Intertwined

Intertwined episode 24

🤝INTERTWINED🤝

đź’‘EP TWENTY FOURđź’‘

 

We got back to our apartment. As soon as we entered,Travis turned to me and said, “It has been a lovely week,Mrs. Cross.”

I smiled at him. “It has been.”

“Now, we are at a crossroads again,” he said. “I told youI can’t do without my mask. The guy you’ve been with…isfar too vulnerable to be able to protect you…keep you safe.”

I shook my head. “I don’t believe you!” I said to him.

“That guy is more capable of protecting my feelings thananybody else.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You have to remember, Brianne.I not only want to protect you,” he said. “There’s a big partof me that also craves you.”

I stepped closer to him. “I know what you’re capable of,Travis. I know that guy can protect me, too. You don’t haveto put your mask back on. When you told me…you chose tomarry me over pursuing the woman you loved…I promised Iwould make this choice count. I promised to make youhappy, Travis. It’s the least that I can do! Before I set out tofind the guy I was meant to be with for the rest of my life, I

will make this a happy home for you first…until you get overyour heartache. Until you’re ready to find love again.”

He closed his eyes for a moment. When he openedthem, I could see tears shining through them. “Do you knowthere’s more than a fifty percent chance that I don’t let yougo after all this?”

I giggled. “I told you—you cannot fall in love with me.”

“But I also told you I was selfish and greedy by nature.”

“You will let me go when you know I’ll be happy,” I saidto him. “I know you, Travis. I know you want me to be happy.And now, I want a chance to make you happy.”

Travis closed his eyes for a moment. Then he pulled meto him and gave me a hug. “God give me strength to let yougo when you ask to be set free!” he whispered, more tohimself.

When he pulled away from me, he stared at my face. Hewiped the tears from my eyes. Then he pulled my face to hisand gave me a k-ss on the l-ips. He leaned his foreheadagainst mine and said, “I am a big mess in,side, Brianne. Ihope you can really fix me…and forgive me when all this…doesn’t end the way we wanted it to.”

“I won’t need to forgive you, Travis. I know you won’thurt me.”

He gave me a solemn look. “Always remember that,” hesaid. “I would never hurt you.”

I knew he meant that. He chose to hurt himself and thewoman he loved just to keep his promise to me. Yes, I wouldmake amends. As long as Travis needed me, I would be thewife he deserved… the family he could come home to.

After dinner, while we were still sitting at the diningroom table, Travis reached out and gave me an envelope.

“What is this?” I asked.

“Something you need to accept from me since you’veaccepted my proposal to be my wife,” he grinned.

I opened the envelope and found two cards on it. Onewas a black Visa card with the word “Infinite” written on it.The other was a black debit card. Both cards had “BrittanyAnne Cross” engraved on them in gold letters.

I stared back at Travis. “What’s this?”

“A credit card and an ATM card,” he replied with ateasing grin.

“I know. But why?”

He shrugged. “Because I’m going to provide for you fromnow on. Everything you ever need for the house, just charge on the card. I love it when you cook for me. The least I cando is pay for the groceries. Although, you could have Karlarrange it for you. But I thought you wanted to be hands on.”

I smiled. “Yes, I do. No way would I ask your assistant todo our grocery shopping. It’s a small household anyway. Justbecause I married Travis Cross doesn’t mean I’ll live like aspoiled little rich girl now.” I stared up at him. “But, Travis,you didn’t have to. I want to pay for my share. At least cookfor you, pay for the groceries. I mean, you’re already notasking me to pay rent.”

He frowned. “You’re my wife, Brianne. You won’t have toworry about spending for anything anymore. You don’t evenhave to work in your mother’s gallery. If you want to, I won’tstop you. But everything you’ll ever earn is yours alone.Please, let me provide for everything else. And every singlething you fancy…clothes, handbags…charge them on thecard. Consider them my treat.”

“And the ATM card is for?”

