“Hey, now,” Travis said, his smile quickly fading into a grimace.
“That’s it. I was going easy on you, Abby, but I’m winning my money back, now,” Trenton warned.
Travis sat out for the last few rounds, watching his brothers try their hardest to regain their money. Hand after hand, I pulled in their chips, and hand after hand, Thomas watched me more closely. Every time I laid my cards down Travis and Jim laughed, Taylor cursed, Tyler proclaimed his undying love for me, and Trent threw a full-blown tantrum.
I cashed in my chips and gave them all one hundred dollars once we settled into the living room. Jim refused, but the brothers accepted with gratitude. Travis grabbed my hand and we walked to the door.
I could see he was unhappy, so I squeezed his fingers in mine. “What’s wrong?”
“You just gave away four hundred bucks, Pidge!” Travis frowned.
“If this was poker night at Sig Tau, I would have kept it. I can’t rob your brothers the first time I meet them.”
“They would have kept your money!” he said.
“And I wouldn’t have lost a second of sleep over it, either,” Taylor said.
Thomas stared at me in silence from the corner of the room.
“Why do you keep starin’ at my girl, Tommy?”
“What did you say your last name was?” Thomas asked.
I shifted my weight nervously. My mind raced for something witty or sarcastic to say to deflect the question. I picked at my nails instead, silently cursing myself. I should have known better than to win all those hands. Thomas knew. I could see it in his eyes.
Travis, noticing my unease, turned to his brother and put his arm around my waist. I wasn’t sure if he was doing it in protective reaction, or he was bracing himself for what his brother might say.
Travis shifted, visibly uncomfortable with his brother’s questioning. “It’s Abernathy. What of it?”
“I can see why you didn’t put it together before tonight, Trav, but now you don’t have an excuse,” Thomas said, smug.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Travis asked.
“Are you related to Mick Abernathy by any chance?” Thomas asked.
All heads turned in my direction and I nervously raked my hair back with my fingers. “How do you know Mick?”
Travis angled his head to look into my eyes. “He’s only one of the best poker players that ever lived. Do you know him?”
I winced, knowing I had finally been cornered into telling the truth. “He’s my father.”
The entire room exploded.
“NO FUCKING WAY!”
“I KNEW IT!”
“WE JUST PLAYED MICK ABERNATHY’S DAUGHTER!”
“MICK ABERNATHY? HOLY SHIT!”
Thomas, Jim, and Travis were the only ones not shouting. “I told you guys I shouldn’t play,” I said.
“If you would have mentioned you were Mick Abernathy’s daughter, I think we would have taken you more seriously,” Thomas said.
I peered over at Travis, who stared at me in awe. “You’re Lucky Thirteen?” he asked, his eyes a bit hazy.
Trenton stood and pointed at me, his mouth opened wide. “Lucky Thirteen is in our house! No way! I don’t fucking believe it!”
“That was the nickname the papers gave me. And the story wasn’t exactly accurate,” I said, fidgeting.
“I need to get Abby home, guys,” Travis said, still staring at me.
Jim peered at me over his glasses. “Why wasn’t it accurate?”
“I didn’t take my dad’s luck. I mean, how ridiculous,” I chuckled, twisting my hair nervously around my finger.
Thomas shook his head. “No, Mick gave that interview. He said at midnight on your thirteenth birthday his luck ran dry.”
“And yours picked up,” Travis added.
“You were raised by mobsters!” Trent said, smiling with excitement.
“Uh … no,” I laughed once. “They didn’t raise me. They were just … around a lot.”
“That was a damn shame, Mick running your name through the mud like that in all the papers. You were just a kid,” Jim said, shaking his head.
“If anything it was beginner’s luck,” I said, desperately trying to hide my humiliation.
“You were taught by Mick Abernathy,” Jim said, shaking his head in awe. “You were playing pros, and winning, at thirteen years old for Christ’s sakes.” He looked at Travis and smiled. “Don’t bet against her, son. She doesn’t lose.”
