Body, Ink, and Soul (29 page)

"Are you having fun? Do you like the road trip?" he asked, making sure I was happy, and enjoying myself.

"Yeah, I am. At first, I wasn't sure about the bike, I was nervous about how big and powerful it is, but right now, I'm fine and I’m having a great time. What about you?"

"It's fun. I like being with you, it's all that matters to me," he lowered his head, kissing my lips again.

"You’re a hopeless romantic."

"Only because it's you, Rock Star."

We played in the pool until our fingers were shrivelled. By the time we were dried off and dressed again, it was time to check out and hit the road. Levi braided my hair before I put my helmet on. Levi wanted to reach Montana by the end of the afternoon. Miles City was six hours on from Fargo and he planned to stop there for an early dinner.

We continued the ride until we reached Butte, Montana. Levi checked us in for the night in a nice hotel. It was exciting to be getting closer to home. Butte was a small city but it contained a wealth of history. We took a walk before calling it a night. The air in Montana was a bit chilly, but being wrapped in Levi’s arms kept me warm.

We watched TV until we both crashed. When I woke up, it was the middle of the night and the TV was still on. I switched it off and cuddled with my Angel who was sound asleep. This was our last night away from home, and as much as I would be glad to be back, I was going to miss our time alone together. Our schedules were about to get crazy, what with my going back to school, working in the bar and Levi’s work at the tattoo shop. I didn't want to think about it too hard, but it was approaching faster than I wanted.

Missoula, Spokane Valley, Moses Lake, Ellensburg... We had lunch in an Italian restaurant in Ellensburg, which was a small town. We didn't hang around for long, we were too close to home and too excited to get there. We were back on Beauty in no time.

Levi was driving slower than he had before by the time we had less than two hours left of our trip. My hands were tucked under his shirt and he sometimes covered them with his own hand. My only desire was to make these last couple of hours count. Our time together was precious and we were going to return to reality very soon.

I was probably going to have a shift at work tonight and he was going to need to catch up with appointments at the shop. Kyle had covered for him for days now. We both missed our apartment and our friends, but we had grown closer together during our trip. We were both different. I knew how much he loved me and my love for him had only multiplied. He was my other half and he completed me.

And finally, we saw the sign, welcoming us to Seattle... I squealed with delight.

W
hen we got into the city limits, Levi stopped on the side of the road and turned off the ignition. I wasn't quite sure what he was doing, as we were still miles from home. He got off the bike and stood before me with worried eyes. I noticed he was chewing on his lip and a deep frown was forming on his forehead.

"Star, when you left me, I’m pretty sure Bekka was about to strangle me, she was so angry. She hated me because you left. I don't know what we’re going to face when we get home. She might not like me anymore, and I really don't care, as long as it doesn't affect what you think about me... about us."

"Hey, Angel... don't think like that. If she is upset, we’ll talk it through and we’ll fix things up. Don't stress for no reason." I placed my hand against his cheek and caress his skin with my thumb, enjoying the feel of the stubble beneath my fingers.

"I only wanted to let you know in advance. I don't think she’ll be particularly friendly with me," he admitted. "I just don't want to cause trouble between you and your friend." He was worried about my friendship, it wasn't for him that he was worried, but for me.

"We’ll all be fine." I tried to kiss him, but my helmet smacked into his and we both laughed. "Don't worry, I’ll talk to Bekka tonight. It will be okay... She sounded fine the last time I talked to her."

"She was really pissed, Nix. She slapped me across the face when she found out about my ex. Ty had to physically push her away." He shook his head. “That girl is not to be messed with when she’s angry."

"Wow, okay. I’ll talk to her as soon as I can."
Bekka hit my boyfriend? What the hell was wrong with her?
She was mad, I got that, but it wasn't a reason to hurt him. "Let’s go home. I can't wait to get there."

I had butterflies in my stomach. I couldn't wait to be at home, in my bed, be reunited with all of my clothes. I had taken a very limited wardrobe when I left for Boston.

While we were away, I had decided something important - I wanted to share my room with Lev and never let him sleep alone in his room again. I wanted us to live as a couple from now on.

