I flipped a tiny white pill in my mouth and swallowed, chasing it with a large glass of water. I was standing in the middle of Travis’ bedroom in a bra and panties, getting ready to slip into my pajamas.
“What’s that?” Travis asked from the bed. “Uh…my pill?”
He frowned. “What pill?”
“The pill, Travis. You have yet to replenish your top drawer and the last thing I need is to worry about whether or not I’m going to get my period.”
“Oh.”
“One of us has to be responsible,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “My God you’re s*xy,” Travis said, propping his head up with his
hand. “The most beautiful woman at Eastern is my girlfriend. That’s insanity.”
I rolled my eyes and slipped the purple silk over my head, crawling in bed beside him. I straddled his lap and kissed his neck, giggling when he let his head fall against the headboard. “Again? You’re gonna kill me, Pidge.”
“You can’t die,” I said, covering his face with kisses. “You’re too damn mean.”
“No, I can’t die because there are too many jackasses falling over themselves to take my place! I may live forever just to spite them!”
I giggled against his mouth and he flipped me onto my back. His finger slid under the delicate purple ribbon tied at the crest of my shoulder and slid it down my arm, kissing the skin it left behind.
“Why me, Trav?”
He leaned back, searching my eyes. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve been with all these women, refused to settle down, refuse to even take a phone number… so why me?”
“Where is this coming from?” he said, his thumb caressing my cheek.
I shrugged. “I’m just curious.”
“Why me? You have half the men at Eastern just waiting for me to screw up.”
I wrinkled my nose. “That’s not true. Don’t change the subject.”
“It is true. If I hadn’t been chasing you from the beginning of school, you’d have more than Parker Hayes following you around. He’s just too self-absorbed to be scared of me.”
“You’re avoiding my question! And poorly, I might add.”
“Okay! Why you?” A smile spread across his face and he leaned down to touch his lips to mine. “I had a thing for you since the night of that first fight.”
“What?” I said with a dubious expression.
“It’s true. You in that cardigan with blood all over you? You looked absolutely ridiculous,” he chuckled.
“Thanks.”
His smiled faded. “It was when you looked up at me. That was the moment. You had this wide-eyed, innocent look…no pretenses. You didn’t look at me like I was Travis Maddox,” he said, rolling his eyes at his own words, “you looked at me like I was…I don’t know, a person I guess.”
“News flash, Trav. You are a person.”
He brushed my bangs from my face. “No, before you came, Shepley was the only one that treated me like anyone else. You didn’t get all awkward, or flirt, or run your fingers through your hair. You saw me.”
“I was a complete bitch to you, Travis.”
He kissed my neck. “That’s what sealed the deal.”
I slipped my hands down his back and into his boxers. “I hope this gets old soon. I don’t see myself ever getting tired of you.”
“Promise?” he asked, smiling.
His phone buzzed on the night table and he smiled, holding it to his ear. “Yeah?…Oh, hell no, I got Pidge here with me. We’re just getting’ ready to go to bed…Shut the fuck up, Trent, that’s not funny… Seriously? What’s he doin’ in town?” He looked at me and sighed. “All right. We’ll be there in half an hour….You heard me, douchebag.
Because I don’t go anywhere without her, that’s why. Do you want me to pound your face when I get there?” Travis hung up and shook his head.
I raised an eyebrow. “That is the weirdest conversation I’ve ever heard.”
“That was Trent. Thomas is in town and it’s poker night at my dad’s.”
“Poker night?” I swallowed.
“Yeah, they usually take all of my money. Cheatin’ bastards.”
“I’m going to meet your family in thirty minutes?” He looked at his watch. “Twenty-seven minutes to be exact.”
“Oh my God, Travis!” I wailed, jumping out of bed. “What are you doing?” he sighed.
I rummaged through the closet and yanked on a pair of jeans, hopping up and down to pull them up, and then pulled the nightgown over my head, throwing it into Travis’ face. “I can’t believe you gave me twenty minutes notice to meet your family! I could kill you right now!”
