Love You Madly(82)

Hoping.

That maybe Travis had come back.

She swept the door open even as she processed that the silhouette of the person on the other side couldn’t be Travis, it was too small.

Allie stood, bright eyed and smiling, a bag of bagels in her hands.

Hold it together, Mer. You’ve been so strong. Don’t cry now.

But she couldn’t help it, and for the third time that week, the hot tickle of the first tear slipped down her cheek. But she wouldn’t ugly cry. No. Absolutely not.

Famous last words.

…

“So how long are you sticking around?” Claire asked, sipping a cup of tea, her legs tucked under her as she studied her brother from her seat on the couch.

He took a long draw from his beer, the first one he’d permitted himself since officially going off the clock. “Just until tomorrow. Thought I’d make sure you’re going to be okay, and then I was thinking of heading for a long and much-needed vacation. Have you heard from Rick?”#p#分页标题#e#

He and Claire had called a tentative truce when he showed up last night, and he’d crashed in her spare room, sleeping close to twelve hours, only waking up an hour before. They’d been keeping things light, just discussing what had taken place at the warehouse and in Vegas. Nothing personal on either side.

But he needed to know she’d be okay and planned on spending the day hanging out with his big sis before he left.

“After he showed up Saturday night and I laid into him and told him we were over and he left with his tail between his legs? No. Haven’t heard a peep.”

Thing was, that didn’t sound much like the guy that Travis knew Rick to be. He had a sinking feeling in his gut that with his cover blown, he was momentarily thrown off, but the guy would be back. “You’re doing okay, though?”

“I haven’t entirely fallen apart. Might have spent the past two days crying, but I’m all cried out now. Just…tired. Allie is coming by later and we’re going to a movie, so that should help things. How are you doing?”

He had been about to take another pull from his beer when she’d asked, and he froze. What did she think she knew? “Doing fine.” He took a drink and waited.

There goes the sigh. “Travis, don’t tell me that whatever was going on between you and Meredith is over just like that.” She paused, staring down into her tea. “Allie told me about finding Meredith that night. In the restroom. Crying. And it seems that it was all on account…of you.”

She’d been crying? He’d known she was upset, but to have actually cried?

Damn it. He wasn’t going to feel bad about this. She’d made her choices. He glanced over at Claire, who was studying him. He sure as hell wasn’t talking about this with her, either. He remained silent.

But it didn’t appear that his sister cared whether he participated in the conversation or not, as she continued, shaking her head in bafflement. “Meredith crying over you. Sounded crazy to me, knowing what I do about that woman. But Allie is convinced that she’s trying. Meredith even apologized for all the bad blood between them.”

Okay, that did surprise him. It had to have taken a huge effort on her part to swallow her pride like that. “Good. No reason for Allie to have to go on with that weighing on her. Clean slate and all.”

She rolled her eyes. “That’s all you’re going to say about this? Well, tough, Travis. I’m not about to let this go. You’re the only family I have, and I care for you. I want to see you happy.”

“Then drop it.”

“I know that you and Meredith grew close, and I know what we said. How she can’t change. But is it so inconceivable that maybe she has? That people can change?”

“You know better than I do that people don’t change.”

Claire put her teacup down and leaned forward, trying to make eye contact. “I don’t think you can draw the same comparison between Meredith and Dad. Or Mom. Dad talked the talk, but I think we both can agree that he never really wanted to change. He was saying what he needed to appease Mom. Keep her happy. And God help me, I loved Mom, but I wish she had been stronger. Had resisted. But she loved him too much.”

“Which is precisely why getting mixed up with someone like that is a mistake. You become blind and eventually they’ll return to their ways, hurting people, but you won’t care because all you want…is them,” he finished lamely.

“I’ll be the first to admit that Mom and Dad’s relationship was toxic. His death killed her heart, her soul, and she never was the same, never able to find any joy. But we aren’t our parents, Travis. You’re not Mom and Meredith isn’t Dad. Dad only thought about himself, and I think we can both agree that with recent events, Meredith has proven she loves her daughter so much she was willing to risk her life to save her. Her life. Everything. That’s a brave woman. And maybe someone not as selfish as we both thought.”#p#分页标题#e#