"Do what?"

"Play off what I say to you as if it's a bunch of lies? I'm a very honest person Keela. If I say I like you, then I fucking like you!"

I jumped with fright and took a step back as my eyes filled with tears. "Why are you shoutin' at me?"

"Because I don't like that you think I'm playing you. I'm not, I'd tell you if I was."

I forced my tears not to fall as I narrowed my eyes. "You aren't playing me? Did you or did you not tell me that while you were here it wasn't for romance, but only for you to fuck me?"

Alec set his jaw and glared down at me. "I did say that, but that was before I knew you."

"You don't know me Alec, you've been in my life a few fuckin' days."

"Is a few days not enough to know someone? I already know you kitten. You're moody in the mornings, afternoons and sometimes in the evenings. You wet your toothbrush after you apply the paste, which is weird by the way. You like One Direction way too much for a grown woman, their song "Little Things" is your favourite. I know that because you have played it more than any of their other songs. You want to be really skinny but love food too much to fully stick to the diet you're on. Coronation Street, and Eastenders, are your favourite soap operas, I know that because you set your Sky box to record all the episodes that you will miss while you're here. You love Storm like a mother loves her child, and really hate when Aideen calls him names. You also love Aideen like a sister and cherish her friendship. I've studied you Keela, I know you."

I stared at Alec for a moment before I said, "Knowin' me routine doesn't mean you know me."

"I know you not just your routine. I probably don't know how many cousins you have, what your mother's maiden name is or who your first kiss was, but I do know the little things that make you who you are. You bite your fingernails when you're nervous, you talk to yourself and answer yourself when you think no one is listening, you make up your own lyrics when singing along to songs you don't know, and cry easily when people shout at you."

I blinked, still trying to hold my tears back. "I do not."

"You're also the most stubborn human on the planet."

"No, I'm not... you are," I mumbled and then sniffled.

I was going to cry.

I was actually going to cry in a tattoo parlour because Alec listed shite I didn't know he knew about me.

I was a mess, a colossal mess.

"Why are you upset?"

"Because you being very deep right now with all this 'lottle and like' talk, Can't we just talk about this some other time?"

Alec eyed me, but nodded his head. "Okay."

"Thank you."

"You and your girl finished, mon?" Ink God called out.

I flushed with embarrassment and quickly wiped my eyes with the back of my hands.

"Yeah bro, we're good," Alec said then turned and moved back over towards Ink God.

I followed silently, making sure my eyes never landed on either man, but instead roamed around the parlour. I looked over my shoulder when the door of the parlour open and in walked four girls. The oldest looked to be about twenty.

I moved away from Alec and walked towards the large sofa across the room. I wasn't really interested in listening to Alec and Ink God hammer out a design for Alec's tattoo. I sat on the chair and inwardly groaned because it was the definition of comfortable.

"Look at him."

I looked to my left and raised my eyebrows.

All four of the girl's eyes were on Alec and it was then that I realised he was still shirtless. I narrowed my eyes at the group and folded my arms across my chest.

"He is so fit," one of the girls whispered.

"Fit doesn't do him justice, he is bloody stunning," another one whispered then giggled.

I rolled my eyes.

Of course they would have to be English. I think they were from London based on their accents and that didn't make me feel better, because not only were they all really pretty, but their accents were really cool and nice to listen to.

When Alec and Ink God were done talking, Alec turned and looked for me but when he found the girls in my place, he smiled. It wasn't a suggestive smile either it was a polite smile.

"Hey ladies."

"Hey," four voices sang in unison.

Fucking bitches.

"Have you seen my girlfriend?" Alec asked.

My eyebrows jumped up to my hairline.

"Girlfriend?" the girls repeated dolefully.

Each girl looked around then and their eyes soon landed on mine, they looked at me with me envy... and I liked it.

"I'm here," I said, waving to Alec who looked over the girls and to me.

He smiled and held out his hand. "What are you doing back there? Come on, you wanted to come into the room while I get this done, right?"

