Page 54 of Forget Me Not

Once we’re done, I follow her over to the couch. I sit down and she follows, sitting next to me, then turning her body to drape her legs over my thighs. I wrap my arm around her to hold her into me and she rests her head in the crook of my neck.

“So, I have something to talk to you about,” I say as we sit there. I run my hand through the ends of her hair, twirling the strands through my fingers.

“Okay.” She looks up at me skeptically. “That sounds cryptic.”

“It’s not. I finished your tattoo.”

“What?” She practically jumps off of me, standing to look down at where I’m still sitting on the couch. “When did you finish? When can I see it?” She’s smiling from ear to ear.

“I finished it this morning. And you can see it now.” I stand up and walk over to the entryway table where I left my sketchbook. I walk back over to her with it in hand.

“Wait,” she says just as I go to open it up. “When can you tattoo it on me?”

“Whenever you want, baby girl.”

“Now?” She doesn’t hesitate.

“Well, sure, the shop is closed, but considering I live right above it, I don’t think King will mind. But why don’t you look at the sketch first before you commit to that?”

“No. I don’t want to see it.”

“What? You’ve been begging me to see this thing since I started drawing it.”

“Well, I changed my mind. I don’t want to see it until it’s on my skin, Kade. I trust you. So, tattoo it now. I’m ready.” She smiles up at me and everything inside me ignites before realization hits.

She trusts me. This is the moment, right here, right now, that I should be honest with her. I mentally prepare myself, urging the words to the surface. But no matter how hard I try, the only word that comes out is, “Okay.”

I’ve never hated myself more.

CHAPTER

THIRTY

Logan

I follow Kade downstairs, more than ready for him to permanently mark my skin with whatever masterpiece he’s been hiding from me. Some people may think I’m crazy for getting a tattoo, permanently marking myself with something I’ve never even seen. But from the second he told me it was done, I knew this was what I wanted to do.

In the time I’ve known Kade, he’s come to know me practically better than anyone, and for that reason and so many more, I trust him. He turns on the hallway light and we walk down it into his room in the shop. I sit down on his stool and watch as he sanitizes the tattoo chair. He pulls over a table on wheels, draping it and then placing whatever tools he needs on top of it. I’ve watched him tattoo other people before, so I know that he’s clean and meticulous in everything he does.

“You can sit in the chair now. I’m going to print the stencil from my computer, so if you really don’t want to see it, turn away now.”

I stand from the stool, and he takes my place on it, sliding it in front of his computer.

“Do you know where you want it?” he asks as I sit down in the chair.

“I think my rib. On the right side. I know it’s probably not the best place for my first tattoo, but I don’t mind a little pain.”

“It’s different for everyone. Some people feel pain there, but others don’t mind it at all. You’re tough, you’ll be okay. Give me a few.” I turn my body away from him and the screen and pull out my phone, scrolling through my emails, deleting loads of junk while I wait.

“Okay, I’m going to need you to lift your shirt so I can shave and clean the area before I lay the stencil on.”

“Your shirt,” I correct him, smiling at him.

“You look better in it.” He smiles back. I face toward him, lying on my side and lifting the T-shirt up and over my right shoulder and lifting my arm over my head, so the area is wide open for him. His face turns serious as he focuses on the task at hand.

He gently shaves the area of any peach fuzz, making sure it’s silky smooth, and then cleans it with rubbing alcohol. He then uses soap to lightly wet my skin before applying the stencil. I keep my eyes closed to avoid seeing the piece, but he talks me through every step, making sure I know what is going on and that I’m comfortable. Once it’s on my skin, I open my eyes, looking up at him.

“I’m just going to do a small line now, so you get used to the feel of it. Ready?”

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