Mugshot Hills

|Ch19|

We laughed at the darkness
So scared that we lost it
We stood on the ceilings
You showed me love was all you needed- Beyoncé

•Brooklyn Jacobson•
"Brook"

We both stared up at the ceiling. Tears rolling down our cheeks. "You know I blamed you for a long time...you weren't the problem. Maybe I was." I admit wiping my face.

"Nah I was the problem. Always territorial, to be honest I been loving you even after all those years. When you came back I been planned to make a move to be with you. I should've told him." He whispers.

I think about how everything played out. Regardless of what happened neither one of us wanted East dead. I can remember a time clearly when me and East were closed. When he loved me more than anything and I loved him. I didn't believe East would've shot me next but he shot Dame so I can't put anything past him. I just can't believe he'd do something like that. And the fact that he did it because of me messing around with Damai makes me feel like I'm the one to blame. I know I'm the one to blame. I just wish we could've all talked it out instead of things ending how it did.

"I know I probably shouldn't say this but I'm so happy that you are alive." I knew deep down if I had to choose which one to live it would've been Dame.

He reaches over staring into my eyes. I move over towards him. He cups my face leaning down he kisses me. What soon starts off slow turns passionate as we start to tongue kiss. "Mmm." I moan against his lips. I move in closer my knee accidentally brushing past his stomach.

"Shit." He winces pulling back.

"Fuck. I'm so sorry I didn't mean to." I apologize as I lift his shirt looking over his wound which looks to be doing pretty good. His stomach is wrapped and bandaged up.

"Awl shit," he laughs. "Here you go about to start babying me."

I smile at that squatting down onto the floor I run my hand up his shorts massaging him. He tosses his head back closing his eyes he bites down on his bottom lip. "What you want me doin' this instead?" I ask seductively.

He grabs my hand stopping me. "No I'd rather take you out tonight."

I place my other hand ontop of his holding it as I remove my hand from his shorts. A small laugh leaving my lips. "Shouldn't we be staying inside?"

"Com'on," Dame says amusement in his tone. "Don't nobody know us in London." He says in a duh tone.

A smile forms on my face as I grab his hand pulling him up. "Fine take me out then."

• • • •

I sat ontop of the counter with my feet swinging watching Damai lay across the chair with his arm hung out and the woman who was giving him his tattoo going over his wrist doing his shading.

"So y'all new here?" She accented voice asks curiously.

She's a pretty girl. She looks to be around our age with shirt cut hair in waves, a full sleeve of tats on each arm and a slim petite body.

Dame glances over at me and I speak for us. "I guess you could say that." I reply politely.

She laughs. "Don't stress giving me a straight answer. I always remember a face so I know you two aren't from here. Plus that accent on y'all."

"Our accent. You mean your accent?" I joke causing all three of us to laugh. It's interesting how in other place we have an accent to others and they have one to us.

She glances over at me somehow still able to keep doing his tattoo which makes me a little nervous because she better not fuck his shit up. "So how long you two been together?" After she asks that she goes back to looking down at his wrist.

Me and Dame share a look and I go to open my mouth but he's beating me to the punch. "For about twenty two years now." He says his age.

I smile at that watching as confusion fills her face. "Y'all don't seem that old." She notices.

Damai looks at her with a somewhat annoyed expression. "And you didn't seem that nosey when we walked in."

"I'm just saying. A girlfriend like that? And young? She should be living a little." She pauses on his tattoo looking over at me with somewhat flirtatious eyes.

I let out a laugh. "I don't swing that way."

"You're limiting yourself to pleasure because of the pressure sexuality in society places on us?" She throws the serious question at me.

"Noooo," I drag out standing up I walk over towards them taking Dame's hand in mine. "I just know what I like as you do too."

"And basically she likes me so haaa!" Damai childish rubs it in her face but laughing.

The tattoo artist can't help but laugh too.

I look down at Dame thinking of how in this moment if it would've been East in his position he would've probably got mad at the lady for trying to hit on me then even madder for her throwing that question at me. But Damai gave me the opportunity to speak for myself and even turned it into a joke to lighten the mood. Overall it's just this maturity about him that I've grown to like.

He places his hand on the back of my thigh under my ass rubbing it calming me and making me feel at peace. "Better not be peaking you know it's a surprise." He mumbles while looking me in my eyes.

I roll my eyes playfully. "It better not be ass."

"A surprise for you be ass? Girl hell nah. Fuck kind of nigga you think I am?" Dame questions with amusement in his tone.

A pout forms on my lips. "I wanna see it now you know I don't like surprises." I whine.

"Here it's done." The lady says finally stepping back. "I'll be right back." She says after she wipes it down with some sort of ointment.

When she walks away Damai hesitates as he lifts his wrist into the air holding it out and showing me. "Now look." He orders.

I look down shock written on my face and excitement. "Is that....." I trail realizing that it's my name in cursive with blue ink and shading. "Baby it's so pretty!" I squeal. "But you know this shit is permanent right...like can't come off."

"Done known you since you came out the womb. Whether we together or not you always gone be somebody important. I gotchu forever." He promises me leaning over he kisses me on the lips.

I realize in this moment how down for me he really is and how strong his feelings really are. I mean this nigga has got to be crazy to do something so irrational and quick. We just got back around eachother. But I have to admit the things I'm feeling let me know I do want to be around him for a long time. And hopefully this time will be different.

And it would be.