Page 108 of Fashionista's Playbook

“Yeah, well, I’m pretty good at fucking shit up.”

“Aren't we all?”

He handed me the box. “I found this in Travis’ office after you left. He’ll probably be pissed I took it, but when I read the inscription, I remembered where it came from.”

I flicked open the velvet top and my grandfather’s watch winked back at me. “When I called, they said…it had been sold.”

“Yeah, Travis is good at knowing what we need.” He laughed and rubbed a hand across his face. “And I need to live my own life.I told him I was moving back to Florida, try it on my own for a while. Find myself, all that sort of shit. His money guy, Wilson, called me, Travis had set me up to get a place.” He shook his head. “I didn’t ask him for shit, didn’t want it. Told him to keep it or donate it back to Travis’ Kids.”

“Wait, you said Wilson?”

He nodded then gave me a perplexed look.

“That’s the guy who approved my loan.”

Vin outright laughed. “Girl, he ain’t no loan agent. That’s Travis’ accountant…his office is in the bank building, but he don’t work for them.”

I tucked the box under my arm, closed my eyes and pressed my fingers to my temples. “I could kill him.”

“Listen, before you do, I’ve got something else for you.” He fished an envelope out of his pocket. “Travis reserves two seats every game, to honor our parents or something. I won’t be at the big one, but he deserves to have family there cheering for him.”

“I ca—”

“I’m not here to argue. But if I’m the reason you left—then you need to know I won’t get in the way again. I want my brother to be happy. It’s important. Or I wasted all those years I lost.”

I took the tickets with trembling fingers.

“I’d take some of thatloanmoney and fly first class.” He walked out, lighter than I’d ever seen him.

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

Moriah

After a restless night’s sleep, I woke up around noon. I’d spent the entire night tossing around Rumer’s words and my conversation with Vincent. Yes, I was still madly in love with Travis. Seeing him left me tangled up in all sorts of emotions I couldn’t compartmentalize.

Travis had shown me my worth.

Travis had shown me what it meant to protect someone you loved.

Travis had made me feel beautiful for the first time in my life.

Why had I run out on him? Because of some stupid, deep seeded fear. Because I thought he would never love me as much as he did his brother? I should have never wanted him too. Vin hadn’t been the only person jealous and acting out.

The angst of realizing that everything I’d done—no matter how well intended—was wrong was the worst feeling. I’d hurt the man I loved, when all he’d done from the beginning was put himself out there in a way he’d never done before.

Shit.

I could call him, apologize, beg his forgiveness, but that would be disingenuous. If he rejected my apology and sent me packing, it would be a lot easier to handle over the phone. But I owed him more than that.

I sat at the edge of my bed, holding the watch. Before Travis, the only person who had ever made me feel special was my grandfather. My insides tumbled around.

Choking on emotion, angry at myself, I glanced at my phone. Without thinking, I dialed Travis’ number. Instead of his voice, low and sexy, I got the electronic notification that he couldn’t be reached.

My hopeful heart sank to my stomach. The game. He was already gone for the championship.

I couldn’t just quit—just let go. He’d given me a loan, bought back my grandpa’s watch, and hadn’t expected anything from me.

Who else was going to love me like he did?

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