Safe to love you (Ink Series - Spin Off Book 2)

by Jude Ouvrard

  The shoot is being done in downtown Seattle, so I don't need to travel very far. I prepare my cameras and lenses while the models stroll around half naked. I’m glad I didn't insist on bringing Bee with me, it would've been awkward and very uncomfortable for her. I'm used to this type of photo shoot, but I don't think she’s ready to deal with it just yet. Not when our relationship is so new. I’m surrounded by lots of naked breasts, and other women wearing very tiny bikinis. Their bodies have been slathered in oil to bring out the colors of the tattoos on their skin. This shoot is all about the tats, so minimal clothing is appropriate for the day.

  Kelly’s here, make-up on and her body oiled up, in preparation for the shoot. I have to admit, she has some amazing tattoos. I kind of wish I could ink Bee; I would love to be the one to mark her creamy skin, but it would be terribly distracting. It would mean the world to me and it would be such an honor. We would have to start with something small. A bee, maybe? I don't know. I've been thinking about asking her if she would like one, but for some reason, I'm hesitant to bring up the subject.

  Joy-Anna is working with the models. There are twelve girls altogether; it’s going to be a busy day. We’re already behind schedule and I haven’t even taken a shot yet. The director was late arriving, and the setup wasn't ready. We’ll have to work extra hard to catch up on lost time.

  I'm about to start working with the first model. She’s completely naked, I'm a hundred percent sure that she has implants, because her breasts can't possibly be that big naturally. Good morning, Presley! Let’s get to work. God knows I like tattoos, but this is a bit much, even for me. I wouldn't have gone that far with inking her. I don't think she has a single square inch of virgin skin visible, and given that I can see every inch of skin, that’s saying a lot. Joy-Anna is standing beside me, and Kelly is not too far from us . She’s keeping her distance for now, but I’m aware she’s been eyeing me for a while. I'm simply not interested in talking to her. I'll take her photos, that’s what I’m here for.

  ''Abbie just sent me a text message,” Joy-Anna announces. “She said to tell you she might drop off some lunch for you.'' Joy-Anna and Abbie are constantly in touch with one another and becoming close friends.

  I rub my fingers against my temples. ''I'm not sure that’s such a good idea, Joy. It might be a little too much for her, don't you think?''

  Joy-Anne rolls her eyes. ''Presley, they’re all covered in tattoos, it's not like you can see anything.'' God, she's so absurd sometimes. Whether they’re covered in tattoos or not is beside the point – they’re semi-naked or completely naked – and that’s what I’m worried about.

  ''Whatever, Joy...''

  Time flies. Joy-Anna is doing some touch up work on some of the models make-up. Kelly's standing nearby, drinking an orange juice. She looks tired, and she’s acting weird. I wonder if she’s drunk. It wouldn't surprise me. She’s probably added vodka to the orange juice. Typical Kelly.

  Lunch break's approaching, and I'm anxious about seeing Abbie. While I can't wait to see her, I’m apprehensive because the set isn’t like the one she saw in New York. This one's definitely hotter. I don't give a damn about the girls, but I know the nudity could offend some people. It’s just another day at work for me – I used to tattoo these girls, and now I'm taking their photographs. That’s all it is for me, but I know Joshua would kill to be here today.

  By the time Joy-Anna has finished the touch ups, the girls are requesting more water. Joy-Anna offers to go out and get some more water bottles for the girls. She normally doesn't do these little errands, but I guess she wants to make the girls happy for once. When she’s working, she’s fierce, and I suggest people don’t mess with her. She doesn't care if you don't like the way she does your makeup. She knows what she’s doing, and you don't. That's basically how she thinks… at work, anyway. She's talented, I’ll give her that.

  Kelly's standing right beside me. I’m aware that she’s staring at me, and it's making me very uncomfortable. I don't want to cause a scene while we’re working. She's definitely drinking vodka with the orange juice. I can smell it on her breath. She’s so irresponsible. I don't have to try to ruin her career, she’ll manage to do it all by herself. Drunk on the set… if the director finds out, she’s out on her ass, and it won't be helpful for her future opportunities.

  ''Drinking on the job, Kelly?'' I sigh. “Do you think that’s necessary?''

