The Lair

Chapter 44

Chapter Forty-Four

One year later…

“Allie, I’m serious. This idea tops every other one I’ve ever had.”

“You say that a lot,” I point out. Jude jokes it’s become his catchphrase at this point, and he’s not wrong. “Also, your last one is hard to beat.”

Two months ago, Charlie suggested The Lair sponsor a local elementary school T-ball team, which brought us a ton of new clients, including from out of town.

“Okay, yeah. That was pretty cool,” he admits. “But how about this—home delivery on game nights. I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner.”

I purse my lips, unsure. “I’m not sure Travis will be on board. You know how he gets.”

Game nights are stressful already. I can’t imagine adding a delivery service to the mix, especially since Travis likes to keep things simple to avoid burnout.

Charlie’s groan is nothing short of dramatic. “Work your magic on your big, scary boyfriend for me. Pretty please, Allie Cat? He never says no to you.”

I stick out my tongue at him. “Ask him yourself, you coward.”

“Damn right I am.”

Amused, I shake my head. “Char, he hired you as our marketing manager after you left for Boston. Don’t you think that means he trusts you?”

Shortly after I came back to Bannport for good, Charlie found a job at a renowned marketing firm in the city. He comes back to visit as often as he can since his family also lives here, but we still miss him a lot—even Travis, as much as he tries to hide it.

“I guess he does trust me a little,” he concedes. “I mean, we go way back if you really think about it. I gave him his favorite mug, and I caught you hooking up by the pool table that one time and never told anyone. Fond memories all around.”

“You’re incorrigible,” I tell him as heat climbs up my neck.

No matter how much time passes, I still get flustered every time someone talks about me and Travis as a couple. It doesn’t help that people love to tease us about our relationship too.

Uncle Neil is as much of a menace as Charlie or worse, and he’s unapologetic about it. He’s been asking for grandkids since we broke the news one year ago.

Jude and Sandra are happy for us, and they join in on the teasing whenever they can. Sandra is a lot more benign, but Jude lives for giving Travis shit about how smitten he is with me. He says his tough-guy facade is slipping, only for Travis to scowl at him and prove him wrong.

Charlie, Lola, Barbara, and everyone else are equally as happy for us. I was scared Jada and Paul would frown upon our age difference or the fact that he’s my boss, but after seeing how he treats me and how happy he makes me, they’re fully on board with our relationship. Their support wouldn’t have been a deal-breaker, because I’m finally living for myself, and being with Travis is what I want, but it means more to me than they could imagine.

Charlie, perched on one of the stools, smirks as he watches me tidy up behind the bar. “I may be incorrigible, but I’m also a psychic. I totally called you and Travis being in love before you even knew it yourselves.”

That’s not a total lie.

“Stop bothering my girl, Charlie.”

Something else I won’t get used to anytime soon is the sound of his deep, soothing rumble calling me his. To the way the weight of his hands feels when he hugs me from behind, just like he’s doing now. To the way he’s so openly affectionate with me no matter who’s watching.

“I didn’t think you’d be into PDA,” I teased him shortly after we started dating, one night when he kissed me in front of Jude and Sandra. And not exactly in a discreet way.

“I want to kiss you all the time. I’m not holding back just because people want to watch.”

Now, Travis rests his hands on my waist and drops his chin on top of my head as Charlie says, “Me? Bothering Allie Cat? Never. I actually wanted to talk to you.”

“About?”

Something that hasn’t changed in the past year is Travis’s no-wasting-saliva policy. He and I can have hours-long conversations about anything and everything, but when it comes to other people, he likes to keep it short and not sweet.

“Some new marketing ideas,” Charlie says. “I have this one that…”

I don’t hear the rest of his sentence.

I can focus on nothing but the two people who have just walked into The Lair. On the tall, brown-haired boy and the younger blonde girl.

I know Travis has seen them, too, when his powerful body stiffens behind me.

Johnny and Cindy.

My siblings are here.

“What’s wrong?” Charlie asks, noticing how both of us have stopped paying attention to him.

My eyes lock with Johnny’s, and I don’t answer. I give Travis’s forearm a squeeze. “Stay here.”

“Allie—”

Swirling around, I get on my tiptoes and peck his lips. “I’ve got this.”

In his eyes, I see a mixture of worry—Travis is the biggest mother hen I know—and the softness he can’t hide every time I kiss him. “All right. I’m here if you need me.”

I give him a small smile. “I know. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Charlie turns around in his stool, and I don’t think I’m imagining him muttering, “Shit.”

The last time I saw Johnny, he came to the bar with our parents a year ago. His disgust for me was evident then, and a part of me is scared he’s back to tell me what he didn’t get the chance to last time—that he hates my guts, that he wishes we weren’t related, that I’ve ruined our family for good.

