Especially after she announced my father’s wishes to talk to me privately. A part of me wanted to walk out of the living room but I had to quench it, reminding myself I’d promised to talk to him. I needed to have that conversation with him. For myself. For Britney. For all of us. With Brittney and her mum out of the living room, it suddenly felt more quiet than ever, neither my dad nor I making a sound. We simply remained in our position,allowing the silence stretch further between us until it got to a point I just couldn’t take it anymore. “You said you wanted to talk to me?” I had to break the silence. “About?” “A lot?” He looked up at me. “We both know we have a lot to talk about.” I shrugged in response and he took it as a cue to continue. “At least, take a seat would you. Your feet must hurt after sitting in the plane for so long.” “You knew where I was?” I stared at him suspiciously. “Is that a qu
BRITNEY ASTON Travis and I woke up the following morning and with a few kisses and more words of reassurances to each other, we checked out and began our ride to the airport. We didn’t say much during the drive to the airport but The silence wasn’t uncomfortable at the same time it- was heavy with the weight of everything unsaid, everything we had been through. I leaned into his shoulder, closing my eyes briefly as I let the hum of the city fade into the background. My thoughts kept circling back to what lay ahead—to the confrontation waiting for us in London, to the parents we had left behind, and to the uncertain future that now stretched before us. At the airport, the check-in process went by in a blur. Travis stayed close, his presence a great help as we navigated through the crowds and security checks. The boarding process was swift, and before I knew it, we were seated on the plane, the engines roaring to life as the city of New Jersey receded beneath us. The flight was l
BRITNEY ASTON “Do you really have to return already?” Jane sat cross-legged on the couch, pouting like a child, her lower lip jutting out as she whined dramatically. We had arrived at her place and immediately told her about our plans to leave for London the following day and she clearly wasn’t as thrilled. “I can’t believe you’re leaving me so soon!” she complained, her voice filled with a mix of playful annoyance and genuine sadness. “You just got here, Brit. Are you really going to run back to London already?” I chuckled softly, reaching out to give her hand a comforting squeeze. “I’m not running back,” I laughed, even though I knew it was a little bit of a lie. “Im just going back. You know the way things have been. The reason I came here in the first place. And now, things have changed and Travis and I need to figure out what’s next for us. I can’t keep hiding out here forever.” “I’m not asking you hide here forever!” She huffed. “I’m just saying you should at least s
BRITNEY ASTON The morning sunlight filtered softly through the sheer curtains, casting a warm, golden hue across the room. I stirred, feeling the weight of Travis’s arm draped protectively over my waist, his steady breath tickling the nape of my neck. For a moment, I just laid there, feeling the gentle rise and fall of his chest against my back, savoring the peace that came with waking up beside him. It had been so long since I’d felt this way—safe, cherished, utterly content. My lips curled into a smile as I nestled deeper into his embrace, every fiber of my being grateful for the chance to feel his warmth again. It felt like a dream, one that I was terrified of waking up from, but the steady beat of his heart against my skin reminded me that this was real. He was real, and he was here with me. Memories of the previous night flooded my mind, and I found myself blushing at the vivid recollections. We had barely made it through the door before our lips had crashed together, mon
BRITNEY ASTON The door to the hotel room was slammed shut, our fiery passion immediately ignited all over again. Our lips returned to each other’s like it had been more than an hour since they were last in contact. The kiss was deeper than ever, our passion and excitement over the roof. “I’ve missed you.” Our eyes locked, a silent understanding passing between us before we surged forward, lips crashing together again in a desperate, heated kiss. My fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer as hie hands roamed my back, gripping the fabric of my shirt like he hadn’t skillfully gotten rid of it just an hour ago. The kiss was frantic, filled with the urgency of all the unsaid words, the unspent passion that had been building between us for far too long. We stumbled backward, our lips never parting, until I felt the edge of the bed pressing against my legs. With a quick motion, he lifted me off my feet and laid me down gently on the bed, his body immediately hovering ove
BRITNEY ASTON "Travis?" The word barely escaped my lips, a breathless whisper that seemed to echo in the stillness of the room. For a moment, time itself seemed to freeze. I stood there, rooted to the spot, staring at the figure before me as if he were a mirage, something conjured by my desperate, aching heart. My chest tightened, every beat of my heart pounding like a drum against my ribcage, trying to escape. It was him. It was really him. The Travis I had left behind, the Travis I had tried so hard to distance myself from, was now standing right in front of me. His expression mirrored mine, eyes wide with shock, as if he too couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He looked different, a little more worn, like he had been through his own personal storm, and yet, he was still the Travis I knew—the Travis I loved. "Britney," he breathed out, his voice hoarse, as if the very act of saying my name had stolen the breath from his lungs. “Brit.” My mouth opened, but the words refus
TRAVIS LEWIS Thomas blinked at me, confusion written all over his face. His expression wavered- from that of hopelessness, confusion, worry and once again, hopelessness. He looked genuinely confused but I had to be even more confused. Why wasn't Britney at his place? She was definitely at new jersey, right? If that was the case then where in the world could she be? "Britney, isn't with you?" he broke into my thoughts to ask. "But Richard said" "I wanted to see you. Alone. Britney wasn't with me." "Oh," | watched his face fall as the realization hit him. "Oh. Oh, that's what happened." "Forgive my manners, do you want to come in?" he quickly added. "I was just really excited to meet you. That's why I um was waiting outside. But um, you can come in if you don't mind. You came from London, right? I could whip you a nice cup of tea real quick." Normally, I would have rejected his offer as the last thing I wanted and needed was a cup of tea. But he was Britney's father and if a cup
TRAVIS LEWIS One minute, I was at Lucas’, trying to figure out where Britney could be and the other, I was hurriedly packing my bags after booking the most impromptu next flight to New Jersey. Lucas was right. All it took was a couple of deep breaths and calm thinking for me to figure out where she was going to be. Considering everything going on, it only made sense that she felt like the problem- she was probably blaming herself for being the reason her mum would be unable to have another normal family, blaming herself for being one of the major reasons I was never going to be on better terms with my dad, blaming her presence for being the reason things got so complicated. And with all of that, it only felt right for her to return to New Jersey, probably convinced things were going to miraculously get better that way. But they weren’t. Not like that. And especially not when I was on my way to New Jersey to find her. To hold her. And to never let her go. I arrived at the airpo