Page 118 of Almost Beautiful (Beautiful 3)

“He can handle it,” Marks said.

Thomas’s phone beeped, and he tapped a button.

“Take me off speaker, sir,” Constance said.

Thomas waited a beat as he looked around the room, and then picked up the phone. “What is it? Oh, shit.” His eyes met mine. “They’re sure?” He waited for a response, then sighed. “Get him a transport.” Thomas rubbed his forehead before placing the phone on the receiver.

“What?” Liis asked.

“Change of plans,” Thomas said. “Taber, you’re escorting Travis. He’s going to Vegas now.”

“Now, sir?” Taber asked.

Our eyes locked, and I could see a glimpse of sympathy in my brother’s eyes I was sure no one else noticed.

“Now.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Leaving Las Vegas

Abby

THE THIRD AND FINAL LOADof laundry was in the dryer, mostly bikinis, cover ups and swim trunks. The last two weeks had been a rollercoaster I never wanted to ride again.

Of all the things we’d gone through in the past year and a half, Travis nearly leaving me was by far the worst.

It made sense, now, why he was so worried in Vegas after our wedding. He’d only tried to end things once and I couldn’t help but question everything, even after we’d renewed our vows. I’d broken his heart a dozen times. I put my hands on the edge of the dryer and leaned over, ashamed.

No nineteen-year-old girl had it all figured out, and I’d tried not to be too hard on myself for being unsure when it came to Travis while we were dating. But after what I’d gone through when he tried to ‘save’ me by walking away, I wanted to beg for his forgiveness every time panic washed over me.

He’d left me for work the day before. The convention Brandon had sent him to was only two days. I thought Travis would be relieved not to be around his boss, but he still seemed agitated. He could barely look me in the eyes when he detailed his itinerary. Something was up, but I was still too nervous to question him.

Travis had promised to never leave me again, but he’d been in his head since the day after the wedding in St. Thomas, and I didn’t want to push him, worried he’d try to ‘save’ me again. Being married wasn’t a guarantee he’d stay with me, and I wasn’t sure that was a fear I’d ever get over.

My phone buzzed, and I stood, took a deep breath and checked it, reading America’s text.

My two o’clock class was canceled, I’m on my way.

My cheeks filled with air and I breathed out, pushing an escaped piece of my hair from my eyes. I hadn’t told America about what had happened before the vow renewal and was unsure if I should.

She might hate him all over again, making Travis feel worse than he already did.

I was hoping St. Thomas would be a good way to start over, but Travis seemed to be in a dark place. My mind went over a thousand scenarios—if he didn’t think he’d made the right decision to stay with me and a myriad of other things. I knew he loved me. I focused on that.

I’d just loaded the dishwasher when my best friend knocked on the door. I unlocked it and let her in, watching her stroll in and drop into the recliner, the same one I’d sat in the first time I came to this apartment.

The room looked a lot different now, and so did America with her freshly cut blonde bob and bangs. Her skin was golden brown from the Caribbean sun, and she looked relaxed and happy in a white crop top tank, light gray joggers and white high-top sneakers. It only took her a few seconds for her to notice my energy wasn’t matching hers.

“Oh, God. What?” she bristled, sitting forward.

“I don’t know,” I said, sitting on the side of the couch closest to her. “Just a feeling, I guess.”

“About what?”

“Not sure about that, either.”

“Things seemed to have calmed down—if you know what I mean—right?”