Chapter Nine
TOMI
The Next Morning
My body aches in places that haven’t ached in such a long time. But it’s a good pain, a delicious ache. Delight fills my chest as my eyes slowly flutter open to the feeling of movement beneath me. I’m so tired as my weight shifts, making my eyes open fully as I’m gently placed onto the bed. I know I was spread all over Xander last night, my head on his chest as we slept soundly. It was the best night’s sleep I’ve had for the last year.
I didn’t have any dreams.
Levi didn’t wake.
It was a pretty successful night all around.
Not to mention the mind-blowing sex.
I lean on my elbow as Xander scoots out of bed, gloriously naked. His body is a marvel as he glances down at me and frowns. “Shit, I was trying not to wake you. I’m sorry.”
I chuckle. “Your body’s like a lead weight, Xander. You getting out of my bed is not a dainty task.”
He leans down and presses his lips to mine. “Well then, good morning, beautiful.”
I tense slightly. “Were you going to do a runner?” I ask point-blank.
He creases his brows at me. “No. Jesus, Tomi, I’m not that guy. We’re not all assholes, you know?”
Taking in a deep breath, I sit up in bed, the sheets falling from my naked breasts as I sit tall. “I know, and I’m pretty sure you’re cool, but I need to make sure that I’m here for Levi, and if I’m not functioning at my best, he suffers, so I can’t be…” I pause, not knowing what else to say.
He leans down, his hand moving in, swiping a loose strand of hair from my face. “Hurt? I don’t want to hurt you, Tomi.”
Gnawing on my bottom lip, I nod. “Well, that settles that, then.”
He tilts his head at me. “It does?”
I jump from bed and pull on a robe, shoving his jeans at him. “Get dressed, we’re having breakfast.”
He chuckles. “Breakfast, then I have got to go to work.”
I bump into his side. “Don’t worry, I won’t hold you captive. I’ve got to get Levi to school, anyway, and go into the shop early for a stock take.”
He moves in, wrapping his arms around my waist, and pulls me closer to him. His morning erection is clearly evident. “I’d much rather you hold me captive here all day than me go to work. I just want you to know that.”
Butterflies dance in my stomach as I fawn internally over Xander. He knows what to say. I lean in and gently press my lips to his—they tingle, bolting with a shock of electricity as he kisses me. Suddenly, his hand comes out, slapping my ass with a thwack. The sting radiates through my skin as I break apart from him wide-eyed while he chuckles to himself, turning to get dressed.
“You’re a heathen,” I murmur, walking to my dresser to pull out some panties to put on under my robe.
He draws up his jeans, winking at me. “Yeah, but I’m your heathen.”
Those butterflies come back in full force as I gulp, then bend down, picking up his tank top for him. He chuckles, taking it, and yanks it over his head as he grabs my hand, and we walk toward the door.
How will Levi take this? A man hasn’t slept over before. I’m not sure how this is going to go down.
We walk out to the white noise of morning television, and we head to the family room. The curtains are still drawn as the morning news plays with Levi on the sofa, watching it intently. He likes to keep up with the financial reports. Don’t ask me why, but they fascinate him. He’ll be a wiz with money when he’s older.
“Good morning, friend,” Levi calls.
Xander’s eyes widen as I inwardly smile. Of course, Levi knew Xander was still here. He’s smarter than I give him credit for.
“Hey, buddy, how’d you sleep?” Xander asks, breaking apart from me as we make our way over to my brother. Looks like I’m dumped for the better Beaufort sibling. But I don’t mind. I love the fact they get along so well. Xander plonks on the sofa beside Levi, and Levi hands him a blueberry muffin. Okay, so my breakfast meals aren’t of the best standard right now. I need to go shopping.
“Very well. The best I have since Dad died.”
My head snaps up in shock as the room falls to silence, my heart hammering. Levi doesn’t talk about our parents’ death very often, so the fact he is now means something.
I just don’t know what.
I’m a little shocked.
I’m not even sure what to say.
Xander’s eyes casually glance up at me as if to assess the situation while the tension in the room ebbs slightly. “Well, that’s good that you slept well,” Xander suggests.
Levi nods matter-of-factly. “Yes, it is. Having a man in the house is protection from the shadows.”
My heart shatters so intensely I have to turn away to stop my eyes from overflowing. I never once thought in this entire year that Levi was missing that manly figure in his life to make him feel secure. No wonder he’s so terrified at night. I can’t protect him like our father could—like Xander can. Even though the shadows he’s scared of can’t hurt him, just having Xander here makes him feel at ease. Secure. It’s something I’ll never give him, and it tears my heart to shreds.