We rode past the bar and the university. There were already a lot of people outside the university, I would have to get my schedule soon. Levi parked in front of the apartment building and we stood there for a couple of minutes, his arms around my waist. The last time we had both been here, we’d been broken, but now we were back, stronger and even more in love.

"I hope Bekka is home," I announced walking up the stairs.

"If not, we’ll drive over to the bar, they’re probably there, or at Tyler’s place."

We faced the apartment door with a big smile on our faces, ready to get back to routine. Levi turned the handle and the door swung open. "She must be home."

"Oh, bloody hell, they’re here, Rebekka!" I recognized Tiff’s thick British accent and it made me giggle. "Bekka, get your arse over here!"

"NIX! Oh my god! I've missed you so much!" Bekka jumped into my arms, just like they do in the movies. She was holding me so tightly, I could barely breathe. It was heartwarming and so typical of our friendship. We hated being apart for very long.

"She missed you so much, she forced me to sleep over," Tiff kidded around.

Bekka released me and turned to Levi, placing both of her hands on his shoulders before she hugged him. Levi looked stunned, but hugged her back. "I’m sorry about what I said to you and what I did. It wasn't my place to act like that."

"Don't worry about it. I think I kind of needed it at the time," Levi admitted. They hugged again and Tiff joined them.

"Group hug! I love my Americans." Tiff was so funny, and yet weird at the same time. I joined the group hug and Levi smiled warmly at me.

"Are you girls working tonight?" I questioned when we separated.

"We all are. They missed you at the bar and Tyler can't wait to have you back at work," Bekka explained.

I was tired and would have liked to sleep, but this was real life, I needed to work and make money. My Angel stayed by my side all night. He’d called Kyle to let him know he was back in town and would be starting his day early tomorrow. He had a lot to catch up on, with clients waiting for his return to get their tattoos done.

Bekka noticed my new necklace almost immediately and she almost teared up at the thought of Levi giving it to me after he’d gotten his new tattoo. A hopeless romantic, she called him. I wanted to do something special for him, too and I was thinking about getting new ink. Angel wings or something. I had to try and consult Kyle sneakily, certain he would be able to help.

The night at work flew by. We danced, drank a few shots and enjoyed the night. I had missed the atmosphere of the bar, it was like my second home. I felt like I belonged there with my friends and I was happy and proud to have them in my life. They gave me lots of reasons to smile and feel loved.

Levi held my hand on the way home. He seemed to know that my thoughts were elsewhere, and holding my hand was his way of providing support. Everything I’d been through in the past weeks had come to its natural conclusion tonight. I had the best boyfriend in the world and I was also extremely fortunate to have the best friends. They were not judgemental, they accepted me and loved me for who I was. It was the greatest gift I could ever hope to be given.

Tiff came home with us. I was getting the impression she’d enjoyed staying at our place while I’d been away. I didn't mind at all, I loved having her around.

"I'm effing shrammed and steaming drunk." Tiff was having a hard time walking a straight line. She’d had far too many glasses of bourbon and I hoped she wasn't going to get sick.

"We’re almost there, Tiff, do you think you’ll make it or do I have to carry you?" Levi questioned, grinning at me.

"Don't worry, Romeo, I can still walk, even with my heels." She was wearing four inches heels. How she was still able to walk at all was beyond me. My feet were killing me and I was wearing sneakers.

"I can't wait to be in bed with you," Lev murmured against my ear.

I kissed his sweet lips and circled my arms around his neck. "I can't stop thinking about it. You and me together in our home." I’d suggested Levi move into my room earlier, and he’d happily agreed to the idea.

"I like it when you say ‘our’." He kissed my temple. "I really want us to have a real home of our own someday."

He was the sweetest guy in the world? "I want that too, Angel. We will have a home of our own, when I'm done with school."

"We could do it, now." Levi suggested quietly. "I can afford it, I used to own a loft, but I sold it when I went to the East coast."

"I would love it, Levi, but we have a lease on the apartment until June and I don't want to leave Bekka dealing with the apartment by herself. Next year will be better. Maybe she’ll move in with Ty."

