by Annie Green
“Can I see?” Temperance asked, standing up. I could hear the relief and excitement in her voice.
Gio nodded and scooted back, admiring his work. I hated that his eyes were on her, taking in not only the tattoo, but her tight little body. I flashed him a warning look and he leaned back with a nod. We had come to an understanding. She was mine. Not his.
The thought had me shoving my hands in my pockets. Where had that come from? She wasn’t mine. She couldn’t ever be mine. Shit.
“It’s beautiful,” she told Gio with a smile and my heart skipped a beat. She rarely bestowed those on me and I suddenly felt jealous.
“I’m glad you like it,” he replied. “Get back in here soon so we can finish up the shading.”
Temperance nodded and I stood up, handing over her shirt. She thanked me, pulling it on.
“Let’s get you checked out of here,” Gio said, striding to the door and opening it for us. As we walked into the hallway, Gio instructed us to make an appointment with Hailey at the front counter.
As we waited for Hailey, Temperance glanced over at me rubbing my hand. “Sorry if I hurt you,” she said, a lilt of anxiety in her voice. Those big green eyes were full of anxiety and I wanted nothing more than to pull her into my side.
Instead, I slid my hands in my pockets and shook my head. “I’m fine. Just getting the circulation back.”
I wanted to tell her that I’d hold her hand anytime she wanted me to, but resisted the urge. I was saved by Hailey, who had finished helping the customer in front of us and regarded Temperance with a grumpy stare.
After her appointment was placed in the computer, I led Temperance outside, using it as an excuse to place my hand at the small of her back.
When we got to my truck, I opened the door for her and she got inside. I could tell she was starting to feel sore by the way she carefully avoided rubbing the sensitive skin.
As I pulled out of the parking lot, Temperance turned toward me. “So…thanks for taking me home. You didn’t have to.”
“No problem,” I said and meant it.
“And thanks for staying with me today. I wouldn’t have been able to do it alone.”
I peeked over at her. “I think you would have been just fine.”
She flushed as our gazes locked and she quickly looked away. “So what did you get today?”
I shrugged, faking nonchalance like my tattoo was no big deal. Even though it defined me at the moment. “Just an unfinished project.”
“What’s it of?”
My fingers flexed uneasily on the steering wheel. “Just a quote.”
She seemed to sense I didn’t want to talk about it so she quietly stared out the window. I could tell she felt just as awkward as I did about being with me after last night. Especially since she was the one who had ended it.
I had gone to her door to apologize for nearly mauling her in my truck. On the ride home in the tow truck, I was infused with guilt and self doubt and by the time we’d arrived home, I was planning on telling her we couldn’t do it again. But then I went to her room and saw her in those tight yoga pants and I changed my mind.
But she hadn’t wanted me as much as I had wanted her. She basically turned me down before I could even proposition her. I hadn’t been expecting that. Being turned down had never happened to me before. I usually had girls lining up to be with me and I was the one sending them on their way. It was a shitty feeling to say the least. It was made even shittier by the fact that I wasn’t supposed to want anyone. I was still in mourning. It was too damn soon. My body didn’t seem to agree.
When we finally pulled into the driveway, a familiar car was parked next to Temperance’s and I groaned inwardly. I had totally forgotten about my plans to hang out with my best friend, Jonathan and by the look on his face, he’d been worried about me. Ever since his sister died, he’d been worried I was going to go off the deep end and put my head in an oven.
He was a little dramatic. I was no Sylvia Plath. Yes, I missed his sister like crazy and for a while there I had been in a dark place, but there was a small light at the end of the tunnel. To be honest, his constant worry was starting to get on my nerves.
As I killed the engine, Jonathan pushed off his old blue Mustang and strode toward my truck. I glanced over at Temperance and watched as her mouth formed a small “O”. With his black hair and deep blue eyes, Jonathan was like a modern day Casanova. He attracted more women than I did and I hated that I could have competition.
