Page 67 of Tattooed Love

“Blake, we didn’t just break up for that reason.” I sighed, and ran both hands through my hair. “We both knew what we had was over. Is over. We can’t be that couple anymore.”

“I don’t want to be that couple.” Blake slowed down at a traffic light. “I want us to be this. Easy, second nature. Being with you, Amber, is like breathing.”

“Last I remember. I was the one suffocating you.”

“Amber, I…”

Our bodies were catapulted forward as someone slammed into us from behind. My head snapped forward, and whacked the dashboard with force.

Blake let out a string of curse words as he unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out of the car. I saw his hand reach under his t-shirt. My head was spinning as I rested it back on the headrest. What was with cars lately?

Groaning, I undid my seat belt, and cracked the door open. I heard Blake yelling, but I felt my stomach twist. Leaning against the side of the car, steadying my breathing, I closed the door.

“Amber, you alright?” Blake lifted my head; his eyes ran over my face with worry. “Shit!” He let out a breath as he ripped his t-shirt off and pressed it to the top of my head. I winched as the fabric came into contact with my head.

“It looks like a surface wound,” Blake muttered, and then shot a dirty look over his shoulder. “Bloody P platers.”

I glanced at the young kids, who had clearly run into us.

“For some reason, I thought it was someone trying to kill us,” I muttered under my breath. Blake’s lips twitched up slightly and nodding his head. “And they are the same age as me.”

I was beginning to second guess my involvement with criminals. Was it normal to always assume the worst?

“How bad’s the car?” I asked, as Blake pulled the t-shirt from my head; I’d only bled a little bit.

“Not too bad. I don’t think the kid has a license though,” Blake said, shooting me a small smile. We both glanced at them; they looked like they were freaking out.

“Probably lost it for bad driving,” I replied to Blake. He nodded his head.

“Let’s get out of here before the cops come,” Blake said coolly, and reached behind me to open my door.

I got in, and Blake walked around the back of the car, ripping the half hanging bumper off and tossing it in the direction of the sidewalk. I closed my door as Blake got in.

Blake looked both ways, before he took off into the intersection, ignoring the red light. I was sure the teenagers would be back there puzzled, not sure what was going on.

Blake didn’t do insurance and he didn’t do cops, so, of course, we wouldn’t be hanging around to exchange details.

“Amber?”

“Yeah Blake?”

“I love you.”

I snapped my head to him; his eyes were glued to the road. Had I heard him correctly? His words rang pretty clear, and through my mind once more.

I opened my mouth and then shut it again. What could I say to that? Blake was my first love, first crush, and well my first serious boyfriend. He would protect me with his life, if needed, but he was also a hard-core gangster; a criminal.

And often, I needed protection from him.

So why did I immediately lean over and kiss the side of his cheek?

Because I am an idiot.

Chapter 16

“Are you sure?”

I looked across at Blake and handed him his t-shirt.

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