He pulled my nightgown from his eyes and laughed at my desperate attempt to look presentable. I grabbed a black v-neck shirt and tugged it to its proper position, and then ran to the bathroom, brushing my teeth and ripping a brush through my hair. Travis walked up behind me, fully dressed and ready, and wrapped his arms around my waist.
“I’m a mess!” I said, frowning in the mirror.
“Do you even realize how beautiful you are?” he asked, kissing my neck.
I huffed, scampering into his room to slip on a pair of heels, and then took Travis’ hand as he lead me to the door. I stopped, zipping up my black leather jacket and pulling my hair up into a tight bun in preparation for the blustery ride to his father’s house.
“Calm down, Pigeon. It’s just a bunch of guys sitting around a table.” “This is the first time I’m meeting your dad and your brothers…all at the same time…and you want me to calm down?” I said, climbing onto
his bike behind him.
He angled his neck, touching my cheek as he kissed me. “They’re going to love you, just like I do.”
When we arrived, I let my hair fall down my back and ran my fingers through it a few times before Travis led me through the door.
“Holy Christ! It’s the asshat!” one of the boys called.
Travis nodded once. He tried to look annoyed, but I could see that he was excited to see his brothers. The house was dated, with yellow and brown faded wallpaper and shag carpet in different shades of brown. We walked down a hall to a room straight ahead with the door wide open.
Smoke wafted into the hallway, and his brothers and father were seated at a round, wooden table with mismatched chairs.
“Hey, hey…watch the language around the young lady,” his dad said, the cigar in his mouth bobbing
while he talked.
“Pidge, this is my dad, Jim Maddox. Dad, this is Pigeon.”
“Pigeon?” Jim asked, an amused expression on his face.
“Abby,” I smiled, shaking his hand.
Travis pointed to his brothers. “Trenton, Taylor, Tyler, and Thomas.”
They all nodded, and all but Thomas looked like older versions of Travis; buzz cuts, brown eyes, their t-shirts stretched over their bulging muscles, and covered in tattoos. Thomas wore a dress shirt and loosened tie, his eyes were hazel green, and his dark blonde hair was longer by about an inch.
“Does Abby have a last name?” Jim asked. “Abernathy,” I nodded.
“It’s nice to meet you, Abby,” Thomas said, smiling. “Really nice,” Trent said, giving me an impish once-over. Jim slapped the back of his head and he yelped. “What’d I say?” he said, rubbing the
back of his head.
“Have a seat, Abby. Watch us take Trav’s money,” one of the twins said. I couldn’t tell which was which; they were carbon copies of each other, even their tattoos matched.
The room was peppered with vintage pictures of poker games, pictures of poker legends posing with Jim and who I assumed to be Travis’ grandfather, and antique playing cards along the shelves.
“You knew Stu Unger?” I asked, pointing to a dusty photo.
Jim’s squinty eyes brightened. “You know who Stu Unger is?”
I nodded. “My dad’s a fan, too.”
He stood up, pointing to the picture beside it. “And that’s Doyle Brunson, there.”
I smiled. “My dad saw him play, once. He’s unbelievable.”
“Trav’s granddaddy was a professional…we take poker very seriously around here,” Jim smiled.
I sat between Travis and one of the twins while Trenton shuffled the deck with moderate skill. The boys put in their cash and Jim divvied out the chips.
Trenton raised an eyebrow. “You wanna play, Abby?”
I smiled politely and shook my head. “I don’t think I should.”
“You don’t know how?” Jim asked.
I couldn’t hold back a smile. Jim looked so serious, almost paternal. I knew what answer he expected, and I hated to disappoint him.
Travis kissed my forehead. “Play…I’ll teach you.”
“You should just kiss your money goodbye, now, Abby,” Thomas laughed.
