“Nope.” She pops the ‘p’ like she always does when she’s trying to display her stubbornness and presses the lock button. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Suit yourself.” I throw the van in drive and spin the tires out of the alley. The tires screech when we hit a red light and we both fall forward. “Just because you like me, doesn’t mean the feelings are mutual.” I live up to my lying tactics. She’ll only push me harder if she finds out how it’s not only my body that yearns for her, but my heart too.
She turns her head in my direction and shakes it, narrowing her eyes. “Screw off, Rob. You know you do.”
“Would I like to fuck you, hell yeah, but because of Chrissy I’m keeping my distance. But hey, if you want to fuck, I won’t be opposed.” My bastard side arises in pure glory.
“Oh my God!” Her screams hit a high octave. “Why do I even try with you?” Her hands fly up in the air and her fists clench.
“Don’t confuse lust with love.” I turn into our driveway, parking the van on the side of the detached garage so I can escape in my Mustang and leave her here.
When I park the van, I throw her the keys and hop out. “See ya.”
Once I circle around the van, she’s already there, widened stance with her hands on her hips. “You can’t live like this forever. Constantly stashing your feelings away.” I continue to dodge her boxer-style body weaving in front of me on the way to my car. I never guessed she’d be one to fight for me. Jessa maybe, but she didn’t, because in the end she knew I wasn’t worth it.
“I’m not pushing shit.” I remove her hand from my arm as she keeps trying to get me to turn around.
A breath of relief flows out of me once I’m at my car door. My hand grips the metal handle, but she rushes past me and slams the door shut. “Paige.” I warn her, my eyes boring into hers.
“No. Tell me. What haunts you, Rob?” She keeps pressing and I need her to stop before I lose my shit. Turning around, I tug at my hair and bend down on my knees.
“Please, I’m begging you, Paige. Let it go.” I speak to the concrete floor because I’ll cave if I look in her concerned eyes that show her soft spot for me.
She places her hand on my shoulder and bends down to my level. “Who is Carly?” she whispers and the image of the accident replays in my head. The one point twenty-seven seconds of hell. I shake my head trying to forget the memory. The body lying on the stretcher, her screams and sobs echoing in the night. Dead silence filling the air before the screeching sirens blared down the deserted road. The heart-wrenching ambulance ride, holding her limp hand in mine while the paramedics tried their best. The confusion of understanding what they were all talking about. The loneliness in the hallway while the body got wheeled away into a life support helicopter. My body collapsing in the waiting room chair, the grief that racked inside of me. Reliving the moment in my head only angers me.
I pick up my head, water welling up in my eyes. “Is this what you want Paige? You want to see how weak I am?” I rest my head in my hands again and she drops to the ground, reaching for my hand, but I move it away.
“You can trust me, Rob.” Her voice flips to a sweet caress.
Unable to allow her to see me as a wimp who can’t hold his shit together, I keep my eyes fixed to the concrete, but the selfish side of me allows her hand to remain on my forearm. It feels too damn good. Confirming what a selfish prick I am.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s okay.” She scoots a little closer to me and silently sits there.
Buckling up from the outburst, I force back my tears and rest my head on the wall of the garage. She’s quiet; her hand slowly grazes back and forth on my arm. Right over my tattoo of Jessa’s lips. Seriously, what a bonehead move that was.
This is insane, allowing Paige to witness my unfolding. I need to grab my emotions and chuck them in the damn Cuyahoga River. In Rob fashion, I divert.
“You want to go get a tattoo?” I ask her, jumping up and brushing my ass off.
“What?” She cocks her head, confused by my complete change. “I’m sure you aren’t going to get in.”
“I know the guy. He’ll squeeze me in.” I swipe my keys off the garage floor and turn her way. “So?” I ask and she stares at me wearily while rising to her feet.
“Um.”
“Are you coming?” I pull my phone out to text Jed over at Zen’s.
Her eyes dart everywhere in the garage. “Sure.”
I swing the keys around my pointer finger and nod to my car for her to climb in.
Once she’s securely next to me, my phone beeps back from Jed. I smile over to her, waving it in my hand. “See, connections, baby. It’s all about connections.” She remains quiet, staring at me and my body as it falls into the seat, almost embarrassed by my see-through veil of arrogance. “I give him a lot of business,” I relent, the real reason Jed is available whenever I am.
Her eyes scan over my arms covered with tattoos and her lips curl at the corners. “I can tell.”
ROB’S COCKY MASK exhausts me. I’m not even sure why I’m sitting beside him while he drives over to the tattoo shop. Maybe I’ll walk home, or hitch a ride from someone. Sitting there while the fake persona he’s mastered so well brings laughter to other people, I’ll know I’m right. That my assumption there’s something hidden, he shares with no one lingers so far down, I’m not sure he can retrieve it.
I felt his desire for me all over my body at Ace’s. It was there, he wanted me as much as I wanted him. The fact that when I asked him to kiss me, his lips smashed down so hard on mine, my head almost smacked against the wall. Then Rob showed that he’s not all about himself. His hands cupped my cheeks, making sure my head stayed in place. Which is probably a reason I’m in the car with him. That, and my body refuses to leave the close proximity of his.
He’s so relaxed in his seat as he leans back with his hand resting on the gear shift, moving it back and forth while his foot presses the clutch. There’s something oddly sexy about a man who drives a stick shift. Rob drives it with such finesse, my core tingles with every movement. Only making me question how good he would maneuver me in bed. There’s another reason I’m here.
As my mind races with the million unimportant tidbits that float around my brain every day, we park along the curb. Everyone knows Zen’s in Western. The first tattoo place along a row of a few newer shops. They’re the go to place and if you can’t get in, you try down the street. Smart move on the second best parlor’s part on joining Zen’s location.
“It’s busy,” I say, noticing the chairs that line the window packed as well as some people hanging around outside.
“Don’t worry.” He climbs out of the car, moving around to my side. I open my door before he gets a chance and I notice his shoulders slump that I didn’t allow him to do a gentlemanly act. Happiness spurs inside of me that he wanted to.
He recovers quickly, by shutting the door. I barely hear the beep of his lock before we’re in the parlor and I’m following him to the back of the building. Huffs and moans release from the other half-drunk patrons waiting.
“That’s Rob Winters,” a girl says to another and my head whips around. Is he really that well-known around here? Then I notice it’s more than some fan girl; she works here and is explaining it to someone else. “He has a standing appointment,” she continues and the other girl shakes her head.
“Of course he does,” the young girl crosses her arms and plops down in the chair.
“Paige!”
I flip back around and find Rob yelling from the back. When I notice him, he waves me over and I zigzag through the stations trying not to accidentally bump anyone, or anything. Just the embarrassment if I messed up something permanent on someone’s skin heats my face.