My chest constricts when I look at my little sister. I haven’t seen her in seven years. It shouldn’t surprise me that she isn’t a baby anymore, yet I can’t stop staring at her, wondering if she’s real. She’s fifteen now, a full teenager, and I…

I missed all of it.

Will she even recognize me?

When I stop in front of them by the front door, I don’t know what to say. I must look different to them too—I’ve let my hair grow a little longer, and I’m slowly getting rid of my bangs. I think the brown dye will stay because I’m fond of it, but I no longer feel the need to look like a different person. To hide in plain sight.

“Hi,” Johnny starts. Did his voice sound so gravelly the last time we saw each other?

My throat feels too dry. “Hi.”

He not-so-discreetly squeezes Cindy’s arm, who quickly lets out a meek, “Hi.”

I have to blink several times to avoid crying. I’d completely forgotten my own sister’s voice.

“Can we talk?” Johnny asks.

We’re nearing closing time, but a few tables are still occupied, so I usher them to the nearest booth, far from everyone else’s ears. My siblings sit together in front of me, and then… nothing.

For what feels like hours, we don’t speak. My gaze shifts between them. Johnny alternates between looking around and at me. Cindy keeps her eyes glued to her lap, her long hair partially hiding her expression. I don’t know why they’re here, but I can’t imagine they’ve come all the way to a small town in Maine to see me and say nothing. So, I let them take their time until my brother finally speaks up.

And says the last thing I expected him to.

“I’m sorry, Allie.”

Is that my heart stopping?

“Why?” I ask, my voice abnormally calm. A part of me is happy to see them, but another part—a bigger one—doesn’t trust Johnny. Not after what he did and said.

He glances at Cindy for a brief moment, then back at me. “Because you were right about everything, and I didn’t listen.”

I’m starting to think my brain is playing tricks on me. There’s no way this , this moment I’ve dreamed of for longer than I’d like to admit, is happening right now.

“Johnny…” I start, unsure of what to say to that.

“I’m not finished,” he chimes in, but his voice is soft. Not demanding, not aggressive.

He takes a deep breath before continuing, “Allie, you are…”

He hesitates, and my breathing becomes labored while waiting for whatever he has to say. Despite having worked with my therapist for a year on my family issues, the truth is that the boy-man in front of me still wields the power to hurt me.

“We watched your interview a year ago,” Cindy blurts out.

I don’t know what to say. It makes sense that they watched it, but I’m still struggling to believe the interview happened in the first place. The fact that they’re aware of it shouldn’t feel weird, but it does.

Johnny speaks next. He sounds serious, somber, and I don’t know what to make of it. “At first, we were… I was angry, but then they showed that video.”

Even if I wanted to, I don’t think I could speak right now.

“I had no idea all of that had happened,” Johnny continues. “I was too young when the kidnapping happened. I’d heard things, but I thought they were rumors. It was stupid of me, I know, but Mom and Dad never talked about it. The people around us either. It was a taboo thing, and I thought I’d imagined the little I’d heard. I didn’t know about Mom and Dad’s punishments if you didn’t want to film either. They never said anything.”

At this point, it doesn’t surprise me that our parents kept so many things away from Johnny. He was their golden child, the one who was always up for taking pictures and cooperating in family activities .

“I didn’t know either,” Cindy says, her voice soft. “I was a baby when it happened, and growing up, nobody talked about it. We weren’t allowed to go online without supervision, either, so…”

“After the interview aired…” Johnny starts, only to pause a moment later, as if he was struggling to find the right words. “It’s been difficult, Allie. Very.”

I don’t need to ask to know what he means.

The plan was to do a little more therapy before I fully ventured online. Dr. Rowland said I needed to be emotionally ready for all the conflicting information I’d find, and I agreed. Much like my relationship with Travis, I didn’t want to rush my relationship with the internet either.

I was doing okay. Healing day by day, taking it slow, allowing myself to break down when I needed to and live guilt free.

But then my parents sued me for defamation.

After I got the email from their lawyer, Travis had to spend nearly an hour holding my hair back as I threw up in the toilet. Fortunately, George Eden was quick to reach out to me and offer to pay for my legal expenses.

“We got you into this mess, didn’t we?” he argued.

I told him that no, I’d come forward because I wanted to, because I’d promised myself, but he wouldn’t have it. And after a quick trial, the judge ruled in my favor.

But that was months ago, and I have no idea what’s been going on since then.

“I saw what our parents had done to us for what it really was—abuse,” Johnny keeps going. “They put us in danger and disguised it as a fun thing. They… They lost custody of Cindy after your trial. Social services got involved.”

Guilt like I’ve never felt before punches me right in my gut. “What?”

“It’s okay,” my brother rushes out, probably noticing my freak-out. “Well, it’s not okay , but I was able to get her guardianship. I’m her legal guardian now. Right, Cici?”

