"Ok. I'll lay
off the best I can. But I'm here if you need me. Watching you get
set up to get fucking hurt is hard." Gage let go of me and walked
to his door. "You will always be my girl and I will always love
you."
I walked over
to stand beside him and said "I know, Gage. Back 'atcha." I opened
the door and walked out. I saw Larkin staring at me, and I
smiled.
Lunch went
pretty well and the guys ate way too much. When they left to go
back to football I finished decorating and much to Gage's
disapproval I spiced his room up a little. That night Gage came
back alone.
"Hmm. Maybe
you should take up interior decorating instead of advertising,"
Gage said as he looked around.
"You like it?
You know I can't stand plain."
"Yep, I like
it. So I was thinking, I want to do something with you."
I was leaning
down putting the last picture frame in place and asked, "Oh ya?
What’s that?"
"Let's get
tattoos. Together."
"You know I'm
always up for some new ink. What were you thinking?" I stood and
faced him, leaning against the wall.
"I was
thinking about our talk earlier. I think we should get a saying,
something for just us."
"Ok...have a
saying in mind?"
Gage nodded then pulled his phone out. He really must have
thought a lot about this. He handed me his phone, and I looked at
the screen. On it was a picture of two black birds and it
read
I will always
stand by your side.
"I love it!" I
smiled up at Gage.
"Well then
let’s go." Gage said reaching for my hand.
"Let me change
first. I can't wear this and end up getting ink on it." I turned
and headed towards my room. I grabbed a pair of jean shorts and
took off the leopard print tank. Walking out of my room I smiled at
Gage and said, "Let’s do this."
Since there
was a tattoo parlor a few blocks away we decided to walk. When we
walked in the girl at the desk saw Gage and fumbled with her words,
"H-how can we um we help you?"
"My girl and I
want new tattoos."
"Gage Tucker
is that you? What the hell is up man?" A large guy appeared beside
the girl who was still staring at Gage.
"What’s up
Brad? My girl and I are here for new ink. Got any time?"
"Actually I am
open the rest of the night. Do you know what you want?'
Gage handed
him his phone and replied, "I want mine on my ribs." Gage turned to
me and asked, "Know where you want yours?"
I nodded and
said, "I was thinking my ribs too."
"Sounds great
guys. Give me a few minutes to draw this up. Be back in a few."
Brad turned and walked through a door, closing it behind
him.
Ten minutes
later Brad reappeared. "Ready. Who's first?"
I popped up
and answered, "I'll go."
"Ok pretty
thing, let’s get you set up."
After lying on
the chair, Gage came over to sit beside me. Brad placed the stencil
on my ribs and asked me if I liked it. "Yep, love it."
As Brad was
setting up all his stuff he asked, "I like your back piece. How
many tattoos do you have?"
"I have six,
this will be seven. I actually got three of them here last year. I
have the Arabic on my other ribs, an anchor on my hip, angel wings
on my back, and I have quotes under my arm, across the top of my
back, and the inside of my thigh."
"Kick ass."
Brad looked between Gage and me and asked, "So how long have you
two been together?"
I shook my
head. "We're not."
Brad looked
confused when he said, "Oh."
"He's my best
friend. Best friends since we were little." I shrugged.
On our way
home, after getting our tattoos, we grabbed Chinese takeout for
dinner. We both plopped down on the couch, and Gage ordered a
movie. When I finished dinner, I pulled a blanket over myself and
snuggled into Gage. Life with Gage was normal, comfortable. I loved
having Gage as a permanent fixture in my life. I honestly don't
know what I would do or where I would be without him.
"Thank you for
everything. You don't know how much you mean to me," I shared as I
leaned my head back so I could see his face.
Gage slowly
smiled. "You know I'm always here. No matter what, I'm here. Babe,
I promise you this, regardless of who comes into your life or who
you’re with I will love you more than they could ever imagine.
You’re my girl."
I kissed
Gage's shoulder before laying my head back down. "Gage, you’re my
best friend. No one will ever compare to you."
We spent the
night together, just the two of us. It was nice being cuddled up
with Gage, someone who knew everything about me and still loved
me.
CHAPTER 8
Waking up to a
text from Larkin put a smile on my face.
Larkin: Morning baby. Have plans tonight?
I knew he was
at football, so I told myself to ignore the text and go about my
morning like normal. Climbing out of Gage's bed, I saw a picture he
had on his dresser of the two of us. We had our arms around each
other, hugging each other tight with huge smiles on our faces. It
was the summer before my life changed, before I changed. I was
always very happy back then with a smile on my face and laughing.
Now I hide behind sarcasm and bitchiness to protect myself. No one
really knows the real me, no one but Gage. I don't know how
different things would have been if I hadn't gotten hurt. I had big
dreams of moving to New York, going to school, and getting a
kickass internship with Hawkins Advertisement. I dreamt of meeting
the man of my dreams, having two point five kids and living happily
ever after. I'm not sure if I would have followed through with
those plans, just the thought of not being where Gage is makes me
feel sick.
Feeling myself
start to tear up I set the picture down, walked across our
apartment and into my bathroom, turning the shower on. I let my
bathroom get steamy, sitting on the small bench, let my tears fall.
I hadn't broken down in a while, allowing Jacob back into my
thoughts was my undoing. I couldn't hold it in anymore as a sob
escaped me. I'm not sure how long I sat there with the shower
running and me sobbing before I heard a knock and saw Gage walking
in.
"Jenna? What
is going on? What happened?!" Gage was kneeling in front of me
pulling my face up to look at him.
