Gazing around the oppulant ballroom, Travis couldn't believe that something of this size could be situated within a house.
His profession meant taking risks and his earnings reflected that but the money it would take to buy a mansion of this size was something he would never have.
Looking across to Taylor who was lost in conversation with her father and a few older gentlemen he shook his head knowing that was just one more reason he had to keep his distance, keep things strictly professional but that was becoming far easier said than done.
When Taylor had walked down the stairs that afternoon in her baby pink ball gown, her hair cascading down her back like a river of yellow curls, his breath had caught in his throat and his stomach had squeezed tight and that only confirmed what he had already feared, his feelings were changing from professional into something else, something more, something he shouldn't feel and could never act upon.
Glancing over again he watched as she enchanted each of the men, speaking brightly and confidently, flashing them that large beautiful smile that made her eyes twinkle. He knew it was false, knew the heartbreak and damaged pieces that lay beneath but God she could put on a good show.
"She looks beautiful, yes?" Ana, who had accompanied Alejandro to the event asked the question as she placed a hand on Travis' shoulder, he just nodded, never meeting her gaze. "Does she know you are leaving?"
"Does she know you are fucking her father?"
"Travis!" Ana gasped, removing her hand from his shoulder and placing it over her chest in shock at the bluntness of his words.
"What other secrets are being kept from her, hu? Ale wants me to keep it a secret that he sacked me, he wants you to keep it a secret that you two are in a relationship, the girl is damaged and lost enough without finding out everyone around her, everyone she trusts is keeping secrets and lying to her" Travis crossed his arms over the black shirt he wore tucked in to crisp black pants, as was his style the top 3 buttons were undone giving a generous view of his chest and the necklaces he wore religiously, no one knowing the dark secret behind each one.
"Travis, Alejandro is trying to protect his child the best way he can, she's becoming too attached to you, it's not healthy"
"Says you, the woman who is very attached to her father"
"This is supposed to be a fun evening Travis, why are you so angry?"
"Because of this bullshit situation, do you realise there's at least half a dozen people in this room with a good reason to want to harm Taylor just to get back at your boyfriend? And here we are drinking their wine, eating their food, making them laugh" his eyes went straight to Taylor"It makes me want to be sick if I'm being brutally honest"
"When are you ever anything but?" Asked Ana, smoothing down the bodice of the red and gold dress she wore "we all care about Taylor, you aren't the only one that's trying to keep her safe"
"Is that so?"
Shaking her head, Ana once again touched his shoulder before turning and heading over to where Alejandro and Taylor stood, Taylor taking her presence as an opportunity to leave the group and walk to Travis' side
"Lovers tiff?" Travis just rolled his eyes and said nothing "I'm going for a drink"
"No alcohol!" He shouted as she walked towards the bar that was situated not far from where he stood
"Yes dad!" She shouted over her shoulder as she strutted to the bar, determined to add rum to whatever soft drinks they served.
"Ella es tu novia o es sólo una cita?" Asked a middle aged man with greying black hair and a salt and pepper goatee
"I don't speak Spanish" Travis said impatiently
" Eso no importa de cualquier forma voy a follarla tan duro que ella no podrá caminar por una semana" the man patted Travis' back and laughed as Travis looked daggers into the back of his head, unfortunately completely oblivious to the threat that had just been made
*************
Leaning into Travis as their car made the journey to their hotel for the night Taylor couldn't stop her tears from falling, her immaculate makeup must be making her look like a Panda by now, not the way she ever wanted to look in front of Travis but right now she couldn't care less.
The feel of the man's hand forcing its way up her thigh still burned in her mind and on her skin.
The words he had whispered, the very same ones that had been whispered to her mother but instead of providing Taylor with the peace she had thought it would to suffer the same, feel the same things her mother had she had broken down.
The flash back had been strong and vivid , the smells had engulfed her, the dimness of the lights, the words, everything had been too much and she had found herself pummeling her fists into the man, crying and screaming at him to leave her mother alone, it had only been seconds before Travis was there, replacing her fists on the man's flesh with his own
"Are you ok?" He asked gently wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into him. She simply nodded between sniffs "We are almost at the hotel" again she nodded "Taylor I'm so sorry"
"It wasn't your fault, given the sea of people you couldn't have got to us any faster"
"Not just for that but for everything, what happened to your mother and brother, everything that's happened since...you don't deserve any of it. I'm sorry for what I said yesterday I know you believe you had contact with your mom and it was wrong of me to belittle it"
"Yeah well I pushed you too far. I'm always pushing you too far"
"This situation...it's just, no matter what I felt or wanted it would never be able to happen, you know that right?"
"I know, you keep saying it and I keep refusing to hear it but I hear it now. You don't want me, I just... I'm not used to that, usually when I have a crush on someone they feel it back, I guess my ego won't accept that this time it's unrequited"
Travis sighed heavily, removing his arm from around Taylor and taking one of her hands in his own
"Taylor, do you know how much easier this would be if that was the truth? If every time I pushed you away from me I didn't immediately want to pull you back" his eyes dropped to their hands as he heard Taylor stop breathing, awaiting what he was going to say next "I'm no good for you. I will only hurt you. When you need me the most I won't be there"
"You're the only one that's ever been there" her voice was small and rough from all the crying "Until you came here I felt invisible, like I was a ghost carrying all this baggage on my own, everyone just got on with their lives after my mom and Austin but not me and no one saw how I struggled until you. You saw me Travis, when I was so small and so lost "
"I can't be who you need"
"You already are" was her whispered response and Travis lifted his hand to her chin, tilting it up to him, his eyes trained on her lips
"Travis..." She breathed his name out against his skin
"Not here" he replied dropping her chin and gazing out of the window as though he was considering life's most difficult questions
"Travis?" She repeated, afraid that maybe he'd changed his mind about what he had been about to do
"Your room or mine?" He asked, his gaze still fixed on the scenery as they passed it by
"Mine" she said through a smile "I will have the bigger bed" she didn't miss his eye roll and he didn't miss the way she bit down on her lip.
Right or wrong, he'd just stepped into no man's land and he didn't feel an ounce of regret.