  ''I had to do something to calm down. I was too nervous this morning, being around you.''

  ''Cut the crap, Kelly. I’ve seen your body and your tattoos before. I don't care. They do nothing for me.''

  The tension between us is heavy in the air. I can’t believe I'm feeling this way around Kelly. Normally, I feel this way with my Abbie. Kelly leans her head against my shoulder and wraps her arms around my waist.

  I keep my voice down, but I'm fuming. I don't want her to touch me, it repulses me. ''Kelly, what the hell are you doing right now?'' I mutter angrily.

  Kelly breathes in against my chest, inhaling my scent. ''I want you, Presley. It's that simple. Just like the old days,'' she whispers against my ear, and kisses my cheek.

  I have to get rid of her. When she kisses my neck, I’ve had enough. I pull myself out of her arms and head towards the director. ''I’m sorry, Mr. Fitzgerald. May I talk to you in private?''

  ''Sure, but please, call me Justin.'' He gestures towards the corner of the set and I follow him to the relative privacy.

  ''I don't normally do this, but I’ve noticed that Kelly Michaels has been drinking on set all day. She’s drunk as we speak, and her behaviour’s unacceptable.''

  Justin frowns, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck. ''I'm sorry you’ve had to deal with her. I’ll take care of it.''

  ''Thank you.'' Returning to my camera equipment, I notice there’s a paper bag next to one of the cases, and there’s a note written on a napkin. Fuck.

  Presley,

  Clearly you’re preoccupied, so I’ll catch up with you in a couple of days. I'm way behind with my schedule at work. I’ll call you later. Goodbye. Abbie.

  Shit. My heart's sinking in my chest. Goodbye? I hate goodbyes.

  I’m certain she saw Kelly hanging all over me. She saw the kisses. The tension I felt minutes ago was because Abbie was here; it had nothing to do with Kelly. Abbie was here! She's probably upset and I'm stuck in the middle of a shoot. I can't run after her, or call her. Damn it. My hands are shaking with anger. I need to regain control of my emotions and finish the shoot. The sooner I can leave, the faster I’ll be able to explain what happened to Abbie. I decide I could take a minute and text her quickly.

  Presley: Abbie, I know what you saw, and I'm so sorry, but it’s not what you think. Kelly just got kicked off the set for being drunk. I love you, only you.

  I put the phone back in my pocket and get back to work.

  ''Presley? Why the hell was Abbie crying outside?'' Joy-Anna arrives on the set. ''She wouldn't tell me what’s going on, said she was too humiliated.''

  ''She brought me some lunch and at that precise moment, Kelly was hanging all over me. She's drunk, Joy, on the set. She kissed me.''

  Joy throws her hands up in the air in frustration. ''Why the hell didn't you push her away?''

  ''I’ve been pushing her away, and she doesn't listen to a word I say. I told the director that she's been drinking on set and he kicked her out.'' This is bad; in fact, it’s a disaster. ''Abbie left me a note. She's upset, Joy. Fuck... I sent her a text because that’s the only thing I can do right now, until I can get away from work.''

  Joy-Anna reads the note and I can see it on her face – she's sincerely sorry for me and Abbie.

  ''Presley, she’s perfect for you. You can't let her go.'' A single tear appears on the corner of Joy's eye.

  ''If she doesn't want me to reach her... it's going to kill me. Kill me. I've spent almost every day with her since we met. I can't do this without her.'' I can't.

  Joy-Anna puts a ha
nd on my shoulder. ''Calm down, Presley. Give her some time to think things through. Try and call her tomorrow, when we’re done with the shoot.'' She hugs me tightly. ''Now we’ve got to get back to work, okay?''

  ''Yeah,'' I mutter.

  I check my phone every few minutes, to see if I have a new message. I don't. Abbie loves me, that's what I need to focus on for now. I can hear her voice in my head, telling me she loves me, and I wish I could say it to her, but I don't think she wants to talk to me right now.

  I want to bang my head against the wall. I'm losing it big time and I take a few minutes to try and relax. I have to give her some time.

  Chapter THIRTEEN

  Abbie

  WHAT THE FUCK was that? Was it a nightmare? Presley didn't kiss Kelly back; he didn't even move when she had her arms wrapped around him.

