Unconditionally

Chapter 0.8

  November 2017

|| Marabelle ||

Thanksgiving dinner went as it usually would with great conversation being made, lots of laughs shared and incredible food being eaten. My mom and Leanne really did outdo themselves this year. Mal and I are probably gonna have to spend twice as much time in the studio working off everything we ate.

When Sunday had come around, I was less than excited for my evening out with Travis. Since he was only coming to pick me up at seven, I spent the whole afternoon doing absolutely nothing.

Peaches☺: Heyyy. Are you busy or can we facetime real quick? Have something I need to tell you...

That message from Freddie came in at around four pm. Replying, I told him that I was good to facetime and then a few minutes later he was calling me.

"Heyyy, Peaches," I greeted as his face popped up on the screen of my phone.

"Hey," He grinned at me. "How was your Thanksgiving."

"Was good. I ate a heck load and I kinda feel like if I move too much I'll burst," I laughed. "And yours?"

"Oh you know, the usual. Mom and grandma fighting, dad and grandpa pretending they don't notice it, Karliegh getting ready to leave because she hates Athena. The usual," He shrugged.

"Boy am I glad I ain't you," I chuckled. "So what this you need to tell me?"

"Well," He grinned even more, "I've been talking to Delilah a lot lately..."

"What?! Really?!" I squealed.

"Yeah," He nodded.

"And?"

"We have a date when I get back..."

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" I shrieked excitedly. "I knew from the beginning there was a spark! Ah, I ship it so hard! This is incredible!"

"Thanks," He chuckled. "But yeah, there's just something about her. She's quirky and funny and -"

"Undeniably gorgeous?" I added in with a grin.

"I was getting there," He laughed.

"That's incredible, Freddie. I'm so happy for you," I told him.

"Thanks, Belle," He smiled. "Anyways, what are you up to?"

"Ugh, I have to get ready soon. I'm going out tonight with my ex." I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"Oh you are?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah," I sighed. "I kinda got roped into it unwillingly."

"That sounds like its gonna be fun," He snickered.

"As fun as getting run over," I muttered.

After talking more about the date he planned to take Delilah on next week, Freddie and I ended our call due to him having to rescue Karliegh from another fight with their cousin and my mom barging into my room claiming that I had to get ready for tonight.

"Momma! There's still like three hours till I need to leave," I groaned as my mom tried to push me into the bathroom to shower.

"Marabelle, don't fight me on this," She warned.

"Ugh, fine," I groaned as I entered the bathroom and then closed the door.

When my mom found out about Travis and I going out (from Norma actually, not me), she got wayyy too excited about it. Its like she actually believes there's a possibility of him and I getting back together. Jokes on you mom.

My dad and Evan weren't happy about the news of this activity between Travis and I. Evan's never liked Travis, especially when he started acting so dickwad-like towards the end of our relationship and dads just naturally protective of me.

Thirty minutes later I had washed my hair and shaved in all the necessary places and then forced myself to get out of the shower.

In my room mom and Mallory had already ransacked my suitcase and picked out a dress for me to wear tonight. It was a chic black cutout dress that stopped at mid thigh and showed off a cute amount of cleavage.

The next two hours were spent with Mal doing my hair and make up while my mom couldn't stop talking about how this was like old times -like when Travis and I used to go on dates back in high school.

"You're not leaving the house looking like that." was the first thing my dad said when I had come downstairs.

I actually looked totally appropriate -with my long hair curled and my make-up kept au natural and my dress really complementing my figure paired with four inch black peeptoe heels.

"Oh hush, Peter," Mom scolded him. "She looks just fine."

"I agree with dad," Evan said. "Mara, go put on some pants or something. That dress is way too short."

"I'm not changing," I deadpanned.

"I, for one, thinks she looks great," Pia chimed in.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. No one asked for your opinion you gold digging hoe.

"Yup, me too," said Mal.

"You remember to be home by curfew okay?" Dad said to me.

"Daddy," I whined, "I'm not a little girl anymore. I don't need a curfew."

"As long as you're under my roof, Marabelle Jaimeson, you follow my rules. Be back before midnight," He said sternly. My dad isn't always strict. Its just that I'm his baby girl and he always feels the need to be protective and stuff.

"Yes daddy," I mumbled.

Just then the doorbell rang.

"That must be Travis. I'll get it," Mom said excitedly.

"Actually, momma. I will," I said, not in the mood to have chit chat between my family and Travis. I just want to get this night over and done with.

"Have fun!" Mallory called, definitely knowing that I wouldn't.

"Marabelle, you look beautiful," Travis said to me when I had opened the door.

"Thank you," I said politely as I took in his attire of a traditional suit and tie. "You look handsome."

"Thank you. I brought you some uh, flowers," He said, handing me the bouquet of pink carnations. "These are still your favourite, right?"

Before I could answer, my mother did. "They sure are. Marabelle's loved carnations since she was little. I'll put those in a vase for her."