“Yeah.” She clears her throat. “We manage.”

“Where are they now?” I ask before I can stop myself.

“Lying low somewhere in Colorado,” he tells me. “We haven’t heard from them in months.”

I let out a long sigh. “That’s a lot to take in.”

Cindy snuggles to his side, and he puts an arm around her as he tells me, “We wanted to tell you.”

“You did?”

“I’m sorry, Allie. For treating you like an asshole when you were nothing but a victim,” he says. “You said Cindy and I were victims, too, when I came over with our parents last year. I couldn’t stop thinking about that. You said you could never hate us, so I thought we would come here and… I don’t know. I don’t even know if you want us in your life anymore. Maybe this family is broken beyond repair.”

I can tell his words are genuine. For some reason, I can.

I lean over the table, keeping my voice quiet. “I meant what I said a year ago, and I still mean it now. I don’t hate you. Neither of you. I never did.”

A beat of silence passes. Johnny hesitates. “My friends nearly broke into your apartment,” he confesses, turning my blood cold. I’ve suspected he was involved for a long time, but hearing him admit it is an entirely different thing. “I wasn’t with them, but I still regret it every day. Our parents asked me to do it, but I could’ve said no. I was blinded by my hatred for you—unfounded, unfair hatred—and I’m so sorry.”

I’ve always hated when people say, “You have to be the bigger person.” Because what if I want to be the smallest person in the room? What if I don’t feel like suppressing my feelings for the sake of someone else’s comfort?

But then I started therapy, and Dr. Rowland explained that it’s not always about the other person. Would forgiving bring me peace? Or would it make me feel like crap? There’s nothing wrong with putting ourselves first. If we don’t, who will?

“Thank you for being honest with me,” I start, thinking my words through. “When your friends almost broke into my apartment… it took me back to the kidnapping. It scarred me for a while.”

“I’m so sorry,” Johnny repeats.

“I had an inkling you were involved, but I still couldn’t… can’t hate you. Maybe I should.”

“I’d understand if you did.”

“Well, I don’t.”

“Allie—”

“Maybe this makes me extremely dumb,” I continue, ignoring him. “Maybe Travis won’t understand, or my friends, but this is my life, my choices, and I choose to give our relationship a second chance. I want to take it slow, just like I’m doing with everything else now, but I don’t want us to be strangers. We went through something horrific together, felt forced to do things we then hated ourselves for, and I don’t know about you, Johnny, but I’m tired.”

His shoulders sag with relief. “I’m tired too.”

“Me too,” Cindy mutters.

I slide my gaze toward her and give her a genuine smile. “What do you say we start over, Cindy? Would you like that?”

With her eyes holding mine, she nods. “I’d like that.”

“We’re still living in California,” Johnny tells me. “Not in Los Angeles, but in Santa Barbara. We’re leaving tomorrow, but we’d like to see you if you ever come back to California.”

A gigantic weight lifts off my shoulders at his words. “I will stop by Santa Barbara to see you,” I promise them. “And if you ever need anything at all, you can call Jada. I’ll give you her number. Remember her, from my school?”

“Yeah. Are you sure she wouldn’t mind?”

“She was there for me when I couldn’t rely on any other adults. She’ll be there for you just the same,” I tell him, knowing it’s the truth. Jada is an angel, and she would never leave my siblings stranded. To her, they’re victims of my parents’ neglect as much as I am.

“If you change your mind about this—” Johnny starts again, but I don’t let him finish.

“Circumstances forced you to break into my apartment to get a copy of the video. I was forced to lie to the people I loved. It’s not quite the same, I know, but Johnny, we both became people we aren’t proud of because our parents forced us to, in a way. And I’m willing to give us a second chance if you promise to take it seriously. No more shenanigans.”

“No more shenanigans,” he echoes. “I promise, Allie. I want to start anew. Cindy deserves as much.”

She hugs him a little tighter, and I’d be lying if I said their bond doesn’t spark a hint of jealousy in me. Of longing. I could’ve had that too.

Slowly. We’ll get there.

“Everything okay?” a new voice asks to my left. A voice I know too well.

I’m not imagining Johnny’s wince as he glances up at Travis, who’s towering over all of us. And I know he remembers him from last year, if only because a man as imposing as my boyfriend is nearly impossible to forget.

“Everything’s fine,” I tell him, breaking the tension. “Travis, this is my brother, Johnny, and my sister, Cindy. And this is my boyfriend and boss, Travis.”

Travis glares at Johnny for a beat too long until he slides his gaze to Cindy. The shift in his eyes from hard to soft is so drastic, I could laugh.

“Hey, there,” he starts, addressing my sister in an easy voice. “Do you need anything? A glass of water?”

She nods timidly. “Thanks.”

He smiles. “I’ll be right back.”

