Path To Resolution (Fighter's Den, #5)

Chapter 20 - Melanie

"Haven't been feeling like such a Lenny lately," I finally offer in a quiet voice. Asher's gone noticeably somber. "I used to be Melanie. She liked making colourful art and constantly smiled. Kind of lost her along the way but I found her again and the bitch isn't so bad."

Asher smiles in a rare moment of softness. Dude's too dark for his own good sometimes.  "She seems pretty badass," He tips his chin in acknowledgment and I tip it back. "I could use her help."

I clear my throat when the moment passes and shrug it off altogether. I may be getting softer around the edges but that doesn't mean I want to feel like a pussy. I reach for my tattoo gun expectantly. "Tat?"

"That's one of the things," He nods as he strips off his shirt.

"What are the others?" I ask curiously and start assembling my gun. I look back up when it goes quiet and am pretty fucking floored when I see Asher go red in the face. Laughter bubbles out of me. "Are you blushing?"

"Shut up," He scowls. He looks away and I continue to regard him in confusion. It isn't until he takes a deep breath and reaches inside his pocket that I think I get an idea. My thoughts are only confirmed when he retrieves a small box and holds it up to show me. "This is another one of the things."

"Holy fuck," I gape and go over to him. I look at the box and then at him in question and when he nods, I gently pry it open. A stunning ring sits in place, a silver band highlighting the small cut ruby in the centre. My jaw drops at the sparkling jewel. "That's a beauty."

"Red like her hair," He murmurs and looks down at the ring with a soft expression. The only time Asher ever goes soft is for Ria. "Red like her. She's my fire."

"Backstreet Boys," We reference at the same time and laugh. I look at the ring again. "It's beautiful, dude. You did good."

"Thanks," He closes the box and puts it back in his pocket. "I'm going to propose the day we move into our house. I want to decorate the place but I'll need a few solid hours to do it. Problem is Ria is randomly stopping in and out of there as she transfers all her stuff and I don't want her accidentally walking in on me."

"Need me to keep her busy?" I guess and he nods. I offer him my fist and he bumps it with a relieved smile. "I got you."

"Thanks," He says again.

"So, what're the tats?" I rev my gun up a few times to check that it's going.

"The letter A on my ring finger," He holds his left hand up. "With boxing I'll never be able to maintain wearing a wedding band but I want to make it clear to the world that I'm Aria's."

"You fucking softy," I grin and he scowls back, ears going red. "But won't she notice?"

"She's in California for a few days doing a case. Tattoo should heal by then and I'll just wear a bandage. I'm proposing in a couple weeks anyways."

"Well, why'd you take your shirt off?"

"I want another tat here," He points to his chest, specifically where his heart is. "Always You."

My head tilts. "What's that?"

"Just something we say," He answers evasively. He's a private guy all things considered.

"Alright," I grab my note pad and do a little doodle of the font I'm envisioning his tattoos in. We go back and forth about the style and size but come to an agreement a few minutes later. I do his ring finger first because it takes only a minute to shave his knuckle hair and then draw out the cursive A. I gauze and wrap and then move on to the chest tattoo. I'm concentrated on the task but I can feel his eyes on me. Without looking at him I mumble, "What?"