Travis looked at me, then, his expression still shocked and disoriented. “Uh … we gotta go, Dad. Bye, guys.”
The deep, excited chatter of Travis’s family faded as he pulled me out the door and to his bike. I twisted my hair into a bun and zipped up my coat, waiting for him to speak. He climbed onto his bike without a word, and I straddled the seat behind him.
I was sure he felt that I hadn’t been honest with him, and he was probably embarrassed that he found out about such an important part of my life the same time his family had. I expected a huge argument when we returned to his apartment, and I went over a dozen different apologies in my head before we reached the front door.
He led me down the hall by my hand, and then helped me with my coat.
I pulled at the caramel knot on the crown of my head, and my hair fell past my shoulders in thick waves. “I know you’re mad,” I said, unable to look him in the eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but it’s not something I talk about.”
“Mad at you?” he said. “I am so turned on I can’t see straight. You just robbed my asshole brothers of their money without batting an eyelash, you have achieved legend status with my father, and I know for a fact that you purposely lost that bet we made before my fight.”
“I wouldn’t say that …”
He lifted his chin. “Did you think you were going to win?”
“Well … no, not exactly,” I said, pulling off my heels.
Travis smiled. “So you wanted to be here with me. I think I just fell in love with you all over again.”
“How are you not mad right now?” I asked, tossing my shoes to the closet.
He sighed and nodded. “That’s pretty big, Pidge. You should have told me. But I understand why you didn’t. You came here to get away from all of that. It’s like the sky opened up … everything makes sense, now.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
“Lucky Thirteen,” he said, shaking his head and pulling my shirt over my head.
“Don’t call me that, Travis. It’s not a good thing.”
“You’re fucking famous, Pigeon!” he said, surprised at my words. He unbuttoned my jeans and pulled them down around my ankles, helping me to step out of them.
“My father hated me after that. He still blames me for all his problems.”
Travis yanked off his shirt and hugged me to him. “I still can’t believe the daughter of Mick Abernathy is standing in front of me, and I’ve been with you this whole time and had no idea.”
I pushed away from him. “I’m not Mick Abernathy’s daughter, Travis! That’s what I left behind. I’m Abby. Just Abby!” I said, walking over to the closet. I yanked a T-shirt off its hanger and pulled it over my head.
He sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m a little starstruck.”
“It’s just me!” I held the palm of my hand to my chest, desperate for him to understand.
“Yeah, but …”
“But nothing. The way you’re looking at me right now? This is exactly why I didn’t tell you.” I closed my eyes. “I won’t live like that anymore, Trav. Not even with you.”
“Whoa! Calm down, Pigeon. Let’s not get carried away.” His eyes focused and he walked over to wrap me in his arms. “I don’t care what you were or what you’re not anymore. I just want you.”
“I guess we have that in common, then.”
He led me to the bed, smiling down at me. “It’s just you and me against the world, Pidge.”
I curled up beside him, s
ettling into the mattress. I had never planned on anyone besides myself and America knowing about Mick, and I never expected that my boyfriend would belong to a family of poker buffs. I heaved a heavy sigh, pressing my cheek against his chest.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I don’t want anyone to know, Trav. I didn’t want you to know.”
“I love you, Abby. I won’t mention it again, okay? Your secret’s safe with me,” he said, kissing my forehead.
· · ·
“Mr. Maddox, think you could tone it down until after class?” Professor Chaney said, reacting to my giggling as Travis nuzzled my neck.
I cleared my throat, feeling my cheeks radiate with embarrassment.
“I don’t think so, Dr. Chaney. Have you gotten a good look at my girl?” Travis said, gesturing to me.
Laughter echoed throughout the room and my face caught fire. Professor Chaney glanced at me with a half-amused, half-awkward expression and then shook his head at Travis.
“Just do your best,” Chaney said.
