We all filed into Jake's room and I decided then and there that I hated hospitals more than anything. The cold air sent chills down my spine and the yellow and salmon colored walls reminded me of puke. How could anyone ever feel better staying in a place like this?
Jake was lying in the bed, filling the mattress with his size and the tattoos covering his arms were a stark contrast to the ugly gown the hospital had dress him with.
The only comfort in the room was the steady beep of the machine next to him. It told every single one of us that Jake was still alive, that he was going to survive.
Mom took a seat on one side of the bed with Dad standing behind her. I took the other side and Jack kept a hand on my shoulder while I reached for Jake. His fingers were cool to touch, but the warmth I did feel made the dam break and my tears flowed freely. I cried for a long time. Mom cried, Dad cried, and even Jack pulled a tissue out of the box next to the bed. Jake may have made some bad decisions in the past and he may have put my family through a lot, but he was still our Jake. He was still a light that shined brighter than all the others and I made a promise to myself that I would never do anything to hurt him ever again. I would never give him another reason to worry about me.
"Dammit, Jake. You're a fool for doing what you did, but I love you and I'm going to kick your ass when you wake up," I said.
"Get in line," Dad chuckled and turned away as he wiped away the tears on his cheeks.
"I believe Jack called first dibs," Jake rasped and all four of us gasped.
Jake's hand squeezed around my fingers and he tugged me forward and pulled me into a hug.
"Jake, I don't want to hurt you," I protested.
"You can't hurt me, sis. Just hug me and let me feel that you are okay."
I tried to keep my weight off of his chest, but Jake just held me tighter.
"I saw it, Ari," he whispered into my ear and his shoulders started to shake. "I saw the look in his eyes before I saw the gun, but I knew. I knew he wouldn't stop until he had my sister and I made a promise to you. No matter what, he wasn't getting you back."
I held onto him a little longer repeating "Thank you" over and over again before Mom said, "I need my hug or I'll ground you both."
The room erupted in laughter and Jake smiled as he pulled my mother into his arms.
I leaned back in my chair and felt Jack move to my side, crouching down until he could meet my eyes. He kissed my knuckles and raised his eyebrows, silently asking if I was okay.
"Yes, I'm good, Jack," I replied.
"What happened to the fucker?" Jake suddenly asked and I heard the sound of my mother slapping the top of his head for the language.
Jack stood and looked back and forth between all of us before answering. "He will still go to trial, no charges are being dropped and, um, he's in critical condition. He won't be hurting anyone ever again, though."
There must have been a silent communication between the two of them because Jake looked to me and nodded solemnly. "So it's over," he said.
"It's over," I repeated and let out the breath that I had been holding in for a long time.
Time is my friend, I thought to myself. Time was going to be my companion, my slow healing, the glue that would put me back together. I knew I wouldn't walk away from this easily. I would face the challenges I needed to face and all the while, I would have my family and friends by my side.
And Jack.
No more fear, no more doubts. The world can break me over and over again, and in the end, I'll be bulletproof. The broken places won't be visible and the strength I already have won't ever go missing again.
Chapter Sixteen
"And if all we've got, is what no one can break,
I know I love you, if that's all we can take"
Mat Kearney 'All I Need'
Jack
"Hey, Jack. Your next appointment is here," Reggie sang from the doorway.
I looked up to see a devious smile covering her face and her black hair streaked with yellow. Bright sunshine yellow.
Who the hell likes the color yellow?
"I don't have another appointment, Reggie. The three o'clock was my last and went way over. I want to get home to Ari."
"Believe me, sweetie, you're going to want to take this one," she said with a wink and walked away.
I finished cleaning up the room and searched for my cell phone. Ari was acting strange that morning and I wanted to make sure she was okay. She had been fine since the incident at the court house several weeks ago and with the help of Dr. Graves and the girls that never stopped asking her how big my junk was, she was happier than ever.
I was terrified that shooting Roger was going to destroy her. No matter how much you hate a person, it's still a life. When Sean said he was still alive, I couldn't breathe past the relief I felt. I didn't want to see her go through that knowing it would be even worse since it was someone who had already taken so much from her. I didn't want it to take more.
By the time Jake had been discharged from the hospital, Ari was talking about quitting the pub and joining West Ink full time. She was good at the marketing and all that public relations crap. For someone who had been shut away from the world for so long, it was beautiful to see her in her element. She was the Ari I remembered from so long ago, but now, it was like nothing I could have ever imagined.
The woman was fearless and so fucking adorable. I couldn't keep my hands off of her for more than a minute and I knew she didn't have a problem with that.
Jake was a grumpy bastard. His usual casual demeanor had been changed since he left the hospital. He spent most of his free time locked up in his apartment and when he was working with clients, he was quieter. Not the joking Jake everyone was used to.
Reggie kept reminding me that it would just take time. Getting shot wasn't something a person could just forget about and getting shot because you were trying to protect one of the people you loved most can mess with a person's head. He blamed himself for the years that Ari suffered, but she reminded him every day that there was nothing we could do to change it. We just had to move forward and let the trials in our lives eventually bounce off of us.