Xander’s hand smooths up the back of my leg, giving me the support I need right now. “Well, I’m only a phone call away, you know that, and Tomi’s very capable. She can take on anyone and anything. Hell, I’m scared of her most of the time.”
Levi chuckles as I relax at Xander’s attempt to make us both feel better. I face Levi to remind him that Xander is telling the truth. I’ll always be here for him, no matter what.
“Xander?” Levi murmurs.
“Yeah, buddy?”
“Thanks. You should stay every night, though, anyway.”
I can’t help but laugh as I move in behind Levi and scruff his hair. “Okay, that’s enough. You have to get ready for school, mister.”
He quickly pulls his hair back into a neat position, then standing, he heads off to his room. I slide in to sit next to Xander, letting out a huge exhale as I plonk onto the sofa. He wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me to his side and cuddling into me as I rest my hand on his chest.
“How you doing? You okay?” he asks.
Pouting, I sigh. “I have some competition. He loves you more than he loves me.”
His face lights up, beaming with pride as he leans down, kissing the top of my head. “I’m a shiny new toy, Tomi, that’s all.”
I grin mischievously. “Does that mean I get to play with you, too?”
He leans in, his lips almost pressed to mine. “Oh, yeah, wouldn’t have it any other way.”
His lips meet mine kissing me as Levi rushes out. “Tomi, you have to get dressed, or we’ll be late.”
Groaning, I regrettably break apart from Xander.
He lightly kisses the tip of my nose as I stand and stride to my room to get ready.
***
Levi rushes toward the classroom. Just as he reaches the step, he turns back and waves at us. Xander and I both return the gesture from Xander’s Chevy as Levi’s friends all gawk at the tricked-out vehicle. They all glance at Levi like he’s the coolest kid in school. Levi was so happy he was able to ride in the car and tell everyone that he knows Xander.
“I’m glad I was able to do this for him,” Xander mentions as he pulls out onto the street.
My ponytail whips back with the wind as I bask in the morning April sun. My eyes close just enjoying this moment with him. “I can’t believe how happy Levi was just now. You’re so good with him…” I open my eyes, turning my head to face him. “Good to us.”
Xander creases his brow like he doesn’t believe what I’m telling him. He’s so humble. “I just want to make you both happy. I love being around the two of you, and if I can give you a fraction of the way you make me feel, Tomi, then that’s an achievement in my eyes.”
I melt completely on the inside. “Hashtag swoon.”
He glances at me with a giant smirk on his face. “Did you just say hashtag swoon?”
My eyes open wide as my muscles stiffen. “No?” I pause. “Did I say that out loud?”
He bursts out laughing as he takes the corner heading to the shop. “Goddamn, you’re something special.”
“Or psychotic… could go either way.”
He chuckles, his hand coming down and resting on my thigh. I move my hand on top of his, lacing my fingers with his as we approach Hope & Faith Ink. It’s great that he’s dropping me off at work today. Greta’s picking Levi up from school as always, so when she drops him off, she can drive us both home. I know she won’t mind, she’s done it before.
Xander pulls up out the front, and I glance at my beloved shop. Soon it will be a pile of dust and rubble. I don’t want Xander to get caught up in my hatred for Alex Scott, so I turn around and smile. “Thanks so much for this morning… and last night.”
The cheeky grin plastered on his face tells me everything. “It was my pleasure.”
I glance at my cell to see the time and furrow my brows. “You’re going to be late for work, aren’t you?”
He hesitantly smiles. “Yes, very. My phone’s been buzzing nonstop in my pocket since eight this morning. But it’s worth the wrath of my father to spend the time with you both.”
Grimacing, I tighten my grip on his hand. “I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t be. I’d much rather be here with you.” He dips his head. “But… I do have to go.”
My eyes widen. “No, of course.” I lean in, quickly kissing him, then turn to get out, but he grabs me, pulling me back to face him.
“You’re not leaving with a kiss like that, beautiful. Kiss me like you mean it,” he demands, his fingers looping through my ponytail and yanking my face to his. My lips crash into his, making a soft whimper escape my mouth.
My hand slides up onto the side of his face, caressing him as his tongue dances with mine passionately in his car for the entire street to see. My thighs clench together as the world spins in slow motion. Everything becomes a blur as it’s just us alone in the world, and no one and nothing can stop us from enjoying this moment together.
Electricity pops and crackles all around us, setting the car on fire as my lips tingle, igniting with his caress. He sends me to another place when he kisses me. It’s like I don’t know where he starts and I end. Like we’re one entity, and everything around us is a flurry of excited adrenaline.
It’s pure magic.
Just like in the movies.