Temperance didn’t stare for long. Instead she hopped out of the car with a wince and I followed suit a moment later. I kept my eyes on Jonathan as he approached. I didn’t know how he’d react to seeing me with another girl and I wondered if he’d be upset.
“Hey, man, you didn’t answer my calls,” Jonathan said, as he stopped in front of us. His sapphire eyes slid over Temperance and I cringed inwardly. Her lips were plump and dark red from all the biting she had done to them earlier, making it seem like she had been thoroughly kissed. It didn’t help that his eyes flew to my neck shortly after and spotted the hickey just above the collar of my shirt.
“Totally forgot,” I said, as if that were an acceptable explanation. “I was with Temperance.”
“Temperance,” Jonathan said knowingly. He probably felt like he knew her. I had talked enough about her.
“Hi,” she said sweetly. “Damien was nice enough to go with me while I got my first tattoo.”
Jonathan’s eyes widened slightly. “Yeah? Let’s see it.”
I clenched my fists, but pretended like I didn’t care she was about to expose way too much skin to my best friend.
She slowly lifted her shirt and peeled off the gauze. Jonathan leaned forward, an appreciative gleam in his eyes and it took everything in my power not to push him backward. Jonathan was a nice guy, but was a little dark when it came to sex. Temperance was way too innocent for a guy like him. Not that I’d ever let him have her. Hell fucking no.
“Nice. Your first tattoo?” he asked, his dark blue eyes meeting hers.
“Yeah, crazy, huh? I should have done something smaller, but for me it was go big or go home.”
“I get it. Did it hurt like hell?”
She nodded, taping her gauze back on and lowering her shirt. For the first time since we got out of the truck I could breathe again. “I’m glad I got it though and Damien was nice enough to hold my hand through the whole thing. I think I broke a few of his fingers.”
“Well, it looks good. Right, Damien?” Jonathan turned his gaze to me and I swallowed harshly.
“Yeah. It looks good.” It looked fucking hot and when it healed I wanted nothing more than to kiss my way across it, but I didn’t say that out loud. Instead I ran my hand through my hair and watched as she smiled sweetly at Jonathan. It was that same smile she bestowed on every person she met except for me. The only problem was when she did that to anyone from the male population, they usually thought of it as an invitation to bend her over a table. I knew she didn’t do it on purpose, but with those big green eyes and those lips…it was just too much.
Jonathan returned the gesture and my insides nearly boiled. Why the fuck didn’t she smile at me like that?
“I guess it was a good reason for Damien to bail on me. Hell, next time you go, invite me and I’ll hold your hand. I don’t mind a few broken fingers.”
“Yeah, maybe I’ll do that,” she said with a flirtatious grin and I think I growled because Jonathan turned toward me with a knowing look and I had to turn away before I punched him. I don’t know where this possessiveness was coming from. First with Gio and now with Jonathan. I needed a reality check because she wasn’t mine.
Finally, Temperance plucked nervously at the end of her shirt and glanced at the door. “Well, I better go. It was nice meeting you…”
“Jonathan,” he said and I felt like a total prick for not introducing them.
“Jonathan.” She shook his hand before grabbing her purse and heading toward the hous
e.
As we both watched her walk away, Jonathan said, “You told me about Temperance, but you never said she was fucking hot.”
I shot him a glare that told him to step down, but he wasn’t deterred. He merely gave me another knowing look. “No wonder you’ve been so moody these last few weeks. Living next door to her would be hard.” He glanced at my neck. “That from her?”
I slapped my hand over the bruise and rubbed it absently. “Yeah.”
“Hey, I’m not judging. I think it’s good you’re moving on.”
“Shut up,” I muttered. “I’m not moving on.”
“Yeah, right. The way you looked like you were about to punch me anytime I even looked her way…” He chuckled before becoming serious once more. “I think you should, even if you don’t want to. How long has it been since you last got laid?”
I rubbed the back of my neck and peered over at my best friend. “None of your business.”
He ignored me. “I mean it has to have been what…two years?”
