Page 31 of Breakaway Heart
TANGLED
A soft glow stretched like warm sunshine across my skin as we lay there naked together, sated and entwined in each other’s arms, our breath moving as one. Randall’s fingers traced along my bare skin, stopping to explore the small purple iris tattoo on my arm.
“What does this mean?”
“I got this one for my mom, it’s the state flower of Tennessee,” I turned the wrist on my other arm to show him the bluebonnet, “And this one is for Texas, for my dad.”
“That’s cute.”
“I mean, they hit the roof when I got them. I was a kid, really. But the reason they’re where they are is so when I stand like this…” I sat up on the bed and put one hand over my forearm, covering the iris, with the bluebonnet on my wrist hidden as it turned inward, “…They wouldn’t show in my wedding photos.”
“You wanted to hide them?”
“Just for my dad. He’s pretty traditional. I knew he wouldn’t want to see them on me in the pictures.”
“But you never got married.”
I blushed.
“No, it didn’t work out.”
Suddenly, I felt uncomfortable and embarrassed, and unsure what else to say.
“My car will be here soon,” I told him.
“Why don’t you stay?” He asked, dreamily.
“No, I really should get going.”
“For real? I mean, this is… Nice, isn’t it?”
“I don’t thinkniceis the right word, Randy. It’s been fun, though.”
“Okay.” He looked annoyed. “Hell, I’m sorry I’m just a lay and not the man that you deserve.”
I turned my head to him. “And what do you think I deserve?”
Randy lay back, one of his thick, chiseled forearms behind his head, “Do you even know what you want? Like, how does that guy look for you, Lucy?”
“The man I want?” I didn’t have a fixed idea in my head, but surely I knew. “I want someone who’s there… But, you know, not all the time. And he’s kind!” I mulled that one over for a second, before adding “But not too kind!”
“Gotcha. So, a sweet and kind, but nottookind, bad boy who’s there, but isn’t there?”
“Sort of,” I replied, embarrassed that was the best I could come up with.
“So, what you want is a walking contradiction?”
I sighed.What do I fucking want? What have I been waiting for?
“Well, hey,” He shrugged. “I’m not Mr Perfect. But I am Mr Right Now.”
“It’s good enough for tonight, Randy. But I’m not staying.”
“What are you so afraid of anyway? I promise I won’t strangle you in your sleep.”
What I’m afraid of is that I might actually end up liking you, Randall, and that is a horrifying thought.
“I just don’t want to get tangled up, is all. Let’s not make it complicated.”
