#11blockstravis

(i promise to drop some actually well written content soon. for now, hopefully part 5 gets all of you excited about the series again) Jake’s entire face dropped.

“Jake,” you exclaimed as you reached for his hand. His eyes went dark. The colour mimicked the irises that surround him in the garden. He pulled his hand away and stormed out.

“Jake, please wait,” you ran after him. “Miss! Miss!” the wedding planner panicked, “where are you going? Oh, dear.”

“Jake, please talk to me. I never meant for this to happen. Please.”  you grabbed his arm to pull him towards you.

Jake bit his lip and shook his head. “I guess I only have myself to blame. I was naive enough to send you to him,” he let out an ironic chuckle to hold back tears. His tongue traced the inner outline of his lips. How could you have let yourself hurt him?

You began to cry. You didn’t dare look in his eyes. “I am so sorry, Jake,” you cried, “You have to believe me.”

Jake looked up at the sky and rubbed his face with his hands. “I need to be alone,” he said and walked away.

—

“Thank you so much for letting me come here. I had no idea who to call,” you said. You sat across from Travis’ best friend, hands folded on your knees. When Jake left the garden, you froze. It took you a moment to ran after him but your delayed reaction failed you. Jake was long gone by the time you reached the parking lot.  

You didn’t think it was a good idea to immediately go to Travis, and you were not in the mood to be judged by your friends. 

“It’s all good,” Nolan mumbled awkwardly. He rubbed his hands together and searched for something to say, “Do you want a drink? Alcoholic obviously. You seem like you need it.” Nolan was never very talkative.  You nodded yes and he scurried to the kitchen. When you dated Travis you saw Nolan often - naturally- but never developed a friendship. However, you did learn that he was extremely kind. His tough exterior only prevented people from learning that.

“So…what do you think you’re going to do?” he shouted from around the corner.

You had no idea what your next steps would be. First off, you knew there was no way you could just end things with Jake. The two of your had built a beautiful full of mutual trust, respect, and support. Together, you shared all your dreams and ambitions. Six months into dating, you moved into a lovely apartment that was now filled with many memories. Small trinkets and knick-knacks of your relationship contrasted the sharp, edgy and modern decor. You would hate to let go of all that. 

“I honestly have no idea, Patty.”

“Are you going to talk to Travis?”

“I mean, I’ll have to eventually.”

“TK’s great, but you seem really upset over this Jake dude.” You laughed and took a sip of your gin & tonic.

“You know Y/N, I’m not some relationship guru but I did read this quote once,” Nolan began hesitantly. When he saw your look of approval, he continued, “It was something like ‘you might meet your soulmate in this life but that doesn’t mean you’ll be with them forever.’”

You were surprised by the words that left Nolan’s mouth. Honestly, you were extremely grateful for the fact that Nolan was trying to help you determine your next steps in his “Nolan-y” way. There was an undeniable connection between you and Travis- passion. If you were being completely honest, you never felt that passion with Jake. With Travis, everyday was a new adventure. Being with Travis felt like you were 16 again. Butterflies in your stomach whenever you saw him but, could he be the serious partner you now sought? 

“I should get moving. Patty, thank you so much.” You hugged the giant and he stiffened.

“Yeah. Dude. Sure, no problem.”

—

It was now around 6 pm - a solid 8 hours after your flower appointment with Jake, and you knew you had to confront Travis.

“I told him,” you began as you settled yourself onto Trav’s couch. Travis leaned in to kiss you, his arms on either side of your face holding onto the back of the couch.  You reached out and brought him closer, the kiss getting more passionate in a matter of seconds.  Guilt set in your stomach.

“Travis, stop.” You pushed him back and got off the couch. You walked to the other side of the room, torn. “It’s not that easy, Travis.”

“You can’t keep doing this to me, Y/N.”

“I can’t just leave him, Trav! I can’t just wipe my hands clean and move along.”

“You had no problem doing that to me.”

Travis’ words stung. Your decision to walk away from the relationship three years ago was not easy. For months you debated pushing through your anxiety and not just giving up.

“That’s not fair. You know what wasn’t easy for me. Trav, I suffered a lot because of those rumours.” “Yes, and you didn’t even let me help you. You decided to walk away and you did.”