I didn’t meet his gaze. He was totally right. It had been two years since I’d been with someone, which was probably why I had been so out of control with Temperance last night. I was losing the battle to keep the promise I’d made to Jonathan’s sister. I was just that fucking weak and pathetic.
“I think it’s good. Like I said, it’s time to move on, man.” Jonathan’s words had my neck snapping back in shock.
“She was your sister.”
“Yeah, my twin sister, but I know as well as you do that this promise you made to Sophia was fucking stupid.”
I clenched my teeth. “Shut up.”
“It was. It was dumb. You made it when she was dying and you were losing your fucking mind. She didn’t want that and she wouldn’t want you to be miserable.”
I knew he was right, but it was too much to admit. The promise I had made was what had kept me going for such a long time. It was my mantra, but instead of being a loud driving force like it used to be, it was turning out to be a mere whisper. Sometimes I couldn’t even hear it. Which was why I had gotten it tattooed on my back.
“I’m losing her,” I nearly whispered.
“You already lost her, bro. She’s gone. Temperance is here. And with how dark that hickey is, I’d say she wants you.”
I closed my eyes. I knew he was right, but I just wasn’t ready. Kissing Temperance in my truck had been a mistake. A mistake I wanted to repeat over and over again until I got her out of my system, but I knew if I did, I’d regret it in the end. The problem was at this point in my life I think I would be okay with living with that kind of regret.
“You coming to band practice later tonight?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be there.“
A loud rumble cut through our conversation and had Jonathan and I turning around. A large dually truck drove up our driveway before stopping beside Jonathan’s Mustang. Temperance’s brother, Jed jumped out of the driver’s side and an unfamiliar guy slid out of the passenger side.
I had met Jed a few times when he had come over or come to the coffee shop and I’d liked him. He was friendly, even though he had very little to say. He just seemed down to earth in a rugged kind of way. The guy next to him however, I immediately disliked.
His dark brown hair was styled to perfection and his olive skin offset his golden eyes. He was too pretty for his own good and when Temperance came running out of the house a few minutes later and jumped on top of him, I wanted to break his perfect little nose.
“Nikolai!” She was squealing and kissing his cheeks. “You’re home!”
Nikolai. What kind of name was that? He was probably the guy she had a crush on since she was a little girl. He didn’t seem to be as indifferent to her as I thought he’d be either. His grabby hands immediately went for her hips. When she hugged him, he merely laughed, exposing his perfect white teeth to everyone in the front yard like a goddamn model.
“Who’s that?” Jonathan asked me.
“That’s her brother,” I said, indicating Jed. “And I think that’s Jed’s best friend,” I said lowly.
Jonathan whistled as Temperance wrapped her arms around his neck. “Looks like she likes him…a lot.”
“Fuck that,” I murmured.
Jonathan turned his eyes on me, a smile playing at the edge of his lips. “Competition?”
“There’s no competition. She’s not mine.”
“So she’s up for grabs?”
I knew he was messing with me, but the idea still had me clenching my teeth so tightly my jaw popped.
“Thought so,” Jonathan said smugly and I forced my gaze to remain in front of me. I was tired of him reading my mind.
After a lengthy hello, Nikolai finally put Temperance down and nodded toward us. “Who’s that?” he asked. His voice had a subtle accent to it and I had a feeling he used it to get a lot of girls. He looked like the kind of shithead who’d do something sleazy like that.
“Oh,” she said, glancing back to where Jonathan and I were standing. “I’ll introduce you.”
I shoved my hands in my pant’s pockets as Jed, Nikolai and Temperance approached. When they finally stopped in front of us, I turned my gaze to Nikolai, doing my best to scare the shit out of him.
“This is my roommate Damien and this is his friend Jonathan,” she said, looping her arm around Nikolai’s.
Nikolai extended his free hand and Jonathan shook it before he nudged me in my side, forcing me to do the same. I would have been just fine with letting Nikolai’s hand hang in space for a while.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Nikolai, but you can call me Nik.”
