Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 93699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
“I can’t accept your money…”
“I’ve already spent it,” I say. “I handled the plane ticket request before driving here.”
Silence.
“What did Penelope say about you missing out on Sochi?”
I say nothing. I’m not looking forward to telling her that I won’t be there.
As if Tatiana can read my mind, her eyes widen.
“She’ll hate me even more than she already does.” She shakes her head. “She’s told everyone how you’re coming as a tribute to her mom, and I mean, I’m sure her mom would want you to support your family over some random girl you’re dating.”
I press a finger against her lips. “For the umpteenth time, her mother was my mom, too. I’m doing exactly what she made me promise, hours before she passed away in the hospital.”
“I’m just saying, Travis…”
“Take care of Penelope as best you can,” I recite her last words verbatim. “And please find someone or something to help you, too…You’ll need someone to help you get through life, too. That person for me is you, Tati.”
I pause to wipe a stream of tears from her eyes.
“I’m still in pain about something I can never change,” I say. “But your situation is something that I can fix, so let me.”
She remains silent as I pull her against my chest, and we listen to the raindrops dance atop my car’s roof for what feels like forever.
“Travis?” she whispers at sunrise.
“Yeah?”
“I promise to pay you back for this someday.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Well, I’ll always owe you a huge favor then.”
“Okay.” I kiss her lips. “I’ll hold you to that…”
THIRTY-FIVE
FORTY DAYS AFTER SAYING “I DO”
TRAVIS
Humble City Fitness
Las Vegas, Nevada
My public approval rating was tilting a full one-eighty from where it stood weeks ago.
Sponsors, new and old, were requesting meetings and second chances left and right. The UFC was offering pre-sale tickets to celebrities for a rematch without even giving the official date.
“Travis Carter” had atoned for his skid of bad behavior and was almost back on top.
The unmarried Travis Carter would’ve called his entourage and booked a yacht for a week-long party in the South of France to celebrate.
Unfortunately, the only person I wanted to celebrate this occasion with was my wife, but I didn’t have time to take her anywhere.
I was planning to suggest that we take an entire month and travel around the world after my rematch.
The moment it was over.
As I scrolled through today’s headlines, someone walked into my office.
“Whoever you are, I don’t want to be bothered for at least two hours,” I said. “Go away.”
The steps came closer.
“If I turn around and the words out of your mouth aren’t ‘Your condo is on fire,’ I swear to God…”
“Your wife is leaving you.” Ryan’s voice was loud and clear.
“What?” I immediately turned around. “What do you mean?”
“She’s leaving you, sir. For good. ”
“How do you know that?”
He tapped a tablet and held it before me, revealing a video of Tatiana standing in front of the elevator. She was clasping an oversized red suitcase.
“A crew of men came up hours ago and took out a ton of boxes,” Ryan said. “I thought it was related to her Chanel dress fitting so I thought nothing of it. If I’d known the truth, I would’ve said something far earlier, sir.”
“I believe you.” I turned up the volume and squinted at the screen.
“Come on, come on, come on…” Tatiana attacked the down button. “Hurry up…”
“Would you like me to have the engineer slow the elevator so you can catch her, sir?”
“Of course,” I said, standing up. “Do it now.”
Tatiana stood before me, saying words I wasn’t wholly catching. I was responding on autopilot, too turned on by how fucking beautiful she looked.
At some point, two fans boarded the elevator with us and asked for pictures, and when they stepped off, I decided to end this back-and-forth once and for all.
“Okay, look.” Tatiana looked into my eyes, her irises full of the usual denial. “I’m saying this in the nicest way possible. I’m not the slightest bit attracted to you anymore, and it pains me to be near you.”
“So if I were to slide my hand under your dress right now, your pussy wouldn’t be wet for me?”
Her jaw dropped, and she turned away. “We’re going up…”
“I thought so.” I entered the penthouse code, and we rode the rest of the way without saying a word.
When we stepped onto our floor, the Chanel team members were standing in the hallway.
“Ah! There you are, mademoiselle!” One of them waved from the doorway. “Let’s get back to work!”
“One second.” I motioned for them to hold on, looking at Tatiana. “What’s changed between now and the time my face was buried in your pussy?”
She sucked in a breath. “Travis…”
“I need to know. Tell me.”
“My heart can’t take any more of the back and forth.” Her voice cracked. “One moment, you’re looking at me and kissing me and it feels so damn real, and the next, you’re shutting yourself in your room until it’s time for pretending again.”