“For you,” he replied simply. “The pin is our weddingdate. Every month, I will put money in the account. It’syours. Do whatever you want to do with it.”

I raised a brow. “Like an allowance?”

He sighed. “I don’t know how to make you understand,Brianne. This marriage is real. Do you realize that legally,you own everything I own? That bank account should be ajoint one. You should have access to what’s mine. But I knowyou’ll never agree.”

“Of course I won’t. I don’t even agree with the ATMnow!” I argued.

He reached out for my hands and squeezed them.

“Please don’t argue, Brianne. Just take it. I can argue withthis on legal grounds too, and you know I would win. Forinstance, if something happened to me, my accounts wouldbe frozen for a couple of months before they would all go toyou. But during those months before everything is fixed, I want you to have all the means to go on.” He took a deepbreath. “I promised you once that no matter what happenedto me, I would still take care of you. I’m making steps toensure that promise is kept.”

What he said actually brought me tears. I didn’t evenwant to think about what he had just said. Nothing couldhappen to Travis. Because I would die if something did. Hewas more important to me than all of the material things hecould provide. Didn’t he know that?

Travis stood up from his seat and pulled me into hisarms. “Cherie, I will fight fate for you. You know that. But thecoin has two sides. Everything in life is fifty-fifty. I plan mylife ahead. I like things to be in order. I don’t take chances inlife. And I won’t take chances with you. I want to make sureyou’ll always have a good life. Whether I’m around or not.”

“I want you to always be around. I don’t even want tothink of the other possibility.”

“You don’t have to. It’s me who has to deal with that.” Ihad heard the sadness in his voice before he leaned forwardto k-ss me.

***

Travis was standing in our balcony, having a beer. I told himI’d join him shortly, but he didn’t know that I was busy doingsomething else. I was anxiously looking at the clock.

Today…was Travis’s thirtieth birthday.

When the clock finally struck twelve, I went to thebalcony. I was carrying a cake in my hands.

“Happy birthday to you…happy birthday to you…” Isang.

He stared back at me, his eyes wide, as if he couldn’tbelieve I was singing him happy birthday with a cake in myhands.

“Make a wish,” I told him.

He smiled at me wistfully and then he blew the candleon his cake.

“What did you wish for?” I asked.

“I’m not supposed to tell, remember?”

I laughed. “Just asking.” I placed the cake on the table.

I brought out a paper bag, and in,side it was a neatlyrolled parchment, tied with a red ribbon.

“What is this?”

“Your birthday gift,” I replied.

He chuckled. “That’s a first. I don’t usually allow peopleto remember my birthday.”

“But people doing something nice for you on yourbirthday means they care about you. It takes quite a lot tocome up with surprises. And usually what the person wantsis to see the glimmer in your eyes when you open theirsurprise. It hurts them when you turn them away and shutthem out.”

He stared at me and smiled ruefully. Then he opened theparchment roll. It was a painting I’d made for him…apainting of the perfect sunset on the beach, with asilhouette of a man and a woman lying on the hammock,watching the sunset while in each other’s arms.

Travis bit his lip. When he stared at me, his eyes werewelling up with tears. He smiled. It was as if he didn’t knowwhat to say. Then he pulled me to him, and he gave me onehærd k-ss on the l-ips.

He leaned his forehead against mine. “Now, how can youquestion my decision to choose to marry you?” hewhispered.

I pulled away from him so I could stare into his eyes.

“Because I know you’d be happier if you’d pursued the otheroption you had.”

He shook his head. “On the contrary, I might have beenmore miserable,” he said. “And I wouldn’t be in this portraityou painted, which is…” He paused for a while and then hecontinued, “A picture of bliss.”

“It is actually…” I stared at my painting. I felt a surge ofemotion sweep through me. My voice was full of emotionswhen I said, “A picture of bliss.”