I pressed my lips together and dug into my purse, pulling out two fifties. I held them out to Jim and waited patiently as he traded them for chips. Trenton’s mouth tightened into a smug smile, but I ignored him.
“I have faith in Travis’ teaching skills,” I said.
One of the twins clapped his hands together. “Hells yeah! I’m going to get rich tonight!”
“Let’s start small this time,” Jim said, throwing in a five dollar chip.
Trenton dealt, and Travis fanned out my hand for me. “Have you ever played cards?”
“It’s been awhile,” I nodded.
“Go fish doesn’t count, Pollyanna,” Trenton said, looking at his cards.
“Shut your hole, Trent,” Travis said, glancing up at his brother before looking back down to my hand. “You’re shooting for higher cards, consecutive numbers, and if you’re really lucky, in the same suit.
The first hand, Travis looked at my cards and I looked at his. I mainly nodded and smiled, playing when I was told. Both Travis and I lost, and my chips had dwindled by the end of the first round.
After Thomas dealt to begin the second round, I wouldn’t let Travis see my cards. “I think I’ve got this,” I said.
“You sure?” he asked. “I’m sure, Baby,” I smiled.
Three hands later, I had won back my chips and annihilated the stacked chips of the others’ with a pair of Aces, a straight, and the high card.
“Bullshit!” Trenton whined. “Beginner’s luck sucks!”
“You’ve got a fast learner, Trav,” Jim said, moving his mouth around his cigar.
Travis swigged his beer. “You’re makin’ me proud, Pigeon!” His eyes were bright with excitement, and his smile was different than I’d ever seen before.
“Thanks,” I smiled.
“Those that cannot do, teach,” Thomas said, smirking.
“Very funny, asshole,” Travis murmured.
Four hands later, I tipped back the last of my beer and narrowed my eyes at the only man at the table that hadn’t folded. “The action’s on you, Taylor. You gonna be a baby or you going to put in like a man?”
“Fuck it,” he said, throwing the last of his chips in.
Travis looked at me, his eyes animated. It reminded me of the expressions of those watching his fights. “Whatdya got, Pigeon?”
“Taylor?” I prompted.
A wide grin spread across his face. “Flush!” he smiled, spreading his cards face-up on the table.
Five pairs of eyes turned to me. I scanned the table and then slammed my cards down. “Read ‘em and weep, boys! Aces and eights!” I said, giggling.
“A full house? What the fuck?” Trent cried.
“Sorry. I’ve always wanted to say that,” I said, pulling in my chips.
Thomas’ eyes narrowed. “This isn’t just beginner’s luck. She plays.”
Travis eyed Thomas for a moment and then looked to me. “Have you played before, Pidge?”
I pressed my lips together and shrugged, displaying my best innocent smile. Travis’ head fell back, bursting into a barrage of laughter. He tried to speak but couldn’t, and then hit the table with his fist.
“Your girlfriend just fucking hustled us!” Taylor said, pointing in my direction.
“NO FUCKING WAY!” Trenton wailed, standing up.
“Good plan, Travis. Bring a card shark to poker night,” Jim said, winking at me.
“I didn’t know!” he said, shaking his head. “Bullshit,” Thomas said, eyeing me.
“I didn’t!” he said through his laughter.
“I hate to say it, Bro. But I think I just fell in love with your girl,” Tyler said.
“Hey, now,” Travis said, his smile quickly fading into a grimace.
“That’s it. I was going easy on you, Abby, but I’m winning my money back, now,” Trenton warned.
Travis sat out for the last few rounds, watching his brothers try their hardest to regain their money. Hand after hand, I pulled in their chips, and hand after hand, Thomas watched me more closely. Every time I laid my cards down Travis and Jim laughed, Taylor cursed, Tyler proclaimed his undying love for me, and Trent threw a full-blown tantrum.
