Chapter 20
Anna
Travis: Hey. It was nice seeing you at Poppy’s party for her YouTube channel. Sorry we didn’t get to talk.
Me: It’s okay :) Nice seeing you too. You looked hot in that T-shirt, by the way
Travis: Is that why you stared at me without saying anything when you walked out of the bathroom, then ran into the kitchen?
Me: Haha yeah. Sorry for the awkwardness! I didn’t want anyone to notice me eye-fucking you
Travis: It’s okay. You really liked it though? I thought I looked weird. It was my only clean shirt, and I accidentally shrunk it in the dryer when I washed it.
Me: Yeah. I liked how tight it was on you. It shows off all your muscles.
Travis: Wow. You’re making me feel like a piece of meat.
Me: Don’t even lie, you like it ;)
Travis: Absolutely I do
* * *
Travis: Just wanted to wish you good luck on the MCAT. Not that you need it. You’re gonna do great.
Me: Hey. Thanks. Sorry it took me so long to reply. My brain feels like mush. I could barely make it back to my apartment after the test, I was so drained.
Travis: Don’t apologize. You need anything right now?
Me: Just copious amounts of pizza and ice cream lol
Me: Travis, are you serious right now?
Travis: ?
Me: Did you just drop off a pizza and a cooler full of ice cream at the front door of my apartment??
Travis: Maybe.
Me: Oh my gosh! This made my whole day!! I was dreading going to the store because I didn’t have the energy. But now I don’t have to! Thank you soooo much!
Travis: It’s my pleasure. Now go stuff your face and get some rest
* * *
Me: Guess what I’m doing right now?
Travis: You’re riding an elephant.
Me: *laughing emoji*
Me: Nope! I’m re-watching your post-championship interview in between study sessions for finals.
Travis: Seriously?
Me: Yup :)
Travis: Stalker
Travis: Kidding
Me: It’s an excellent palette cleanser when my brain needs a break from my inorganic chemistry study guide. I get to see you looking all sweaty and sexy, which is a nice distraction from all this boring science stuff lol
Travis: I’m flattered to learn that looking at me is your preferred way to unwind
* * *
Travis: When’s your last final?
Me: Thursday morning. You?
Travis: Same. Wanna meet up after that?
Me: Wow. Someone’s eager to see me.
Travis: Definitely. Also, you promised to take me out. I’m not gonna pass up the chance to be wined and dined.
Me: You’re shameless :P
Travis: I’ll be whatever you want me to be. I just wanna see you.
Me: Okay :) See you Thursday
* * *
When I walk out of my apartment building and see Travis standing on the sidewalk in front, my tummy does a somersault.
It’s been three weeks since we’ve seen each other, and I’m so damn giddy.
It’s why I’m wearing my favorite sundress. Why I took the time to style my hair and put on some makeup.
I want to knock him on his ass when he sees me.
“Hey,” I say as I walk up to him.
When he turns to me, his eyes go wide. “Hey.”
He rakes his darkened gaze along the length of my body. Heat flashes across my skin.
“You look hot,” he says.
I bite back a giddy smile and smooth my palm over the light fabric of the white sundress I’m wearing. His eyes linger on the black high-top Converse I’m wearing.
“I’m a sucker for a girl in a sundress and Converse.”
A hot flush climbs up my neck and cheeks when I see the way his stare turns hungry.
“You look hot too,” I say.
He’s wearing jeans and that shirt he complained was too small for him.
“I thought you didn’t like that shirt,” I say.
“I don’t. But you do.”
Oh, wow. My knees actually go weak. I’m grinning like an idiot.
“Very smooth,” I say.
His mouth hooks up in a sexy, half-smile, which makes me swoon even harder. Travis hardly ever smiles. He does it a lot when he’s looking at me though.
“You ready to wine and dine me?” he asks.
I nod. “What do you feel like eating?”
He shrugs. “I had a protein shake not too long ago, so I’m not starving.”
“Wow. I was expecting you to demand that I take you to the fanciest restaurant in Denver, then rack up my credit card.”
He chuckles. I shiver at the low, rough rumble. So sexy.
“Not my style.” He rolls out his shoulder, and I can’t help but fixate on how his muscles flex under the fabric of his shirt. “What do you usually do when you want to celebrate something?”
“I’m not a college athlete who just won a national championship, so I don’t really know.”
“Yeah, you do. When you ace a test or get an A in a class, what do you do to celebrate?”
“You really wanna know?”
His smile turns teasing. “Yes.”
“I get ice cream with Poppy.”
“Then let’s get ice cream.”
I laugh. “But you don’t like sugar. You said you don’t like sweet things.”
There’s a teasing flash in his gray-blue gaze. He looks at my mouth. Then he looks lower, down at my lap, before he looks back up at my face. “I like sweet things sometimes.”
There’s a faint pulse between my thighs. My cheeks are hot as I make a flustered noise.
“Okay. Let’s go.”
Together we walk to Sweet Cheeks Creamery, which is a handful of blocks away. It’s a popular ice cream shop that opened a location near the Hollis U campus recently.
Travis opens the door for me, and I walk inside. I hum softly as I breathe in the sugary smell of ice cream and homemade waffle cones.
A woman with auburn hair greets us as we browse the flavors in the display case. I order a chocolate malt with waffle cone pieces mixed in. I thank her when she hands it to me, then take a long sip from the straw.
I close my eyes and hum. “So good,” I moan softly.
Travis turns to the lady. “Could I get a scoop of vanilla, please?”
I gently elbow him. “Vanilla? Really?”
“What’s wrong with vanilla?”
“It’s so plain.”
The ghost of a smile plays across his lips. “So?”
“There are a dozen yummy flavors of ice cream with tons of mix-ins, and you picked the most boring one.”
The lady chuckles softly behind the counter as she dishes up his scoop of ice cream.
“You should just be excited that a sugar hater like me likes ice cream.”
I can’t help but chuckle. “Fair point.”
We walk over to the register to pay. Before I can grab my credit card out of my small cross-body bag, Travis hands the woman cash.
“Wait, I was going to get this,” I say as I try to hand over my card, but Travis gently wraps his giant hand around mine and pushes me away.
“I’ve got it.”
“Travis, let me.”
He shakes his head. “No.”
I shiver at how he practically growls it.
The worker just chuckles. “Oh, honey. Let him pay for you.”
He nods at me, and I let out a flustered sound.
“Thank you,” I say to Travis after he pays and we walk out of the ice cream shop.
“You’re welcome.”
“This was supposed to be my treat to you,” I say.
“Just seeing you is enough of a treat for me.”
My heart skids in my chest. I grin down at my sneakers as I sip more of my malt, still smiling.
We make our way along the edge of the Hollis U campus. It’s the week of finals, so it’s a lot less crowded. Students are moving out of the dorms and headed home for the summer.
I close my eyes, loving being out in the sun after spending the past few weeks holed up indoors, studying and taking tests.
“I still can’t believe you like ice cream.”
“Of course I like it. Only psychopaths don’t like ice cream.”
“So all that talk during your birthday party about how you hate sugary stuff was just crap?”
He licks vanilla ice cream off his bottom lip. “Yeah, kinda.”
I playfully bump Travis with my shoulder. He barely moves.
“We’ve never done this before,” he says after walking for a minute in comfortable silence.
“Done what?”
“Hung out like this. Me and you.”
I chuckle. “Well, yeah. We weren’t friends.”
When I glance over at him, he’s looking down at the ground, like he’s thinking hard about something.
“Would you have wanted to be my friend when we were in middle school or high school?”
I’m quiet for a moment. “Probably not.”
I hold my breath waiting for his reaction, but he just smiles.