After a few seconds of staring me down, Leandra finally reached for the hem of her left sleeve, then lifted it to expose a medium-size piece of art.I stepped back a bit, then grabbed her arm for a better look, and before I even had time to study it, it was clear that Lynne had outdone herself on this one.
The tattoo started at the apple of Leandra’s shoulder, then stopped right in the middle of her bicep.It was a traditional heart, though the heart clearly looked battered and bruised, and it was torn open in the middle, like it was being ripped apart by someone’s bare hands.Then, inside of the ripped heart, there was a life-like real heart, and though it was completely impossible, the 3D effect made it look like it was beating.Honestly, I had no idea how Lynne had managed to finish the piece in one sitting, but she’d had, and it was an exquisite piece of art.
Then I thought about what she’d said about being made fun of.“Your idea or Lynne’s?”
“Lynne’s,” she answered quietly.“But once she explained the difference between getting something inspirational and getting something personal, I agreed wholeheartedly with her idea.”
I let go of her arm, then looked back into her blue eyes.“And why would Lynne think that you’re the type of person to wear their heart on their sleeve?”
She didn’t say anything for a long time, but when she finally spoke, it was to tell me to leave.“I think it’s time for you to go, Dalton.It’s getting late, and...well, quite frankly, you’re overstepping.Me and my tattoo are none of your business.”
Like I’d said, Leandra Rollins was a lot more stubborn than she liked to let on.Yes, she was incredibly beautiful and had a body that stopped traffic often, but Leandra was not simple.She wasn’t simple, nor was she dumb, easy, flighty, or lazy.In fact, it was clear to see that the woman was way too good for me, and perhaps that’s been the problem all along.No matter who she chose to go home with, she would always be out of his league, and it bothered me that she didn’t see it.
It bothered me that she kept settling.
“I’m making it my business, baby,” I said, finally giving in.“So, why did Lynne suggest that design?”
She waited another few seconds before saying, “Because she noticed the look on my face after you left the shop.”
There it was.
There was the admission.
There was the confirmation to what Rya had been telling me all along.
“And why would that matter, Leandra?”I asked, needing to make her say it, so that there wasn’t any confusion moving forward.
The woman obviously did not like having her back up against the wall because she said, “Get out.”
Instead of listening to her, I reached down, then began playing with the collar of her shirt again.“Tell me why it matters,” I repeated.
“Dalton...”she whispered, and she seriously looked close to tears.
I stepped closer, leaning down a bit, taking in her natural scent.“What, baby?”
“If this is a joke-”
“You’re out of your mind if you think that I’d ever joke about something like this,” I told her seriously.
Not wanting to be the only one to be taking a chance here, she asked, “And what about you?What are you really doing here, Dalton?”
“I’m here because you’ve been avoiding me for the past few weeks,” I answered honestly.“I’m here because Rya said that we’re driving her crazy.I’m here because I’m so fucking tired of denying myself, Leandra.”
“Denying yourself what?”she asked a bit breathlessly.
“You.”
“I...I thought you...you hated me,” she said, making me want to kick myself in my own nuts.
“And every single time that you went home with some loser, I wanted to hate you,” I finally confessed.“You have no fucking idea how much I tried to hate you.”
“That sounds a lot like jealousy,” she said, her voice soft and hopeful.
“It was,” I admitted.“Still is.”
“I hate how girls are always staring at you wherever we go,” she confessed, and while jealousy was an ugly and unhealthy emotion, I couldn’t lie and say that it didn’t make me feel better about our current situation.
“Because you think that I appreciate how guys stare at you?”I countered.
