“You should have told them!”
“I will. After Thanksgiving…I’ll tell them.”
I sighed, looking away. “If you promise me that this isn’t some stunt to try and get back together, I’ll do it.”
He nodded. “I promise.”
Although he was trying to hide it, I could see a spark in his eyes. I pressed my lips together, trying not to smile. “I’ll see you at five.”
Travis leaned down to kiss my cheek, his lips lingering on my skin. “Thanks, Pigeon.”
America and Shepley met me at the door of the cafeteria and we walked in together. I yanked the silverware from its holder and then dropped my plate onto the tray.
“What’s with you, Abby?” America asked.
“I’m not coming with you guys tomorrow.”
Shepley’s mouth fell open. “You’re going to the Maddoxes?”
America’s eyes darted to mine. “You’re what?”
I sighed and shoved my campus ID at the cashier. “I promised Trav I’d go when we were on the plane, and he told them all I’d be there.”
“In his defense,” Shepley began,
“he really didn’t think you guys were gonna break up. He thought you’d come around. It was too late by the time he figured out that you were serious.”
“That’s bullshit, Shep and you know it,” America seethed. “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, Abby.”
She was right. It wasn’t as if I didn’t have a choice. But I couldn’t do that to Travis. Not even if I hated him. And I didn’t.
“If I don’t go, he’ll have to explain to them why I didn’t show, and I don’t want to ruin his Thanksgiving. They’re all coming home thinking I’m going to be there.”
Shepley smiled. “They all really like you, Abby. Jim was just talking to my dad about you the other day.”
“Great,” I muttered.
“Abby’s right,” Shepley said. “If she doesn’t go, Jim will spend the day bitching at Trav. There’s no sense in ruining their day.”
America put her arm around my shoulders. “You can still come with us. You’re not with him anymore. You don’t have to keep saving him.”
“I know, Mare. But it’s the right thing to do.”
· · ·
The sun melted into the buildings outside the window, and I stood in front of my mirror, brushing my hair while trying to decide how I was going to go about pretending with Travis. “It’s just one day, Abby. You can handle one day,” I said to the mirror.
Pretending had never been a problem for me; it was what was going to happen while we were pretending that I was worried about. When Travis dropped me off after dinner, I was going to have to make a decision. A decision that would be skewed by a false sense of happiness we would portray for his family.
Knock, knock.
I turned, looking at the door. Kara hadn’t been back to our room all evening, and I knew that America and Shepley were already on the road. I couldn’t imagine who it could be. I set my brush on the table and pulled open the door.
“Travis,” I breathed.
“Are you ready?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Ready for what?”