Page 68 of Obnoxious Bad Boy

I’m so happy to hear that, because I worried how the coming out would impact him and his business. “Are a lot of the appointments hot guys?” I tease.

Vex laughs, shrugging. “Don’t know if they’re hot, but yeah, a significant uptick in guys. Not that it matters,” he reassures me and zips his jacket all the way up.

“I should hope so. And while you’re at it… do you think you could squeeze me in for an appointment?”

Vex cocks his head. “Oh. I thought you decided you don’t want the tattoo after all.”

I entwine our fingers with a sigh. “No. I love your design so much. But I was afraid of getting it. That it would forever remind me of you once you dump me. I’m not scared of that anymore. I trust you.”

Vex bites his lips, and his eyes flash with a darkness that goes straight to my balls. “You have no idea how much I want to leave my mark on your skin. It’s such a perfect canvas.”

I’m so warm inside even the snow settling on my hair doesn’t matter. “And since we talked about going big or going home, I was thinking of getting it on my back. Start with the nape, and then maybe expand the design.”

He shivers before nodding at me. “I’ll make it my best work, baby boy. This is only the beginning for us,” he says, squeezing my hand.

“I’m so excited about this tattoo. It’s like I’m finally getting to be who I want to be.”

I hear voices in the background, and while hushed, they’re so familiar my blood freezes, and I meet Vex’s gaze. “They’re here,” I say before glancing toward the main parking lot in front of the building.

Vex frowns, ignorant to my peril until he too spots the two figures hurrying our way down the path cutting through the vast lawn where students often rest in warmer months.

Mom’s heels keep getting stuck in the mud, which would have been funny if I wasn’t petrified. They must have both left work early to come here, which means they consider this situation an emergency.

“My parents,” I whisper, getting up on wobbly legs.

Vex gets up alongside me and finds my hand, holding it in a reassuring grip as the two storm clouds approach, heading straight for us. I’m surprised they didn’t bother to announce themselves beforehand, but they must have looked up my schedule and come straight here in case I wanted to avoid them.

Dad eyes Vex with a stern expression, and I can’t even muster a smile, because my facial muscles feel like wood.

Mom speaks first. “What is this?” she asks sharply. “What did we say to you?”

Dad shakes his head, staring down Vex. “If you think you’re going to sponge off Aaron, then you have another thing coming, because he’s not getting his hands on his trust fund.”

My face flushes. “How dare you talk to my boyfriend like that? He did nothing to you.”

Vex is surprisingly calm despite the accusations thrown in his face. “My feelings for Aaron are honest. I understand you might be surprised, but maybe we could talk about it over coffee?"

Mom inhales, crossing her arms as she stares at him. “I’m sorry, but you are not a part of this conversation. We’d like to speak to our son in private.”

I squeeze Vex’s hand in panic. “He most definitely is. His name is Victor, and like it or not, he’s part of my life now.” I take a deep breath, because my lungs feel like they’re about to collapse. “And I don’t want to go to law school.”

Dad exhales and pinches the base of his nose. “What is this rebellious phase? Aren’t you too old for it now?”

My mouth dries, but Vex’s grip on my sweaty hand remains a steady sign of his support. “I never wanted to become a lawyer. I tried to tell you, and you two just refused to listen.”

“So what are you going to do with your life? With an undergraduate degree in literature at that?” Mom taunts me.

“Anything I want to. I’ll come up with something. I’m writing a novel, and people like my calligraphy.”

She grips her hair as if I was really that unreasonable. “It’s like you’re setting yourself up for failure. Don’t you want to be happy?”

“I do! And that’s why I don’t want to be a lawyer!” I choke out in frustration.

Dad shakes his head. “You’ll change your tune when your money dries up. Do you even know how much your dorm costs? Or your car insurance? You live in fantasy land, Aaron!”

Mom takes a deep breath. “I suppose you two aren’t yet getting married, but when it comes to your education, you are making a mistake that might affect you permanently. You can still enjoy hobbies like writing and calligraphy, but you do need a job, because we will not be paying for your lifestyle forever.”

It’s a shame I feel like it’s just me against the two of them, but at the end of the day, I’m glad Vex is not trying to add his two cents to this particular discussion, because it would have changed nothing. My parents would only hate him more.