shy girl you met when I got here. I won’t stay at your house, or wherever I’m living, while you go out and cheat on me or barely spend any time with me. This isn’t a game I’m willing to play. Not after everything I’ve been through in my life,” she states, never once removing her eyes from me.
“This can happen and it’s goin’ to Gwen. I promise I’ll never hurt you. Those other girls are in the past for me. I haven’t touched one since you walked in on me in the bathroom. I never meant for you to see that and I’m truly sorry about it. No one compares to you, Sparrow. Please, come home with me. Let me prove it to you,” I plead with her.
Knowing words aren’t going to be enough for my girl right now, I shrug my cut off before placing it gently on the end of her bed. From there, I rip my shirt over my head. Gwen gasps as she takes in the bandage covering my side from just under my armpit to just above where my jeans rest on my hips.
Peeling the bandage from my body, I watch as she takes in the red skin surrounding my new ink. She reaches out to touch me before abruptly stopping just shy of my tender skin. Her eyes are filling with tears as she takes in the sparrow breaking free of the cage it’s been held captive in. There’s an old skeleton key resting in the sparrow’s mouth as shards of the cage fill my skin surrounding the sparrow and falling to the bottom of my side. There isn’t an ounce of color in the entire tattoo except for the eye on the sparrow. It’s been shaded in the same color of Gwen’s.
“You did this for me?” she questions, looking up at me.
Instead of responding with words, I simply nod my head. Gwen moves her eyes back down to the tattoo and takes in all the small details of it. The cage honestly looks like the house her dad held her captive in. On top of pieces of the house, shards of glass also fall down my skin. The key is in the shape of a heart at the end because Gwen owns my heart. She’s the only one who holds the key to unlock the feelings I’ve always kept inside me.
Gwen thinks about things for a minute. Never once do our eyes lose our connection as she tries to figure out if I’m lying or not. I can see it in her face and from the way she’s searching my face. Finally, she nods her head. I help her pack everything up, not that it’s all that much and we head out.
We stop in the living room where Fox and Kim are sitting on the couch, snuggled up together. Kim looks back at us and she knows I’m taking her baby sister home with me.
“You heading out?” Kim asks, looking at me with narrowed eyes.
“Yeah. I’m going back to Killer’s. We’ve talked and I’m not sure what’s gonna happen yet, but I think it’s best if I go back there for now. I love you and I’ll be here when you need me. It’s not like I’ll be that far from you,” Gwen tells her, leaning over the back of the couch to hug and kiss her sister.
“Killer, I’ve warned you once. I’m not gonna warn you again. You hurt my sister and I’ll cut your balls off,” Kim growls out.
Fox and I each flinch because we know she means every single word. Nodding my head at her, I wrap my arms around Gwen’s shoulders and lead her from the room. The entire time I don’t take my eyes off Kim. Right now, I don’t want to turn my back on her. I’m not sure if I ever will again.
Chapter Nine
Gwen
I’VE BEEN BACK at Killer’s for a few days now. He’s been home with me and it’s made things easier. A little bit at any rate. We’ve been talking, spending time together, and getting to know one another. I’ve learned his name is Tristan and it suits him. When we’re alone together, he doesn’t mind me calling him that. So, I’ve taken to doing so. We’ve eaten meals together, cooked, and cleaned up afterward. Honestly, it’s been kind of nice to just be with one another without the outside interference of the members of the club.