Tattered Love (Needle's Kiss)

back.
     

     
    “Stop laughing, get over here and help, or get lost!” I grumbled at Trip who was rolling around on the grass laughing. I’d spent hours sweating my ass off and listening to him giving me shit, but if this worked, it would be worth it.
    “Sorry, dude, you’re on your own,” he said through his burst of laughter.
    “Sorry-assed spoiled little shit. One day, I swear to God, one day you’re gonna have to do something like this after you piss your woman off,” I muttered, stopping to take a long pull of my cold beer.
    “Not likely, bud. Don’t need a woman and don’t wanna keep one if this is any indication of what you gotta go through for a piece of tail,” he said, nodding toward the large area I was working on.
    “Shut up and pass me that box, moron. Besides, you know she’s worth it, and wasn’t it you who told me to pull my head outta my ass and fix my shit?”
    Dropping the box at my feet, he smirked. “I said fix your shit, not hand in your man card!”
    “My man card’s still in my pants, now help me out before I beat your ass,” I answered, throwing a pair of gloves at his chest.
    “In your pants is the only place it’ll be staying until she forgives your stupid ass too,” he chuckled.
    “So what’s the big plan? I can’t see Scar taking you back this quickly.”
    “Cheese,” I said smiling at the plan I’d come up with after Scarlett left for work this morning.
    “Cheese? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think a dairy product is gonna help you.” He looked confused.
    “Tacky cheesy displays. I’m gonna annoy her into taking me back.” A triumphant smile broke across my face thinking of all the ways to annoy Scar back into my arms.
    “This could go bad, real bad. I’ll help, but I’m staying clear outta Scar’s way. I don’t feel the need to get punched in the junk.” He had a point there.
    “You help me out, and I’ll do all I can to save your sad excuse for equipment, dude,” I said, smirking at him.
    With the two of us hard at work, we managed to get my first plan done in no time. Standing back admiring our handiwork, Trip clapped me on the back and smiled. “Looks like it’s go time. I’m out.” I looked up to see Scarlett pulling into the drive.
    Damn, I hope this works.
    Standing back, I waited until Scarlett walked over to the edge of my masterpiece. Leaning in, I kissed her forehead as she looked around in what I could only guess was shock.
    “What the hell is that?” she asked. I wasn’t quite sure how to gauge her reaction.
    “Flowers,” I simply answered, my eyes flicking from the front yard to her face and back again.
    “I see that, but why did you rip up half my front lawn to plant hundreds of flowers in the shape of a heart?” She was trying hard to look annoyed, but I could see the edges of her mouth tipping up.
    “Well, because I wanted to get you flowers. This way everyone can see how much I love you,” I answered matter-of-factly.
    “You went out and spent a fortune on God knows how many pots of flowers, dug up half my front lawn, and planted them in a heart shape bigger than me? Because you love me and you want everyone to know?” she summarized, looking slightly annoyed. Damn, she was cute when she pulled the cranky face.
    “Yep, I gotta get cleaned up. I’ll be over a bit later, babe.” Kissing her on the cheek, I took off toward mine and Trip’s, leaving Scarlett staring after me.
    Just before I made it to the other side of the road, she yelled out, “You won’t be coming over, Mace, the door will be locked!”
    I waved over my shoulder smiling at Trip sitting in the front window watching us with a huge smile on his own face, and yelled back, “Sure I will. We’ve got a movie to watch!”

 

     
    “Honey, I’m home!” Uh, excuse me? Mace walked further into the house, threw a few DVDs on to the coffee table and made for the kitchen with a stack of pizzas in his hand and a grocery bag dangling from his fingers.
    “You’re not home. You don’t live here, and how did you even get in?”
    “I have a key,” he smirked, dropping the pizzas down and dumping the contents of the bag he was holding onto the kitchen bench.
    “Excuse me?” That’s it. That was all I had. Where the hell did he get off? How did he even have a key, and wait, why all the food? “Why do you have so much food? There’s enough junk here to feed an army.” The bench was covered with more sugary crap and junk than anyone