I know I was
ugly-girl crying, but seeing Gage made my cries ease. After a few
moments, I sniffed a few times before finally choking out, "Gage,
I'm not strong enough for this. He still haunts me. He's still in
my head. He’s still there. I can't make it go away no matter how
hard I try."
Gage put his
arms around me, hugging me close to him, "Babe, you're going to
make it. It's going to be hard, but you will make it."
I shook my
head. "I can't Gage. He destroyed me. He killed me. I'm not strong
enough. I thought eventually the pain would ease, or I would maybe
accept my new life, but it still hurts."
"No matter
what or how hard you fucking try to avoid it, someone in your life
is going to hurt you. They will take everything you have and every
damn thing that you are and rip it apart not giving two shits where
the pieces fall or how hard you hit rock bottom. But through the
breakdown, you will learn so fucking much about yourself and how
damn strong you really are."
Wiping my
tears with the backs of my hands I turned my face away from Gage.
"If it wasn't for you Gage, I don't think I would have survived.
You standing beside me every day for months is what saved me. You
were there no matter what even when I hated life."
"Babe, that’s
what best friends are for."
Smiling I
turned back to face Gage and told him, "And you’re the
best."
Gage kissed my
forehead before standing and pulling me with him. "So why don't you
get your stinky ass in the shower while I make something for
lunch."
I nodded and
said, "Thank you."
Gage just
smiled, turned and walked out closing the door behind him. I took
my clothes off and stepped into the still running shower. As soon I
stepped in, I was jumping out, screaming.
"Shit, babe?
What the fuck?" Gage was slamming the door open looking around like
he was going to find someone with a gun to my head.
Grabbing a
towel to cover myself, I turned the water off. Laughing I looked at
Gage's panicked face and said, "The water was freezing. Sorry,
didn't mean to scare you."
"Holy fuck, I
thought you were dying," Gage said shaking his head.
"Well I'm
alive but I guess my ass is going to stink for a few more minutes
while I wait for the water to heat back up. Mind handing me my robe
so I don't have to walk around in a towel."
Gage smirked,
"With your sexy little body, a towel would be just
fine."
"Get real,
Gage. Now hand me my damn robe,” I laughed.
Gage threw my
robe at me and walked out laughing. After replacing my towel with
my robe, I walked into the kitchen to find Gage making peanut
butter and jelly sandwiches. He was adorable.
"PB and J?
What are we five?" I couldn't help but giggle.
"Shut the hell
up and be happy I actually cooked."
"Sweetie, I
don't think getting out bread and covering it with peanut butter
and jelly and slapping the slices together constitutes as cooking,"
I said while grabbing my plate and taking a big bite. "But it is
good. My compliments to the chef."
Gage tossed a
piece of bread at me before dipping his hand in the jar of peanut
butter and smearing it on my cheek. "The chef thanks you and
smothers you with love."
"I do believe
you mean peanut butter," I said and smiled back while peeling apart
my sandwich. I took a piece in each hand and smashed them on either
side of his face.
"You did not
just do that?"
"Oh but I did,
sir," I laughed.
Gage's eyes
twinkled with something I had never seen before, I wasn't sure what
it was, but then his eyes turned a stormy blue, and I knew I was
done for. I ducked behind the bar as Gage dove over it. Both his
hands went into my blonde hair with grape jelly.
"Oh my God!
Seriously you just put jelly in my hair!" I screeched trying to get
away from him.
"Suck it
sweetheart. You still need a shower. Your hair won't fall
out."
I tackled
Gage. Although I'm sure he let me more than I forced him. I took
both of his hands and smeared them all over his face. We were both
laughing so hard, I almost didn't hear the knock coming from the
door.
"Come in,
doors open," Gage called out as I scooted off him and tried working
my fingers through my sticky, matted hair.
"Uh,
everything ok here?” Larkin's deep voice broke through my
laughter.
Both Gage and
I looked up to see Larkin looking down at us with wide eyes full of
confusion.
I smiled up at
him and said, "Everything is great. Gage was um, he was just giving
me a grape jelly hair treatment, good for my roots.”
Larkin looked
from me to Gage and back to me before nodding once and said, "Sure.
Did you get my text?"
"Yes, sorry. I
slept late and when Gage got home we got busy."
Larkin gave a
half smartass smile. "Ah yes with your hair treatment, wouldn't
want to miss that."
Gage was
standing and narrowing his eyes at Larkin. He asked, "What the
fucks your problem, Nayler?"
Larkin raked
his eyes over me before moving them to Gage and replied, "Not a
damn thing. I wanted to see if Jenna wanted to have dinner and
maybe catch a movie but I just got my answer."
I scrambled to
my feet grabbing Larkin's arm so he would look at me. "What the
hell? Why don't you ask me what I want and not just
assume."
Larkin's eyes
softened a little before he opened his mouth and sarcastically
said, "Well I wouldn't want you to miss your hair treatment. So
don't bother. See ya 'round."
"Larkin? What
is up your ass? Just because I didn't text you back you’re going to
be a total dick? We hooked up once, I don't ever remember signing
some damn contract saying I am yours whenever you want, so piss
off!"
Larkin turned
and was out the door before another word was said. Gage and I
gawked at each other. "Well that was fun," I teased before walking
into my room to finally get my shower. If Larkin thought I was his
shiny new toy, he was seriously mistaken. That boy was crazy if he
thought after one night of sex, ok the best sex of my life, I was
his property. I am my own person, I don't need some guy trying to
control me.
CHAPTER 9
I didn't see
Larkin for the next few days, and the fact that I missed him
bothered me. He pissed me off trying to be all macho male. That
shit didn't fly with me. So how could I miss him?