Cheaters (completed)

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

The second day with Travis and I appreciate him more than I did yesterday. He's funny, attentive and romantic in a way I have never been treated before.
"Am I spending the night or are you kicking me out?" He asks knowing it'll make blush.
That is the question, isn't it? "I should kick you out because it's the right thing to do, but do I want to? Not really. You are turning me into someone I don't know."
"Let's relax a bit. Last night and today both have me exhausted." He walks inside my room.
"Won't you get in trouble for spending so much time with me?"
He frowns at me as he pulls me down on the couch, both of us snuggling. "If you mean getting into trouble because I should have stayed on site, yes, I might be but I can handle it. If you mean trouble because I'm with an employee, well, let me tell you that sometimes life can throw you a gorgeous brunette and when that happens, you go for it and deal with consequences later." He chuckles. "I doubt it will get either of us in trouble though. We are free to do what we want."
"Okay, good answers." We are both adults and that should be enough to keep us out of trouble.
His arms keep me, prisoner, while my ear is pressed on his chest. Listening to his beating heart makes me relax right away. I need downtime. Today put me through so much adrenaline, it burned me down.
"Don't be surprised if I pass out," I whisper in a tired voice.
"I think I will too. I shouldn't have drank wine with dinner, it makes me all fuzzy."
"Dinner was great. I don't think anyone noticed we weren't here today." We came back in time for dinner. Thank goodness because I was starving and the food made my stomach happy.
"They haven't," Travis says. He must know.
My phone starts ringing so I get up from the couch and get to the phone sitting on the small table.
"It's Justin." Travis covers his face with both hands and a small sigh comes out of his mouth.
"Hello."
"Jesus, Willie, I thought you were dead."
"I know, I'm sorry. I passed out early last night and I had to go through more workshops than humanly possible today. I was about to call you." Lying sucks.
"It's okay I just got home myself."
"But it's almost one in the morning for you." It doesn't make sense. He's out of his regular schedule.
"Yeah, I had work stuff to take care of."
"That's a first. You missed the gym for work."
Justin starts laughing. "I went to the gym as usual but went back to work after."
"Okay." I yawn.
"So, how's Las Vegas?" He yawns too.
I feel heat covering my cheeks. "It's great. I've met some good people and I'm learning a lot. You know, the usual."
"Yeah, you always seem to have a good time each year."
I smile. "I do."
I hear him groaning. The type of sound he does when he stretches. "I think I'm going to head to bed now. Call me tomorrow?"
"Will do."
"Love you."
"Yeah... me too." I hang up feeling all kind of weird. Afraid that Travis will be hurt or mad. I don't want to face him now. It puts me in an awkward position.
There's an endless silence in the room. I don't know what to make of it. My situation is fucked up. I'm cheating on my fiancé big time and playing games I never wanted to be involved in. Travis stays quiet and I'm sitting here feeling uncomfortable.
"Willow... are you okay?" His hushed voice calms me.
"I don't know. I don't know anything." There a black whole growing in my heart, I don't know how to deal with this.
"I'm not asking you to do something you aren't comfortable with."
"I know," I say but I can't hold back the tears. "Justin and I, we used to be good but my trust has been broken apart when I heard about this girl from work. Now, he just got home from work and I don't believe him. Justin never works overtime. What if he was with her again?"
"He doesn't deserve you as wife or girlfriend."
I chuckle. "But you do." I get up from the table and go back to the couch.
"I won't deny that I would very much like to call you mine." He pulls me back against him on the couch. "Cry if it makes you feel better." He kisses my forehead. "But I don't want to be the reason why you are crying."
"You aren't. It's just that I don't trust him but he seems to trust me. Look at me now, I'm with another man."
Travis stays silent for a few seconds. Controlling my emotions after the crazy day we had is a lot to ask.
"Don't overthink this. I can leave if you want me to."
"NO!" My voice startled him and myself. "Stay, we only have a few days."
I know how wrong this is, how bad it makes me but I don't want to be anywhere else. This is where I want to be. In his arms.