I finally found my cell and looked at the screen. A text from Ari said she would see me within the hour. That was forty five minutes ago. I had to take care of this schedule problem and get back to her. The itch to feel her against me was becoming unmanageable.
I pressed the call button and waited for the ring. The sound of Ari's favorite song and the ringtone she had for me filled the room and I turned around to see her standing in the doorway with a sexy smile on her beautiful face. Tight jeans hugged her mouthwatering curves and the tank top she was wearing emphasized her perfect breasts. My fingers twitched with the need to touch her.
Why had I waited so long for this?
I asked myself that question every day. Why didn't I tell her how I felt about her so long ago? Why did I let some stupid sense of unworthiness stop me from being with this incredible woman?
"Hi, handsome," she said, her voice raspy, making my jeans tighten with just those two words leaving her lips. Fuck, just her voice turned me on.
"God, it's good to see you," I replied and strode across the room to pull her into my arms. "You okay? I was just calling you to tell you I was going to be late."
"I'm good, Jack, so you can stop asking every five minutes. I have you, how much better can life get, right?" she kissed my chest before bringing those stunning dark brown eyes up to mine.
I couldn't wait another second. I covered her plump lips with mine and went exploring. No matter how many times I kissed her, there was always something new to learn about her. Discovering the things she liked, the places she was desperate to be touched, I would never get enough of her.
"Let's get out of here," I said gruffly against her lips. "I gotta straighten something out with Reggie but give me two minutes and -"
"Babe, I'm your next appointment," she chuckled.
"What?"
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Her hands rested on my chest and gently pushed me away. Both of us knew we had problems thinking rationally around each other so a little distance was necessary if she was going to be able to explain things to me.
"I want another tattoo," she said, taking me by surprise.
My lips pulled into a smile, remembering the last time I had put ink on her skin. I don't think I had ever been turned on so much in my life. It was a God damn miracle I didn't take her right there in the chair. Her skin had been so perfectly flawless, even with the scar that reminded her of the ugliest time in her life. She continued to assure me every day that it now reminded her of something beautiful, something I gave her.
"And what kind of tattoo would you like, sweetheart?"
She smiled and took a step back, making my fingers twitch again to pull her back against me. Was this normal? Would the wanting of her ever stop?
God, I hoped not.
She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a scrap of folded paper. Her fingers carefully moved to unfold it before slowly handing it over to me with a blush on her cheeks and a shy grin.
My favorite.
I looked down at the paper and felt my heart slam against my chest.
"A man can be destroyed but not defeated." - Ernest Hemingway.
"Of course we will need to change the "man" to "woman", but I think it's appropriate, don't you?" she asked.
I finally pulled my gaze from the piece of paper and into the eyes of the woman I had loved since I was a kid. My first love. My only love. She would never be defeated and I would give my life to ensure she was never destroyed again.
I blinked quickly, the hot sensation of tears burning my eyes. I had done enough of that shit over the last few months. Jake had told me that if he saw another tear come out of my eyes again, he was officially taking back my man card. He was determined to be the only badass in town again.
Once word got out about the shooting, the town had rallied together to help Jake recover and help Ari make this place her home. Milestone was teaching four self defense classes a week and West Ink was a sponsor for a new women's shelter being constructed by Scott West, Jake and Ari's dad. Ari stayed in that relationship to protect her brother, other women would stay to protect the people they loved and this place was going to give them a chance to do that, completely. So they could protect themselves, too.
"Jack?"
Her voice pulled me out of my thoughts and back into the room with her. She was standing in front of me, her fingers twisting together nervously and her bottom lip between her teeth. I reached out and tugged it free before leaning down to kiss her.
"It's perfect, baby. The only question is where do you want it?"
She shrugged and winked at me. "I'll leave that up to you. I just wanted another excuse for you to put your hands on me like that again."
"Oh really? In that case, I think I need to inspect the entire canvas, just so I can make an educated decision," I teased and cupped her perfect ass in my hand.
She giggled and buried her face in my chest. I thanked God every day for that giggle. Hearing it was a reminder that the world still had something beautiful in it.
She smiled coyly and turned to give me her back. I helped lift her sexy as sin tank over her head. The ink that I had put on her skin several months ago was an image I could never get enough of. I spent hours tracing the lines with my fingers and my tongue while she purred beneath me. The lines of her body were graceful and mouth watering and my cock twitched in my pants remembering how I got to look at her whenever I wanted. I could stare at her for a lifetime.
My fingers immediately traveled to the small birds flying over her shoulder blade. I swept her braid over her shoulder and leaned forward to press wet kisses up to the base of her neck. Her skin pebbled with goose bumps and I couldn't stop the smile.
"You need to focus, babe," Ari said breathlessly.
"I'm always focused with you," I replied.
