AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You’ve never heard that expression? Time to get some ink therapy?”
I shook my head, enthralled with his lifestyle. “Tell me.”
He scooted himself up into a sitting position and pulled his jeans back on, leaving them unbuckled. I did the same, thinking if someone walked by they’d see more than we intended them to see, not that we were too worried moments before.
“Usually people with a lot of tattoos have a lot of stories to tell, mostly dark ones. Secrets. Perhaps a skeleton or two in the closet,” Devlin said with a half-smile.
“Including you?”
“I have my share of stories, sure.”
“I’m all ears if you are into storytelling.”
“What do you want to know?”
I rummaged around for a good request. “Have you ever been in love?” I watched his face and cringed when he looked away. “Sorry, something tells me that was not the story you wanted to tell.”
“Hey, no. It’s fine. It’s been a while.”
“So then why does it look like you are still hurting over it?”
“It has been a while since it happened, but I’ve never talked about it.”
“With anyone?” I asked.
“No one. Not even Bones.”
“You two are pretty close, huh?”
“Yeah. We ride together.”
“What’s that like?”
“What’s what like?”
“Not settling down in one place, drifting from town to town, not caring where the road takes you. Tell me why you drift around so much.”
“The stories are related.”
“Well, damn. I’m not doing so well, am I? How about I leave it up to you? Tell me something you want me to know.”
He pressed his lips together, troubled by something. “Her name was Andressa. She was a waitress from Rio.”
I pulled my shirt on and opened the back hatch for some fresh air. I crossed my legs and leaned against the side of the jeep concentrating on Devlin’s words.
“Go on,” I said.
“From the moment I saw her, there was something special about her. I fell instantly.”
“Did she for you?”
“Not at first. She thought, much like you, that I was bad news. I had to show her I was genuine.”
“What did you do?”
“I went back to that diner and ate there every day for two weeks before she’d agree to go out with me.”
“Sounds romantic.”
He shrugged. “I guess. We hung out for a while, dated for a few months. I was completely into her. She’d leave me little notes all over the place, hang her underwear on the back of my bike, and was up for anything spontaneous. We’d take off on a whim and just ride until we hit water. We’d ride over the bridge if one existed and would just keep going.”
“It sounds incredible. Spontaneous for sure.”
“Problem was, she was a little too spontaneous for me.”
“What do you mean?”
“We found a little bungalow on the beach in Copacabana and stayed there. Made love on the beach, ate fresh tropical fruit, and drank wine all day. That seventh day when I woke up, Andressa was gone.”
“She left you there?”
Devlin nodded, his mind there with her. “She left me a final note telling me she was sorry for leaving.”
“Oh, God. That’s awful.”
“The one ray of sunshine was that I hadn’t given everything up yet. I had a ring in my bag. I was going to ask her to marry me. If she said yes, I was ready to leave my old life behind for her, sell my bike for her and settle down.”
“Did she tell you why she left?”
“Yeah. She wrote that I helped her realize how much she missed her ex. She needed to find him and figure things out. Unbeknown to me, I drove her to him. Thank you for helping me realize what I was missing. That was the last thing I heard from her.”
“I’m so sorry, Devlin.”
“Like I said, it was a long time ago.”
“She broke your heart.”
“She did.”
I didn’t know what to say. The silence was awkward, and I saw the pain in his eyes. I wanted to pull it all away from him and make his heart heal, but I didn’t know how.
My heart went out to him. “You deserve so much more.” I straddled him again, my hands holding his face.
“You say this after knowing me for a couple of hours,” he smirked. “I appreciate the gesture, but you have no clue who I am.”
His words bit, but I knew it was him still hurting for what this woman did to him. “You’re wrong,” I said confidently.
“Am I?”
“I see you, Devlin. I see beyond the tattoos and the barriers and the bad-boy image. You’re not so tough. You just need the right woman in your life to show you how to love. I was afraid to admit that because it would put me out there, vulnerable for—”
“For what, Naomi? What are you worried about? You worried about getting mixed up with a guy like me? Someone you have to explain to your family about?”