You leaned against the kitchen counter, and pushed your forehead into the slightly open cupboard. Never did you expect to find yourself in a love triangle. Whenever you watched a film or read a book that placed the main character in between two meaningful relationships, you scoffed. How could choosing someone be that hard? Well, it was your turn to learn- between a rock and a hard place. “Travis, Jake and I have an entire wedding planned in less than two months. I don’t get to play runaway bride just because we slept together a couple times.” Travis looked at your in disbelief. Honestly, you couldn’t believe that you just said that. Travis grabbed his keys off his kitchen counter and headed for the door.  “I didn’t mean that,” you tired to defend yourself. “I’m just so stressed-”

Based on Wrabel’s 11 Blocks

You squeezed your fiancee’s hand a little tighter when you walked past Travis’s place. It’d been three years since you broke up, but your heart fluttered anytime you walked past it. Travis lived 11 blocks away from the doorstep of your condo, right before your favourite vintage store. Three years ago you spent almost every night at his place. In the morning, you’d both grab coffee at your usual spot, and head off to work. At night you’d go for walks, hand-in-hand exploring the neighbourhood. Other nights you’d cuddle inside watching the world outside through his balcony.

Getting over him was the hardest thing you ever had to do. Travis was the love of your life, and it wasn’t an easy decision to leave him. Constant rumours of him cheating swirled online. Of course you believed him, but you couldn’t get them out of your head. They consumed your life. Suddenly, you had become super obsessed with your appearance. When you had the opportunity, you tried to check his messages for suspicious activity. When he went out with his friends, you’d be on Twitter refreshing the page to see if anyone said anything.

It was a cold March evening when you hit your breaking point. Travis was playing the Sens when Twitter exploded with allegations of his ex-girlfriend being at the game. That was it. How could you live your life constantly worrying about your boyfriend potentially cheating on you? Crying and shaking, you packed up everything you had at Travis’s place and got out of there. When he got back from the trip, Travis was in shock.

The two of you met one morning at your usual coffee shop, where you explained the events of the night you left. Travis buried his head in his hands, he struggled to understand your argument. “You do realize I don’t control what she does?” he questioned you. “It’s not only about her, Travis! Lately it’s become an obsession. I can’t deal with it,” you cried to him. “So that’s it?” he continued, “you’re just going to pack up and leave. That’s all I get after all this time?” Unable to provide him with and answer, you kissed him on the cheek and left the coffee shop.

Jake came into your life a year after you’d broken up with Travis. At first, you were hesitant about committing to a serious relationship so soon, but you fell in love. Everything about him was perfect. From his successful career as a marketing professional to his sandy blonde hair, Jake was the epitome of a perfect boyfriend. The more you fell in love, the easier it was to forget about Travis. Or so you thought. Closure was supposed to come full circle when you went to donate an old jacket Travis left at your place, one that you couldn’t seem to let go of before. When you arrived at the donation box, you realized that weren’t able to let go of it. All your feelings and emotions had come back.  Tonight, walking by his apartment, something hit you hard in the feels again.

“Congratulations!” Jake’s CEO yelled into your ear and held up your hand to observe the large, shiny diamond. “A rock like this proves that we pay him a little too much,” she jokingly winked at you. “I think it actually proves I love Y/N a little too much,” he argued as he lifted your right hand to his mouth and kissed it. You leaned into him. The diamond was beautiful. He proposed to you in NYC, right after a fancy dinner. He popped open the classic blue box and got down on one knee. It wasn’t the proposal you imagined, but you couldn’t say no.

“I’ll go grab us some drinks,” Jake said and left your side. This was the perfect opportunity to sneak out onto the balcony.

You stepped out onto the terrace of the Bellevue Hotel. Taller buildings blocked your view, but you still saw a bit of Trav’s condo. “Hey,” Jake said placing a hand on your lower back and handing you a drink, “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah of course! I just needed to step out for a moment. It was getting warm in there,” you lied trying not to shiver.  

“You always tense up when we’re near his apartment,” Jake began. You took a sip of the cocktail in your hand.

“It’s hard,” you replied, “It’s not like I can hate him. I’m the one that wanted out. He never did anything to me.”

“Do you regret it?” Jake asks, genuinely awaiting a reply.

“I don’t know. I really don’t know.” You took in a big breath of the cold winter air.

“I think you should go talk to him.”

After nearly spitting out your drink, you stared at your fiancee with wide eyes and questioned his sanity.