I cashed in my chips and gave them all one-hundred dollars once we settled into the living room. Jim refused, but the brothers accepted with gratitude. Travis grabbed my hand and we walked to the door. I could see he was unhappy, so I squeezed his fingers in mine.
“What’s wrong, Baby?”
“You just gave away four hundred bucks, Pidge!” Travis frowned.
“If this was poker night at Sig Tau, I would have kept it. I can’t rob your brothers the first time I meet them.”
“They would have kept your money!” he said. “And I wouldn’t have lost a second of sleep over it, either,” Tyler laughed.
Thomas stared at me in silence from the corner of the room.
“Why do you keep starin’ at my girl, Tommy?” “What did you say your last name was?” Thomas asked.
I shifted my weight nervously. Travis, noticing my unease, turned to his brother and put his arm around my waist. I wasn’t sure if he was doing it in protective reaction, or he was bracing himself for what his brother might say.
“It’s Abernathy. What of it?”
“I can see why you didn’t put it together before tonight, Trav, but now you don’t have an excuse,” Thomas said, smug.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Travis asked. “Are you related to Mick Abernathy by any chance?” Thomas asked.
All heads turned in my direction and I nervously raked my hair back with my fingers. “How do you know Mick?”
Travis angled his head to look into my eyes. “He’s only one of the best poker players that ever lived. Do you know him?”
I winced, knowing I had finally been cornered into telling the truth. “He’s my father.”
The entire room exploded. “NO FUCKING WAY!”
“I KNEW IT!”
“WE JUST PLAYED MICK ABERNATHY’S DAUGHTER!” “MICK ABERNATHY? HOLY SHIT!”
Thomas, Jim and Travis were the only ones not shouting. “I told you guys I shouldn’t play,” I said. “If you would have mentioned you were Mick Abernathy’s daughter, I think we would have taken you more seriously,” Thomas said.
I peered over at Travis, who stared at me in awe. “You’re Lucky Thirteen?” he asked, his eyes a bit hazy.
Trenton stood and pointed at me, his mouth opened wide. “Lucky Thirteen is in our house! No way! I don’t fucking believe it!”
“That was the nickname the papers gave me. And the story wasn’t exactly accurate,” I said, fidgeting.
“I need to get Abby home, guys,” Travis said, still staring at me.
Jim peered at me over his glasses. “Why wasn’t it accurate?”
“I didn’t take my dad’s luck. I mean, how ridiculous,” I chuckled, twisting my hair nervously around my finger.
Thomas shook his head. “No, Mick gave that interview. He said at midnight on your thirteenth birthday his luck ran dry.”
“And yours picked up,” Travis added.
“You were raised by mobsters!” Trent said, smiling with excitement.
“Uh…no,” I laughed once. “They didn’t raise me. They were just…around a lot.”
“That was a damn shame, Mick running your name through the mud like that in all the papers. You were just a kid,” Jim said, shaking his head.
“If anything it was beginner’s luck,” I said, desperately trying to hide my humiliation.
“You were taught by Mick Abernathy,” Jim said, shaking his head in awe. “You were playing pros, and winning, at thirteen years old for Christ’s sakes.” He looked at Travis and smiled. “Don’t bet against her, son. She doesn’t lose.”
Travis looked at me, then, his expression still shocked and disoriented. “Uh…we gotta go, Dad. Bye, guys.”
The deep, excited chatter of Travis’ family faded as he pulled me out the door and to his bike. I twisted my hair into a bun and zipped up my coat, waiting for him to speak. He climbed onto his bike without a word, and I straddled the seat behind him.
I was sure he felt that I hadn’t been honest with him, and he was probably embarrassed that he found out about such an important part of my life the same time his family had. I expected a huge argument when we returned to his apartment, and I went over a dozen different apologies in my head before we reached the front door.
He led me down the hall by my hand, and then helped me with my coat.
I pulled at the caramel knot on the crown of my head, and my hair fell past my shoulders in thick waves. “I know you’re mad,” I said, unable to look him in the eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but it’s not something I talk about.”