"Its wonderful to see you again, Mrs Jaimeson. You're looking as beautiful as ever," He complemented my mother.

This time I actually did roll my eyes. Suck up.

"Why thank you, Travis," My mom blushed.

"Right, shall we get going?" I asked Travis. I'm going to throw up if I have to watch my mom fawn over this stupid boy.

"Of course," He nodded and then bid goodbye to my mother before taking me by the hand and leading me to his car.

The drive out of our neighborhood was quiet until he spoke. "I'm sorry if you felt pressured by mother to go out with me tonight."

"No uh, its okay. You know how much I love the ballet anyway," I said.

"Yeah," He chuckled. "You've always been a sucker for dance."

I hummed in response and then the ride was quiet from then on. When we got to the theater Travis displayed the type of chivalry that he had for the first fifteen months of our relationship. He opened the car door for me, held me tightly by the waist and allowed me to walk through doors first, the way its meant to be.

Of course the ballet was absolutely incredible as it always is. Although Travis was a total jock at school, he and I both enjoyed coming to the theater to watch dance shows. I think he did it more for my sake but he enjoyed it all the same.

After the performance Travis insisted on taking me out for dinner at Rosie's diner, the diner we had dubbed our diner because that's where he took me for our first date.

"Well slap me with a wet fish! If it ain't Travis Wesson and Marabelle Jaimeson!" Rosie Turner said as Travis and I walked through the diner doors. "Haven't seen you kids since what? Your senior year!"

"Hi, Rosie," I smiled at the plump elderly woman. "Its good to see you again."

"I was wondering when y'all would walk through these doors again," She grinned as she pulled me into a tight hug and then hugged Travis.

"We're just stopping by for dinner," Travis told her.

"Well y'all go sit in your usual booth and I'll bring some menus right out," She said as she steered us towards the booth we always used to sit in whenever we came here.

"This place hasn't changed at all," I commented once we were seated.

"I know right," He said with a light chuckle. "Look, even our engraving is still here," He said, pointing to the corner by my side of the booth to the six little letters he had engraved into the wall years back.

m.e.j + t.e.w ♡

Marabelle Eva Jaimeson and Travis Ethan Wesson

"I still can't believe Rosie didn't kill us for doing that," I giggled.

"You know how much of a romantic she is," He laughed. "She didn't mind at all."

Looking into Travis' blue eyes, it wasn't difficult for me to remember why I fell in love with him in the first place. He was sweet and attractive and a complete sweetheart. He made my heart flip and skip a beat every time he smiled at me and the time we'd spend together was so sacred. Until he became a huge jerk and threw that all away.

Dinner, surprisingly enough, went well. And for some reason I didn't have the urge to shove my foot down Travis' throat. For a while he was the same Travis I had once loved. Still love, I guess. As much as I despise the man in front of me for being a huge dickhead and making me question my self-worth so much in the weeks leading up to the end of our relationship, he's still the guy I first loved and I guess I'll always love him in some fucked up kinda way. Not enough to ever get back together with him though. Fuck no.

"So are you planning on staying in Jersey after graduation?" He asked me as we sipped on our chocolate shakes after we were done with dinner.

"Probably," I nodded. "I like it there. And you? I hear you plan on coming back to Charlotte after you finish at UPenn to work with your dad?"

"That's the plan," He nodded. Its always been in Travis' future to take over his dads law firm.

After we had finished at the diner we finally headed home. Okay I'll admit, tonight wasn't as awful as I thought it would be.

"Marabelle," Travis said to me as he stopped outside my house.

"Yes, Travis?"

"I had a really good time with you tonight," He said. "In fact, it kinda got me thinking about the old days when it was me and you."

"Travis..."

"I screwed up, Mara. I didn't know what I had back then until I lost you. I didn't mean to be such a dick to you. When you ended things between us, it killed me," He told me. "I still love you, Marabelle. I always have."

"Travis, I'll always have feelings for you but whatever you and I had, that's done. In the past," I said.

"You know we can talk It out. Let's go back to my place, I've got a nice bottle of champagne...we can talk." I didn't miss the suggestive tone in his voice at the last bit.

I raised my eyebrow. "Are you serious, Travis?! You're telling me you still want us again and then you go and suggest sex? Good lord!"

"That wasn't what I was aiming at but hey, if you're game," He smirked at me and shot me a wink before leaning over.

"Back the hell up!" I snapped. "God, I should have known tonight was too good to be true! Three years on and you're still a total slimeball!" Grabbing my purse, I opened the door and got out the car.

"Marabelle, wait!" He called after me but I was already walking up the steps to my front door.

Typical. Trying to woo me so he can get in my pants. No way buddy.

Not now. Not ever again.


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A/N: I felt like this chapter was so necessary because Travis is gonna come up again in future chapters ;)

I hope you guys are enjoying this book. If you are, hit that star and don't be afraid to drop a comment ;)

ILY xx