The class laughed again, and I sunk into my seat. Travis rested his arm on the back of my chair, and the lecture continued. After class had been dismissed, Travis walked me to my next class.
“Sorry if I embarrassed you. I can’t help myself.”
“Try.”
Parker walked by, and when I returned his nod with a polite smile, his eyes brightened. “Hey Abby. See you inside.” He walked into the classroom, and Travis glowered at him for a few tense moments.
“Hey,” I tugged on his hand until he looked at me. “Forget about him.”
“He’s been telling the guys at the House that you’re still calling him.”
“That’s not true,” I said, unaffected.
“I know that, but they don’t. He said he’s just biding his time. He told Brad that you’re just waiting for the right time to dump me, and how you call him to say how unhappy you are. He’s starting to piss me off.”
“He has quite an imagination.” I glanced at Parker and when he met my eyes and smiled, I glared at him.
“Would you get mad if I embarrassed you one more time?”
I shrugged and Travis wasted no time leading me into the classroom. He stopped at my desk, setting my bag on the floor. He looked over at Parker and then pulled me to him, one hand on the nape of my neck, one hand on my backside, and then kissed me, deep and determined. He worked his lips against mine in the way he usually reserved for his bedroom, and I couldn’t help but grab his shirt with both fists.
The murmuring and giggles grew louder after it became clear that Travis wasn’t going to let go anytime soon.
“I think he just got her pregnant!” someone from the back of the room said, laughing.
I pulled away with my eyes closed, trying to regain my composure. When I looked at Travis, he was staring at me with the same forced restraint.
“I was just trying to make a point,” he whispered.
“Good point,” I nodded.
Travis smiled, kissed my cheek and then looked to Parker, who was fuming in his seat.
“I’ll see you at lunch,” he winked.
I fell against my seat and sighed, trying to shake off the tingling between my thighs.
I labored through Calculus, and when class was over I noticed Parker standing against the wall by the door.
“Parker,” I nodded, determined not to give him the reaction he was hoping for.
“I know you’re with him. He doesn’t have to violate you in front of an entire class on my account.”
I stopped in my tracks and poised to attack. “Then maybe you should stop telling your frat brothers that I’m calling you. You’re going to push him too far, and I’m not going to feel sorry for you when he puts his boot in your ass.”
He wrinkled his nose. “Listen to you. You’ve been around Travis too much.”
“No, this is me. It’s just a side of me you know nothing about.”
“You didn’t exactly give me a chance, did you?”
I sighed. “I don’t want to fight with you, Parker. It just didn’t work out, okay?”
“No, it’s not okay. You think I enjoy being the laughingstock of Eastern? Travis Maddox is the one we all appreciate because he makes us look good. He uses girls, tosses them aside, and even the biggest jerks at Eastern look like Prince Charming after Travis.”
“When are you going to open your eyes and realize that he’s different now?”
“He doesn’t love you, Abby. You’re a shiny new toy. Although, after the scene he made in class, I’m assuming you’re not all that shiny anymore.”
I slapped his face with a loud smack before I realized what I’d done.
“If you would have waited two seconds, I could have saved you the effort, Pidge,” Travis said, pulling me behind him.
I grabbed his arm. “Travis, don’t.”
Parker looked a bit nervous as a perfect red outline of my hand appeared on his cheek.
“I warned you,” Travis said, shoving Parker violently against the wall.
Parker’s jaws tensed and he glared at me. “Consider this closure, Travis. I can see now that you two are made for each other.”
“Thanks,” Travis said, hooking his arm around my shoulders.
Parker pushed himself from the wall and quickly rounded the corner descend the stairs with a quick glance to make sure Travis didn’t follow.
“Are you okay?” Travis asked.
“My hand stings.”
He smiled. “That was badass, Pidge. I’m impressed.”
“He’ll probably sue me and I’ll end up paying his way into Harvard. What are you doing here? I thought we were meeting in the cafeteria?”