"We could have more days and stop counting. I'm just saying." He smiles.
"Travis!" I snicker.
"Are you, deep down in your heart, still wanting to get married to him?"
If there's one thing I've learned with Travis is that maybe I should be with a man who wants me and is less about himself. "Two days with you and I see a different side of how life as a couple can be. You give me a lot, physically and emotionally. It's weird because you don't know me and my flaws but I feel like you do. You want me happy for unknown reasons. But we are still strangers in a way."
"Huh? No, no, I don't do what I've done to you or with you with strangers. I'm pretty sure I've seen every inch of your body and I want to see all of it again. We have something that I haven't had with anyone else before. I want to explore it."
"Like what? You think we're soul mates?" It sounds so juvenile.
"Maybe, I don't know. We have a few more days to figure it out."
"Three to be exact." I add.
"Am I staying for the night?" He asks and I know he will.
"Yes, and stop asking."
He chuckles and pulls me back to him. Within seconds we are back to snuggling.
Against him, I let myself relax. It's funny how good I feel cuddling with Travis. With Justin, after two minutes, he would turn over and fall asleep. Us, now, I'm pretty sure we'll stay like this until the sun comes up.
"Any plans for tomorrow?" He asks before kissing my shoulder.
"Umm, yeah, I'm supposed to be downstairs in the conference room by 8."
"We both know this isn't going to happen."
"Travis, I'm going to get in trouble for this. I can't lose my job." I want to say that my wedding is approaching but I'm not so sure anymore.
"You won't. We're in Vegas and the distance between here and my place isn't so bad. I want to have dinner with you at my place."
"Dancing in a club, exploring the Grand Canyon and now a road trip to..." I let him say it.
"L.A."
I roll my eyes. "L.A. and New York City, things are going to get crazy expensive if we decide to jump in." It's crazy that my brain is already thinking about this.
"Maybe... unless you move in." That smirk on his face distracts me from what he has said but... MOVING IN? Oh my lord!
"Travis!" I hide my face behind my hands. This is going way too fast.
"What? It's true. It would make things a lot easier." He has a point but it's way too early to even think or consider that option. I'm still with Justin and.... Yeah, we're far from sharing a home together.
"Too soon." Two words who give enough of an answer.
"But I would still like to go tomorrow. I want to see you in my kitchen, my porch, and bedroom."
Laughing, I try to come up with a good answer. "You want to make sure I fit with your furniture first?"
"Silly girl, no, I want you home. At my place, you know?"
His proposition is tempting but here, in Las Vegas, we are in a neutral environment. Going to his place so soon after meeting him might be too quick. "I don't know. Isn't it too fast? I feel like you are going to introduce me to your parents."
"Willow, it will be only the two of us."
I take a few seconds to think. A road trip to L.A. is tempting but I'm still engaged to another man and regardless that I have crossed the line many times with Travis going to his place is another step in the wrong direction. "I don't know, give me the night to think, okay?"
"Absolutely."
Not adding more pressure, we live in the moment. Travis invited me, I asked to think about it and he gives me the time I need.
Falling asleep in his arms is natural. With him, I feel at peace, always.
Justin is nice too but it's always about him. For the first time in years, I'm not second.
"Willow, wake up. I've let you sleep in but if you want to go to LA, we have to leave soon."
"You want to go to LA?"
He kisses me not caring that I've just woken up and have bad breath. "LA not so much but home yes."
"Are you planning to chain me in your basement and I won't be able to escape before ten years?"
Travis looks at me, he doesn't think I'm funny. "Do I look like a kidnapper to you?"
"I don't know I've never seen one, I think." I rub my tired eyes.
Too serious to my liking, Travis makes me sit on the bed, my hair is a complete mess and he stands before me.
"I'm not going to hurt you. It kind of annoys me that you think I could."
"Oh my God, no. It's just that it's a bit soon and too much but I'm tempted to go."
"Please? I promise to drive you back here tomorrow."
"Can I at least shower?"
"Hell yes, you can. I'll go and get you a coffee while you shower... pack a bag too."
"Travis!"