"I’m sorry, Rock Star. I shouldn't push you about this. We have all the time in the world."

"We do and it's a conversation which is a bit too serious for 3:30am." We laughed together and I followed it with a yawn. "I’m so sleeping in... don't wake me up..."

"I’ll be up early and at the shop for most of the day," Levi reminded me.

When we got to the apartment, Levi and I went into my bedroom and Tiff headed into Levi’s bedroom, which she’d adopted in the past days.

When I woke up much later, Lev was gone. The room felt empty and cold without him. He’d left a note on his pillow.

Meet me at the shop later, if you want. I miss you already.

Lev, your Angel. xxx

P.S Why are you so damn cute when you sleep in one of my t-shirts?

I had a huge smile on my face and I wanted to squeal with delight. A few words scribbled on a sheet of paper and I was missing him like crazy. All I wanted to do was kiss him and tell him how much I loved him. I got up and took a quick shower, deciding to call Kyle while Levi was busy catching up with clients. I called the shop, keeping my fingers crossed that Kyle would answer.

"Feather Ink Tattoo." A voice announced and I recognized it as Kyle’s.

"Don't say my name, or tell Levi that I called. It's Nix." I took a deep breath. “Is there any chance you can come over to my place and do a tattoo for me?"

"Why don't you come here?" he asked suspiciously.

"I want to get a new tattoo and it's a surprise for Levi. I don’t want him to know."

"Oh geez... I'm not tattooing his name on you. There’s strict rules about this and it always brings bad luck."

"No, no, nothing like that. I want the word
Angel
in between two angel wings."

"OK, that sounds cheesy enough. Where do you want it?"

"Lower back, or the inside of my bicep."

"Oh come on! On the boob at least." I could hear the smile in Kyle’s voice.

I laughed. "You are an ass."

"Any colors or just black and grey?"

"What do you think would look better?" I was still new to the world of tattoos and I wasn't sure what would look better.

"Okay, we’ll go with color. I'll be there in about forty-five minutes. Levi’s busy with a client and he’s booked out all day." Which meant he wasn't going to be questioning Kyle too much about his unexpected outing.

"Thanks. Don't forget, you can't tell him." I wanted to make sure it was kept a secret.

"I'm not stupid, y’know." he grumbled, but I knew he was kidding around.

"I know."

"I'll see you later."

He hung up and I danced around like a little girl who’d been promised a Barbie doll. I knew another tattoo in such a short period of time was probably not the smartest idea but I was determined I wanted it. It was part of our commitment to each other.

I cleaned the living room and got ready for Kyle’s arrival. I was nervous but excited at the same time. I had to decide where I was going to get the tattoo and quickly. I liked the idea of my lower back, but on the inside of my bicep, it would be closer to my heart where it belonged.

When Kyle arrived, he already had some designs planned out. He had four different options but explained that he could change any of them and do exactly what I wanted. I decided on a set of wings, spread wide, with ‘Angel’ printed in a really nice, feminine font. Kyle was going to add the same purple as they’d used on Levi’s star tattoo. Kyle was a great artist, very talented and surprisingly funny.

I’d made a final decision to have the tattoo on the inside of my bicep. The anxiety I felt as he was preparing his machinery only added to the adrenaline pumping through my system. It was an amazing feeling and I was excited when Kyle plugged his machine into the wall. He adjusted the pedal, moving the inks closer on the small table he’d set up. He had black, purple, pink and white in small containers. Kyle drew directly onto my skin, adding more details than the original design he’d shown me earlier. For the first few minutes, the pain was barely tolerable, but after a little while, the skin became numb and it was a lot better. At some point, my eyes watered up, not because of the pain but because of the emotional journey I was going through with Levi.

Kyle remained silent while he was marking my skin. He was done within an hour and he seemed pretty pleased with his design. The tattoo looked great. The colors all blended together beautifully, the effort he had put into it was impressive.

"Now, let’s hope Lev won't want to kick my ass or kill me," he announced as he began to pack up.

"Why would he do that? Do you think he won't like it?" His comment had me worried. I was suddenly afraid my angel wouldn't like it.