One side of his mouth pulled up in an impish grin. “I couldn’t concentrate in class. I’m still feelin’ that kiss.”
I looked down the hall and then to him. “Come with me.”
His eyebrows pulled together over his smile. “What?”
I walked backward, pulling him along until I felt the knob of the Physics lab. The door swung open, and I glanced behind me, seeing that it was empty and dark. I tugged on his hand, giggling at his confused expression, and then locked the door, pushing him against it.
I kissed him and he chuckled. “What are you doin’?”
“I don’t want you to be unable to concentrate in class,” I said, kissing him again. He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around him.
“I’m not sure what I ever did without you,” he said, holding me up with one hand and unbuckling his belt with the other, “but I don’t ever want to find out. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted, Pigeon.”
“Just remember that when I take all of your money in the next poker game,” I said, pulling off my shirt.
Chapter Thirteen Fourteen
FULL HOUSE
I twirled around, scrutinizing my reflection with a skeptical eye. The dress was white, backless, and dangerously short, the bodice held up by a short string of rhinestones that formed a halter around my neck.
“Wow! Travis is going to piss himself when he sees you in that!” America said.
I rolled my eyes. “How romantic.”
“You’re getting that one. Don’t try any more on, that’s the one,” she said, clapping with excitement.
“You don’t think it’s too short? Mariah Carey shows less skin.”
America shook her head. “I insist.”
I took a turn on the bench while America tried on one dress after another, more indecisive when it came to choosing one for herself. She settled on an extremely short, tight, flesh-colored number that left one of her shoulders bare.
We rode in her Honda to the apartment to find the Charger gone and Toto alone. America pulled out her phone and dialed, smiling when Shepley answered.
“Where’d you go, baby?” She nodded and then looked at me. “Why would I be mad? What kind of surprise?” she said. She looked at me again and then walked into Shepley’s bedroom, closing the door
.
I rubbed Toto’s black pointy ears while America murmured in the bedroom. When she emerged, she tried to subdue the smile on her face.
“What are they up to now?” I asked.
“They’re on their way home. I’ll let Travis tell you,” she said, grinning from ear to ear.
“Oh, God … what?” I asked.
“I just said I can’t tell you. It’s a surprise.”
I fidgeted with my hair and picked at my nails, unable to sit still while I waited for Travis to unveil his latest surprise. A birthday party, a puppy—I couldn’t imagine what could be next.
The loud engine of Shepley’s Charger announced their arrival. The boys laughed as they walked up the stairs.
“They’re in a good mood,” I said. “That’s a good sign.”
Shepley walked in first. “I just didn’t want you to think there was a reason that he got one and I didn’t.”
America stood up to greet her boyfriend and threw her arms around him. “You’re so silly, Shep. If I wanted an insane boyfriend, I’d date Travis.”
“It doesn’t have anything to do with how I feel about you,” Shepley added.
Travis walked through the door with a square gauze bandage on his wrist. He smiled at me and then collapsed on the couch, resting his head on my lap.
I couldn’t look away from the bandage. “Okay … what did you do?”
Travis smiled and pulled me down to kiss him. I could feel the nervousness radiating from him. Outwardly he was smiling, but I had the distinct feeling he wasn’t sure how I would react to what he had done.
“I got a few things today.”
“Like what?” I asked, suspicious.
Travis laughed. “Calm down, Pidge. It’s nothing bad.”
“What happened to your wrist?” I said, pulling his hand up by his fingers.
A thunderous diesel motor pulled up outside and Travis hopped up from the couch, opening the door. “It’s about fucking time! I’ve been home for at least five minutes!” he said with a smile.
One man walked in backward, carrying a plastic-covered gray sofa, followed by another man bringing in the rear. Shepley and Travis moved the couch—with me and Toto still on it—forward, and then the men sat the new one in its place. Travis pulled off the plastic and then lifted me in his arms, setting me on the soft cushions.