Chapter 27
TWENTY-SEVEN
Bryson
I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is, but I know something isn’t right. The balance is off, like I can feel it in the air.
It’s Tonksy. I know it’s him that’s got me feeling like this, but I haven’t figured out why yet.
Every interaction we’ve had with him lately has been civil. He’s been on time. He’s been good with Aria, he’s even gone out of his way to provide things for her that he hasn’t bothered to even consider before.
My warning has been heeded.
He’s toeing the line.
There’s no evidence to suggest why I feel so uneasy, but I do .
I don’t trust him as far as I could drop kick him, and I don’t like him being around Sophia, but I’ve got nothing to complain about at the moment.
It’s fucking weird.
It’s like my body knows something that my brain can’t comprehend yet.
Things have been good for a while now, so the logical thing to do would be to relax and enjoy the peace, but every time I think about it, my heart races and my palms sweat.
Maybe I need to see a therapist or something. Maybe my trauma is showing.
Now’s not the time to worry about it anyway, Soph and Ari are over at her parents’ place, helping her mum do a bunch of cooking and baking for some club she’s hosting this evening, so it’s not like she’s home alone.
I’ve got more important things to think about today than Joshua Tonks, and whether or not he’s going to cause trouble.
Today is one of the most important days of Sophia’s life and she doesn’t even know a thing about it.
Today is the day I’m going to choose the ring that will be on her left hand for the rest of her days, if she accepts it.
I’ve got an appointment with a jeweller who makes some epic pieces. He’s a young guy – only a year or so older than me, but he’s blowing up big time and his stuff is getting more and more in demand.
I walk up the stairs to his studio and he calls me in right away.
He’s an artsy type, got the classic mid-twenties mo and a man bun going on.
We shake hands, exchange the usual bullshit small talk and then he’s showing me metals and stones, talking about cuts and settings and clarity, and a bunch of stuff I hadn’t even thought to consider.
My brain hurts by the end of it.
I can see why most people decide to go into a store and pick one out. It’s overwhelming to say the least, but I didn’t want to do that for Sophia. I wanted her to have something unique. Something tasteful that will last for generations to come, and be passed down to our children, and their children.
I wanted to hand select the stone that will go everywhere with her.
He’s sketching away on his pad, drawing up a rough idea of what we’ve decided on for the band and setting.
“How does that look?”
It looks like my future wife’s ring.
“It’s perfect.”
“I actually think I might have one more stone to show you.”
He opens a few drawers, pulling out small boxes and looking through hundreds of tiny bags until he pulls out one specific one and holds it up to me.
It’s an oval, and it’s a very light, pretty pink.
“What is that?”
“Australian pink diamond. They’re rare. I’ve had this one for a long time now. It’s kind of expensive, so it gets passed over.”
He hands it to me and I study it closely.
“It’s pretty.”
“It’s probably the most perfect diamond I’ve ever seen in real life,” he tells me.
“I’ll take it.”
“Really? You didn’t even ask me the price.”
“Unless it’s more than twice the price of the white one, then I don’t care.”
He looks like he respects my answer. “It’s all yours then.”
An incoming message dings in my pocket and I glance at my watch to read it.
It’s Sophia, asking what time I’ll be home today, and if I want to eat an assortment of finger foods and cakes for dinner.
I chuckle. Sounds like we’re having what she calls ‘girl dinner’ tonight.
“What’s the timeframe for it?” I ask him.
He picks up his diary off the desk – can’t remember the last time I saw someone actually using a paper diary – and flicks through it, counting on his fingers.
“Give me three weeks, is that doable?”
I was expecting at least three months , so three weeks is a dream result.
“Done deal, bro.” I hold my hand out to his.
We go over the finer details, paying the deposit, and all that boring shit and then I’m back on the footpath, walking to my truck, like I didn’t just make the biggest, most important purchase of my life so far.
I glance out the door of the bedroom before asking Jones the question that’s been playing on my mind.
“This is going to sound off, but do you know who took over the drug scene after dipshit and his uncle got pinched?” I hold my hand around the phone, trying to keep as quiet as I can.
I can’t believe I’m asking him this, but he’s the guy who knows everything about everyone in this place, even when he shouldn’t.
“Are you in the market for some meth or something?”
“Yeah,” I drawl. “I just can’t get enough of riding the crystal dragon.”
I hear his deep laugh. “I don’t know off the top of my head, but can ask around if you want. I’ve got a couple of mates at the station.”
“I’d appreciate it.”
“Why do you want to know? ”
I run my hand through my hair and sigh. “I don’t know. I’m starting to think Josh might be back on his bullshit. He’s acting weird, and I’m not buying his excuses anymore.”
“What kind of excuses?”
