Chapter 2- Warning Sign

A warning sign

I missed the good part, then I realized

I started looking and the bubble burst

I started looking for excuses

Come on in

I've gotta tell you what a state I'm in

I've gotta tell you in my loudest tones

That I started looking for a warning sign

Warning Sign by Coldplay

I stretched out on the couch at my house, I never really was big on apartments; I only had one in L.A. because I needed to take some time away from my family, and with my previous job I was never at home anyway. I moved back in with my sister when I continued with my studying, I had finished school early, at 16, and then went to College for 3 years, I took a break when I was 19.

The break didn't last long, but long enough for me to get into enough trouble at my job for me to stop working. When I moved back in I avoided all questions as to where I had been, it's better they didn't know. I finished studying and became a fully qualified Doctor. Meanwhile, Oliver was God's knows where, with God's knows who doing God's knows what. I heard the rumble of a motorbike as it tore down the street, the engine cutting out after pulling into my driveway.

Bo, my Bloodhound, and Killer, my German shepherd, were barking like mad. I opened the door and ran outside into Happy's arms. Bo and Killer came pounding out of the house to greet him. He smiled as we walked inside, his arm slung casually over my shoulder, he then through me over his shoulder before he took me to the bedroom so that we could greet each other properly.

I woke up cuddled into Happy's side, his slow breathing relaxing me. I carefully untangled myself from him, trying not to wake him up. I got out of bed and put my clothes on, walking out into the kitchen to make breakfast. Happy would be awake soon and I had to leave for work. I was staring out the window at the sun shining bright in the blue, cloudless sky. I felt arms wrap around my waist and I a chin on my shoulder, I leant back in response.

"I have to go to work, I'll see you at the clubhouse afterwards" I said as I turned around in his arms

He mumbled a goodbye as he kissed me one last time before I walked out, hopped in my car and headed to work.

I pulled into the garage; it had been a slow day at work, no serious surgeries. One boy had come in with a fractured arm but that was about the highlight of my day, just a whole lot of boring paperwork. As I walked into the clubhouse I saw all the men drinking and fighting, I rolled my eyes, a typical Friday night. I didn't normally come to the clubhouse, but Happy had insisted. He wanted me there when he got yet another smiley face tattooed. He was standing shirtless; leaning on the bar while a blonde girl got her equipment ready. I walked over and he embraced me in a hug, kissing the top of my head.

I stood back and watched him get his tattoo, my eyes trailing of the new ink. I knew what they meant, that he had killed another person, taken another life. I guess I couldn't judge, I had done the same thing before in my life. Maybe that's why he liked me in the first place, no judgment of his profession, because I had once held the same one. When he was finished I admired the girls work.

"You ever want to get a tattoo?" he asked me

I looked him in the eye surprised by his question, not knowing the reason behind it.

"Maybe, kind of scared it will hurt" I said honestly

"Here, let's test you out" he said to me

He guided my to a chair, making me sit down facing away from him. He moved my hair out of the way and I put it up in a bun. He then started tattooing the back of my neck. It hurt but I soon become comfortable. It was quick not taking long. I went into the bathroom to see it in the mirror. It was a smiley face. I wasn't sure what this meant for us, did this officially make me his Old Lady.

Happy was asleep, I was cuddled on his chest, tracing the new smiley face tattoo. I had a smile plastered on my face ever since he did my tattoo. We had been together for two years and we had never really discussed the future, we never talked about what we wanted. I frowned at the thought. He just tattooed me, obviously I meant something to him, but what did he want.

I was a 28-year-old woman with a successful career. I always thought by the time I was thirty I would be married with a kid at the very least. But what did Happy want; he didn't seem like the settling down type. As cliché as it sounded maybe I wanted the white picket fence, 2.5 kids and a loving Husband. But that would never happen with Happy. His job was dangerous, every time he went on a run there was always a possibility he wouldn't come back. That he would end up in jail or dead. I tried to push these thoughts out of my brain and let sleep take over.

I was tired in the morning, I had spent most of the night thinking; I couldn't let the thoughts go as much as I had tried. I had knocked over a vase and dropped a cup this morning. Happy had seemed to notice my unusual clumsiness as he was watching me intently.

"Layla, what's wrong?" he asked me as I sat down for breakfast

"What does the tattoo mean?" I asked bluntly, I never saw the point in tiptoeing around a subject, no matter how much I wanted to avoid the conversation.

"You know what it means" he said matter of factly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world

"For us, Happy. Where's this going?" I asked looking up from my cup of tea

"It's going wherever you want it to" he said smugly

"What if I said I wanted marriage and kids?" I asked

He almost chocked on his coffee when I said this. He obviously had never thought about the subject.

"Where's this coming from? You've never said any of this before" he said

"I'm 28 Happy, I always thought I'd be married by now maybe even have a kid or two. I just need to know where this is going, if it's heading towards that or not. I'm not saying I want that right now, but in the future, that's definitely what I want." I said, no point in being subtle about this

"I have to go to work, I'll see you when I get home" he said as he got up and kissed me forehead.

I stared at the place he had been sitting, not moving even after I heard the door shut and the motorbike engine roar loudly before becoming quieter as he drove away.

I had been cleaning the house all day. It really didn't need to be cleaned seeing as how much of a neat freak Happy is but I just had to keep myself busy to stop myself from over thinking everything too much. It was around 7pm when Happy got home. I had prepared dinner for us and we sat in silence as we ate, barely even looking at each other.

This was not how I expected the day to end, not after how great yesterday was. But that's what our relationship was like, a constant rollercoaster. We could be madly in love one day and then screaming at each other the next. Is this really what I wanted? I loved Happy more than I had loved anyone in my life, but maybe I needed someone who saw a future with me. Happy only planned a week ahead. I was okay with this until now, if he wanted to be in my future he would first need to have one. After dinner I went to bed early to catch up on sleep but it never came. I just laid there until I heard Happy come in, he hoped into bed and wrapped his arms around me. Sleep soon came for him, but not for me, I was wide awake with doubts flooding my mind.