No matter what, I never thought Travis would hurt me. And that’s what he did.

He panicked. I get that. But even if his dad caught him off guard, and he didn’t mean to hurt me, the end result is the same. It feels like he punched me right in the heart.

I can’t breathe.

Although the fact that I just ran my ass all the way home is probably the culprit for that. Running is not something I do. Not physically, at least.

Fuck, I should have run away at the first hint of me catching feelings for him. I should’ve never gotten in this deep. The night that I cried, the night he held me until I fell asleep, and then held me in the morning while he fucked me so slowly...

I should’ve known I’d never be the same after that.

Foolishly, I let myself start picturing us together years from now. I pictured a life with him after May went off to college. A life where I wouldn’t be alone.

And of course it was too good to be true. Everyone leaves me. How could I forget that?

I’m leaning against the wall in the foyer, still desperately trying to catch my breath, when May bursts through the door.

“Dad! What the heck?” She bends over, putting her hands on her knees and panting for a few moments before she straightens back up. “I didn’t know you could run like that.”

“Me neither.” But when an animal is wounded, it will do anything necessary to get away.

She steps forward and wraps her arms around my waist, hugging me as she pulls me away from the wall. “I’m so sorry,” she says softly, her cheek pressed to my chest.

“Nothing to be sorry for. I’m fine. Everything’s all good.”

I’m sure she doesn’t buy my fake bravado, but she just squeezes me tighter and says, “I love you.”

There’s a framed picture hanging on the wall behind her. It’s of the two of us, laughing and covered in paint after we bailed on a class at the art supply store because we were both so terrible at it.

I focus on how happy we look there as I fight to keep the tears at bay. “I know you do, kid. And I love you more than anything.”

“I know,” she says, releasing me after one more squeeze. “And Travis—”

“No.”

“Dad.”

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

She frowns as she steps back. “I’m sure you don’t. But Grandma and Grandpa were in the car right behind me, so you need to figure out what to say to them.”

Fuckity fuck fuck fuck.

They know I’ve been lying to them about Travis this whole time.