“Mad at you?” he said. “I am so turned on I can’t see straight. You just robbed my asshole brothers of their money without batting an eyelash, you have achieved legend status with my father and I know for a fact that you purposely lost that bet we made before my fight.”
“I wouldn’t say that….”
He lifted his chin. “Did you think you were going to win?”
“Well…no, not exactly,” I said, pulling off my heels.
Travis smiled. “So you wanted to be here with me. I think I just fell in love with you all over again.”
“How are you not mad right now?” I asked, tossing my shoes to the closet.
He sighed and nodded. “That’s pretty big, Pidge. You should have told me. But I understand why you didn’t. You came here to get away from
all of that. It’s like the sky opened up…everything makes sense, now.” “Well, that’s a relief.”
“Lucky Thirteen,” he said, shaking his head and pulling my shirt over my head.
“Don’t call me that, Travis. It’s not a good thing.” “You’re fucking famous, Pigeon!” he said, surprised at my words. He
unbuttoned my jeans and pulled them down around my ankles, helping me to step out of them.
“My father hated me after that. He still blames me for all his problems.”
Travis yanked off his shirt and hugged me to him. “I still can’t believe the daughter of Mick Abernathy is standing in front of me, and I’ve been with you this whole time and had no idea.”
I pushed away from him. “I’m not Mick Abernathy’s daughter, Travis! That’s what I left behind. I’m Abby. Just Abby!” I said, walking over to the closet. I yanked a t-shirt off its hanger and pulled it over my head.
He sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m a little star struck.” “It’s just me!” I held the palm of my hand to my chest, desperate for him to understand.
“Yeah, but….”
“But nothing. The way you’re looking at me right now? This is exactly why I didn’t tell you.” I closed my eyes. “I won’t live like that anymore, Trav. Not even with you.”
“Whoa! Calm down, Pigeon. Let’s not get carried away.” His eyes focused and he walked over to wrap me in his arms. “I don’t care what you were or what you’re not anymore. I just want you.”
“I guess we have that in common, then.”
He led me to the bed, smiling down at me. “It’s just you and me against the world, Pidge.”
I curled up beside him, settling into the mattress. I had never planned on anyone besides myself and America knowing about Mick, and I never expected that my boyfriend would belong to a family of poker buffs. I heaved a heavy sigh, pressing my cheek against his chest.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I don’t want anyone to know, Trav. I didn’t want you to know.”
“I love you, Abby. I won’t mention it again, okay? Your secret’s safe with me,” he said, kissing my forehead.
“Mr. Maddox, think you could tone it down until after class?” Professor Chaney said, reacting to my giggling as Travis nuzzled my neck.
I cleared my throat, feeling my cheeks radiate with embarrassment. “I don’t think so, Dr. Chaney. Have you gotten a good look at my
girl?” Travis said, gesturing to me.
Laughter echoed throughout the room and my face caught fire.
Professor Chaney glanced at me with a half-amused, half-awkward expression and then shook his head at Travis.
“Just do your best,” Chaney said.
The class laughed again, and I sunk into my seat. Travis rested his arm on the back of my chair, and the lecture continued. After class had been dismissed, Travis walked me to my next class.
“Sorry if I embarrassed you. I can’t help myself.” “Try.”
Parker walked by, and when I returned his nod with a polite smile, his eyes brightened. “Hey Abby. See you inside.” He walked into the classroom, and Travis glowered at him for a few tense moments.
“Hey,” I tugged on his hand until he looked at me. “Forget about him.”
“He’s been telling the guys at the House that you’re still calling him.”
“That’s not true,” I said, unaffected.
“I know that, but they don’t. He said he’s just biding his time. He told Brad that you’re just waiting for the right time to dump me, and how you call him to say how unhappy you are. He’s starting to piss me off.”
“He has quite an imagination.” I glanced at Parker and when he met my eyes and smiled, I glared at him.