“I trust you,” he continued, “and I think it would be good for you. I don’t want you to have any regrets when we get married. I don’t want this to be the reason our marriage doesn’t work out.” How could he be so understanding? Where did you find this man? He takes off his suit jacket and drapes it over you. “Go on. I’ll cover for you.”

With that, you were in the elevator going down. Bellevue was 14 blocks away from TK’s place. You decided to walk to the apartment to give yourself time to prepare. What would you even say? Would Travis even let you in? You began your stroll.

It was a Friday night and there was a lot of traffic on the sidewalk. You weaved through the crowds of tourists and students, and picked up the pace- the cold was getting to you. Finally, you were two blocks away. “What am I doing?” you said to yourself. Back at the hotel you had the most incredible fiancee waiting for you, and here you were, cold and alone, lurking around your ex’s neighbourhood.

“Y/N?” a voice behind you asked.

There he stood under the Philadelphia streetlight, bag of beer in hand. He looked so good- he always did. His hair was trimmed and his facial hair very groomed.

 “What are you doing here?” Travis asked. You lifted your hand to show your ring “I met someone. I think I’m in love,” you blurted out.

Travis scoffed, “So what? You came here to rub it in? Didn’t you hurt me enough?”

“No, Travis. That’s not it at all. I’m here because I can’t get over you. I thought I could, I thought I did. But, but…you’re like a drug. Recently it’s been so hard.”

“Well, I don’t know what you want me to say. Need I remind you that you’re the one that gave up on us.” 

Travis pushed past you and started to walk to his place. You weren’t sure of what to do next. After about five seconds of walking he paused and turned around.

 “Are you coming? Or are you just going to stand here in the cold?”

The apartment was illuminated by the strong afterglow of the city lights outside. Travis headed straight to the kitchen with his beer, and you stayed in the foyer to take off your heeled sandals.

“Want tea?” he called out.

“Yes, please,” you responded.

Everything in the apartment was exactly as you remembered it. The couch molded around your body perfectly- like it retained your memory. You clutched onto Jake’s jacket as if you wanted to prevent it from touching anything in Travis’ apartment. A complete separation of your current relationship from your past.

The mirror that stood between the kitchen and living room framed TK as he prepared the tea. He leaned against the kitchen counter as he waited for the kettle. Deep in thought, he studied the world he saw through the window.

“You know,” Travis spoke softly, “For like a month after you left, I was convinced that I’d walk in here one day and you’d be back here, waiting for me.” His words equivalent to an arrow through the heart.

“Hmm,” he scoffed and shook his head, “How naive was I?”  The kettle whistled and he moved to pour the water into his Flyers’ mugs.

Unsure of what to do, you got up and walked into the kitchen. Travis turned to face you, and for the first time in three years you looked into his eyes. You couldn’t believe that you’d forgotten just how blue they were.

“I know I was an ass. I know that I cheated before, but we were different, Y/N,” Travis said, “I loved you more than anything in the world.”

Loved. Did he purposely use the verb in a past tense? You studied his face, saw the hurt in his eyes. 

“I wanted to come back,” you replied. “But do you know how hard it was, Travis? To constantly read rumours about you sleeping with other women?” you continued.

“Well, do you know how hard it was realizing that the one person you loved the most in the world doesn’t trust you?” he fired back. 

All this time you worried about your own feelings, but not once did you think about his perspective. 

You reached for his hand. “I’m sorry,” you whispered, tears gathered in your eyes. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, I just-I just wanted to protect myself. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you to someone else, and it was killing me, and I should’ve stopped searching the internet for ways out…”

“Hey, hey” Travis cut you off, “I know.” He wiped away a tear from your cheek. A gesture of forgiveness? Rather than fighting back and breaking your heart, it was like he was picked up the pieces of the last three years with that simple gesture.

Travis lead you into the living room. He returned to the kitchen to bring over your tea. When he saw you holding Jake’s jacket his body tensed up.

“How long have you been together?” he began his interrogation as he took a seat beside you.

“Two years,” you replied. “We met through a friend at work.” You weren’t sure if you should elaborate on the story, so instead you sipped on your tea.

“When’s the big day?” he eyed the ring on your finger.

“In 6 months,” you replied.

“Are you happy?” he questioned you.

“I am.”

“That was unreal,” Travis commented as he rolled off you onto the left side of the bed. 

