CHAPTER THREE
Laurel
I had a huge urge to see my sister. I needed someone that would understand and would be on my side. I felt like a child that was seeking someone’s approval. And perhaps I was. I had never felt so alone in my life.
What Cami didn’t realize was that even though I was older than her, I looked up to her most of our lives. She always did her own thing. I always held some kind of pride for her and I hated it every time our parents tried to cut her down or made her hide true self. Her art was amazing. She had this way with putting colors together that would bring tears to my eyes. I envied her a little because it seemed that she had found something that she not only loved, but was good at. No, she was amazing at it.
When I first found out about the tattoo thing, I had to admit I was shocked. The thoughts of what other people would think did run through my mind immediately. I hated that and as soon as I realized that I was starting to turn into my mother, I quickly shook those thoughts away and took a step back.
Then when I thought about it—like really thought about it—it didn’t surprise me in the least. In fact, I wanted to support her but wasn’t really sure how. I felt like I had always been walking this tightrope when it came to her and our mother. I wanted nothing more than to shield Cami and keep the peace at the same time. I felt like I had failed her so many times throughout the years.
The entire drive to the tattoo shop I was a worked-up mess. I honestly had no clue how Cami would take the news. The night that Brice proposed she seemed like she was trying to be supportive. But I could see the hit of boredom and maybe even trepidation in her eyes. She never really said anything so I didn’t ask. Now that I thought about it, we never really talked about Brice. I had no idea what her opinion was on him or the whole thing. Well, it wasn’t like it mattered all that much now. It was done. I had given the ring back and everything.
I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to tell her. I felt ashamed of some things. Like, that I had cheated. Even if it was one little kiss, it was still cheating. That was how I thought of it anyway.
But really, was it such alittlekiss?
No.
I couldn’t call it little when it clearly impacted me so hard. It had turned my world upside down for more reasons than one. I wondered if I was being stupid and trying to live in little girl dreams. Ones of princesses and knights and kings and happily ever afters. Those weren’t real world things. Right?
I parked and stared out my window for a good long minute. With a deep breath, I collected myself and found some inner strength that I didn’t think I had left.
The shop was surprisingly nice. I really liked what they had going on here. It wasn’t as dungeon-y as I had imagined. Then again, it wasn’t like I had ever been in a tattoo shop before. Well, I had, but I was on a mission trying to track down Brand so I hadn’t really looked around then.
“Okay, so this place isn’t as bad as I pictured it in my mind,” I said sounding a bit snobby. I hadn’t meant to. The truth was, I was nervous. I tried to cover it up by saying that I had been there before but didn’t get the chance to take it all in.
“Princess.”
That voice.
I knew that voice.
I closed my eyes and tried to ward off the shiver that was threatening to run down my body. My face did something strange. I could feel it but I couldn’t stop it. I tried to cover it up by scrunching up my nose. I had no idea if it worked or if I just looked like I had taken a whiff of something rotten.
“Too-good-for-me-biker-boy,” I called out in a mocking tone. I smiled but it was tight.
I most definitely didn’t expect him to be here. And I wasn’t nearly prepared for how my body reacted to him.
It was not a good time. I didn’t want to see him right now. I was a mess on the inside even though I might have been hiding it well.
And because I was a mess on the inside, the inner cat came out and I couldn’t stop it.
“Somehow I’m not surprised to see you here. Come to add to your collection?” It wasn’t a question I really cared to hear the answer to. I did something with my fingers in the direction of his arms, as if we all didn’t know where his tattoos were.
Though it sounded like I was turning my nose up at his tattoos, and maybe tattoos in general, I had to admit that his were nice. The colors that swirled up his massive arms only added to his hard ruggedness. I had imagined more than once the last few days what it would be like to trace the lines of them with my fingers. Maybe even my tongue. But that was all wrong.
I most certainly could not think of that now. However, once I looked down at his arms, I couldn’t stop my mind from drifting to dirty places. I felt myself flush all over and was desperate for an escape.
“No, baby doll,” he said smoothly but with a hint of an edge in his tone. The name should have pissed me off. Only it didn’t. Oh, and that smirk, it had my blood boiling with lust.
I let out an annoyed huff and crossed my arms over my chest to cover my nipples, which were now hard enough to cut glass. For some reason, I also felt the need to tuck my empty ring finger away but I wasn’t sure why I wanted to hide it. Maybe because I didn’t want Cami to see just yet. I wanted her to hear it from me, not see it and have her head float away with a million questions. I may have also been desperate for her not to say anything right now. This biker guy didn’t need to know that he had that big of an effect on me that I had completely changed the course of my future. I imagined something like that would have gone to his big, stupid head.
Yes, I did know his name. I had read it on the patch on his chest a few times now but I refused to call him something so silly sounding.
“He came here to get Blade to put a hole in his equipment,” Cami said and by the way her mouth snapped shut suddenly and a look of horror washed over her face, I could tell she hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
I tried to hold my laugh back because she was quite bad about that. She would say things that she meant to only think quite often.
