“Did I fucking hurt you?”
I try to pull back but he slides my sleeve up and see’s the bandage on my wrist. I’d been able to hide it with sweaters and long sleeves the last two days.
“What the hell happened?” He looks at me with worry.
“I wanted to surprise you tonight. It’s sort of your Christmas present.”
“My Christmas present?”
I gently pull the bandaging off and show him the tattoo I got the other morning. I watch his face for any kind of expression, but it’s blank.
“I couldn’t really think of anything else and I wanted something to match yours. So I got the guy to–”
“Aries. You got him to ink my sign on you.”
I nod my head wondering if he’s mad. This wasn’t exactly the reaction I hoped for.
His eyes twinkle looking at me. Gently, avoiding my wrist, he moves me under him and kisses me. We’re about to get carried away when my mom calls for us.
I roll off the bed, grab my robe and go to the bathroom. When I come out, he is sitting with his head in his hands.
“Dec, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, not a fucking thing.”
“Why do you look so sad?”
“I’m not sad, I’m thanking God. You are the best things to ever happen to me. I can’t believe you got a tattoo that represents me.”
I don’t have anything to say, and my mom calls us again to come down. Declan gets up and kisses me quickly, before disappearing into the bathroom.
I meet my mom and Robbie in the kitchen and pour coffee. My dad is on the covered patio reading the paper.
“Merry Christmas!” I tell everyone. Robbie gives me a chin lift and my mom kisses my head.
Declan comes in and we go to the living room. Half an hour later the room looks like a bomb went off as we examine each other’s gifts. Robbie and I went in together on a garden fountain for my mom. It was being delivered next week, so I wrapped a picture of it. She loved it. My dad was heavily involved in the new smartphone we bought. Robbie and I agreed his blackberry was outdated. I pack up my and Declan’s gifts, which take two large gift bags.
When we have the living room cleaned up, Declan and I get ready to go to David’s for the rest of the day. Before we leave, Robbie corners me and grabs my arm.
“I knew I saw something there earlier, but didn’t want to let Mom and Dad know. When’d you get the tatt?”
“Few days ago. It’s Declan’s sign.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s nice.”
“You’re not going to yell at me?”
“Nope. For the same reason, you’re not going to yell at me.”
“What’d you do?”
“I bought a bike. Haven’t told Mom and Dad yet, but I’m picking it up next week.”
“Really? That’s so cool.”
“Yep, and it’s badass.”
We talk for a few minutes about the bike, and he promises to bring it by when he picks it up. I remind him of the Sayge show on New Year’s Eve and then meet Declan in th