Fuck. She was nervous, and I hated that. Even if she was about to hand me my fucking heart with a big old crack down the middle, I didn’t want it hurting her.
“Uh hi,” I murmured lamely, reaching out to help her climb off and stand beside me, her face tilted up towards me.
“Hi,” she said breathlessly.
“Look-”
“I just-”
We both fell silent, and I sighed. “Go ahead. I’ll shut up and let you destroy my very soul, baby. Just know I’d do anything to change your mind.”
She blinked several times, her fingers clenching briefly as if she wanted to touch me, or hell, maybe hit me. Would I deserve it?Probably.
“You want me to change my mind?”
Dear god, she was going to make me beg her, and I realised I was man enough to do it, to do whatever it took.
“I’d do anything, baby. Please. Just fucking stay with me.”
Her fingers clenched again, and her eyes darted around us, where I realised a few nosy fuckers were lingering to watch. That’s club life for you, nothing’s fucking private.
“You lot wanna sod off while I get dumped? Please?!”
“Dumped?” Caroline grabbed my cut in her fists and forced me to look at her. “You’re not getting dumped, you idiot!”
Wait, what?
“I’m not?”
She started giggling, practically wrapping herself around me.
“Are you out of your mind? I’ve found the one man who’ll always treasure me and keep me safe, who makes me feel like I’m a normal person, a real person. One who loves me, and makes me feel so good. Who’d dump someone like that? Am I that stupid?”
I held her back from me for a moment, checking her eyes for truth, for reality, because I couldn’t let myself believe my ears. I didn’t trust my own ears in this moment. I'd been convinced she was about to end things, and now I was struggling to accept the opposite.
“For reals?”
“I love you, Harley. And…” she swallowed hard, glancing at the people still milling around, and pretending to not be eavesdropping, “I want my old lady tattoo. Right now before I lose my nerve. It’s Rocket who does them, right?”
I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t even breathe. She wanted what?
“You want ink?Myink? Right now?”
She nodded, leaning around me to catch Rocket’s eye. “You can do my tattoo right now, yes?”
He barked you a laugh, and came over to join us. “I mean, this stuff normally takes a club vote first. We need the Pres for that. MICRO!” He yelled like a fucking heathen, and you know what? My Caroline didn’t jump that time. Had she foreseen his behaviour, or was this starting to feel like a safe place to her? Would she be so intent on making this permanent if not?
Micro appeared from the lounge, like he hadn’t probably been listening or watching somehow this whole time.
“Hey, Caroline, you okay? What’s going on here?”
He smirked at me, and hell, I knew I probably looked like I’d just been hit by a sledgehammer, because I was still stunned into silence. This entire moment felt surreal, too perfect to be actually happening.
“I’d like my old lady tattoo please! I’m told it has to be approved by you, like it’s up to you or anyone else if I choose Harley to be mine!” Holy fuck, she was coming out swinging, wasn’t she? My little fucking fighter.
Micro chortled, looking at the majority of the club amassed around us at this point, with maybe one or two missing at most. He shrugged at them.
“Any objections?”
