Jasper hummed out a noise as he shamelessly let his eyes rake over me, and then he handed what I presumed was my black robe to Travis, who helped me slip my arms into it.
I stood between them, my body trembling, needing to be touched, to be held, almost overwhelming me, but then it was replaced by something else. Bile burned in my throat, and my eyes widened. I turned to the side, my stomach heaving, and then I vomited all over the floor.
* * *
I vanished to my room,making excuses so I could get away from them, shame tearing through my body. I curled up in bed, hating how pathetic I felt. Hating that they’d seen me so vulnerable and that I had to deal with the aftermath alone.
I sniffed away a tear. “Yay me,” I muttered to myself before I let out a massive sigh. I’d laid here long enough, my rumbling stomach reminding me that I’d not eaten since lunch, so I threw back the covers and climbed out of bed. I pulled on my favourite soft pyjama bottoms, taking off the robe, deciding I was too hot and flustered to bother with a top before I headed out into the living area.
The place was in darkness, and I moved to the fridge and pulled it open, the light inside adding an eerie glow.
“There are leftovers in there.”
I yelped in shock, spinning around, the fast movement making me feel dizzy, so I had to grip onto the handle. There on the sofa was Travis.
“Is there a reason you’re sitting in the dark like a stalker?”
He tutted. “Waiting for you, Twinkle. Is that what you want me to say?”
I scrunched my nose. “Absolutely not. I have standards, you know?”
He stood, walking across the room and flicking on the lights. My mouth almost dropped open. Travis was topless, showing off the large map tattoo that covered his shoulder and wearing some obscenely short shorts. His hair was messy, like he’d been running his fingers through it… or someone else had.
The thought curdled my stomach, and I wasn’t hungry anymore.
I shut the fridge and reached for the cabinet to get a glass and fill it with water, trying to ignore the feeling I got that Travis’ eyes were on me the whole time.
“Are you happy now?” I mumbled, unable to keep quiet. “He’s all yours.” Suddenly, Travis was behind me, his hands on either side of me, gripping the counter, his lips so close to my ear that his breath danced over my cheek.
“I never had him.”
I turned, refusing to let him see how much he was intimidating me, but as soon as I did and found myself staring up into his inky-blue eyes, I regretted it instantly.
“I think he’s always been yours. I was just something to fill the time.”
He scoffed. “You’re blind, Twinkle. That boy has the hots for you.”
“He looks at you like you hung the moon and filled the ocean for him.”
Silence simmered between us.
I lifted his arm and stepped under it, putting some space between us. “Well, it doesn’t matter now, because I quit.”
“Me too.”
I sighed. “Kind of regretting that right now,” I admitted.
He made a similar sound before saying, “Me too. I love my job. I never wanted to leave… until, well, everything went down.”
Leaning against the other side of the counter, so there was a barrier between us, I kept my eyes locked on him. I told myself it was because I didn’t trust him, but really, I couldn’t look away.
“Do you think he has any idea how much of an effect he has on us?” he asked.
“Nope.”
He chuckled, and I liked the sound.
“Are you two playing nice out here?” Jasper’s voice startled us both as he appeared from his bedroom, looking like he’d just woken up.