I didn’t even bother to say the obligatory greeting. I merely looked away, pretending interest in the tree to my right. I could feel Temperance’s eyes on me, but I made no effort to be more polite. Her little crush could bite me.
“This is my brother Jed,” she told Jonathan and I could see them shaking hands from the corner of my eye. Jed glanced away and Nik stepped in, charming his way into my best friend’s heart.
“Nice to meet you. That your car?” Nik asked Jonathan. Jonathan nodded and the two of them began to talk about Jonathan’s Mustang. I made a mental note to remind Jonathan about loyalty later. Sweet talker or not, Nik was the enemy.
“You here to change my tire?” Temperance asked Jed, turning her attention away from Nik and Jonathan’s conversation.
“Gotta take care of my little sis,” Jed said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “Want to make sure you’re safe.” Something unfamiliar swelled in my chest at their obvious display of affection. I had a sister, but I’d never felt protective of her or cared for her much at all. I wondered for a moment what it would have been like to have that kind of relationship with Deidre before pushing it away. She wasn’t worth my time. Not after what she did.
“Well, Damien and Maggie have been giving me lifts,” Temperance said before adding, “Maggie says hi by the way. She’s going to kill me that she’s not here to watch you change my tire.”
Jed merely shook his head before turning his gaze to me. “Thanks for looking out for her.”
Temperance huffed. “Jed, he’s not looking out for me. He’s given me a ride a few times.”
“Yeah, but in either case you’re still my little sis. I’ve gotta look out for you and so does this guy.”
That just seemed to make Temperance frown. She peeked over at me and I met her gaze. I wanted to tell her I didn’t mind helping her out, but Nik interrupted. “I want to see your new flat, Tempie.”
Flat, who the hell said that? And he called her by her nickname! Even I didn’t do that. I curled my fists and shoved them into my sweatshirt pockets.
“You going to show me around?” Nik asked Temperance who merely nodded in excitement. She looked way too giddy and an all too familiar feeling began to seep up within me.
“Yeah. It’s not much to see, but if Jed doesn’t mind…”
Jed merely shook his head. “I’ll get mor
e done if he’s not around blabbing.”
Nik merely chuckled and wrapped his arm around Temperance’s waist. The two of them began to walk toward the house and I nearly chased after them when I heard her say that she wanted to show him her new tattoo. The prick looked way too interested in her, but no one else seemed to notice but me. Jed was ambling back toward his truck to grab a few tools and Jonathan was texting someone on his phone.
“Look, if we’re done here I’m going to go inside,” I said, not wanting to leave her alone with that vulture.
Jonathan glanced over at me and shrugged. “You do that. Keep your eye on her, but don’t do anything else. We wouldn’t want that would we?” His tone was dry and sarcastic and before I could get really angry he added, “Because if how he’s looking at her is any indication, they’ll be together by the end of the month.”
I inhaled sharply and clenched my teeth. Jonathan could be a right fucker when he wanted to be. “Whatever. I have shit to do inside. I’ll see you tonight.”
Jonathan gave me a knowing look before slapping me on the back, right where my new tattoo was. I hissed at the sharp pain that shot through me and Jonathan merely smiled.
“Just keeping you on your toes,” he said before stopping me. “Also before you go off and sulk, Beth’s been texting me. She doesn’t have your new number…”
“Don’t give it to her,” I said, not wanting to deal with my past at the moment.
“Whatever, dude. It’s up to you. But she says she has something she needs to give you.”
I just shrugged.
“Fine. I’ll just keep her out of your hair as long as possible, but I can’t promise she won’t seek you out.”
I didn’t care about Beth at the moment. All I could focus on was Temperance and the fact that she was in the house with another guy.
“Alright,” Jonathan said when I refused to respond. “See you around.”
I stood in the driveway and watched him drive away before reaching back to gently rub the sting away. Deciding Nik and Temperance had been alone for far too long, I walked into the house and heard giggling coming from upstairs. A familiar pain began to work its way through my head and I pinched the bridge of my nose.