“They are,” I agree.
She runs her hand up my right arm, her fingers following the ink. “I’ve always wanted a sleeve. I love art. I just…”
“Go on,” I urge her.
“I don’t trust anyone to draw on me. I’d want to do it, and, well, I’m not a tattoo artist.”
“You could be.”
She laughs.
“Cross is a tattoo artist.”
“He is?” Her ice-blue eyes widen.
I nod. “Yep. He has a shop inside of Kingdom. If you were to draw him what you want, he’ll do it for you.”
“Grave?” I feel a hand on my chest.
“Hmm?” I sit up and glance at Cross standing next to me.
The glass coffee table is littered with Red Bull cans and room service that we haven’t finished.
“We’re done,” he tells me.
“How long was I asleep?” I ask, feeling my arm tingle. He’s been drinking sugar and I’ve had a few Lortabs to help ease the pain and to get some rest.
“A little over two hours this time.”
I place my face in my hands. Every time I sleep, I see her. She’s like a recurring nightmare that I can’t escape, no matter how hard I try.
“I’m finished,” he states.
“Completely?” I ask, looking up at him.
He takes the Zippo from his pocket and lights up a cigarette. “Yep. Take a look.” He reaches out his hand to help me up off the hotel suite’s couch. He picks up the piece of paper from the floor and places it on the coffee table, so I don’t step on it.
A total of a week, thirty-five hours, and my other sleeve is complete.
APRIL
I stand inthe middle of Roses with Alexa, Haven, and Emilee. Jasmine is in the cooler on her phone. When I went in there a few minutes ago, she was cursing someone out about payment for a Queen. I ran out of there as fast as I could to give her privacy.
Emilee keeps staring at me. Every time I look at her, she averts her eyes. It’s making me paranoid. This is the first chance I’ve had to hang out with them since everything went down with Grave last week. The shop re-opened earlier this week and I’ve been slammed just trying to get back to where I was with orders.
“Do I have something on my face?” I come out and ask her, patting my cheeks.
“No.” She sighs. “I just… never mind.” She waves me off.
Alexa tosses a piece of popcorn in her mouth as she leans over the front counter, like a crazy neighbor eavesdropping. She has her blonde hair up in a messy bun and zero makeup on her face. She closed down her bar last night and called me first thing this morning. Said she had the day off at the studio and didn’t want to waste it sleeping.
So, she showed up at the shop with an energy drink in each hand. Not too long after she arrived, she raided the small kitchen I have in the back and found some expired popcorn. Judging by the way she’s devouring it, that doesn’t bother her.
“What is it?” I ask.
“It’s just… have you tried calling him?” Emilee rushes out.
“Not this again.” Haven shakes her head. “He cheated on her. With Lucy!”
