Music, Ink, and Love (21 page)

The night flew by, and the next thing I noticed, the club staff had started cleaning. It could only mean one thing, we had to get going. Outside on the street, I sang at the top of my lungs that
I would survive!
until we found a taxi driver. Tyler laughed so much he thought he was going to wet his pants, while Kyle walked by my side holding on to me because he had had too many beers. We weren't drunk, we were having fun like a bunch of teenagers.

Before I got into the car, I saw my reflection in the car window and it scared me. I looked like a very cheap drag queen. I had way more makeup on my face then I remembered. And that feather thing had left feathers all over my hair and t-shirt. Not to mention the sparkles. I tried to laugh at myself, but I was terrified that they had let me walk in the street like this.

“Damn guys, I look like a moron.” I laughed, but at the same thing I wondered how I had been able to spend the night in town without getting arrested.

“You do, man, you really do.” Kyle chuckled and pushed me inside of the car.

We didn’t have a long ride, thankfully. We were three men sitting in the back seat, trust me I thought my balls were going to squeeze their way back inside. I knew I was minutes away from seeing my girl and I couldn’t wait. I wanted to shower with her; I wanted to be Levi again. My fingers were crossed... I hoped she was back home already.

We stopped at my place first, Tyler walking up with me. He probably wanted to make sure I made it inside alive. I laughed so much on the stairs, I could barely lift my legs. Tyler offered me some help, and I tried to grab his hand, but I slipped and fell backward. At first, I didn’t know what the hell was happening until I felt my back crack and my head hit the last stair.

“Fuck, it hurts.” I said to myself, touching my eyebrow.

“Levi!” Tyler called my name while running down the stairs two at a time.

I closed my eyes in the hope that the pain would cease, but it didn’t. I saw the stars everyone kept talking about.

“Levi, open your eyes.” He ordered, and I remembered laughing at the pain.

And then, Nix.

J
esus Christ.

My head.

It hurt.

My head.

I tried opening my eyes once but no, it wasn’t happening.

My head.

I floated in and out of a dream world, full of images that made no sense. Visions of last night, the stripper club, the boys and Nix. I hadn’t seen Nix, right? I groaned in pain. 

“Levi, brother, wake up.” Tyler's voice echoed in my skull, sending waves of pain. “Nix will be here in a bit.”

Nix? Here? “What are you doing in my bed, Tyler?” I groaned.

“Open your eyes, idiot. You spent the night at the E.R., you never made it home. You tripped on the stairs and passed out.” He chuckled.

I tried to laugh because I thought it was funny, but it hurt too much. The skin on my forehead felt like it would split wide open.
What the hell happened to me?

“How are you feeling?” He asked in a tired voice, maybe a bit irritated too.

I tried to ask myself that same question. My mind drifted from the images of my dream to reality. The headache became unbearable. 

“Like shit, like a really bad hangover.” How many drinks did I have? I didn’t even remember drinking that much. I could only remember having fun with Ty, K and Presley.

I opened my eyes slowly and I really was at the fucking E.R. “Did you spend the night here with me?” I questioned him, embarrassed.

“Yes.” He said, tired.

Deep grey circles surrounded his eyes. He looked as exhausted as his voice sounded. I could tell he had a long night. He had dealt with me after all, got me to the hospital, and took care of dealing with the doctors and nurses. Crap! I felt like an idiot.

“Where is Nix?” I had to see her, talk to her.

“She spent the night at my place with Bekka. They had a good night too.”

I imagined so. I remembered seeing a picture.

“Good.” I sighed. “Why does my head hurt so much? Where is Nix?”

“You just asked me, man. She’s at my place.” Tyler added.

Panic started to spread in my body, I didn’t know what was going on. Why was I here? I had to calm down if I wanted to get the hell out of here.

“Do you have my phone?” I knew for sure that she would have tried to contact me.

He took it out of his jacket pocket. I had a new message and it made me smile like a fool. I unlocked my phone and went directly to read it.

Nix: I'll be there in 20 minutes.

She sent me that message twenty-five minutes ago. So any second now, she would be here. I was anxious to see her, I only wished I didn’t look like this.

“Angel! Aww, Levi, are you okay?” Her lips found mine as soon as I realized she had arrived.

I took her in my arms and pulled her onto my bed. “Nix, I missed you.”

She laughed. “You look like hell, Levi. What have they done to you?”

“I have no idea, but I really need a shower.” A very long shower.

“Does your forehead hurt? I think you have stitches.”

“No, he only got some kind of glue. He'll be fine.” Tyler said. I didn’t even know I had something on my forehead. “He'll be free to go as soon as he sees the doctor. They wanted to check him out, but I think he’s fine.”

“I tripped on the stairs last night.” I tried to explain, but I really didn’t know much about what had happened.

“He tripped and passed out. We brought him here.”

Nix chuckled. “You had a crazy night, I can tell. Mine was epic too.” She rubbed her tired eyes.

Her hand held mine, her warmth making me feel better. I couldn’t wait to go back home and take a shower to wash away all the glitter and makeup covering me. I wanted to spend the day in bed, in my jogging pants. Relaxing, sleeping, anything that didn’t require me to move. My body hurt.

Tyler left once he explained everything to Nix about the doctors and nurses. We waited another forty-five minutes before the doctor authorized me to leave. Each step I took resonated in my head and caused me more and more pain. All I wanted was my soft and comfortable bed but first, a shower. Please, a fucking shower.

All of the glitter from my hair slid down my body while I rinsed under a stream of water. Nix helped me with removing the lipstick and makeup from my face. The E.R. probably had had a good laugh when they saw me come in. They must be used to having weird situations.

“When did you find out I was at the hospital?”

