“Hey, all done?” I ask, walking into Eternal Sin Ink and seeing Via and Helena chatting on the sofas at the front of the shop.
She looks up at me and smiles huge. This is what makes me tick, I live for her smiles.
“All done.”
“See you later,” Helena calls as we leave.
“So, what do you want to do?” Via asks, pouting and looking up at me with hooded eyes.
“Well, it’s obvious what you want. Shall we go home and have lunch before our meal out with the family tonight?”
“Yes,” she replies excitedly, and I chuckle.
I moved in with Via a couple of months after we got together. The house I lived in held too many memories of being alone and of me becoming Kane to continue living there. Plus, my lies about Shelly and me as a couple and us living in that house together held too many memories for Via. So, I sold it and moved in with my girl. One day, we’ll buy somewhere bigger, but for now, it’s perfect for us.
The moment we’re in the flat, I start tearing her clothes off until she’s naked—only a square white bandage covers her hip.
“Come on, take yours off.” She gestures to me. I slip my jeans and socks off, my boxers going with them, and I watch as she licks her lips unaware of her movements. I stand still for a second and then reach behind my back grabbing my top and dragging it over my head.
Her voice catches, her hand covers her mouth, and her eyes shine with teary happiness. She takes a step forward and touches my tattoo with her fingertips.
“You did this?”
I shrug. “It belongs to you.”
“For me,” she whispers to herself.
Via lays her hand flat over the tattoo on my chest like a shield across my heart. Underneath her palm is my tattoo. It’s a simple feather. Inscribed through the centre is the word Via. Not Olivia, not Liv, but Via… only mine. Above the feather, it says My Forever and underneath are the words For Always.
“Oh my God!” she shouts, making me take a step back in confusion as she pulls her bandage away from her hip.
“Careful,” I order.
Smiling up at me, she teases. “Not my first tattoo, new boy.” I laugh, but it gets caught in my throat when I see the design. Across her hip is a birdcage, the door is open, and a bird flies free from it. Above the cage are the words—Love is forever, for always.
Now it’s my turn to feel like my breath has been sucked from me.
Gently, she grasps my hand. “You gave me your love and made me believe in forever, for always,” she whispers.
I’m naked, she’s naked, but at this moment, there’s something else I’m thinking about. I reach down to my jeans, which lay crumpled on the floor, and pull the small blue box from my pocket.
“What is t-that?” she stutters.
I don’t answer her. Instead, I open the box and pull out the platinum ring holding a black diamond and slip it on her finger without saying a word.
“Is this… I-Is…” Her words fade away.
“This is me securing my forever, for always. You can say yes, baby, but honestly, I’m not giving you a choice, you’re mine, Via.”
She looks down at the ring and then back up into my eyes, emotion covering every inch of her face.
“Yes, forever,” she whispers the words out.
Via’s agreement affects me more than I expect. Immediately, I grab her naked body, throwing her on the bed. The control in me has almost slipped completely, and she shivers with anticipation.
“Hard or soft, baby?” I ask.
“Hard,” she murmurs.
“Yes, ma’am,” I reply.
The years slipped through open fingers as their paths travelled different directions, they forever held onto the love that was created as children.
Years later he saved her, finally, she returned the favour.
-Maria Macdonald
Toby and Shelly’s story will be coming in Book Two
Zayn – Pillowtalk
SWV – Weak
Selena Gomez – Nobody
Coldplay – Hymn For The Weekend
Adele – Send My Love (To Your New Lover)
Three Days Grace – I Hate Everything About You
Papa Roach – Scars
Sigma – Nobody To Love
Parachute – The Mess I Made
John Mayer – Gravity
Ella Henderson – Beautifully Unfinished
Des’ree – I’m Kissing You
All That Remains – What If I Was Nothing
Janet Jackson – Anytime, Anyplace
Janet Jackson – Again
Lady Gaga – A Million Reasons
Clean Bandit – Rockabye
Madonna – Borderline
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus – Your Guardian Angel
Justin Bieber – Fall
Aretha Franklin – Ain’t No Way
Sia – Elastic Heart
Alicia Keys – If I Ain’t Got You
Saliva – Always
Justin Timberlake – My Love
I’m sure I’ll forget someone. Please, if I do forget you, don’t hunt me down and put chilli powder in my knickers!
My family – As always you’re in my corner, and I couldn’t do this without your support. You will always be the centre of my heart, and the centre of my world. I will love you forever and then some.
To Kay from Swish Design & Editing – Thank you for everything you do for me, including the amazing formatting in all my books.
To Give