  I'm in my car, driving home. I desperately need to think, but I'm so confused right now. I know Presley loves me; he keeps telling me he does. But why didn't he push her away immediately? I'm so hurt and humiliated by his behaviour. I turn off my phone before the Williams family begin with the constant interrogation. I know Joy-Anna will call when she discovers what happened, and Presley will probably want to explain himself too. I can't deal with any of them right now.

  I need to think but I also need to catch up with some work. I have over 1200 pages to read, and I only have four days in which to read them, before I have to give a full report. It’s a lot of work, but it’s exactly what I need right now.

  I sit on the bed and start reading. Luckily, the story's interesting, and I'm completely absorbed in the main character. A sexy and romantic singer in a rock band, I love it.

  My stomach's growling. I haven't eaten since yesterday when I had dinner with Presley. It was our second ‘official’ date. He took me to one of Joshua’s restaurants and the staff treated us like royalty. We had so much fun. Presley was smiling all night and the food was excellent. I remember thinking I could get used to this life with him.

  We held hands throughout the meal and he kept staring at me as if I was a precious diamond. I was wearing one of his sister's dresses again, and it suited me very well. I had put some make-up on and my hair was up. Presley was wearing a dark grey suit with a black V-neck t-shirt underneath the jacket. He looked hot. I was wearing the necklace he’d bought me, I’ve worn it all the time since I got it. He gave me a bouquet of pink roses and a pair of black pearl earrings as we left for dinner.

  I was the happiest girl in the world last night. We drank some wine; one of the best I’ve ever tasted. We shared our dessert; a New York style cheesecake. We talked a lot and everything between us was perfect. He spent the night at my place, and it was simply one of the best nights of my existence.

  That's why I'm so surprised by what happened earlier today. After the night we shared, I don't understand why he didn't push Kelly away immediately. Even if I’m trying hard to, I just don't understand. I have images of Kelly kissing Presley’s neck permanently stuck in my head. It’s driving me crazy. She saw me watching them. She did it deliberately. I hate her so much.

  I’ve read over four hundred pages today. It's 8pm already, and my cell phone is still turned off. Maybe I should turn it on and see if I have any messages. As soon as I do, I see numerous alerts for new text and voice messages. I read Presley’s messages, and my vision gets blurry. I don’t want to cry. The voice message is from Joy.

  Bee, please don’t tell Presley that I called, he’ll be annoyed at me for interfering, but I can’t help myself. Kelly was drunk today and she wanted to cause trouble. She’s a pain in the ass, Abbie. Presley got her kicked off the set, he’s so sick and tired of her. It didn't mean anything. He loves you. I mean it, he seriously loves you. We all do. Just think about it, okay?

  I love Joy, she's a good friend. I decide to quit working and watch some TV. I never usually watch TV. There’s nothing interesting on it anyway, not even on the movie channel. I end up falling asleep, only to wake up to the sound of the home phone ringing. It’s a rare occurrence. I don't share the number with many people. Mom’s name is showing on the display and I frown. Why would she call me now? I haven’t spoken to her in years.

  I pick up the receiver. ''Mom?''

  ''No... Abbie, it's Dwayne.'' I can hear it in his voice – something is wrong. It sounds as if he’s been crying.

  ''Dwayne, what’s wrong? Where's Erin?'' I'm immediately worried. Something is wrong.

  ''She's... ah... well, she’s sick, Abbie. She’s in the hospital.''

  ''What do you mean she’s sick?'' I’m certain he isn’t talking about the flu or a common cold.

  He takes a deep breath. ''She has breast cancer.'' His voice breaks.

  “No… no...'' I feel like screaming but I can’t. I lost my dad to cancer and now my mom has it, too? My lips tremble and I try to hold myself together.

  ''She wants to see you, Abbie. You should get here, as quickly as you can.''

  ''Why didn't she call me before now?''

  ''She just found out, Abbie. She’ll explain it to you when you get here.''

  I'm so angry. My heart is hurting and adrenaline starts to take over. I haven't heard from my mother in years and now, she finally gets in touch and I discover she’s seriously ill. ''I'm on my way. Where is she, which hospital?'' I ask.

  ''Grand Strand Regional Medical Centre, in Myrtle Beach. Do you need any money or help to get here?''