“Tyler texted Bekka and said you had a small injury. Nothing to worry about. He asked that I meet him there when I woke up.”

I chuckled. “What kind of people do we have as friends to let us endure such a night?”

“They are a bunch of crazies.” She laughed. “I had a good time, though. An over-the-top girls’ night out.”

“Come on, let’s get to bed.” I could barely keep my eyes open.

She followed me to the bed.  As we climbed in, I rolled to my side as she wrapped her arms around me. Sweet dreams were to come. My Rock Star made my day all better. I knew she would always be the best part of my life. The one to make everything better, in any given situation.

T
he hangover from the bachelor party stayed with me until Monday. I had a hard time catching up.

University meant a lot to her and it did to me as well, but I couldn't wait for it to be over. With her time in rehab, the last few weeks had been hectic and this semester seemed endless with the extra classes she took. I supported her choice, but I missed her and couldn't wait to reunite with her every night, without a pile of books separating us.

“Babe, I think I'm done packing. We're just going to have to pack the food and dishes on the day of the move.”

“Thank you, I'm sorry I didn't help you more.” I could tell by the look on her face that she really did feel bad.

“Don't worry about it. I ordered pizza, since I didn’t feel like cooking or eating out.” I paused. “Come here, Nix.”

She did, and I draped my arms around her shoulders, enjoyed the feel of her against me.

“The only thing I will miss about this place is the vision I have of you standing there, right at the entrance to the kitchen. Your clothes barely hid your body; it didn’t leave much to the imagination. You looked so angry to see me in your apartment. You were fuming and I thought it was extremely hot.” I snickered. “You hated me so much.”

“I didn’t really hate you, I just couldn’t understand what it was about you that had me attracted. I tried really hard to deny everything when it came to you.”

“But then, you tried to push me away.”

“And I lost the battle.”

“Did you really think I would let you win? You touched me and you lost. You felt the connection.”

“I did.” Her eyes locked with mine. “You’re a good kisser. It helped.”

My hand slowly trailed from her shoulder to her neck. A small sigh escaped her lips. My fingers were just below her jaw and my mouth barely an inch away from hers. I was holding back just for a couple of seconds. I let the need to kiss her grow in me and in her. Her breath on my skin, her hands gripped my t-shirt, pulling me closer to her. When the desire began to kill me, I slowly placed my lips over hers and I let our instincts kick in.

She sucked on my bottom lip and next thing I knew, her tongue was caressing mine, her fingers leaving marks on my skin. Fuck.

Her intensity took me by surprise. I wanted her, I responded to her advances. I kissed her hard, wanting back the control. I deepened our kiss until both of us gasped for air. My heartbeat echoed in my whole body. I couldn’t recall if we had ever kissed like this before.

“Levi... that... that was intense.” She managed to say.

I took me a few seconds before I could even think of something to say. The night had only just begun, and I thought I had the perfect plan for us. “I was thinking that maybe tonight you would be up for your new ink?” Tattooing her thrilled me with a rush of adrenaline. Of course, she had to make the decision, I would never force her, but I really was in the mood.

“Tonight? Here or at the shop?” Her cheeks still glowed a pale shade of red.

“I have everything here but if you prefer the shop it's up to you.” I hoped she decided to stay here. Tattooing her felt so personal to me, almost like making love. I wanted privacy.

The excitement showed in her face, and her tired eyes became alive. She wanted to do this, I believed. I fucking wanted this.

“I'm still debating if I'm getting it on my ankle and calf or my upper arm.”

In the years I had been tattooing people I had learned not to give too much of an opinion because I wouldn’t be the one wearing it, but she was my fiancée. “I personally prefer the upper arm but you're the boss.”

She hesitated, and I could see the struggle in her eyes.

“You still have time, we don't have to do it now. I only suggested it.”

She ran her hands mid-way through her hair and then shook it. Something she did often, I noticed. “I have been so busy lately that I pushed it aside in my mind. I love the design.”

“But?”

“There is no but...” She struggled with her inner thoughts for a few more seconds. All of her fingers pressed against her temple. “Okay, the upper arm but can we make it a little bit smaller?”

“I'm the artist, you're the client, and I’ll do whatever the hell you want me to do.” I give her my best smile. “First, I want to make sure that you really want this.”

“I do.” She cupped my face in her hands.

“Okay.” I hugged her.

“Well, then, kiss me.”

How could I refuse her that? I hovered over her while she still sat on a chair at the kitchen table. Her breathing hitched, her cheeks flushed and her eyes never left mine. We both felt the tension returning between us and all she had asked for was another kiss. A simple kiss. Nothing was ever simple with a kiss.

“Are you sure you want me to kiss you?” I trailed kisses and words from her earlobe to her chin. She nodded. “Oh babe, you'll be the death of me.”

My lips gently met hers, without kissing, I swept my mouth from right to left letting the small friction of our lips tickle. She sighed impatiently until I finally gave in and kissed her with all the tenderness that I possessed. The kiss intensified, she grabbed hold of my hair and held on tightly.

The doorbell rang and our moment was broken.

I pulled away with my heart pounding in my chest.

“Just go get the damn pizza and get your ass back over here.” She ordered me.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

I had never gotten rid of a delivery guy so fast. Someone much more important waited for me in the kitchen. I literally threw the pizza like a Frisbee onto the counter before I went back to my girl. A brazen look told me she wanted more. I knew what I had to do.

Reheated pizza tasted better, anyway.

Every two or three kisses, a piece of clothing was thrown to the floor or on the pile of boxes. The emotion I felt in our kisses made me weak in the knees. Every time our lips connected for an additional kiss, I felt her body claiming mine. How her hands clenched around my biceps or hair... I would never refuse her anything.