One Step Forward and Two Steps Back

When Travis did actually wake up in the morning, he expected to see Lauren either still sleeping next to him or staring at himlongingly… but neither of those happened. What he did wake up to was an empty spot next to him. Sighing as he sat up and ran his hand through his hair, the events of last night came flooding back to him. He has never been so afraid to face Lauren before in his life. After taking a shower, he slowly made his way down stairs. Lauren was in the kitchen, cooking up a storm again.

“Morning,” she smiled softly as she continued about the kitchen without her usual jitteriness.

He managed to mumble out something that resembled the sound of morning. Lauren frowned at him.

“Do you want to talk about last night?” she asked, neither of them being able to look up at each other.

“So Luke’s coming,” he said, looking over the other issue.

She looked up at him this time confused. “Why is this such a big deal to you?”

“It’s not,”he lied.

She stared at him for a few seconds. Never in a million years did she think this type of issue would ever happen between them. She thought by leaving, all of this would go away. That’s the reason she left in the first place and now… it hasn’t.

“Trav,” she sighed out as she rubbed her forehead. He actually looked up at her for the first time. “Just talk to me please.”

“I don’t think Luke is a good person for you,” he said, making sure he looked her right in the eyes.

“That’s not what I’m talking about. I don’t care about the whole Luke situation… I want to know about… us,” she said, her voice starting to fade towards the end.

“There is no us. You even said last night that you can’t be with me because of our friendship,” he recalled as he dropped his gaze from hers.

“There is an us, Trav. You and me. We’re friends…”

“Yeah, friends. You might as well just stop there,” he said as he stood up to exit the kitchen.

“Do you even know why I went to California when I did?” she blurted out.

When he turned around, she wished she was more controlling of her mouth.

“To film?” he said with a ‘duh’ expression on his face.

“That was my excuse, but not my reason,” she said, feeling his eyes staring at her.

“Then what was your reason?” he asked as he walked back towards her.

Her voice seemed to be stuck in her throat. Her mouth would open, but no words came out. She couldn’t work up the nerve to tell him the truth. Lying wasn’t a very good option for her anyway. Travis was the only person that could tell when she was. Just as a few syllables managed to escape from her, there was a knock on the door. The two stared at each other for a few awkward seconds. Neither of them wanted to move. Travis wanted to hear what she had to say and Lauren just wanted him to leave so she wouldn’t have to tell him.

“Shouldn’t you get that?” she asked once she couldn’t take looking into his eyes anymore.

He took one last look at her before he went to the front door. Lauren hadn’t even realized that her breathing had become rapid. She listened as Travis opened the door. There was a tone in his voice that she didn’t like at all. But once she heard the person reply, a smile came over her. She walked to the door a little quicker than average. Once she got there, she jumped into the person’s arms.

“I honestly didn’t think I would miss you at all,” she said with a huge smile.

“I haven’t seen you for two days and this is the welcome I get? I think I like it,” the person replied with a smile that matched hers.

Once she was settled back on the ground, she turned around and was faced with Travis. She hated the look he had in his eyes. It killed her.

“Trav, this is Luke… Luke this is my best friend in the whole entire world, Travis,” she said trying to make this easier for him.

She actually thought the only way this would be easier was for Luke not to be here at all. There wasn’t a handshake or a nod. They just seemed to stare at each other, sizing the other one up. Lauren wasn’t comfortable with this one bit.

“Luke, did you bring your bike?” she asked wanting him to look down at her and not Travis.

“Yeah, it’s in my car,” he replied, keeping his eyes glued on Travis.

“Why don’t you go get it and I’ll meet you around back.”

He didn’t say anything. He did give Travis one last glare before walking back out the door. Lauren wanted so badly to bang her head against the door.

“I still can’t believe you’re friends with him,” Travis said with a headshake.

“Just please be nice. That’s all I ask. It’s only three weeks. And he’s not staying here, so it should be ok,” she said trying to look on the very dim bright side.

“Oh on… it will be ok. I’m just not going to be around him. I have a race to practice for,” he said and turned and walked away.

“Travis… Trav,” she tried to get him to come back.

Once she heard a door slam shut, she knew she had lost him. There’s no use in talking to him when he’s like this. She suddenly wished Luke wasn’t here now… but she couldn’t keep him waiting. She went around back with her bike, noticing Luke was still staring Travis down as he pulled his Rally car out of the trailer. She rolled her eyes as Travis pealed out, squealing tires and kicking up loose gravel. But a smile came through once she heard him shift around a corner.

“That thing is so amazing,” she couldn’t help but to say.

“I’m sure,” Luke countered as she looked back at her.

She ignored the sarcasm in his Australian voice as she went towards a jump. All of the drama seemed to disappear once she left the ground. During the three hours that they rode, nothing bothered her. The only thing that reminded her of it was seeing Luke. Travis had parked his Rally car about an hour before Luke started to leave.

“What do you do other than ride around here? It’s a big difference from California,” he said as they rode side by side to his car.

“I usually hang out with Travis. You’d be surprised. There’s never a dull moment around here,” she said as a smile fought its way through.

“That is surprising,” he remarked with a teasing smilethat Lauren liked. “So what are you doing tonight?” he asked once he hoped off his bike.

“I don’t know. Travis is acting weird. I was going to see what was going on with him,” she said, watching him lift his bike into his trunk, causing muscles in his tones arms to flex. Lauren bit her lower lip.

“You should come out with me,” he said turning to look at her.

“I don’t know…”

“It wasn’t a question,” he smirked.

“Really?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I’ll be back here in two hours,” he said as he started for the driver’s door.

He didn’t once look back at her as he pulled out of the driveway. She stood there, not capable of moving. It probably would have been this way for a lot longer if Mr. Travis Pastrana hadn’t came out.

“I hate to say this, but your style resembles his,” he said in a mocking way.

“Is that a bad thing?” she asked confused, turning to look at him.

“Not in a riding way… but as a person, yep,” he said as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

“I still don’t get where all of the hating on Luke came from. I get along with him,” she said as she started for the garage to put her bike away.

“Of course you would,” he snickered.

“I get along with him so well that I’m going out with him tonight,” she said out of frustration.

Travis seemed to be lost for words. He wasn’t expecting that.

“Why?” he shot back after a few seconds. Lauren had already started her way back into the house.

“Because he asked me to,” she said stupidly.

“That doesn’t mean you have to agree to,” he argued as he followed her up the stairs.

“I didn’t. He just told me I was going,” she said with a smirk.

“Yeah, but…”

“Trav, this wouldn’t have happened if you would have just talked to me this morning,” she said as she entered her bathroom.

That’s where Travis stopped. He knew there was no changing her mind now. Right about now, he was wishing he would have talked to her; just open up and tell her how he feels towards her... but he couldn’t. Everything else he can talk to her about, but not that. He can jump out of airplanes, do double back flips on a 200 pound dirt bike, and even attempt to flip a monster truck, but wasn’t capable of telling his best friend that he’s in love with her.