21. Twenty-One
Twenty-One
Vic
Gage
Something came up. Should pick up my sister in about a week.
I read Gage’s text repeatedly as I watch her naked sleeping form. She started sleeping in my bed at the house days ago. I was against it until she had a bad dream that gutted me—whimpering and crying in her sleep.
I know what it’s like to feel the terror of being stuck in a nightmare, only to wake up alone and still feel its misery sinking its claws into you.
So, now, I lie in my bed with her until she falls into a peaceful slumber, and then I quietly slip out to watch her. Only tonight, I went further than a stolen kiss or harmless cuddle of comfort with barriers of clothing and blankets between us. She tasted phenomenal on my tongue, and though we didn’t have sex, I hope it gave her a piece of what she craved .
I know I should regret being with my best friend’s sister, but I don’t. What I feel is a sense of soul-crushing despair that our time is coming to an end.
My selfishness prevented me from telling Gage about the kidnapping, knowing he would rush to pick her up. I want her to stay here forever. I don’t want to go back to the way things were before.
Bitter. Sad. Alone.
Filling my time with poor decisions that leave me feeling more empty than when I started.
The quiet no longer brings me peace if she isn’t by my side.
Vic
See you then.
I place my phone on my nightstand and pull her close.
I’ve let her fall into a silent destruction over the past week. She went through a traumatic, fucked- up event, and it wasn’t even her first, from what she told me, but I can’t watch her live there forever.
Endless tears, sleeping all day, and shutting out the world aren’t what she was made for. She’s meant to flourish in the sunshine with her breathtaking smile and infectious personality.
When she asked me to be her first, my heart soared, but also plummeted. I want her to desire me out of genuine happiness and readiness, not as a means to compensate for her emotional distress. I’ve been there. It often leaves you feeling worse in the end, and I’m not that much of an asshole to take something so sacred from her when she isn’t thinking clearly.
When I denied her request, she shut down; her face filled with disappointment and sadness. Her self-perceived unworthiness shattered my heart, and I couldn’t leave her feeling that way .
I’m making it my mission to put this beautiful angel back together, and then I will tell her the truth. I just need time, and so does she.
“Wake up, princess,” I say as I brush a few stray strands of hair from her face.
It was a restful night for both of us, a welcome change from the restless sleep we’d experienced all week.
“Come on, sleepyhead.”
I’m determined to stay focused on my mission, to help her cross off her list of firsts and to get her to fall for me.
“But it’s so warm and cozy in here.”
“I guess I’ll tattoo someone else today, then.”
In an instant, her beautiful emerald eyes open. “I’m in a very vulnerable state. Don’t mess with me, Vic.”
“Never. Get ready and we’ll head to the shop.”
With a burst of joy, she springs to her feet and starts dancing around the room. I haven’t seen happy Rosie in so long.
“You know what you want?”
“Ah, yeah,” she says as she runs to her room and comes back with a paper. I look at the mostly simple design. A blooming lotus flower with birds ascending from the pinnacle and some kind of symbol at the bottom.
“What’s this? ”
“A unalome.”
“A what?”
“It’s a symbol of enlightenment.”
“Meaning?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Then why add it?”
“Just because...”
I raise an eyebrow for her to continue.
“It’s a reminder that I’m the one who holds the reins of my fate and existence. My destiny shall not be decided by anyone other than myself. A unalome.”
“I like that. Maybe I’ll get one, too.”
“I don’t think you have any room to add it.”
“There’s one place I can think of...”
Her cheeks instantly go red as she looks at my crotch.
“I was talking about my leg. Get your mind outta the gutter, princess,” I say with a grin.
“You sure you want this on your ribs?” I ask as we walk into my shop.
“Yep.”
It’s going to hurt like a motherfucker, especially for her first tattoo.
“Can I tweak a few things? ”
Her eyes light up. “I was hoping you would.”
