Path to Deciduous (Sequel to Road to Evergreen) | #Wattys2018

t w e n t y - s i x

Lesley's P.O.V

I count the times the needle pinched my skin for the past minutes. Fife-hundred and ninety three. 

Adam is holding my hand on the other side and I use his piercing green eyes as my distraction. Few more months and it would be a year since I stared into his eyes. I grin to that.

"I thought you will whine or something." He frowns. "I charged my phone for nothing."

I pull my tongue out at him. "I'm braver than you think."

He smiles. "I know."

"All done," the tattoo artist, Ridge, tells me as he places the needle aside. I watch as he wipes it with alcohol and places a bandage above.

"Thank you." I tell him and then turn to Adam.  "You're up." I get out of the chair.

"You're waiting outside." He orders. I pout. "That's not fair."

"You're not winning this argument this time." He challenges.

A smug stretches on my face as I trace my fingers slowly across his jaw to his shoulder. "I always win, darling." I teasingly say. "Isn't that right, Ridge?"

"She's winning." Ridge points out and I can't help but laugh. Adam arches an eyebrow in return as he sighs in defeat. I'm ordered to stand by the door as he tells Ridge of what he wants. And then later, I'm standing above Adam, spelling out the words tattooed on the same place I did my tattoo on, the inside of my index finger.

"Ridge, aren't you going to tell me what it will spell out?" I pull a puppy dog face on.

"Sorry, sweetie. Reindl is strict with his instructions."

I sigh and meet his eyes. He has a smirk stretched on his face as he just stares at me. "What?" I feel my cheeks redden.

"Nothing." He's still smiling as he stares as if he can't believe I'm his. I can't believe he's mine. I study him for the hundredth time from the faint scar along his nose to his fried cheeks from the beach earlier. After a minute of locking our gaze with one another, Ridge interrupts us reminding that he's done. Before I can even glance at it, it's already covered up.

"That's not fair." I say, feeling betrayed. Adam gets up, pays Ridge and plants a kiss on my cheek. "Don't worry. I'll show you in the car."

Minutes later, I climb into his car as I wait for him to join me.

"Show me how it turned out," he tells me as he slides in. I peal the bandage off to reveal it. It's a paintbrush carved on my the inside of my index finger and the brush is replaced with a fire heart.

"Are you going to tell me what it means? Don't tell me you tricked me to believing that it has meaning when it didn't?"

I shake my head. "It's about Harry." I bring my finger to show him what I mean. "The paintbrush is for him being an aspiring artist and the fire heart symbolizes the actual fire that happened."

He just blinks, as if taken off guard of what I said. "That's beautiful, Lesley."

I smile. "Now show me yours." I eagerly say.

He turns the ignition off as he holds back a laugh. "At home."

I cross my arms and pout. "You're such a jerk."

"Hey," he says defensively. "I said I will show you, just didn't specify when."

I ignore him and stare out of the window. When he passes the intersection to the apartment, I turn to him. "You just missed it."