Love's Charade

seventeen - travis

"Bye Travis." Jade hugged me tightly as she walked me to the door. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you so much." I told her. "You've been the biggest help through this. I don't know how I could ever thank you."

"Send me a gift basket." She winked. "Drive safe."

"Bye." I whispered, hooking my bag higher on my shoulder as I turned for the door.

I walked outside, letting out a sigh of relief as I passed through the gates. Out. I was out. I was better.

Through the gates, I saw a black car waiting for me. The driver door opened as I walked over and my brother got out, smiling. He held out his arms as I approached and I hugged him tightly, tears welling up in my eyes. Jason had been there for me so much over the last seven months, visiting me every week and making sure I wasn't disconnected from the world. He hugged me close, and we didn't say anything for a long moment.

"It's good to see you Travis." Jason eventually clapped me on the back as we parted. "Ready to go home?"

"Actually, I don't plan on going home." I told him as I threw my bag into the back of his car. Jason arched an eyebrow at me. "I'm going to Tokyo."

"What the hell for?" He laughed like he thought I was joking as we got into the car.

"For Taylor."

"For Taylor." Jason repeated in a low voice, and I nodded. "What about Taylor?"

"I love her Jase." I said simply. "I have to tell her. She needs to know."

"Travis you two put each other through absolute hell." Jason sighed. "Ky and I saw her a couple months back, and she's doing really well. What if this goes wrong and you hurt each other again?"

"But what if it's everything we've ever dreamed of?"

"Don't go all mushy on me." Jason rolled his eyes. "I know I can't stop you, but I can tell you to be careful. Lay your heart out on the line for this woman if you must, but don't hang around and let yourself get torn up if she doesn't love you too. You know that's not healthy."

I just nodded, leaning back in my seat as he drove. I'd been dreaming about the day I could see Taylor again for months. Her letters had been a lifesaver, and I'd kept every single one of them, re-read them over and over again. Especially the ones where she'd told me she missed me. Fuck, I missed her so badly. Every day had been harder to bear. I was so in love with her. She was still everything I could ever want, and all of our past was behind us now. I had to try.

Jason caught me up on everything that had happened since he'd last come to visit me, and we talked the whole way home. He took me past the mall so I could buy a new phone and then drove me to my house but didn't come in with me, needing to go home and help Kylie out with the girls. I thanked him for picking me up, waving as he drove away.

Turning to my door, I unlocked it and pushed it open. My house was cold and silent, and I shivered as I walked in. Just like Taylor had said, it had been cleaned up like nothing had ever happened. I walked through every room before I went to my bedroom, putting my SIM card into my new phone and searching through my contacts before I found the number I was looking for. Hoping she'd pick up, I called it and put my phone on speaker as I got a big suitcase down from my cupboard. The phone rang and rang, and I was about to give up when there was a click.

"Don't tell me you got discharged and didn't tell Taylor." Tree sighed, and I smiled to myself. "She's going to kill you when she finds out you called me before her."

"Well don't tell her then." I laughed. "Tree, I'm getting on a plane to Tokyo. I have to see her."

"Yeah?" Tree sounded like she was holding back a smile. "You going to tell me why?"