Not a Chance(33)

Travis had watched him through this little speech. When Dustin stopped talking he looked down at the space in front of him, lost in thought.

"You understand, don't you?" Dustin asked.

Slowly, Travis nodded. He took a deep breath, started to speak, stopped, and started again. "It's my fault..."

"I'm sick of hearing you say that, Trav," Dustin interrupted. "It's not your fault. It was the old man's fault. And now Duane's a grown man and his life is his own responsibility."

Travis's jaw tightened. "He had it worse than any of us."

"I know. But he's been with us since he was sixteen. There ain't anything more to be done. Okay?"

Travis pressed his face into his hands and shook his head. "I know what you're saying is right. I just can't understand how you turn out your own brother."

"Well that's why I'm doing it for you. So you don't have to."

Travis nodded and leaned back against the couch. "I'm sorry I lost my temper."

"I know you are."

"I've had a really bad week."

"I know you have."

Travis sighed. Then he pulled all of those feeling together, packed them up somewhere in the back of his mind, and put on a smile. "Did you see Emma today?"

Dustin cursed. He didn't want to talk about it. "Yep." He leaned back in his chair and flipped the TV on to a football game.

"Did you talk to her?"

"Yep."

"Come on, Dustin."

"I'm not a girl, Travis. I don't want to talk about every little thing that happens in my day."

"Uh-huh. So did you ask her out?" Travis asked, ignoring Dustin's veiled insult.

Dustin sighed. "Yes. For the party Friday."

Travis's face lit up in a bright smile. "Really?"

"Yeah. Really." Dustin wondered why it was so exciting for Travis. He wondered how Travis could be so happy for him when he was dealing with heartbreak. But Travis's joy encouraged him. "I even drove her home."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah and we drove up to Skyline at that lookout up there."

"That's a good make-out spot." Travis grinned.

"Yes it is."

Travis's jaw dropped. "You did not make out with Emma.”

Dustin tried not to grin.

"Emma Harris? Sweet little Emma?" Travis was beginning to look less and less pleased. Dustin wasn't sure what about this information he could possibly find offensive.

"She's 'sweet little Emma' to you, not me," Dustin said.

Travis frowned, looking slightly disgusted.

"What's wrong, now?"

"I don't know," Travis said. "I've never felt this way about a woman before. I think it would be best if I don't hear any relationship details from now on."

Dustin couldn't believe what he was hearing. It would just about figure that Travis could have nearly any woman he wanted and here he was wanting Emma. So much for Arden. Dustin shook his head, too mad to think. Travis had stolen girls from him in the past, but this time would be different. This time he wouldn't politely step back. Even if Emma did decide she liked Travis better.

"What's wrong?" Travis asked. "All of a sudden you're brooding."

"I don't brood. How exactly is it that you feel for Emma?"

Travis looked confused again. "I don't know. She's just...like...well...like a sister, I guess. I love her and I love you and I wish you all the happiness in the world. I'd just like to go on and pretend that the two of you will never have sex, that's all."

Dustin laughed in relief. Thank God. "Well don't ask, then, and I won't tell." Which was just as well since there wouldn't be anything to tell anyway. And this would make it possible to hide that fact, since Travis was sure to relentlessly tease him if he were to find out that Emma wanted to wait. "Hey, why don't you call up Kristen and we'll double date, Friday."

Travis hesitated. He looked sad for a moment, then regretful, and finally, determined. "That's a great idea. That's what I'll do. Kristen is a wonderful woman. She and I are great together."

"Damn straight," Dustin said. He grabbed the remote control and turned up the volume on the game.





CHAPTER SIXTEEN



Travis's bad Sunday wasn't over. He went to bed that night thinking that it was. He'd forced himself to call Kristen and they had a date for tomorrow evening. Which meant he would finally get laid, something he'd been deprived of for far too long. He could always count on Kristen to put out. She was as desperate as him. And she had just been rejected by Brody Jessop again. So she and Travis could soothe each other's broken hearts. Again.

Travis had gone to sleep determined to wake up the next morning and find the good in his life. But as soon as he drifted off he dreamt of Tonya. She was young like when they'd first met. Sixteen. But her eyes were the angry eyes of the older Tonya. She was keying his car and slashing the tires. She was on a full rampage, destroying everything Travis owned and he was powerless to stop her. There was a click that sounded like a door closing. Somewhere in his subconscious he recognized this as a real sound and his dream began dissipating.