“Wearing sunglasses inside, long sleeves on when it’s hot as fuck… one of my mates who works night shifts said he’s seen Tonksy out walking the streets at all fucking hours of the night the past few days. I’ve just got a bad feeling.”
“You think he might be using again?”
“I think there’s a fuckin’ good chance. I don’t know if he’d be cooking or dealing it again, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s up to his old tricks.
“Can’t Sophia ask that cop mate of hers?”
I did think of that, but that’d mean involving Sophia, and the last thing I want is to let her know that I feel uneasy. Especially when I don’t really have anything to go on except bad vibes.
“I’d rather not worry her just yet.”
“Ah, the old keeping secrets from the mrs, I see. A fail proof plan,” he jokes.
“I’m not going to be responsible for keeping her up at night worrying… not without any proof.”
“Fair enough. I’ll ask around for you. I’ll drop his name while I’m at it, see if he’s on anyone’s radar.”
“Thanks Jones. I appreciate it.”
I hear Sophia coming down the hallway towards our bedroom. “I gotta go,” I tell him quickly before ending the call.
He’s right. It’s not a good feeling, trying to dig around while she’s being kept in the dark, but I’ll take it over making her freak out for no reason. She’ll be the first to know if I find out something I can really go on.
If my hunch is right, then there will be plenty of time for freaking out later on.
She peeks her head around the door and smiles when she sees me.
“Hey, baby.” I can hear the warmth in my tone. Happens every time she’s around.
“Hi,” she replies.
I gesture for her to come to me.
She skips across the room and into my arms.
I position her so she’s sitting in my lap, straddling me.
She gives me a kiss. And then another, and then a third. It’s always three.
“Did she go down alright?” I ask her.
Aria was super tired tonight, and being a bit cranky, so we decided to bring her bedtime forward for today.
“Out like a light. I guess all that whinging really takes it out of a girl.”
I chuckle. Even when she’s whinging and being a grump, she’s still cute as hell.
“So we’ve got the toddler in bed and an extra hour of alone time on our hands… ”
She picks up what I’m putting down immediately, her fingers skating over my bare shoulders. “It would seem that we do…”
“Any suggestions of what we could do to fill the time?” I tease, kissing a slow path down her neck, and along her collarbone.
“There’s a lot of dishes in the sink.”
Smartass.
I tickle her and she shrieks with laughter and tries to wiggle out of my lap. She’s got to be the most ticklish person I’ve ever met in my life.
“I’m only kidding!” She giggles. “Stop making me laugh!”
“The dishes can wait. I’ll do them once I’m finished with you, woman.”
I release her from the tickle chokehold and she leans her weight onto me, still softly laughing.
I could listen to the sound of that laugh all day.
I gently push her back and lift the hem of her t-shirt over her head. I think I could have my way with her every night of the week and I’d still be in awe of her beautiful body every time I saw it.
She returns the favour and removes my shirt for me. The feeling of her hands on my skin is electric, every nerve ending in my body feels like it’s being zapped with tiny little bolts of current.
I’m already hard beneath her and she’s barely even touched me yet. I hope this never changes.
I lower my mouth to her hip and kiss the thin lines marking her stomach from where she grew Aria.
She shudders beneath me, and I smirk to myself. I love the way her body reacts to me – it’s completely out of her control.
I kneel between her parted legs and tug down my shorts, taking my boxer briefs with them.
My dick is hard as a rock now, sitting up loud and at attention – all for her. She doesn’t miss the fact, she’s watching closely.
“Lose the underwear,” I tell her as I tug off my shorts the rest of the way.
Her eyes widen, probably at the demanding tone of my voice, but she lifts her ass and slides them down her legs without comment.
My head drops back as a groan escapes my lips. “You’ve got the prettiest pussy I’ve ever seen. Fucking hell.”
She blushes a deep red on her cheeks and her teeth sink into her bottom lip. Even though I know she likes it, she gets embarrassed when I talk like that about her. She’s got no fucking reason to be. She couldn’t be more perfect to me if she tried, but she’s a good girl when it comes down to it. Even if she really loves being bad.
I don’t waste any time tonight. I can tell neither of us need foreplay, we just need to be connected.
I use some of her wetness to coat my dick, and line myself up to slide in .
“Fuuuuck,” I breathe as her walls grip me tight. She moans my name in my ear, and it makes my balls tighten.
This woman has ruined me, nothing has ever felt so good – so right, and as I start to move inside her, filling her deeper with every push of my hips, I know that nothing else ever will.
We’ve spent countless nights together, but this time feels different—more profound.
I don’t want to think it, but it almost feels like a goodbye – an ending somehow. I push the idea away. Her and I – there will be no end.
No goodbyes.
“Bryson, I’m going to come,” she moans softly in my ear.
I push deeper.
Nothing could ever make me give this up.