Forbidden Fruit (Travis Kelce)

Feather

Arianna

I woke to the sound of a tiny voice calling my name. Blinking sleep from my eyes, I saw Sterling standing beside the bed, her wide eyes full of curiosity.

"Aunt Ari, are you awake?" she whispered, as if sharing a secret.

I smiled and sat up, stretching. "Good morning, Sterling. What are you doing here?"

"Mommy and Bronze are in the kitchen," she said, her little hand reaching for mine. "Come see!"

I followed Sterling down the hall and into the kitchen, where the smell of fresh coffee and pancakes greeted me. Brittany stood at the stove, flipping pancakes, while Bronze sat in his high chair, babbling happily.

"Arianna!" Brittany exclaimed when she saw me. She put down the spatula and came over to give me a warm hug. "It's so good to see you. How are you holding up?"

I hugged her back, feeling a wave of gratitude for her support. "I'm okay, Britt. Just taking things one day at a time."

She nodded and gestured for me to sit down. "Come, have some breakfast. Catch me up on everything. Any updates?"

I took a seat at the table, and Brittany poured me a cup of coffee.

"I've been hanging out with Travis quite a bit," I said casually.

Brittany stopped mid-pour, raising an eyebrow. "And Kayla is cool with that?"

I looked at her, confused. "Kayla?"

"Yeah, Travis's girlfriend," Brittany explained, a concerned look crossing her face. "She doesn't seem like the type to be cool with her boyfriend hanging out with another woman, even if it's just as friends."

I stared at her, stunned. "I had no idea he had a girlfriend."

Brittany sighed, setting the coffee pot down. "Oh, Ari. You really didn't know?"

I shook my head, feeling a wave of embarrassment. "No, I didn't. But it's strictly friendly. There's nothing going on between us."

Brittany reached out and squeezed my hand. "I believe you. Just... be careful, okay? I don't want you to get hurt or caught up in more drama."

"Thanks, Britt," I said, grateful for her concern. "I'll talk to Travis about it. I don't want to cause any trouble for him or Kayla."

Brittany smiled, giving me a reassuring pat on the back. "Good. Now, let's enjoy breakfast. It's been too long since we've had a morning like this."

As we ate, Brittany gave me a serious look. "You need to call Miley, Ari. She's been calling me nonstop, worried about you. You've been in ghost mode with everyone, but you need to reconnect."

I nodded, knowing she was right. After breakfast, I grabbed my phone and saw all the missed calls and texts from various people. Taking a deep breath, I called Miley.

She answered on the first ring. "Ari! Finally! I've been going crazy worrying about you."

"Hey, Miley. I'm sorry I've been out of touch," I said, feeling a pang of guilt. "I'm doing better, but I'm still not over everything that's happened."

"I get it," Miley said, her voice softening. "I'm just glad to hear your voice. What's new? Any updates?"

I told her about reconnecting with Zach and how I had been spending time with Travis.

"Travis Kelce? Damn, girl," Miley said, her tone turning mischievous. "So, is he hot or what?"

I laughed. "Yeah, he's pretty great. But it's just a friendship."