Forbidden Fruit (Travis Kelce)

Public Pressure & Private Pain

Arianna

Tour prep has been intense. I've been throwing myself into work, trying to keep my mind off everything. It's been a week since my drunk phone call to Travis. The embarrassment still burns in my chest, and I haven't heard from him since. Brittany has been telling me that he looks like a lost puppy whenever she sees him. I miss him terribly, but what he said was not okay. He slut-shamed me, and it really hurt.

Tonight, the crew is coming into town for the upcoming first show in LA. I wanted to welcome them with a nice dinner out. As everyone gathered around the long, elegantly set table at the restaurant, the energy was high, filled with laughter and excitement.

"So, here's to a successful tour!" I said, raising my glass. "To hard work, great music, and an unforgettable experience. Cheers!"

"Cheers!" everyone echoed, clinking their glasses together.

The dinner conversations flowed easily. Olivia Rodrigo was talking about her latest single, while my band members shared stories from their time off. Theo was sitting across from me, and I couldn't help but notice his gaze on me throughout the evening.

"You look great tonight, Arianna," Theo said, his eyes lingering on mine a bit longer than necessary.

"Thanks, Theo," I replied, trying to keep my tone light.

After dinner, I decided it was time to confront Theo. I pulled him aside, away from the laughter and noise of the crew.

"Theo, we need to talk," I began, my voice steady but firm.

"Sure, what's up?" he asked, looking genuinely concerned.

"I need to focus on my relationship with Travis," I said, taking a deep breath. "Our professional relationship must remain just that. Nothing more."

Theo nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. "I understand, Arianna. But I need to be honest with you. I have feelings for you."

His confession made my heart sink. "Theo, this makes things really complicated."

"I know," he sighed. "I wrote a song about you. I'm working on an album after the tour. I just got signed to a record label."

I looked at him, conflicted. "Theo, I appreciate your honesty, but I love Travis. Despite the distance and the issues, I'm committed to him."

Theo nodded, a sad smile on his face. "I get it. I really do. I'll respect your boundaries, Arianna. I promise."

"Thank you," I said softly. "I'm glad we talked about this."

We rejoined the group, and I tried to shake off the heaviness of the conversation. As the night wound down, I couldn't help but think about Travis. Despite everything, I knew I needed to talk to him, to try and mend what was broken. But instead of texting him, I realized I needed a different perspective—a guy's opinion.

I pulled out my phone and texted Abel, who lived in the same neighborhood.

"Hey, are you home? I need to talk."

He replied almost immediately. "Yeah, I'm home. Come over."

I headed over to Abel's house, my mind swirling with thoughts and emotions. He welcomed me with open arms, giving me a warm hug.

"Ari, what's going on?" he asked, leading me to his living room.

I sat down, feeling the weight of the past week pressing on me. "It's Travis. We had a huge fight, and it's been eating me up inside."

Abel listened as I explained everything—about the argument, the almost-kiss with Theo, and my confusion.

"He said some really hurtful things, Abel. He slut-shamed me, and it broke my heart," I finished, my voice barely above a whisper.