  I lean against the wall, struggling to come to terms with what I’m hearing. ''Don’t worry about it, Dwayne, I’ll see you soon.''

  I'm crying. I’m in so lost right now. I haven't spoken to my mom in a very long time and, suddenly, it feels so wrong. I'm going to lose her, too. I know how it happens, the stages she’ll suffer through, the pain. I can't begin to think straight. I have too many emotions rushing through my heart and mind. All I do know is that I have to leave, right now.

  I'm sad.

  I'm angry.

  I'm regretful.

  I gather some clothes together and shove everything inside a backpack. I grab my toothbrush and see Presley’s, still sitting in the rack. A teardrop breaks free only to end up on my lip . My eyes are burning and my heart aches. I don't have time to call him or fix our problems. I’ll call him tomorrow. For now, I just need to get out of here, and grab a cab to the airport. I dry my tears with a tissue and try to regain some control over my emotions. In a last minute thought, I grab the pictures from New York because I know I'll miss him.

  Once I’m in the cab, I think about Cameron. He was in South Carolina last I heard, unless he's already moved to Washington. I decide to call him. He knows Mom, and he knows how things were between us.

  He answers after a couple of rings. ''Abbie?''

  ''Cameron, are you still in South Carolina?''

  ''Yeah. I’m sorry I didn't call before now. I had to stay for two more weeks. I was going to call when I got up to Washington.''

  ''I’m on my way to Myrtle Beach. It's my mom, Cam.'' I'm trying to speak clearly, but the sobbing doesn't help and the taxi driver’s looking at me as if I'm a freak.

  I hear the concern in his voice. ''Your mom? What's wrong?''

  I'm not able to answer… I'm sobbing too much.

  ''Do you know what time your plane lands?'' Cam asks

  ''No...'' I try to calm myself. ''I’ll text you when I find out.''

  ''I'm about two and a half hours away from Myrtle Beach. I’ll meet you at the airport.''

  ''Thank you, Cam.'' I'm so grateful that he still wants to talk to me, especially after the way I behaved towards him when I was with Dean. It shows how much our friendship matters. He cares about me.

  ''It’s okay, Abbie. I'm here for you, whatever you need.'' His voice is calm, and it makes me feel better. I don’t need to explain anything to him, because he knew Mom and our history.

  Cameron

  Abbie’s coming to South Carolina. I know she’s coming here under sad circumstances, but I’ll get to spend some time wi
th her. I have to admit, I'm selfish when it comes to Abbie. I need to tell my boss that I'm leaving work early. I only have two days left before I leave, anyway, so it isn’t a big deal.

  This is family, and it’s an emergency. I have to hurry and drive up to meet her there. It doesn’t take long to pack my things; I only need to bring clothes. That’s all I own in South Carolina. Well, that and my baby – my Ninja. I hope Abbie won't mind sitting behind me on the bike. Knowing Abbie, she’ll arrive with two t-shirts and a pair of shorts in her luggage, so it shouldn’t be a problem to give her a ride. She never packs heavy.

  Knowing that she won't be here for at least six or seven hours, I decide to sleep while I can, and leave early in the morning.

  Beep Beep Beep

  I wake up at 2am, to the sound of my cell phone. Abbie’s sent me a text.

  Abbie: Should be at the airport around 9am. Meet you there.

  I can't help but smile. I know I only get to be her friend, but whatever. I’m going to be there to support her.

  Cameron: I’ll be the guy in black.

  Abbie: Cam, you’re an idiot.

  This is the Abbie I know. I’ve missed her. It’s going to be an interesting week. It will probably be sad, rough and complicated. She’s with that guy now... Presley, I think was his name. She’s not going to come back to me; I have to keep that in mind. I’ll be her friend, just like I used to be. I’ve called my dad to let him know what’s happening with Abbie. He’s never gotten over Ryan’s death. They were like brothers and he lost a part of himself when Ryan died. Dad was in the cold hospital room with Dean and Abbie when Ryan passed.

  Shit, I feel so bad for Abbie. It’s difficult when you lose a parent. By the sound of it, soon both of her parents will be gone, and that’s a terrible thing for anyone to deal with. She’s so young… and she doesn't have any siblings. She’ll need support, and I’m determined to be there for her.