I nodded my head and got up from the settee. I walked towards Alec and was surprised when the four girls separated and allowed me to walk through them.

"Me legs got tired," I said when I took his outstretched hand and interlocked it with mine.

"I'm not surprised, they probably weigh her down."

I felt my jaw drop open as I let go of Alec and spun around.

"Which one of you said that?" I snapped and took a step forward only to be lifted backwards when arms closed around me.

"Easy, kitten."

I struggled in Alec's arm as he turned and walked off into the back of the parlour with me in his arms.

"Don't tell me to take it fuckin' easy, she basically just called me fat!"

"And it was a stupid thing to say considering you aren't fat. If you were fat I wouldn't be able to carry you."

"Bullshit! You have arms the size of a tank, you can easily lift heavy things."

Alec laughed. "Okay, that's true, but I can't hold them for long periods of time and I'm perfectly fine with carrying you right now."

I grunted and gently smacked at Alec's arms and it caused him sigh and set me down on the ground like I wanted.

"Fat or not, what one of those slappers," I shouted the word 'slappers' loud so said slappers could hear me, "said was just uncalled for, and fuckin' mean. I would never call somebody names like that."

"You called me names when you first met me."

I screeched and pushed on his shoulders. "You were a pervert and you baited me! Wait, whose fuckin' side are you on here anyway?"

Alec grinned mischievously. "Yours, always yours."

I regarded him. "Good answer."

Alec bit down on his lower lip, grinned then leaned down to kiss me. I allowed him to do so because I wanted to kiss him again, but as his lips touched mine he made his eyes cross and it caused me to burst out laughing.

"Do you take anythin' serious?" I asked.

Alec snaked his arm around my waist and used his free hand to grab my behind.

"You."

I cast my eyes downwards as a sly smile curved around my mouth.

"Why do you take me seriously, Alec?"

Alec squeezed me. "Because you're my girl."

I bit down on my lower lip so hard that it hurt, I did that so I wouldn't smile with delight at hearing Alec call me his girl. It made me happy, and it shouldn't. We weren't a real couple, and we both had to remember that.

"I can see you fighting a battle against me in your head and I'm putting a stop to it right now. What do you say to this; instead of us being fake let's be real, okay? Let's really be a couple for this vacation and feel whatever we feel."

I laughed. "Are you serious?"

"Serious as a heart attack."

I looked up into Alec's blue eyes and focused. "Is this another ruse to get into me knickers?"

"No."

I smiled, hoping to draw out a laugh from Alec indicating he was playing with me but he face remained expressionless.

"You really are serious, aren't you?"

"I said I was a serious as a heart attack, how much more serious can I be?" he asked.

Wow.

"I don't know what you want me to say."

"Say you'll be my girlfriend."

"Have you ever asked someone to be your girlfriend before?"

"No, I've never had a girlfriend."

I swallowed. "And you want me to be your first?"

Alec laughed. "Yeah, I want you to be my first. Will you be my girlfriend?"

This felt weird, not bad weird, but not good weird either.

I wanted to shoot him down and say no, but I thought about what Aideen said to me on the phone and realised she was dead right. Alec was here to help me so I should let him and for him to help me I'd have to bend - not literally - to him and meet him half way.

"Okay."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really."

Alec furrowed his eyebrows. "Who are you and what have you done with Keela?"

I laughed. "I'm not goin' to fight you on this."

Alec raised his eyebrows then glanced around the room. "Am I being punked?"

I laughed. "No, I'm just agreein' to be your girlfriend."

"For real, no joke?"

"No joke."

Alec looked liked he was both happy as well as confused.

"Well, okay then. We're a couple."

"We're indeed."

"Will you let me get to second base before we go to bed now that we're dating for real?"

I rolled my eyes. "Just go get your tattoo before I change me mind, you dirty fuck."

Alec waggled his eyebrows. "I'd give you a dirty fuck, kitten."

I grinned. "I don't like bein' dirty, I'm clearly a good girl."