We got ready for bed. Since we had returned from thehoneymoon, Travis and I had been sleeping in the samebed. Sometimes we cuddled; sometimes we stayed on ourown sides. It didn’t feel weird at all. Instead, everything feltright when I was in his arms. I felt safe…like I didn’t have toworry about anything at all. Sometimes, a part of me wishedthat he thought about only me when I was in his arms…andnot wished he had chosen to stay with her instead. I knew I

wanted to make up for the loss he felt. But sometimes, Ithought there was a part of me that wished I could do morethan that…that I could be more than just a patch…asubstitute for Travis.

When I came out of the bathroom, dressed in a pair ofsilk pajamas, Travis startled me by sweeping me off my feetand carrying me to bed.

“Stop it!” I squealed. “Put me down, will you!”

He shook his head and stared at me mischievously. Ilanded on the bed with a bounce and laughed. I watchedhelplessly as Travis descended on top of me with a devilishlook on his face.

“What are you going to do?”

“Something that will make Tom regret he ever asked meto be your guardian!” he whispered. I saw the Travis I knewwhen I was a kid…naughty…mischievous. His eyes weredancing as if he was up to no good and proud of it.

I struggled to push him away, but he was quick to get agrip of my wrists and pinned both my hands on top of myhead. I couldn’t stop laughing. “Travis, please…”

He shook his head. “It’s my birthday. Nobody can stopme from doing what I want.”

I watched helplessly as he leaned forward and k-ssed meon the l-ips. Thoroughly and passionately. He breathed in thescent of me; he devoured my l-ips as if he’d been holding back from doing so for weeks. Since we’d gotten back fromthe honeymoon, Travis and I had shared a lot of hugs andoccasional k-sses. But he’d never attempted to k-ss me likethat again.

He let go of my wrists, but he didn’t stop k-ssing me. Iwound my arms around his neck and k-ssed him back withjust as much passion. I realized I’d missed this…I yearnedfor him to k-ss me like this without reservations…without thinking he needed to protect me more than anything else.But as always, he stopped and gently pulled away from

me. He stared at me with eyes drunk with passion. But Iknew he had his emotions in check. He smiled at me.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered.

“So are you,” I said to him.

He leaned forward to k-ss me gently on the l-ips again.Then he inhaled the scent of me.Deep in,side, I felt my heart twist in knots. I felt a pinchof pain. I wondered if, at that moment, Travis was thinking

about her…the woman he loved…the woman he made loveto last before he married me…the woman he lost becausehe chose to marry me.

I realized I wanted him to forget her…and see meinstead. I couldn’t understand why, but somehow, I wantednot just to ease his pain…I wanted him to draw hishappiness from me, too.I held his face between my palms. Then I leaned forwardand k-ssed him gently.

He stared at me for a moment and then he smiled.

“Thank you, Brianne,” he said. “For being here. I think I’vebeen celebrating my birthdays alone for most of my life.”

I smiled. “I’m here now. And I’ll be here for as long asyou want me to be.”

He laughed humorlessly. “Don’t make promises you can’tkeep, love,” he said. “Because if it were up to me…it wouldbe a very long time. In fact, I don’t think I’ll ever be ready tolet you go at all.”

I giggled. “And what? We’ll stay married forever?”

He stared at me. I expected him to laugh. But when Ilooked at his face, his expression looked serious. My heartpounded in,side my chest. “Aren’t you happy with me,Brianne?” he asked in a sober voice.

Tears welled up in my eyes. I knew the answer to thatwithout even thinking, not even blinking.

“I am,” I whispered. I was happy with Travis. With him, Ifelt safe…comforted…loved…taken care of. And I knew hewould not break my heart. “Are you happy with me, Travis?”

I was afraid of his answer. I knew between the two of us,I was the one who didn’t have a choice. He, on the otherhand, had the choice between the woman who was possiblythe love of his life and me. I wanted to know he didn’t regretthat.

He smiled, and somehow, I saw glitter in his eyes. Heleaned forward and just as his l-ips were an inch away frommine, he whispered, “It’s bliss!”

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