Maddox
BEFORE
I wait for Ian to come to the door. I know he’s upset with me, and I hope I can make it up to him.
I just can’t let him know why I’ve been gone so much.
Yeah, he knows I’m working, but he doesn’t know my plan and why I’ve been working so hard lately.
Finally the door swings open and he blinks at me. “Can I help you?”
“Ian—”
“How do you know my name?”
Oh, this asshole. “You’re being a dick.”
“Is that how you talk to strangers?”
“I’m your boyfriend, fuck off and let me inside.” I push him inside his apartment.
“Boyfriend? I have a boyfriend?” He thinks. “It’s been so long I—” I shut him up with a kiss and all my worry dissolves with the soft laugh that leaves his lips.
“You’re mean to me.”
His arms go around my neck. “And you work too much.”
I know, but I’m so close. Our bank needs a percentage down before I can apply for a loan.
Like, I’m fucking broke which is why I need said loan, so why do I have to put so much down first?
Being broke is expensive. It’s a surprise, though, and I don’t want him to know just yet what I’m planning.
I could dip into our vacation fund, but I don’t want to touch that money either.
I’ve put extra in there and I don’t think Ian even realizes.
All his tips from the bar go in there too. It doesn’t matter, I’m so close.
Everything is falling into place.
“You missed the eighth.” I feel like shit about that. In the two years we’ve been together we haven’t missed an eighth yet. It was either work or lose out on four hundred dollars, and I’m so close.
“I know. I know, please,” I whine. I don’t care. I’m not beyond whining to get my way. I’ll whine the fuck out of this moment if it gets him to stop being an ass. “Please forgive me, baby.”
He sighs. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”
“Damn right.” I grin and watch his dimples appear with his growing smile. “So . . .” I stick my fingers in the front of his pants. “Are you up to getting your back done today?”
“You want to finish the tattoo?”
I nod, kissing him softly. “Yes, I do.” I back him up to his couch and watch him fall on top of it. “Mom home?”
“No, she’s not,” he says breathlessly. “Work.”
“Good.” I take his sweats and pull them down. “Mouthwatering.”
“Madd.”
“Uh-huh?” I sink to my knees and latch my mouth around his cock. “Let me apologize.” I lick his crown. “Then we can go finish that tattoo.”
He groans, threading his fingers through my hair. “You don’t play fair,” he moans.
“How else would I get what I want?”
“You sit so well for me, baby.” We’ve been working for nearly a year on this, and I can’t believe it’s almost done.
I was supposed to finish it on our second anniversary, but my second job called me in.
I just need the money. Anna has given me some to go toward the shop I found, and I know Ian would if I asked, but I don’t know .
. . I want to show him I can do this. I can.
I can support us. He doesn’t have to worry.
I smile to myself, looking at this piece.
The bright red moon pops behind the devil—or angel depending on how you look at it.
I wanted it to be ambiguous, up to the interpretation of whoever’s looking at it.
Long horns or wings. A devil or angel, or some other being caught between the battle of good and evil.
“You’ve got a light hand,” Ian says sleepily.
My boy falls asleep no matter what. He’s fallen asleep a couple of times while I’ve been tattooing him.
His pain tolerance is incredible. This one was easier than his chest, though.
That, yeah, that was rough. So much black ink packed into his skin to make the void of space pop.
It looks incredible at least. Exactly how I’d imagined it’d work.
I think about the building Ian doesn’t know I’m looking at.
It still needs a shit ton of work. Anna knows about my idea, but she hasn’t seen it yet.
I’m hoping to finally get her out of that diner.
More importantly, away from her parents.
While my mother doesn’t approve of my sexuality, Anna’s parents are very vocal about hers.
I don’t think they’d just toss her out, but I don’t like that she has to live every day with their judgement.
Soon. I almost have enough to pay the percentage needed. I have it all thought out. We’ll start with two stations, which will be all I can afford for a bit, but then I want to expand.
