“Will you marry me?” Kash blurts.
Cora laughs at him. “Shut up, dummy, and come help me with this, or I’ll do it how I want.”
“Seriously, Cora. I think you might just have to be my wife.”
“The fuck she will,” I snap at him.
Seth rolls his eyes as he gets back to work on his client.
“Don’t worry about the show.” Seth shakes his head. “We won’t charge extra for it. Consider it a bonus,” he jokes to the room of people.
Bri is still banging on the door, and Kash is finally sitting with Cora behind the desk, still with a look of awe in his eyes.
I go back to finishing Aidan’s tattoo, more so I can get him out than to give Kash and Cora privacy.
“I called the cops for you guys. You seemed preoccupied,” Aidan says, smiling.
“Thanks, man. Appreciate it.”
“No problem.” We all watch in amusement when, a few minutes later, blue and red lights flash in front of the building. Bri goes from banging on the door to running off.
Cora glances in my direction and smiles, and it tells me everything I need to know.
Kash can’t make her his wife. No other fucker will because there’s no universe where Cora isn’t mine. Sorry, not sorry, brother.
Chapter Fifteen
Cora
The week flies by in a blur. Wake up, drop Noah at school, head to work at the library, pop into the shop to see Mara, then head toExiled Inkfor my other shift. Noah has been gearing up for his soccer game on Saturday. Even on days when he doesn’t have practice, he still kicks the ball around or runs drills. I’m excited to see him play since he missed his game last week. It’s cold as shit, but that’s the perfect excuse to bring hot chocolate to his game. Matt says he’s come a long way and has natural skills. I’m hopeful that we’ve found something that fits him.
It’s Friday night, which means it’ll be a late one, but that’s okay. Noah is spending the night at the Morgans’, and in the morning, I’ll meet them at the field with Mara and Mila. He’ll have his own cheering section. A smile spreads across my face when I think about the support system we have in place. Sometimes I forget that our parents are dead. It’s been Noah and me for so long that I can’t imagine what it’d be like any other way.
Bea’s sudden reappearance has been at the back of my mind. Not knowing what her game plan is bothers me. She never took an interest in Noah until about a year ago. I thought maybe she had died,but no such luck. She’s technically the only family we have left, but it’s not like we’re about to celebrate the holidays together. I’d rather lie in a tub of spiders.
“Settle a debate for us, Care Bear.” Kash leans against the counter.
Blinking away my confusion, I level him with a look. “Care Bear?”
“Yeah. You remind me of one. All little and sunshiny and shit. Cora, Care Bear.”
That’s just like Kash. I don’t get how his brain works, but sometimes I’m glad I don’t. I picture an amusement park carousel full of happy, smiling chipmunks just enjoying the ride. Don’t get me wrong. Kash is not stupid, quite the opposite. He’s incredibly intelligent and knows thousands of random facts that the average person doesn’t even consider. The thing about Kash is that he’s happy. Like, all the time, happy. I thought I was a self-appointed chipper person, but he’s got me beat. I love being around him.
I know better than to get involved, but damn if I’m not curious. “What’s the debate, Kash?”
“Seth and I are debating whether or not you have tattoos. I say yes, but he is firmly in the ‘Cora has virgin skin’ zone. So, settle it for us, woman. Please.”
I roll my eyes at him. I should have known this was about me. There’s a playfulness about Kash that means I can’t actually be mad at him. I wasn’t lying when I told that other guy I don’t have any tattoos. I’ve always thought about getting one, but they’repermanent. If I got something, it would have to have a special meaning to me and be full of color. I refuse to live my life without it.
“Sorry to disappoint, Kash, but Seth is right. No ink here.” Pushing my sleeves back, I show them my bare arms.
“Ha. Told ya, fucker.” Seth smacks his arm. “Cora here is a good girl. She wouldn’t be wasting her time on tattoos.”
“It could be hidden, ya know? She only showed us her arms.”Kash continues to bicker with Seth, but something Seth said makes me bristle.
It’s true I’ve tried to make up for where I came from. Being the product of a teenage pregnancy and growing up with parents who had substance abuse issues had me wanting to fight the stereotypes. I didn’t lose my virginity until I was twenty-one, and even that was a lackluster experience. The guy was attractive enough, but he didn’t believe in foreplay and only lasted about four minutes. I get better orgasms from myself. But am I just agood girl?
I’m in bed by eleven most nights, but that’s only because I’m too tired to do anything else. Maybe I need to live a bit.
