“Yeah? So is PD, or for as long as he’ll put up with my shit.” I heaved a sigh. I needed to get my shit together so he wouldn’thave toput upwith it. His life shouldn’t be hell because of me. “I’m trying, you know. It ain’t easy.”
Jake crossed his arms and gave me a small smile. “I know, man. You’ve been to hell and back. And so’s PD. You should see it when he comes to work. All he can think about is you and how he can help you.”
“He’s an awesome guy and I don’t deserve him.” I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans and sighed. “But I love him. Can you do the tattoo? I want to tell him what he means to me.”
Jake nodded toward a spare chair. “Come on. Let’s figure out a design you love and start.” He turned toward Dawson. “Man, can you finish up with Melody?”
Dawson shoved the broom against the wall and headed straight to the sink to wash his hands, eager and excited. “Sure can.”
Jake laughed and tapped me on the elbow. “Take that shirt off. We’ve got a tattoo to design and ink.”
12
PD
“Will thinks I’m an asshole,” I grumbled under my breath and slammed a second pair of jeans into my black leather backpack. “Am I an asshole? No, I’m not. He’s.” I shoved in a pair of socks. “An.” I jammed in my sketchbook and pencils. “Asshole.” I was barely able to close the zipper. I didn’t need much to survive, but I was pissed off that I was clearing out of the house I’d workedhardto get Will back into—and twice as fucking infuriated that he was making me feel like I wanted to be away from him.
How long would I go? Well, who knew. Knowing how fucking stupid I could be about him, not more than a day, but I needed a breather.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I sighed as I tugged it out and glared at the screen, gearing up for round two with Will.
Jake
Will’s here and wants a tattoo. I have some concerns.
Myboyfriendwas having someone else ink him? My fingers shook as I texted back. Nope, I wasn’t hurt. There were no tearsin my eyes. I would eat a razor blade before I would admit that I wiped one off my face.
PD
He’s an adult. He doesn’t need anyone’s permission. You know that. His cash is green.
Unwilling to be part of yet another conversation that would piss Will off, I powered down my phone with a huff and stuffed it back into my pocket. Running my hands down my face, I glanced around my room.
Was I really doing this? Yeah, I had to get out of here, even if it was only for twenty-four hours. I needed one night. If I was somewhere else, I wouldn’t have to fight with myself because now Will and I were together. I could go into his room and wrap my arms around him. Goddamn it, I wanted to have my anger right now. I deserved to get upset sometimes.
As a treat.
I shook my head and smiled, then rolled my eyes. Maybe I would be back later tonight. I could already feel my resolve crumbling as I remembered how nice Will felt tucked against my body, but for now, I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulders. I rooted around in my closet for my black leather bowler hat and plopped it on my head as I was headed out. Then, I went back for my Kings of Men cut.
A knock on the front door made me stop and glare at it.
“Why today? If this is a salesman I’m going to toss him in the street on his ass,” I grumbled before flinging open the door.
On the other side, an older woman wearing a plastic rain hat over her brilliant red curls blinked up at me. She had her hand raised and squawked, taking several steps back, which forced me to grab her shoulders to keep her from falling. She flung around her huge purse and bonked my hip with it.
“Hyacinth?” I asked with a chuckle. “Are you okay?” I shuffled to the side to block the door because Will had said about seven hundred times that he didn’t want his mother in the house ever again. She’d spent days ranting the last time that it was filthy.
It wasn’t.
It wouldn’t pass the white glove test in all the corners, but it wasn’tthatbad. For two bikers, it was pristine.
“You better let me in, Paris, or not even Shakespeare will be able to save you!” She swatted at my hands, and I let go of her to casually lean my shoulder against the doorjamb, fully blocking access. She taught high school English and theater, and she’d always had an eclectic sense of fashion, maybe as a result. Her yellow overalls weren’t a shock, not even on a woman who had to be pushing seventy. If I didn’t know how she could be, I would even say she was cute. She glared at me with the same brown eyes she’d passed down to Will and crossed her arms.
“No.”
“You let me in or I’ll call the cops and tell them you’re abusing my son! That’s the only reason I can figure he isn’t answering his phone this long.” She shook her head so hard her rain hat fluttered off and fell to the ground. I bent down to scoop it up for her, and she stepped over my arm into the house.
Cursing, I whirled around, ready to yell at her, but she stopped awkwardly in the living room.