I want to give other artists a starting place. A fresh start.
When I’m done, I step back and take a minute to make sure I’m finished completely. “Holy shit.” I stand and admire my work.
“Done?”
Ian hasn’t seen this at all yet. He’s given me complete control, and that trust hits me so deep. I love this man like crazy and I hope he loves me even a fraction as much. Ian slowly gets up. I know he has to be sore and stiff. He’s lain here for hours determined to let me finish. “How bad was it?”
Ian shakes his head. “Nothing will ever compare to the galaxy tattoo.” I look at it and smile. “That was brutal.”
“I know.” My fingers slide along his jaw and I give him a kiss. “You’re so good for me.”
Something warms inside me with the look in his eyes. “I love you, Madd.” He always says it like that. With a soft sigh. Like he’s helpless to do anything but love me.
“Thank you.”
“Thank you?” His brows scrunch. “For what?”
“Where to start,” I laugh. “Supporting my crazy dreams. Doing this with me. Trusting that I can do this. That I will do this. Not giving up on me. Humoring me through all of it.”
Ian flicks his eyes in a roll. “I’m not humoring anything. If there’s anyone who will do this, it’s you.” He smiles. “You turn can’t into will. Nothing stops you.”
My fingers run along his jaw. “No matter what, I’m with you.” I swallow. “You and me, this is for-life shit. You’re mine, do you hear me? And I will never ever let you fail. I will never leave you alone. I will always be here with you.”
“God you’re annoying.” But I watch him blink the sheen away from his eyes. I smile wider with every minute he needs to take to compose himself. “You’re everything to me. Which must mean I’m as insane as you are.”
I lean in, kissing him slowly. I feel him open to me and can’t believe I’m so close to my dream, and I get to do it all with my man and my best friend at my side.
Jamie’s not into tattooing, but if he was, I’d get his ass here too.
I’ve tried to talk him into moving up this way anyway, but I don’t think he’d leave Luci behind at home.
You only fail if you quit, though, and I’m not a quitter. “You want to see?”
Ian nods, pulling out of my arms, and I grab another mirror then let him stand in front of the full-length one. I hold it up and watch his eyes widen. “Holy fuck, Madd.”
The devil-angel’s wings spread the length of his shoulders. The whole thing looks like it was drawn with ink pen. I love the way this style looks. It’s dark and scary. There’s also something sad in it. “A devil?”
“Or an angel.” I smile. “Depending on what you see first.” Of course he saw a devil. Ian always sees the worst, which is why he needs me to pull him back from his dark thoughts, but I also need him to ground my brain in reality.
“It’s beautiful. Holy shit.” He laughs a little. “This is insane, baby.”
“I want to get a picture and send it to Jamie.”
“We can meet up with him if you want.” I know it’s the adrenaline. No matter how good he feels now, I know Ian’s going to crash soon. I did a lot today to finish this, and once this buzz wears off, he’s going to be sleepy.
“I think he’s with Ali right now.” In fact, I know he is, and I want no part in them together. She’s always getting mad about, well, everything. She doesn’t even try to hide how much she can’t stand us. I get it. I’m a lot, but still. Why can’t we all just hang out?
I’ve tried to talk to Jamie about her, but I also don’t want to stop my friend from living his life.
Even if he is making mistakes. I’ve known her family all my life.
Her mom and dad live in the same trailer park Anna and I do.
I can’t fucking stand her. She’s always had this air of being better than everyone because of the sports she’s involved in.
Girl, we are all from the same place, please calm down.
Her sister isn’t bad, though. Kind of quiet. Kind to me when I go to their cafe. They’re twins but couldn’t be more different personality wise. “I’ll text him tomorrow. For now, you want to watch a movie?”
“Okay, but first . ,. .” Ian’s lips grow into a small grin then his arms wrap around my waist, pushing me back onto the bed. “First I have to tip my artist.”