Page 105 of Fashionista's Playbook

“You say one thing, friend, but your eyes tell me something else. You’re still in love with him, aren’t you?”

I smiled, though there wasn’t any real happiness to it. “I’ll always be in love with him, that’s not the point. I can’t live in the spotlight he lives in.” My gut churned. I wished she would talk about anything else.

Harley gave a dramatic roll of her eyes and hopped down from the dais. “Nobody gives a shit. Not me, not your family or your friends—most certainly not Travis. All it took was Ward getting a DUI for people to forget about Travis’ press conference, those stupid pig noses, all of it. As soon as something more salacious came along—it was over.”

“I remember. It matters to me.” My voice was so small in the big room, that I barely heard myself speak.

“Sometimes you have to stop thinking about yourself.”

I shrugged and helped her shed the dress. Harley’s words held a haunting truth, one that was tough to swallow. Funny how I’d been angry because Travis wouldn’t hold Vin accountable and here I was, letting myself slide.

“If I hurt your feelings, I’m sorry.” Her large, wide set eyes were woeful in an exaggerated way. The expression translated like electricity on magazine covers. There was an innocence to Harley that I could relate to.

“You didn’t and if you had, I would forgive you.”

She contemplated that for a moment as she stepped into the tiny skirt and I adjusted it. “It’s not my business, but Travis is a good guy and he loves you.”

The ball of hurt and anger still swelled in my chest. “If only it were that easy…”

“But itis.” She was insistent, pleading almost.

“Clutch send you here to try to get us back together?”

She blinked once, and that same expressive face told me everything. I stopped myself short of jabbing her with a pin.

“I’m sorry,” she squeaked out a hurried apology. “Clutch is worried because Travis is practicing like shit.”

My relationship or lack thereof wasn’t Clutch’s business or Harley’s or anyone else’s.

Harley huffed out a huge sigh when I continued with my tweaking of the skirt without comment. “But that’s not the only reason I said anything.”

She turned to me, took my hands, and smiled. “In this world of ours, there aren’t many genuine people. You’re one of them and I’m proud to call you my friend. Whatever you think is best for you, do it.”

Travis had given me much more than I realized. “Maybe not everything about the Outlaws was bad. I picked up a few friends.”

Harley swung her arms around my neck and clung tightly, before pulling back. “You’ll be at the party. I just know it.”

When she left, I was alone with my thoughts for a while. I’d come a long way; I didn’t let someone else’s manipulations change the way I felt. Travis had plenty of opportunities to make me a priority. I couldn’t run back to a man just because I missed him, especially if he didn’t know my worth.

I knew it now. I had become the woman I’d always wanted to be. And while I loved Travis, I couldn’t go crawling back. Wouldn’t.

A stack of papers lay on the table near my fabric scissors. I’d needed to take them to Bianca for weeks. I hadn’t, for fear I’d run into Travis or worse—Vincent, at the new center. No timelike the present to test out the strength of that steely reserve I’d created.

CHAPTER FIFTY

Travis

The echo of sneakers squeaking on polished wood and balls bouncing against the backboards filled the hallway as I leaned against the front desk of Travis’ Kids. Occasionally one of the kids’ voices would break through the cacophony. This was my fourth time at the center this week, the novelty of my presence had already worn off.

None of them paid much attention to me once the teachers and staff got them going.

One of the counselors tossed a hand in the air in greeting as he passed, before going back to the kids.

I could say that I was here because it was my vision and only be half lying. The whole truth would mean admitting that my house was big, empty, and lonely. And if I was being melodramatic, I’d say the color had seeped from my life when Moriah left.

I was practicing like shit. Couldn’t sleep. And while giving Vin a shove into self-awareness was a good thing—it all hurt. This was the peak of my career and my personal life was in the toilet. Which was why I’d never let myself get serious before. Lightning never struck twice in the same spot. My parents had been the exception to every rule. I was a fool for thinking I could find that in anyone.

“You okay?” A female voice asked gently.

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