Inevitable - CB (EDITING)

15. Tattoos

"How I'd love, love, love to dance with my father again.."

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Specs of purple, yellow and pink cascade across the sky as they approach the port where Fresno had agreed to meet them. It was getting late and the sun was starting to retreat for the day leaving them with the darkness of night. Reign sticks her head out of the window with her eyes squeezed shut as she contemplated how this would all turn out. She couldn't stop the build up of guilt that filled up her heart every time she thought of who she was going to be leaving Devon with. It was like putting him in the lion's cage and trusting the lions to not eat him up. It was a trap but it was the only choice she had. She had no family left, leaving him with Melissa would only put her in danger; her friend had already lost enough and having him come with her would not be safe. She didn't trust the people around her and was still to figure out their true intentions; if they weren't willing to save him, they definitely wouldn't be willing to protect him and he couldn't be around that. The only place he would truly be safe would be with the most dangerous man she knew, it was such a juxtaposition but it was the only option the girl had.

"I'm sorry." Hilton says out of the blue, causing her to turn towards him, her face full of confusion. "I never wanted you to get caught up in all this."

She couldn't blame him for this, Reign felt like she was cursed. No matter what she did or where she went; she couldn't escape what she now saw as her fate. Fresno had once told his two girls that once they started out in that life, it would always be a part of them, like a tattoo that was non-removable. It was engraved in them and would therefore always play a part in their lives even after they moved on, no matter how much they hated it. Reign had never taken his words seriously until this exact moment.

"You don't have to blame yourself." She says with a shrug.

"Nah. I knew I should have left you alone before it got too deep. When we first met, I thought you were just some girl that I'd get to play around with but you weren't like that. You gave me a challenge and I was drawn to that. When I started thinking about you and caring about you, I should have stayed away because nothing good comes from falling for a Sanders boy but I was selfish and I grew attached to you." Not once does Hilton turn to look at her as he speaks, he was angry at himself for having these feelings that he had never truly experienced before and seeing those beautiful eyes of hers would only make it worse.

Reign was caught off guard by his words. She looks behind her to see Devon fast asleep and a small smile creeps on her face as she strokes his hair before turning back to look at Hilton. He was so different to the person she had thought he was all those months ago when they first met; she wouldn't have changed anything for the world. "Maybe I didn't want you to leave me alone either. It might be some bull right now but we got this. If I could go back, I wouldn't change a thing."

"Damn Ray you've got to stop being so optimistic all the time. You think I don't see how much it hurts you to have to leave Devon behind for something you know nothing about?" They stop at a red light causing Reign to grab his face and make him look at her; the pain was evident in his eyes. She could tell he really cared and that scared her. What had they gotten themselves into?

"We finish this and I'll get back to Devon in no time. I'm fine. I already got him to worry about, don't make me have to worry about your big ass too." She says with a cheesy smile causing a smile to mirror onto Hilton' face. He kisses her forehead deeply and as he's about to pull away to start driving again, she grabs his face pulling him closer causing his hands to slowly leave the steering wheel and clutch onto her. In that moment, they didn't care if they'd be late to the meeting point. The whole road was deserted; they were the only car on the whole street.