She chuckled and gasped when my lips found that sensitive spot behind her ear that she melted for. "I know what your focus is."
I turned her in my arms and kissed her madly. She moaned into my mouth and my hands found that flawless ass as I lifted her against me. Those long legs wrapped around my hips and I was suddenly desperate to get the rest of our clothing off.
A pounding on the closed door stopped me from doing just that, but it was the sound of Reggie's voice on the other side that made me roll my eyes.
"Swear to God, if you two are bumping uglies in there I will never - I repeat - never clean another room again. You got me, Jack? She wants a tattoo so give her one. You can make a baby when you get home."
Ari groaned and dropped her head forward onto my shoulder. "Maybe we should wait to do the tattoo for another day. You can draw up something pretty for me and then we can - whoa!"
I didn't let her finish. I dropped her on her feet, frantically searched for her shirt and pulled it over her head. It was inside out, but I couldn't bring myself to give a shit.
Once she was covered, I swept her up into my arms and opened the door. "I'll see you later, Reggie."
"What? What about your tattoo, Ari?" Reggie called from the front, the fast click of her heels getting closer.
"Jack's going to draw me something to go with it."
"Did you ask him about the belly button ring?"
I stopped in my tracks and looked down at the blushing woman in my arms.
"Not yet," Ari replied.
"I'll be doing it, Reggie," I said hoarsely. If I didn't get my woman home soon we were going to get arrested for having sex in my truck. Just the thought of seeing a shiny jewel hovering over that belly button I put my lips on every day...
"But I'm the piercing expert around here, I should be the - "
"Bye, Reggie. Tell Jake I'll see him tomorrow."
I burst out of the back door and didn't slow down until we were at my truck. I hated having to put her down, but my keys were in my pocket and my hard on wasn't getting any softer.
"I love you, Jack," Ari whispered in my ear, making me pause.
Those three words were what I lived for.
"Ari, baby, I'll love you forever. Now get your sweet ass in the truck."
She giggled.
Beautiful things. This broken world was still full of beautiful things.
The End
BONUS CONTENT
Jack
Jack finds Ari
"I'm gonna go shower before dinner, man," I said to Jake with a slap on the shoulder.
He turned away from the piece he had been working on for weeks and glared at me, his pencil hovering less than an inch above the paper. "Watch it! This is the copy I'm presenting and I can't fuck it up."
"Calm down. You still have a few days before it needs to be finished. Stop stressing about it."
Jake rolled his eyes and turned back to his drawing. "Not all of us can be prodigies like you, Jack. Some of us had to work for the talent."
I laughed, knowing he was just taunting me and walked out the front door of the shop.
Jake and I temporarily shared the apartment above and he had spent most of the day cleaning it up in preparation for his little sister coming for dinner. I hadn't seen Arianna West since her 18th birthday around six years ago. As much as Jake talked about her, though, I felt like I had never left.
Ari always had a crush on me when we were younger and she would follow me and Jake around like a puppy most of the time. Then she got into high school and things changed. She was busy with her life and I was trying to get Jake out of the shit he had buried himself under. She never stopped loving her brother and I never stopped loving her.
It was an impossible situation.
Jake never flinched when I told him about my feelings for his little sister. We were nineteen years old and she was just starting high school. He made me promise to wait until she turned eighteen, but circumstances made the situation even more impossible. I had left to get away from the shit an
d Jake and his family went through a hell they won't soon forget.
I spent the next three years getting rid of the kid I once was. I trained to fight, then decided the actual fight wasn't for me. I opened up a gym and trained others to fight. When Jake called and said it was over, I went back to help pick up the pieces. I went back for Ari.
She was getting ready to celebrate her 21st birthday. She was done with school and had high hopes for a brilliant future. And she was with the biggest prick the world had ever seen.
Jake warned me before I showed up, but it wasn't enough to keep me away. I had to see for myself that she was happy. He didn't like the situation, but he wasn't about to jeopardize his sister's happiness. I, on the other hand, didn't believe that Roger Dayton could possibly make the sweet Arianna West - that never hesitated to smile - happy. He had always been a dick for as long as we knew him and seeing her smile when she talked about him made me want to go back in time and never make that promise to Jake.
It was a brief hello, a hug, and a promise to catch up when we had a chance. That was the last I saw of her.
She was beautiful. Her life was bright and full of possibilities.
And I had wanted her more than ever before, but it was too late. I'd lost any possible chance I had to be more than her older brother's best friend.
Jake had to sit me down and talk me into leaving once more only this time he would come with me.
"She needs someone who hasn't seen the shit we have, Jack."
"And he's it?"
"No," he replied. "But he's not us."
I came back home and Jake followed shortly after. That's when everyone stopped hearing from Ari and Jake couldn't hold it in any longer. He knew, knew, from the very beginning that Roger was dangerous, but he'd let himself be blinded by her happiness.
No one heard from her for over two years and we all knew what that meant, but there was nothing we could do. Jake had tried. Her parents had tried.
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