I motion for Rosie to stand in front of me while I sit on my leather stool. I grab her hips, my fingers running along her exposed silky skin, before angling her to the side so I have better access to the area I plan to tattoo.
Blood rushes in my ears as I think about my hands being on her for different reasons.
My hands linger on her hips for a second longer than necessary before slowly brushing away, leaving chills in their wake, which makes a small smirk appear on the side of my lips.
After cleaning her skin with gentle strokes, I press a piece of transfer paper against her side, making sure to capture every intricate detail. I grab the edge of the paper and take it off before going over the whole design with a critical eye, leaning right, then left. It has to be perfect. This is the most important tattoo I’ve ever done.
“Perfect.”
She walks to the full-length mirror on the other side of the shop. A genuine smile graces my lips.
“It is perfect.”
Rosie skips back to my station and lies down on her side. We get right to work, and the second the needles brush against her skin, she winces. This is going to be a long-ass day for her.
We stay in relative silence for a while. Her in her head and me in mine. It becomes almost peaceful as I’m lulled by the buzzing of the tattoo machines.
“Gage texted and said he’s coming to collect me soon. Looks like you’re going to be rid of me and back to your life.”
I look over at her, and she has a look I don’t understand on her face .
“Is that what you want?” I ask, leading the conversation away from me and life after her.
I know what I want, but what the hell does she want?
“I don’t know that I have a choice,” she says, resigned.
“Bullshit. You always have a choice.”
“If I did, I wouldn’t be here.”
My stomach plummets, but I school my features. “So, you regret it?”
But what I really mean by it is me. Does she regret me?
The bell rings above the door before she can comment further.
“I heard someone was getting tattooed,” Trey says as he looks over my shoulder.
“How’s it feeling, Rosie? You need someone to hold your hand?”
I shake my head. “You’re a stupid fucker if you’re still flirting with her after knowing who her family is.”
“What’s your excuse?” he fires back.
I ignore him. “Why’re you here?”
Trey smiles like he knows I’m changing the subject.
“Waiting for Ax. I told him I’d meet him at Jess’s, but he declined.”
“Shocker.” I laugh.
“He needs to chill. She’s like my little sister, for fuck’s sake.”
“You seem to enjoy fucking with him about her.”
“Serves him right after breaking my fucking nose.”
“Why’d he break your nose?” Rosie asks through a wince.
“He thought I was trying to poach Jess.”
“Were you?”
“Fuck no. I was doing him a favor. Though I doubt his stupid ass will ever see it that way. Ah, speak of the idiot,” Trey says as Ax walks to the door .
“Should I be worried? You two never do anything alone together.”
“We bought Samuel a bike for his birthday. It’s pretty fuckin’ clean. He should be stoked,” Trey says with a smile. “Are we still on for tomorrow?”
“Yep.”
“See you guys then.”
“What’s tomorrow?” Rosie asks through another wince as I rub her side with a paper towel to clean the ink off.
“Nothing. We’re done.”
Rosie sluggishly rises from the chair and makes her way toward the mirror. I have no doubt her adrenaline is wearing off after the lengthy session, and she’ll be in need of some rest soon.
Her face lights up with a mixture of excitement and awe, exceeding all my expectations.
I hope she looks at this ten years down the road with the same expression and not the regret she seems to have.
As I walk up behind her, I hold my breath, patiently waiting for her to acknowledge my presence while her eyes remain fixed on her own skin. As if she can sense my gaze, her head snaps up in the mirror, meeting my eyes. I’m caught in a trance as I advance on her, our eyes never leaving each other.
Something raw and animalistic burns through me as I see her with the design we created together, with my own personal touch.
My fingers graze the side of her neck, and I feel her pulse beating strongly under my fingertips. I pull her flush against me so that she can feel just how turned on I am by her. She lets out a surprised squeal as I turn her around to face me .
To my surprise, she reaches her lips to mine and initiates the kiss.
“I regret nothing about being here with you, Vic. Nothing.”