I’m breathless as we finally part, needing to take this down a notch before we end up stripping off in broad daylight. While that would be fun for us, not so much for the street we’re currently stationed on.
His hand gently caresses my cheek as his eyes stare directly into mine. “I’ll talk to you soon.” I simply nod as all my air’s been taken away. “Have a good day.”
Taking in a deep breath, I find the feeling returning to my body and turn to get out of his car. I slide out, close the door, and simply smile at him. “Talk soon.”
He gestures for me to walk inside, so I giggle and turn with a pep in my step toward the entrance to Hope & Faith Ink. I pull out my keys, turning them in the lock.
He wolf-whistles. “Anyone ever tell you your ass is sexy in those tight jeans?” he calls from the car.
I turn around laughing as I flip him the bird. “Catcalling from a car, nice one, tough guy. Now go on, fuck off. Some of us have work to do.” He pulls out his cell, showing me the flashing screen of it ringing, and I wince. “Well then, go on, shoo, you crazy stalker.”
He puts the cell on the passenger seat and winks at me. “Later,” he calls. Then he pulls out onto the street.
I walk inside Hope & Faith Ink, the smell of cleanliness mixed with cinnamon hits me as always.
It smells like home.
A home I’m going to have to let go of, but not for a little longer.
I still have some time.
So I’m going to cherish every damn second I have left.
***
“So could you take on The Rock , as in Dwayne Johnson, in a wrestling match?” Jana calls as she swabs at her client’s tattoo.
“Hell yeah, these guns aren’t just for show, chick,” Skins replies after finishing up a sketch. He cockily brings his bicep up and kisses it, making the rest of us burst into laughter. I have to admit, Skins, with his muscles and shaved head, does look like he could kick some serious butt, but there’s no way in hell he could take on The Rock .
“I’d pay to see that,” Gigi calls from the piercing room. I hear her female client giggle.
Jana focuses on the tattoo she’s currently doing, shaking her head. “You wish you could, Skins. Hogtie would have better luck than you.”
I almost spit out my coffee as Hogtie shakes his head, continuing on with his tribal tattoo like nothing happened. Though, if anyone were to take on this quest, it would be Hogtie. He’s twice the size of skins, but this is a pointless topic, no one here is taking on The Rock.
“You guys have so much fun here. It’s no wonder you have so many repeat customers, and it’s hard to get a booking,” Jane calls. She’s Hogtie’s customer who came from New Zealand just to see him.
Sinking in on myself, I exhale, knowing that because of Alex Scott, I’m not only letting my team down but also my customers, the repeat clientele, and even the valued ones like Jane, who travel from overseas just to come and see one of us. This whole thing is shit. It eats me up inside.
Taking another sip of my coffee as Jana finishes up her client by wrapping the tattoo, I stand by the cashier desk to take the money. Jana then tidies up her station.
I go through the motions, walking her customer through his aftercare, processing the payment, and then telling him the shitty news about us closing on the nineteenth.
It’s a process we have to go through with every customer now. One that’s going to take a little piece of me with it each time I have to explain the news. The customer leaves, and Jana walks over and rubs my back. “You’re doing a great job today. It can’t be easy telling everyone we’re closing.”
I groan. “I don’t wanna do it anymore.” I blink back the tears. “Can I take it all back?”
Jana leans in, hugging me. “Stop being a whiny bitch and own this shit.”
I choke out a laugh, pulling back from her. “I can always count on you to bring me back to reality.”
The shop bell above the door jingles, and Levi comes rushing in with Greta a few paces behind him. He has the biggest smile on his face as he rushes up to me, his backpack half hanging off his shoulders in his excitement. “Tomi! Blake said that I was cool today because my sister is a tattoo artist, and her boyfriend drives a Chevy…” He beams with pride. “I’m cool, Tomi! I’m cool.”
My stomach falls through the floor. I’m so happy that the kids at school are cutting him some slack, but I’m gutted to know it’s because of my job. Now, that’s not going to be the case anymore, I’m worried the kids might turn things around on him, and it will be all my fault again.
I glance at Greta. She senses that something’s up. She steps closer as I reach for Levi’s hands, taking them in mine. “Levi, that’s such good news, and I’m unbelievably happy for you—”
“But?”
See, he’s smart.
I glance at Greta.
She knows to be ready.
Taking a breath, I prepare to tell him.
He’s going to find out sooner or later, and if he’s coming in here, he’s going to hear one of us telling a client.
He’s better off hearing it from me.
Now.
“Levi, you know how Jacob owns this place, and we just rent it from him?” He nods, his nostrils flaring. “Well, there’s a developer coming in who’s bought the rights to the land. Jacob has sold the land, and so we have to vacate the shop.” He’s quiet. A little too quiet. He’s processing. “Do you understand what that means?”
