Page 79 of Acid

I sob as I move my fingers into his hair, gripping it.

“I love you,” I whisper, and he holds me tighter.

“Not as much as I love you,” he replies, and I choke out a chuckle.

Gently, Ollie kisses my lips and whispers, “Let’s go home, Tinker.” He stands with me in his arms, and I don’t argue. Instead, I wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck as I place my face into his chest, closing my eyes, happy he came after me, calming me, because he’s just proved we can do this, we can heal together.

“Hey, Tinker?” he asks as he locks the gym with me still in his arms.

“Hmmm,” I reply.

“How’d you get to the gym when your car is at the club?” he demands to know, and I wince, leaning up a little to give him a sheepish smile.

“So, when I jumped the fence and ran to the gym, I may have completely missed my Mustang at the clubhouse.”

Ollie narrows his eyes as he sets me into his truck, and states, “Hope you're not fucking tired, Tinker, because I’m going to fucking punish you….”

I feel my cheeks heat, and he chuckles, then kisses me lightly, before buckling me in and shutting the door, all while I squeeze my legs together; something I’ve never had to do before. Suddenly, I’m excited to be punished.

Ollie climbs in the truck and starts it before grabbing my hand. I scoot over the bench seat and place my head on his shoulder, feeling content. The urge to cut has well and truly passed.

This man consumes me, takes away my pain, and honestly, I think we’re going to be okay, or so I hope….

28

Perrie

Gently, I trace my name on Ollie’s chest as he sleeps.

His right arm is tightly around me, his head tilted to the side, and I take in his features. His lips are parted a little, stubble lining his jaw, and long lashes fan his sharp cheekbones.

The man is a work of art.

The urge to cut has diminished, the memories vanishing. Ollie brought me back to his place, and did as he promised, though giving me four orgasms didn’t seem much of a punishment to me, but, if anything, he got me out of my head.

I raise my hand and gently trace my finger along his bottom lip.

It’s seven in the morning, and I’ve barely slept, yet I feel content….

For as long as I can remember, even when I distanced myself from him, Ollie has been my safe place, and I know I’m his.

“Is it a stalkerish move to watch someone sleep?” Ollie mumbles, a smile tilting his lips before he nips the tip of my finger, making me smile slightly.

He turns, looking at me. I gently place my hand on his jaw, my thumb rubbing the stubble, as I admit, “Not if the person is scared and wants to soak this in….”

And Iamscared. I’m scared he’ll leave me again, that I’ll be that girl sitting on the diner counter, vulnerable and alone as he runs. I’m scared he’ll realize he can do so much better than a cutter with no college education, and who needs to fight to handle the pain.

His dark green eyes race between mine, his brow furrowed as he reads my face. Suddenly, he tightens his arm around me and forces me on top of him, making me gasp in shock.

Ollie wraps his arms around me, forcing my legs to either side of his waist and with my chest flat against his. I smile at the closeness and cross my arms over his chest, and rest my chin on them to look at him.

“Talk to me, Tinker,” he demands softly, gently running his finger in small circles at the base of my spine, and I sigh in contentment.

I guess it’s time to get everything off my chest….

“I love you,” I say after a few minutes of chewing my bottom lip, and his eyes soften. “Since we first met, I knew you’d become someone to me. That stubborn, angry boy instantly burrowing into my heart.” He smiles. “As I grew up, you were my light…so when I kissed you, and you turned me down, I won’t lie, it hurt, and I didn’t think about the fact you were eighteen, and I was underage. I was someone hurting from her father’s death, and I thought you didn’t feel the same way, that I wasn’t good enough….”

He sighs. “Perrie…there wasn’t anything more that I wanted than to hold you and never let you go.”

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