Page 55 of Acid

I glare at him and snap, “I’m also recovering, my body aches….”

He laughs, and I run at him, catching him off guard as I jump up, wrap my legs around his waist, and move my body around him, pushing with all my force, and slamming him onto the ring floor.

Acid groans. “Fuck’s sake, Tinker….”

I breathe hard, rolling onto my back.

“Shouldn’t get so cocky then,” I breathe.

He chuckles with a grunt as he gets up and then holds his hand out for me. Reluctantly, I take it, but he doesn’t let go when I stand. Instead, he steps closer to me, his eyes racing between mine.

“I never fucked, Andrea,” he shocks me, my mouth wide. His jaw ticks as he cups mine and admits, “A week after I ran from you, from us, she showed up at the club, claiming to be worried for you, that you changed.” He licks his bottom lip and reluctantly says, “I told her to get the fuck off club property.”

I furrow my brows and struggle. “But she said, I mean, you didn’t….”

He gives me a sad smile and rasps, “I took my eyes off my drink for one moment. Piston found the footage.”

My pulse races, hearing his insinuation.

Oh God, she drugged him….

My eyes tear up, and he sighs, dropping his forehead against mine, and admits, “I don’t remember getting to my room. I have flashbacks where she’s begging me to get hard, but when I woke up, she was in my bed with an evil glint in her eyes, and I had a condom on, but it was empty….”

My nostrils flare, and I confirm, “She assaulted you and tried claiming you two screwed and got her pregnant?”

He clears his throat. “Yeah, Tinker. Piston hacked her medical records. She’s on a waitlist with the hospital for donor insemination, she was hoping I wouldn’t notice the timeframe.”

I grip his arms tightly, and squeeze my eyes shut at his admission.

“Tinker,” he whispers, and I look at him. Pain shines back at me as he says, “For years, I was beaten by my father, and it shaped who I am today. You saw my back, something no one has witnessed, not even Piston, and he can’t know; he thinks I got let off after he became old enough to do Aiden’s dirty work, not realizing I was doing everything in my power to ensure I got the brunt of things.” He sighs. “Tinker, when I ran away from you that night, I’d panicked because I went from happy that I finally got the girl I gave my heart to, to realizing I transferred my filth on her. Then the Andrea situation happened, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe….”

My tears fall, my grip on his arms tightening. I knew his father was nasty, but to abuse his kids….

My eyes race between Acid’s, and fear shines in his dark greens.

“You’re not telling me the whole story, are you?” I inquire, and he smiles a little.

“No, Tinker, I’m not,” he admits, “and don’t get me wrong, I love you,” my breathing halts at his words, my mouth parting, “I love you so fucking much, but I’m not ready to dive into my past just yet, just like you didn't dive into what happened to you.” He squeezes me tightly. “I will open up soon, I just need time. No one knows the trauma I went through, what I had to do to ensure Piston only got a few beatings.” He pulls my body tight with his, and I inhale, his forest scent filling my senses. “I need you to give me time. I know I hurt you, I know I pushed you away, but I have good reasons for it all, I just went about it the wrong way. I even fucking made myself vulnerable enough to be tricked by that bitch, something that hurt you, and I’ll never forgive myself for it. Fuck, Tinker, I thought staying in a friendship was for the best; I’m fucking dirty, tainted, and the thought of putting that on you….”

I swallow hard, trying to contain my shaking, my tears flowing at the pain flowing from him.

“Don’t cry for me, Tinker,” he chokes out.

I shake my head, muttering, “I hate you,” he nods, “but I love you. too…I-I, I’m so confused….”

Gently, Acid presses his lips against mine, and I melt. He ends it too quickly, whispering, “I’m going to do everything I can to prove to you how much I love you, to help you understand why I walked away.”

I close my eyes and place my head on his chest, a feeling deep in my gut telling me that after he opens up fully, I’ll never want to let him go again, and that thought—it’s scary.

19

Acid

I drop the roller onto the tray and smile as I look at my handy work. The dark blue suits the place.

I’m so fucking proud of Perrie. She’s been redoing the gym all this time, starting with the apartment upstairs. I had a little look around before she got home from work yesterday, and everything upstairs has been rebuilt and replaced, making it a studio loft full of grays and dark greens, with black furniture.

I think the only room she hadn’t redone is her dad's office, but I did notice the dark red and cream paint tins.

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