Page 25 of His Daggered Heart

“Why are you smelling it? You’re so weird sometimes.” We laugh.

“I just like how you smell, that’s all.” She rolls her eyes and starts to get dressed. I snatch her panties and put them in the trunk and shut it before she can argue.

“Kohen, what the hell?”

I shrug. “I told you not to wear them.”

“Well, I didn’t know I was going to want to get fucked on a motorcycle in an abandoned train yard, so I’m sorry.”

“I forgive you, baby, but I’m still keeping them. You know- something to sniff later.”

“Oh my god, like I said- weird.”

“I’ve only ever been like this with you, it’s just something about the way you smell, your hair, your skin, your pussy. I love it.” She blushes and we dress in silence the rest of the time. We both climb onto the bike, getting ready to strap our helmets on.

“Do you want to go get something to eat and talk?” she asks, and my stomach turns.

“Yeah sure, anything for you.”

“It’s nothing bad. I just want us to be alone and really talk and see how we can truly move forward from everything.”

“Me too, I get it. We need this.”

“I agree,” she responds.

Then we cruise, speeding down these winding roads and enjoying the silent ride together, as the cool evening breeze carries us home.

Chapter 21

Kohen

Ipullintothefirst restaurant I see and my mouth waters. Pop’s Burgers looks like an old-school diner and that means big greasy burgers and milkshakes. I don’t know how I’ve ever missed this place before, it looks brand new but everything is dated at the same time. Red and white stripes are plastered along the tin roof. I pull the bike into a parking space and shut off the engine. Removing my helmet, I glance back at my beautiful girl. Her helmet is already off, and her arms are still wrapped around me as her cheek is pressed to my back.

I bring my hands up to touch hers and I rub my thumbs over her soft skin. Her hands are cold from the cool breeze we’ve battled on the drive. I pull her arms tighter to my chest. “I love you, Alex.”

The heat from her cheek disappears from my back and she climbs off the bike. My chest aches for a second with uncertainty but then she climbs on top of me, straddling my lap. Her hands graze the scruff on my chin and she just hugs me. “I love you, Kohen, so fucking much. It used to hurt but now it feels safe. I don’t know if we had to go through what we did to get here or if we just ended up here by luck, but I’m so fucking glad we got to where we are right fucking now.” Her chocolate gaze pulls me in and I drown in the depths of the love there.

I grip her long hair, pulling her face close to me, twirling the loose strands around my index and middle fingers. Damn, I missed this. I hadn’t done it since we made up but it makes me feel good. Something in my chest settles and a calmness washes over me. I crash her lips to mine possessively, needing her to know that I want her, all of her, like I always have and that nothing has changed. She is everything to me.

I release her from my grip and we make our way inside the restaurant hand in hand. I hear my father’s baritone voice ricochet through my mind,“love is for pussies, and my son will not be a pussy.’I remember him telling my mom to stop trying to make me talk about my feelings. That feelings would make me weak and that love was for pussies. He wanted me strong like him and that meant being heartless. I don’t give a fuck, I refuse to be anything like him. I think love makes us strong and not having the capacity to show emotion makes us weak.

We sit at the booth and a surge of emotions fills my empty chest. Hurt, love, heartache, loneliness, and happiness all coexist because of her. Confusion is there, too. Not aboutherbut because of her.

I feel tears well up and I pull the menu in front of my face. I’m not ready for her to see me be vulnerable but I know I need to. She needs to really see and know that I only left because I wanted what was best for her. I needed some healing, too. I became engulfed in her black cloud and I couldn’t get out. The parts of her broken heart were tied to mine and she wouldn’t release me. I know that she never would have intentionally hurt me but hurt people hurt people. That’s what my mom always said. The flip to that is that healed people heal other people. They give them hope that someday they can get to that light at the end of the tunnel. That it is attainable.

I thought I was healed enough to be that for her. But this girl, this beautiful poisonous girl, pricked me with the thorn of the roses that protected her heart and shook my core with her energy, poisoning me. She pierced through and cracked the tough cemented exterior that I laid to protect my soul. The soul my father would have loved to beat into hate with his toxic masculinity.

I feel a small warm hand wrap around my wrist, pulling the menu away from my face. “You okay, handsome?”

Our eyes meet and I drop the menu to reach out and touch her. She nuzzles in, resting her face in my palm. Her eyes flutter closed and I rub my thumb across her bottom lip. Her lips part and I want nothing more than to stick it into her mouth. I want to feel her luscious lips wrap around it, the warmth of her mouth begging for my cock instead. I fight the temptation and move my hand up into her hair and push it behind her ear. Her eyes fly open the moment I remove my hand. We stay staring at each other and she bites her bottom lip. My eyes instantly drift to them. She smirks, grabbing the menu and taking a look.

“You didn’t answer me,” she smirks as she peeks at me over the top of it.

“I can’t remember what you asked. What was the question?” I already decided what I want to eat. The smells in this place cause my mouth to water. I’m so fucking hungry.

“I asked if you were okay. Because you were hiding behind your menu.”

“Hmm, was I?”

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