Beautiful Disaster Read Online Free Page A

friends.”
    An impish grin sharpened his features as he leaned in a bit closer. “Never say never.”
    â€œSo what’s your story?” I asked. “Have you always been Travis ‘Mad Dog’ Maddox, or is that just since you came here?” I used two fingers on each hand as quotation marks when I said his nickname, and for the first time his confidence waned. He looked a bit embarrassed.
    â€œNo. Adam started that after my first fight.”
    His short answers were beginning to bug me. “That’s it? You’re not going to tell me anything about yourself?”
    â€œWhat do you wanna know?”
    â€œThe normal stuff. Where you’re from, what you want to be when you grow up…things like that.”
    â€œI’m from here, born and raised, and I’m a criminal justice major.”
    With a sigh, he unrolled his silverware and straightened them beside his plate. He looked over his shoulder, his jaw tense. Two tables seating the Eastern soccer team erupted in laughter, and Travis seemed to be annoyed at what they were laughing about.
    â€œYou’re joking,” I said in disbelief.
    â€œNo, I’m a local,” he said, distracted.
    â€œI meant about your major. You don’t look like the criminal justice type.”
    His eyebrows pulled together, suddenly focused on our conversation. “Why?”
    I scanned the tattoos covering his arm. “I’ll just say that you seem more criminal and less justice.”
    â€œI don’t get in any trouble…for the most part. Dad was pretty strict.”
    â€œWhere was your mom?”
    â€œShe died when I was a kid,” he said, matter-of-fact.
    â€œI’m…I’m sorry,” I said, shaking my head. His answer caught me off guard.
    He dismissed my sympathy. “I don’t remember her. My brothers do, but I was just three when she died.”
    â€œFour brothers, huh? How did you keep them straight?” I teased.
    â€œI kept them straight by who hit the hardest, which also happened to be oldest to youngest. Thomas; the twins, Taylor and Tyler; and then Trenton. You never, ever got caught alone in a room with Taylor and Ty. I learned half of what I do in the Circle from them. Trenton was the smallest, but he’s fast. He’s the only one that can land a punch on me now.”
    I shook my head, dumbfounded at the thought of five Travises running around in one household. “Do they all have tattoos?”
    â€œPretty much. Except Thomas. He’s an ad exec in California.”
    â€œAnd your dad? Where’s he?”
    â€œAround,” he said. His jaws were working again, increasingly irritated with the soccer team.
    â€œWhat are they laughing about?” I asked, gesturing to the rowdy table. He shook his head, clearly not wanting to share. I crossed my arms and squirmed in my seat, nervous about what they were saying that caused him so much aggravation. “Tell me.”
    â€œThey’re laughing about me having to take you to dinner, first. It’s not usually…my thing.”
    â€œFirst?” When the realization settled on my face, Travis winced at my expression. I spoke before I thought. “And I was afraid they were laughing about you being seen with me dressed like this, and they think I’m going to sleep with you,” I grumbled.
    â€œWhy wouldn’t I be seen with you?”
    â€œWhat were we talking about?” I asked, warding off the heat rising under my cheeks.
    â€œYou. What’s your major?” he asked.
    â€œOh, er…General Ed, for now. I’m still undecided, but I’m leaning toward Accounting.”
    â€œYou’re not a local, though. You must be a transplant.”
    â€œWichita. Same as America.”
    â€œHow did you end up here from Kansas?”
    I picked at the label of my beer bottle. “We just had to get away.”
    â€œFrom what?”
    â€œMy parents.”
    â€œOh.