Along The Way

Chapter 17 - When I Gave All My Secrets Away

- Two years ago -

| Dylan |

"WHAT ABOUT THIS ONE?"

Delicate fingers traced a gentle path down my arm and I had to fight the urge to pull her into my arms and kiss her into oblivion. Pushing away all thoughts of her soft blond strands spread across my pillow, I forced myself to stay still as her bright eyes took in the intricate lines and swirls blending all my tatts into one same piece of art. I took the opportunity to study the line of her nose, her flushed cheeks; my gaze snagging on her parted lips.

I had to remind myself to breathe.

f**king hell. f**k me.

What was this slip of a girl doing to me?

I lost manhood points every time we stood close. 

I didn't take my eyes away from her angelic face as I answered her. I saw my tatts every day, it wasn't hard to guess which one she was talking about.

"That one's all Tate."

"Your uncle?"

Her index finger followed the contour of the running horse and all my blood rushed south.

"Yeah."

"Why a horse?"

The simple question broke the spell she'd casted on me and I looked away.

I didn't share about my tatts. It wasn't as if girls hadn't asked me about them before at parties or tried to pry it from me when I bought one of them home. I got my first tattoo at sixteen and soon learned they could be a chick magnet. That hadn't been the reason I kept putting myself under the needle though, I'd wanted to keep each and every turning point in my life engraved in my body as a reminder. That was what I'd told Tate when I stood in front of him and stated I wanted to get a tattoo. That had been the reason he gave his consent every time after that.

Sharing about them felt like giving a piece of me away and I wasn't willing to do that.  

I didn't feel that way with Charlotte though. For some reason I wanted her to see right past the tatts, the shaved head and the ripped pants into what made me.

"I had a conversation with him when I was around fourteen," I slid a glance her way to see her waiting patiently for me to share. My gaze fixed on a spot above her shoulder. "He told me something that stayed with me through the years."

"He said, 'You are stronger than you give yourself credit for. Never forget that.' I can still remember that day as if it were yesterday."

Only when her hand resumed its movement I realized she'd stopped tracing the ink.

"A horse. The symbol for strength." She murmured.

I gave her a nod. "He just...told me that at the right moment. Later, every time I hit a rough patch it served as reminder that someone out there saw me that way, you know. Horses are not only known for their strength and resiliency, they also represent freedom, wisdom and loyalty. That he saw that in me..." I shook my head. "Every day I aim to prove him right."

The bed depressed as she shifted her weight. Her knee hitting mine. "That's beautiful. I'm sure he's proud of you."

The soft tone of her voice had me focusing on her face again. I barely caught the light shining in her eyes before she looked back down at my arm. I could only see her blond hair cascading down like honey. A few strands tickled my arm and I reached out to tuck them behind her ear, leaving her profile exposed to my greedy eyes. Her cheeks flushed a beautiful shade of pink, but she didn't lift her gaze.