Messy Love(19)

“If you’re here to upset her again, turn around now,’’ Jamie said, a warning in his voice as the muscle in his jaw ticked. He didn’t worry me, but I respected him.

“I need a word,’’ I replied gruffly, tugging on the collar of my shirt sticking to my chest from the humid air that chased away the night chill from earlier.

She shook her head and refused to look my way. “There’s nothing to say. Come on, Jamie.’’ She tugged on her arm and freed herself, took a step away and before I was aware of what I did, I forcefully turned her around and kept a hand on her shoulder. Her skin was warm and smooth, barely covered by the thin strap of her top. Shit, my hand covered all of her shoulder and part of her collarbone. I itched to delve my fingers into her thick hair and tilt her face back to… Yeah, it wasn’t the time to have that kind of thoughts.

“I need a minute.’’

She finally peered at me, and it made me feel shame. In her eyes, there’s a world of pain, some of which came from a place I knew nothing about. “Why should I give you this minute? Why are you even following me, uh?’’

“Maybe you should—''

“Don’t, Jamie. Don’t take his side!’’ She held up a hand to shut her brother up and shrugged me off. I tightened my grip on her, but when she narrowed her eyes at me, I let her go. “I’m done. It’s funny really. When I decided to meet my birth mother, I thought she’d be the one shutting me out, pushing me away and hurting me. I never thought it’d be a member of her family giving me hell for existing. Sorry, I’m alive, asshole.’’

She turned away once again, and I closed my hands into fists. “You don’t know what it’s like to be adopted at thirteen and be afraid of losing your new family. That damn fear has never left me,’’ I blurted out, voice rough as I shredded a part of me, bleeding it out through my gritted teeth. And fuck, opening that part of myself hurt.

She stopped, but her back was still to me.

“You’re her blood.’’

“She gave me up, Wyatt,’’ she whispered back. “You’re the one she went out of her way to welcome into her life.’’

This time, when she walked away, I let her. I barely noticed it when her brother jogged away to join her. My eyes were on her, and this time, I didn’t see her as a woman I’d have easily fucked if the situation was different, and I didn’t see her as an enemy either.

This time when I stared at her until she turned into the next street and the building hid her from me, I saw a young woman who was trying to live her life with the cards she’d been dealt with.

Like me.

But she wasn’t fucked up from it all.

She’s lucky, and she’s a great person.





WYATT


“It’s wicked!’’ Ralph exclaimed, showing off his fresh ink.

The tatt looked better than I expected. The colors were fucking genius, and the design itself worked wonders with the existing sleeve. Marissa was talented. Even with the raised skin all red and hard pink you wouldn’t think it’s an apprentice’s job.

Fuck, every time I thought of her since what happened a few days ago I felt like breaking something. I grunted and focused again on my job filling out info regarding a new guy who hired me for light training for his wedding in a couple of months.

“Is that all you can come up with?’’ Ralph asked. I glanced at him as I gave Jenny, the college student working a few hours a week, the paper to put in my new client’s file.

“If you expect me to break out in fucking lyrics over your ink, think again.’’

I turned around and made my way to the smoothie bar to get something to rehydrate myself, and when I realized Ralph was still there, nowhere near ready to get a work out in today, I had to check myself before I snapped at him.

Shit, it wasn’t his fault what happened with Marissa. It wasn’t his fault if I was pissed he went to see her while I had no idea if I ever would again. It wasn’t his damn fault if she’s always on my fucking mind, so burned in there that I didn’t know how to get rid of her or what it meant.

“When I mentioned your name, she clammed up.’’

“Do you have a question or are you just listening to yourself talk?’’ I leaned against the bar. “Hey Joan, can I have a Strawberry Blast?’’

“Right on it, big guy,’’ Joan said with a smile and went to work.

“Hey Joan,’’ Ralph saluted her before his attention went back to me. “What happened the other night?’’

I gripped the towel around my neck and dried my neck and face still damp from the workout I put in with my new client. Once or twice a day I preferred to work with them to show them I wasn’t just the guy here to order them around and torture them. I was a participant. It always helped to bond with the clients and gain their trust. Otherwise, they wouldn’t push half as hard as they could.

“You were busy with Emma, like always when she bats her eyes at you and she’s single.’’

I wasn't judging. Ralph and Emma were adults, and they could fuck each other however and how often they wanted, but their relationship was complicated to follow, even for me and I’d known them for years.

Ralph and Emma had never been a couple, but whenever they were both single and met up, they ended up fucking each others’ brain out. Then it would get ugly, and I ended up with a sullen Ralph who found nothing better to do than to go out, get drunk and fuck the first piece of tail he’d find. I didn’t get it. I didn’t understand why Ralph took up all this shit when he could have fun whenever he wanted with other women. Even if Emma truly was a nice person, but she messed with my best friend’s head too much.