I was kind of glad that on my second day in town it was a weekend and I didn't have to attend emotionally draining classes. So I was standing the only place I could find Beth; library. Who told me? Blair, who else? She was helping me easily now.
On her front , her dad took my statements and I have been assigned the task of being a double agent. It seemed exciting. After a week I needed to return but this I will be working for the police and then once the boss is caught red handed I will be set free. It was dangerous but the best deal I could ask for.
I didn't tell Beth about this, why? Because she will freak out.
I walked in towards the romance genre and saw her seriously reading a romantic novel. Frankly, I found such stuff shitty, because they are sappy, mushy and makes a girl believe in unrealistic guys. But now, I am not so sure. It was infuriating in some senses but somehow my thoughts, my world was filled with her.
She was wearing her glasses and my heart coiled with a strange emotion I only felt around her. Today her hair was not made into a ponytail or straightened like in school. Today she tied them casually in a half knot and several loose strands adorned her face.
I sat down right across her and she looked up with surprise evident on her face.
"Brax, what are you doing here?" She whispered looking around as if someone was watching us.
"To see you." I wanted to tell her a lot, like I love her and how I know about the list and how it is influencing my behaviour but I said the most prominent thought on my mind.
"You are breathtaking in those glasses." First, she blinked multiple times and then frowned at me as if I was lying.
"What? You look cute and I like seeing you in them. So much better than those lenses."
"You can't say those things Brax. You know I am a romantic fool and such words affect me." She mumbled her eyes cast down and blush creeping on her cheeks.
"I am being truthful here," I said too happy at her words right now.
I took off my denim jacket and sat down even more comfortably.
"You don't even like reading, what will you do here?" She asked me with a tired look.
"My time, I decided how I spend it." I shrugged at her and she shook her head at me.
After this, she started to read as if I was not even there. Frustrated at her behaviour I asked, "Are you even attracted to me or I am just getting played here?"
"Of course, I am attracted to you like hell." She says in a defensive tone and bites her tongue at her mistake.
She was the fun to my seriousness.
I smirk at her and she looked down in the book again.
"So I am not getting played, what a relief."
"No, it is always me who gets played." She said and I feel the hurt which I try to mask.
"I told you I was protecting you."
"And what about me. I understand your point of view Brax and I am grateful for that. But what about my feelings? Do I ever get to make a decision? What if you told me about the plan of yours and didn't let me through pain?"
She was right in a sense.
"I just wanted to make it natural and wanted you out of my life because I never thought I could walk out of that hell hole," I explained her desperately.
She sighed and looked at me like she just wanted her feelings in consideration.
"You do realise that I am more than attracted to you, I like you," I say carefully avoiding the word love for now.
She blushed yet again and blinking began. I had to stop my laughter on seeing her adorable reaction.
"If I didn't like you, Brax Hunter, I wouldn't even talk to you. First, you are in a gang and then you have that tattoo." She stared at my tattoo very carefully.
Ah, the list. She hates tattoos.
But I can't get it removed, it was a reminder of my bad past and I needed that.
"You don't like my tattoo?" I asked with a disappointment.
"That's the problem. I should hate it but I find it- " She bit her lip as if she was ashamed, "It is sexy."
As soon as she said that, she buried her face into her palm and this time I roared with the laughter.
"Glad to know Sugar."
"I just hated it at first because Lucas also has one." She cleared her dislike for them.
Was list made because Lucas broke her heart? So that she can stay away from guys like him? I groaned mentally for being so anti-list.
"So you don't actually hate one?" I asked just to be sure.
"No, earlier I wanted to get one. I find them...cool." She was about to say sexy like before and she altered it to cool.
"Then we will get one."
Her eyes widened in horror this time.
"No, I don't think so Brax." She vehemently refused as I pulled her along.
"But I think so. Why only I get to look sexy with a tattoo?" She blushed at my words realising I was not going to let go her slip up.
***
It didn't surprise me when we drove to the tattoo shop without even asking for directions. Beth knew her way to the shop. She looked pale and scared. And I should but I found that funny. She looked so soft and fragile not a type of girl to get a tattoo.
After refusing, fussing and lot of convincing she decided to get an anchor tattoo.
"Why?" I asked explanation behind her choice.
She bit her lips and shook her head refusing to tell me. This intrigued and infuriated me.
She closed her eyes and gripped my arms too tightly as the machine starting embedding the pattern into her flesh. Her teeth were gritted together, probably to block the scream of pain and she winced constantly.
I noticed tear flow down from the corner of her tightly closed eyes as she held back in pain. I was both concerned and proud. Since it was a small pattern it was done quickly.
"Sugar, open your eyes," I whispered gently and she did.
Her eyes were red from all the crying but then a smile formed on her lips when she saw the anchor mark on the skin right below the thumb
Pride sparkled in her eyes mirroring my own emotion.
"Finally." She whispered.
The tattoo artist seemed amused at her reaction which went from happy to excited to a child like squealing.
"You need to keep it bandaged and disinfected for a week or so and then you can take off the dressing. If there is any redness or itchiness then let me know. I will help with that." The tattoo artist gave her an amused smile as he explained.
She walked out with light steps constantly admiring the anchor on her hand.
"Why did she chose an anchor?" I muttered to myself, maybe too loudly.
"Ah, she told me it is connected to some pirate tattoo and how an anchor binds them." And gave me back the change.
Awed. I was awed at her thinking, at her nature, at her innocence. Little did she know that she has actually become my anchor somehow.
_____________________
See you get my point. Love is not about changing a person. It is just loving you for whoever you are. She likes Brax even though he is anti-list. She being slow in forgiving but she is getting there and a little afraid of getting hurt yet again.
But here goes one rule....now even our girl has a tattoo XD
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Next update: Friday. (and you do know what's next. Something to do with drinking :D )