This is Love by (Checkmate Duet 2)

I nod.

“I have no idea. Just thought I’d kind of wing it. My lease doesn’t end until the end of the year.” She shrugs. “Not sure.”

“You stress me out.” I laugh. “Your grades were nearly perfect. You could get a job anywhere.”

She nudges me. “Your grades were perfect. I’ll just live life vicariously through you.”

After she finishes my cheesecake and her drink, we both start yawning. Who would have thought graduation would be so tiring? We drive back to my dorm, and before I get out, I turn and look at her. This overwhelming sense of sadness takes control, and I lean over and give her a side hug. Courtney unbuckles and pulls me into a big hug and wraps both arms around me. I laugh, thinking about how much we look like lovers, but it’s not even like that. She’s the sister I always wished I had.

“I’m going to miss the fuck out of you, Lola.”

“I’m going to miss you too, Court.”

“Who’s going to keep me sane when you’re gone?” We break our hug.

“Maybe I’ll get Drew to,” I say with a smile.

Her eyes widen, and I get out of the Jeep. “Don’t you dare tease me like that!”

“Who said I was teasing? Bye!”

She smiles and reverses the Jeep so hard the tires squeal. I hear Taylor Swift blaring in the distance, and I know that it might be the last time we get to hang out before I leave. I’m still questioning if leaving is the right choice, but I hope to God it is.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

TRAVIS

Another dreadful day at the office has me second-guessing returning early in the first place. I feel fine, but the awkward tension between Blake and me is undeniable. Alyssa walks by my office, licks her lips, and pulls her skirt up just before walking off.

I know the two of them are still plotting something against me, especially now that Alyssa is officially the Director of Global Sales. I’m so tired of their shit that I’ve been thinking more and more about my mother’s idea of starting my own small marketing firm. The thought scares the shit out of me, but I know it’d be a great investment for my future, and the more I think about Viola being my future, the more I want to make the best of it.

I call my mom on my way home from work, ready to talk about this business opportunity. It’s been a good way to bond without talking about the elephant in the room—my father’s cancer—and if I’m going to visit him anytime soon.

The verdict: undecided.

“If you need a loan for the start-up costs, my offer still stands,” she tells me again.

“I know, Mom, and I appreciate that. I just think this is something I need to do myself. Grown-up stuff, you know?”

“You may be a twenty-four-year-old man, but you’ll always be my little boy, Travis.”

I smile and shake my head, even though she can’t see me. “I know.”

Once I pull into the driveway, we say our goodbyes, and I’m actually relieved to see that Drew is home already. It’s been over a week since I’ve seen Viola after her graduation ceremony, and between work and Gryff, I’ve stayed plenty busy, but I still miss her like crazy. Things haven’t exactly smoothed over between Drew and me either. I hate all the tension between us, but I’m hoping we can resolve that soon. I betrayed his trust, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to fix that. On the other hand, I’m worried Viola and I will never be the same again.

As soon as I open the door, Gryff runs to me and starts licking my face immediately. I pet his head and back before setting him back down.

“Who’s a good boy?” I say in an embarrassing, high-pitched tone that Viola convinced me he liked. He follows me as I walk farther inside.

“Hey, man,” I say as I step into the kitchen, where he’s steaming vegetables. “Ugh, man. Smells like ass in here.”

“Fresh vegetables,” he clarifies. “Meal prepping for the next week.”

Drew is as obsessed about what he eats as much as he is about working out. I give him props for sticking to it, but I would die if I couldn’t binge every once in awhile.

“Chicken and veggies. Sounds delicious,” I say with a mocking tone. He knows I’m giving him shit, but he doesn’t fire back.

“You get used to it.”

“So, I was thinking with Viola leaving next weekend that we should sit down and talk. Get everything out in the open, because I hate this awkward tension between us. I want to tell you everything about that night and the actual truth of events. I know it won’t change what’s already happened, but I want us to move forward.”

I watch as he digests my words. He sprinkles seasonings over the veggies and places the lid back on the pot. He turns around and finally looks at me, uncertainty etched all over his features, and I worry about what he’s about to say.