Carlito waved to her as she left, already texting his girlfriend, which was his favorite pastime when he wasn’t working.
Vida crossed the street in front of the tattoo shop, went in front of the coffee shop and then kept walking. Around the corner, she called a taxi. Vida waited anxiously for five minutes for it to arrive. Finally, the cab pulled up and Vida climbed in, giving Colton’s address.
It took another agonizing ten minutes for the cab to get to Colton’s apartment. Carlito hadn’t even noticed when she had picked up Colton’s keys. He was going to be furious when he realized she had the bike and apartment keys. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out where she was headed, but she planned to call him as soon as possible and beg him not to follow.
Thankfully, all her clothes were clean. She shoved everything into the small case she had. Picking up her backpack, she was in the bedroom when she heard the front door open. Freezing in place by the bed, she watched the bedroom door.
Colton entered the bedroom, furious. Vida knew she was busted trying to leave town without him and he was mad as hell at her.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he yelled at her.
He walked towards her, stopping by the bed when he saw her clothes packed in the case. Angrily, he picked the suitcase up and threw it across the room. The backpack was next, and she could tell from his face it was going to meet the same fate as her suitcase.
“Don’t you dare throw that backpack. It has my computer that I had to save for three semester’s to buy used.”
Colton gently tossed the backpack onto the floor by the bed.
Vida couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her. Colton might have saved her computer, but he was still furious with her. Picking her up, he tossed her onto the mattress, coming down on top of her before she could scramble off.
“I can’t let you violate your parole, Colton. Let me handle it, please. It’s my problem, not yours. You got dragged into this whole mess because of King.”
“Baby, calm down. We’re going back to my original plan. After I see my parole officer, he won’t expect me for another week. We’ll be back by then.”
“What if you get pulled over by the police or there’s trouble and they run your license? Anything could go wrong. I won’t take that chance.”
“You don’t have a choice.” Colton ignored her arguing.
“You’ll hate me if you get caught,” Vida protested.
“I couldn’t hate you, Vida. You’re fierce in your loyalty to Sawyer, and you’ve worked hard for your degree to get what you want out of life. I understand that both are important to you. I’m not going to let you leave to find Sawyer on your own. When we find Sawyer then we’ll decide what’s next, but whatever it is, it doesn’t mean I’m going to let you leave without me.”
“I don’t want to leave you, either. I even applied for jobs in Queen City and I’ve wanted to leave all my life. But I want to stay because of you.”
“I can start a tattoo shop anywhere, Vida. I don’t even have to tattoo. I have plenty of money saved up; I’ve lived real tight the last few years,” he said with a twisted smile. “We can go anywhere you want, for as long as you want. The only thing I need is you, nothing else matters.”
“I don’t mind Queen City so much anymore, and all your friends are here. Sawyer is my only friend and the fun of leaving was to have that experience with her.” Vida couldn’t keep the sadness out of her voice.
“Were going to get her back, I promise.” Vida pulled him to her, kissing him for promising something he had no control over.
“Did you mean what you said in the shop this morning?” he asked, staring into her eyes.
“No,” Vida lied, lowering her eyes so he couldn’t see the answer she wasn’t able to hide.
“Baby…”
“Yes, I meant it.” Vida buried her face in his shoulder, embarrassed.
“I love you, too. I did from the moment I saw you on stage. I thought I had died and gone to Heaven.”
Vida hit at his shoulder. Well aware that the first time he had seen her, she was stripping.
“The first time you saw me I was naked.”
“Yes, you were. I saw…” Colton kissed her as his hands went under her t-shirt, pushing it up over her breasts. Unsnapping her bra, he sucked a nipple into his mouth, pressing it hard between his lips until Vida’s hand went to his long hair and she began twisting underneath him. Switching to the other breast he unexpectedly used his piercing to rub the tip. It hardened into a perfect pink bud. “…these pretty pink nipples.”