But before he does, one of his big hands lands on my shoulder. A silent question. I glance up at him with nothing but adoration in my eyes. “Hurry up, you grump. We’re thirsty.”

He throws me a wink before disappearing behind the bar.

Johnny wastes no time asking, “You’re dating him?”

I get a little defensive. “Yes. What about it?”

“Nothing,” he hurries to say. “He’s just… scary. And huge. Like a bear.”

I can’t help my smile. That sounds about right.

I’m sitting by the edge of the lake, a blanket wrapped around my shoulders as the sun disappears behind the clouds, casting a lavender sky, when I hear his footsteps behind me. I know it’s him because Cooper and Buddy are whimpering instead of barking as if their lives depended on it.

Turning in my chair, I spot Travis only a few feet away. My chest constricts with how much I’ve missed him even though it’s only been a few hours.

“Hey, handsome,” I tell him when he reaches my side. “How are your uncle and Barbara? Still denying they’re a couple?”

Some things don’t change in a year.

He smirks. “Aside from that, they missed you today. I told them we’d visit together this weekend. I also brought back some of Barbara’s carrot cake.”

After the unexpected visit from my siblings, I went to yoga with Lola while Travis went up to Uncle Neil’s to fix a faulty cabinet.

Leaning down, he pecks my lips. “I’ve missed you today.”

“I’ve missed you too. Sit with me?”

He helps me up so he can take the chair, then gently lowers me to his lap and shields me from the cold with his arms. I bury my face in his neck, wrapping myself in his familiar scent. His presence calms me down so much, I would fall asleep in a heartbeat if it weren’t so freezing outside.

“How are you feeling?” he asks quietly, not needing to add anything else for me to know what he means.

A tired sigh escapes me. “I’m… not sure.” Travis plants a soft kiss on my forehead, encouraging me to keep going. “I wasn’t expecting them to contact me ever again. A part of me hoped they would so we could talk things out, but…”

“You’re unsure about reconnecting with them?”

I fidget with my fingers above the blanket. “We’ve never truly connected. It’s like starting from scratch, only the scratch is more of an open, bleeding wound.”

“Be patient with yourself, sweetheart.” His voice is low, soothing something inside of me. “Don’t put any pressure on yourself to make it work. There’s no use in worrying about the what-ifs. They’re infinite.”

I sigh again, melting against him. “You’re right. I’ll talk to my therapist tomorrow.”

His beard tickles my forehead as he kisses me again. “I’m so fucking proud of you, you know?”

“Stop saying things like that. It makes me want to climb you like a tree.”

My body shakes with his chuckle. “And that’s a bad thing?”

“For our immune systems, probably. This isn’t exactly outdoor-activities weather.”

“So what you’re saying is that you’ll let me do all sorts of things to you outside when spring comes?”

“Don’t sound so pleased with yourself. You know that’s exactly what I’m saying.”

Another chuckle, followed by him lacing his fingers through mine. “Only you, Allie. Only you.”

It was a pleasant surprise learning that Travis is in fact one big, cuddly bear. He can’t be in the same room as me without touching me now—not that I’d ever complain about it.

“Allie?”

“Yes?”

“I’ve been thinking about something.”

It’s the way he says it that makes me lift my head to look at him. His voice doesn’t give away any nerves, but it also doesn’t sound… normal. There’s a weird edge to it I can’t read like I usually do.

“What is it?” I ask.

A tiny part of me is scared of what he’ll say. In the year we’ve been together, we’ve had rough days—during the trial against my parents, when his nightmares struck, when my anxiety took over. Despite it all, there’s nothing we haven’t been able to get through together. So I tell myself this time will be no different.

“I’ve been thinking about something you said in Los Angeles.”

Even a year later, the fact that Travis traveled all the way to California for me still feels like a dream.

“I asked you how you’d felt about changing your last name. Remember?”

I nod. He starts caressing the skin on my hand with his calloused thumb as I ask him, “Why have you been thinking about that?”

“Because I know last names mean nothing to you, but I still wanted to ask you if you’d take mine.”

Everything in me stops.

My heartbeat. My breathing. My train of thought.

Travis reaches into the pocket of his jacket and takes out a tiny black box.

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” He opens it, revealing the most stunning diamond ring I’ve ever seen. “I know we agreed to take things slow, and we still can do that, but I can’t imagine my future without you. I don’t want to. I love you so damn much, Allie. If I ask to be yours forever, will you say yes?”

My hand starts trembling between his. I blink, my vision clearing as the tears fall. When my lips curve into a smile, his shoulders visibly relax.

“Oh, Travis. Do you even have to ask?”

He slips the ring on my finger easily, as if it was always meant to be there.

“Come here, sweetheart.”

And when my lips meet his under the moonlight, I realize that luck has always been on my side after all.