It had been four months since your affair with Travis started. At this point you had become an expert at hiding your romantic rendezvous’ from Jake.  

You sat at the edge of the bed and put on your clothes. 

The date of your wedding was coming up in two short months, and you had yet to make a decision between Jake and Travis. When you and Travis reunited the night of the gala, you thought you would be able to put away your feelings from Jake instantly- little did you know, it would not be that easy. 

“When are you going to tell him?” Travis asked, clearly aware of what was running through your mind. A shiver ran down your spine as he wrapped his arms around your waist. 

“I don’t know, Trav. It’s not that easy,” you replied. Travis rarely brought up Jake but, with the date of your wedding getting closer, his anxiety increased. One question unable to leave his mind: would you leave him again?

“I have to get going,” you said as your loosened his arms and moved to the chair to grab your purse. “I’ll message you later.”

As soon as you shut the door behind you, tears fell from your eyes like waterfalls. What had you done? Better yet, what were you going to do?

___

“I still think that lilies were a bad idea for the flowers. Their potent smell will take away from the ambiance. No one will focus on the details if they have that scent up their nose,” Jake’s mother rambled on to the wedding planner. 

“Mother, it’s our wedding not yours,” Jake argued. 

Frustrated, his mother got up and walked out of the room, the wedding planner followed behind her like a lost puppy. 

“I can’t believe her. Two months from the date and she’s become mom-zilla,” Jake chuckled. You just sat there and played with the ring on your finger, oblivious to what had just occurred. 

“Hey,“ Jake took your hand into his and knocked you out of your trance. “Talk to me. What’s up?”

You looked up into his big, blue eyes. His eyes always shined. Even when he was furious, the twinkle never left. You took a big, shakey breath.

(Not my best work but work is insane! Will post more soon!)

Everyone, including Jake, knew that you never truly got over Travis. When you met with Travis at the coffee shop three years go you were supposed to get closure, but when you saw how upset he was, you ran. There was no way you could have gone through that conversation without caving in and going home with him.

“Because I think I still love you,” you replied.

Travis looked up in shock. Neither of you expected your moment of blunt honesty. This was the first time you admitted that thought out loud, after keeping it hidden in your mind for three years.

“Jake and I bought a new place,” you continued. “We were doing some light packing and he suggested I donate your bomber jacket. You know, the black one with the small Flyers’ logo?”

Travis nodded his head. “Yeah, I know which one.”

“I went to donate it. It was supposed to be my moment of closure, but I-I physically couldn’t let go.”

Travis reached out for your hand.

“After that I haven’t stopped thinking about you,” you replied. “I mean, normally I think of you but, I mean you have not left my mind.”

Travis listened intently.

“I thought I was finally over you. I got engaged for shit’s sake!” you continued.  

“And tonight, when we passed your apartment on the way to the party, I think Jake just knew that something was up. He asked me if I regretted walking away from us, and he rarely talks about you, and he told me to come talk to you and-“

Travis sat silently. You continued your verbal diarrhea.

“- and I regret that night. I shouldn’t have walked out! I regret it more than any-,“ before you could finish your sentence, Travis leaned in and kissed you.

He pulled away almost immediately and waited to see your reaction. His kiss lingered on your lips. You traced your lips them to see if it was all real. You pounced onto Travis; after three years of separation, it was hard not to. Travis reached to pull down the zipper of your dress.

“Travis, We can’t do this!”

Travis pulled away from your lips and rubbed your back in attempt to calm you. “Hey, babe,” he spoke softly in your ear, “We don’t have to.”

“Travis, I have to go. Jake’s going to get suspicious,” you said, but did not bother to move.

“Come back. Tomorrow night - I’ll be waiting.”

When the elevator door opened at the Bellevue, you saw Jake sitting at a table, worried, phone in hand. As soon as he spotted you, a giant smile lit up his face. “I was getting worried that you wouldn’t ever come back,” he laughed as he came to embrace you.

Jake felt so warm. You reciprocated the hug, but you felt so horrible. You began to sob into Jake’s chest. 

“Y/N, hey, what’s wrong,” he cupped your face. 

You shook your head. “Nothing,” you replied, “I just- I'm glad to be back.” 

You had constantly freaked out about Travis’ potential romances, but tonight, you were the cheater. How ironic was that?