Girl With The Tattoos™

Relief.

It was crazy to Na'imah that she could feel his eyes on her ever since the wedding started. She couldn't quite explain it but the feeling that overcame her was almost sickening.

Their eyes had only met once and when they did, she wanted to scream.

The fact that the one man she had once feared more than anyone was in proximity to her again made her so angry. He was the cause of so much trauma in her life and the reason she struggled for so many years afterward.

Na'imah was strong, that much she knew but lord knows she would be lying if she didn't wish she had a gun to put a bullet straight through her uncle's skull. Even the sound of his voice pulled a reaction out of her. The nerve he had to be laughing as he talked amongst a few guests.

People in the city adored him. Respected him. They truly believed he was a saint. The perfect example of a god-fearing man. A true leader in the community. Then to top it all off was his wife. The person who displayed what it was to be the ideal woman. Doing her duties by supporting her husband. Being loyal and obedient. And above all, turning a blind eye to his sick habit.

The hole Na'imah felt in the side of her face when her aunt stared at her was almost comical. She looked as if she had seen a ghost.

"Are you ok Na'imah?" Mark suddenly questions, placing a hand on her shoulder, and grabbing her attention.

Na'imah glanced at him and softly smiled. "Yeah, I'm all right. It's just nice to finally sit down," She answered him truthfully. Since the moment they arrived at the ceremony, she had for the most part been on her feet. From taking pictures to walking down the aisle, standing behind the bride doing her bridesmaids duty, back to taking more photos then arriving at the reception to take even more pictures and lastly doing a little dancing.

"Need a foot massage? If so, I volunteer as tribute," Jackson blurts out next, earning a eyeroll from Jaebeom and a nudge on the side of the head from Jinyoung.

Na'imah could only chuckle as she downed the rest of her champagne before placing the glass back on the table. She found herself sitting at a table where the guys surrounded her like they were her body while their bodyguards stood little ways away.

When they told her that they would protect her and be by her side the whole time, they meant it. She had never felt so safe in her life.

"I'm good. I promise," She replies, taking a quick look at JB who sat close to the other side of her. "You guys know you can go and enjoy yourself. I'll be fine here, I swear,"

She watched as the group collectively dismissed her words with different responses coming from all of them. "Believe me Na'imah, we've all taken enough pics and made small talk to last us for a few days. I've never been called handsome young man so much in my life," Jinyoung speaks up next, shooting Na'imah a knowing look.

"What do you call this again? Fried cabbage?" Youngjae asks, pointing at one of the many different items on his plate. "And this is pasta salad?" He continues after Na'imah nodded her head. She watched him take a bite of both and grinned at the way he put more into his mouth after getting a taste.

"Not to mention how bold the women are. You know one of the bridesmaids asked me if I wanted to meet up later to "chill"...her boyfriend is one of the groomsmen," BamBam laughs, stealing a wing off of Jackson's plate. "Is that what they call a sneaky link?"

Na'imah could only laugh in return. "Something like that. Fair warning though Bam, these men out here like to shoot first, ask questions later," She playfully warned him.

"I think I got you beat then. I had a man tell me with absolute confidence that I was in fact the finest thing walking in North Carolina," Jackson proudly beams, brushing off the fake lint on his suit jacket. "It's safe to say that I am indeed the best-looking one out of all of you,"