He scans the shop, taking in the pictures of Mom and Dad and spying all the little hidden design features they put in place just for us. This place was as much theirs as it is mine.
He gets it.
I know he does.
He turns to me, and his eyes start to water. The sight instantly breaking my heart.
“Where will I go after school?”
Taking a deep breath, I straighten my shoulders. “Greta will take you straight home.”
He stiffens, his muscles going riged like I’ve shot an iceberg right through him. He shakes his head in disagreement. “No. I have to come here.”
I tighten my grip on his hands. “I know, buddy, but you can’t. The shop won’t be here.”
He rips his hands from mine. “No, no, no. This is not how it works. I go to school, I come to the shop, then we go home. This is how it works.” He starts pacing the shop frantically, gripping at his hair, the sight making my heart hammer. I knew this was the exact reaction I was going to get.
I grab his arm to pull him around, but he smacks my hands away, yelling in my face, shocking me as I stumble back, and he takes off toward the back room. I go to chase after him, but Greta grabs my arm and stops me. “I’ll go, you stay here. He’s upset with you right now. Let me calm him and remind him you’re not the bad guy,” she states as I hear something being thrown in the back room, making me jump while Greta takes off.
My entire body shakes, trembling as I catch a couple of customers watching me, but the expressions on their faces aren’t anything but sympathy. I take a deep breath as Hogtie stares at me as if to ask if I’m okay. I nod.
Jana walks over and wraps her arm around me, and ushers me to the waiting area. “C’mon, he’ll be okay. It’ll take some getting used to, but babe, if he got through the rest of your family passing and you being the one to take over everything, then he will make it through this tiny change in comparison, yeah?”
Sniffling, I nod. That helped. When they died, Levi was an off-the-charts wreck. It’s taken a long time to get him to where he is now.
In comparison, this is just a speck of dust.
We’ll get through this… together .
We have to.
I hear another scream and something else being hurtled to the ground. I grimace in response as I turn on my feet and start to make my way to the staff room at the rear of the studio. I know Greta can calm Levi, but she shouldn’t have to do this alone. I made this mess, I should help her clean it up.
I hear him groaning and grumbling as I walk toward the room, with Greta telling him it’s going to be all right. The only thing going through my mind is the fact that this won’t be all right , but I can’t let Levi see me falter right now.
I have to be strong— for him.
Striding through the opening, I see Levi picking up another metal tray, ready to slam it down, and I glare at him. “Don’t you dare slam that on the floor, young man.” He hesitates, tears in his eyes as he hovers it, his chest panting while he stares at me. “I know you’re hurting, I am too…” I step closer to him as he raises it higher, as if he’s going to either hit me or slam it to the ground, but I don’t waver, and I continue my stance as I step closer. “This will be a big change for all of us, Levi. And I know it sucks, man, I know it does, but little bro, we have to stick together in this. We’re a team… the three of us, right?”
He huffs as Greta and I reach out. Greta takes the metal tray as I grab Levi in my arms, and he collapses into them limply. He’s so heavy that we both fall to the floor in a heap. But I keep a hold on him—he needs me right now, and to be honest, I need him just as much.
Greta sits on the floor next to us as I rock with Levi in my arms, stroking his hair to relax him as his breathing eases.
“I love you, Levi, and I will do everything in my power to make you happy. You have to know that.”
He exhales, his body limp and his eyes tired. “I love it here, Tomi. I go to school. I come here. I don’t want it to change.”
My stomach flips. He’s still not getting it, or maybe he gets it all too well, and therein lies the problem. I bite down on my bottom lip as Greta reaches out, grabs Levi’s hand, and tightens her grip on him. “Levi, I know you want to keep coming here, but you simply can’t. We will have to make our own fun at home. What do you say?” Greta tries to change tactics.
He shifts in my lap. “Can we do whatever we want at home after school?”
“Yes, Levi. We can do all sorts of fun things. Art, cooking, video games… we can do something different every day if you like,” Greta suggests, gaining his attention.
He sits taller– BINGO, we’ve got him.
“Okay,” his voice raises a little higher, relieving me instantly.
I know this isn’t an easy fix. It’s not like we can settle him with a promise of fun activities and he’ll be fine forever. Once the routine kicks in, and he’s not coming here anymore, there will be more upsets, more outbursts, more destructive behavior. But for now, at least, Levi’s okay.
I’m not looking forward to how badly he’ll fall apart when this sinks in. I have no idea if he’ll go off the rails completely or if he’ll be fine. All I know is, I need to be prepared because I’m all my brother has, and if I can’t be strong for him, he has no chance of being strong for himself.