Chapter 33
Thirty-Three
“The rain finally stopped,” he murmured, his lips moving against Roxy’s temple.
They were wrapped tightly around each other, their naked bodies intertwined completely beneath the sheet.
Her back expanded beneath his arms as she took a deep breath in before letting it out slowly, her face pressed into his throat.
He could feel her lips moving against his neck and then up to his jaw.
“I wondered why it was so quiet when I woke up,” she whispered. “I got used to the sound on the tin roof outside the door…”
Grady had come down to collect them from the motel around three in the afternoon the day before.
Travis had paid for the new tire, as well as the tow bill, which prompted a lot of arguing from Roxy.
He had called in a to go order from Bertie’s across the street, and they had brought their food back to the motel room, sitting half naked in the bed together as they ate and watched old episodes of Law I flew straight to northern Michigan and tracked him down at Jodi’s.
” She smiled wryly then. “I’m sure I scared the hell out of her, showing up on her porch looking like I did.
And then she found out that Free and I had been…
well, Free and I. He was worried about me, terrified of leaving her again, and he didn’t handle it all that great; like I said, emotionally stunted idiot that he was back then.
He left with me that night to make sure I was okay back at home in Texas.
Idiot didn’t even bother saying anything to her for a month, just showed up with a fucking U-Haul at her parent’s house and groveled for her to give him another chance.
” She shrugged. “The rest is history. They’re sickeningly in love and so obnoxiously perfect for each other. ”
He curled his arms around her waist, pulling her up and angling her across his body.
Collaring her throat with one hand, he drew her mouth to his, kissing her gently, sweetly.
Brushing his lips over the scar on her lip first, he then brushed his mouth over her left eye, then the new bruises, and across her nose.
“Thank you for trusting me with all that, Roxy. I understand more, now. Although I certainly hate Neal more than I did before. I will never let him hurt you again, Red. I promise you that.”
She smiled, brushing her lips across his. “I haven’t told anyone that full story other than Natalie, and obviously Freeman. I don’t know what prompted me to spill all that. It’s an awfully heavy topic. I’m sorry.”
He shook his head though. “Don’t ever be sorry for telling me your truths, Roxy.
And I will never judge you, you have my word on that.
I know that our pasts can shape us in ways we never would have expected, probably better than anyone.
I have not been dishonest when I tell you I am a monster, baby girl. ”
She pursed her lips, leaning forward to kiss him again, at the same time splaying her palm wide over his left pectoral, where his heart beat a steady cadence. “You’re not a monster, Travis. This heart is too good for you to ever be a monster.”