“Would you get mad if I embarrassed you one more time?”
I shrugged and Travis wasted no time leading me into the classroom. He stopped at my desk, setting my bag on the floor. He looked over at Parker and then pulled me to him, one hand on the nape of my neck, one hand on my backside, and then kissed me, deep and determined. He worked his lips against mine in the way he usually reserved for his bedroom, and I couldn’t help but grab his shirt with both fists.
The murmuring and giggles grew louder after it became clear that Travis wasn’t going to let go anytime soon.
“I think he just got her pregnant!” someone from the back of the room said, laughing.
I pulled away with my eyes closed, trying to regain my composure.
When I looked at Travis, he was staring at me with the same forced restraint.
“I was just trying to make a point,” he whispered. “Good point,” I nodded.
Travis smiled, kissed my cheek and then looked to Parker who was fuming in his seat.
“I’ll see you at lunch,” he winked.
I fell against my seat and sighed, trying to shake off the tingling between my thighs.
I labored through Calculus, and when class was over I noticed Parker standing against the wall by the door.
“Parker,” I nodded, determined not to give him the reaction he was hoping for.
“I know you’re with him. He doesn’t have to violate you in front of an entire class on my account.”
I stopped in my tracks and poised to attack. “Then maybe you should stop telling your frat brothers that I’m calling you. You’re going to push him too far and I’m not going to feel sorry for you when he puts his boot in your ass.”
He wrinkled his nose. “Listen to you. You’ve been around Travis too much.”
“No, this is me. It’s just a side of me you know nothing about.”
“You didn’t exactly give me a chance, did you?”
I sighed. “I don’t want to fight with you, Parker. It just didn’t work out, okay?”
“No, it’s not okay. You think I enjoy being the laughing stock of Eastern? Travis Maddox is the one we all appreciate because he makes us look good. He uses girls, tosses them aside, and even the biggest jerks at Eastern look like Prince Charming after Travis.”
“When are you going to open your eyes and realize that he’s different, now?”
“He doesn’t love you, Abby. You’re a shiny new toy. Although, after the scene he made in class, I’m assuming you’re not all that shiny anymore.”
I slapped his face with a loud smack before I realized what I’d done.
“If you would have waited two seconds, I could have saved you the effort, Pidge,” Travis said, pulling me behind him.
I grabbed his arm. “Travis, don’t.”
Parker looked a bit nervous as a perfect red outline of my hand appeared on his cheek.
“I warned you,” Travis said, shoving Parker violently against the wall.
Parker’s jaws tensed and he glared at me. “Consider this closure, Travis. I can see now that you two are made for each other.”
“Thanks,” Travis said, hooking his arm around my shoulders.
Parker pushed himself from the wall and quickly rounded the corner to descend the stairs, making sure Travis didn’t follow with a quick glance.
“Are you okay?” Travis asked. “My hand stings.”
He smiled. “That was bad ass, Pidge. I’m impressed.”
“He’ll probably sue me and I’ll end up paying his way into Harvard. What are you doing here? I thought we were meeting in the cafeteria?”
One side of his mouth pulled up in an impish grin. “I couldn’t concentrate in class. I’m still feelin’ that kiss.”
I looked down the hall and then to him. “Come with me.”
His eyebrows pulled together over his smile. “What?”
I walked backwards, pulling him along until I felt the knob of the Physics lab. The door swung open, and I glanced behind me, seeing that it was empty and dark. I tugged on his hand, giggling at his confused expression, and then locked the door, pushing him against it.
I kissed him and he chuckled. “What are you doin’?”
“I don’t want you to be unable to concentrate in class,” I said, kissing him again. He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around him.
“I’m not sure what I ever did without you,” he said, holding me up with one hand and unbuckling his belt with the other, “but I don’t ever want to find out. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted, Pigeon.”
“Just remember that when I take all of your money in the next poker game,” I said, pulling off my shirt.
