“What?”
“I wasn’t nervous coming over here.”
I glanced up. “No?”
She shook her head. “I mean, I was nervous about the tattoo.” Her cheeks turned pink. “But not you.”
That hit me somewhere I wasn’t prepared for. I looked back down before she could see it.
“Probably should be.”
She laughed. “Because you’re scary?”
“Because I’m an asshole.”
“I don’t think that’s true.”
I smirked. “You don’t know me that well.”
“No.” She was quiet for a second. Then... “I think you’re kinder than you want people to know.”
The machine buzzed. I didn’t answer because I didn’t know what to say. Nobody had ever accused me of being kind.
Capable? Sure.
Reliable? Definitely.
Scary? On occasion.
But kind? No.
I didn’t hate it coming from her, though. I finished the outline and wiped away excess ink.
Josie looked down. “Oh wow.”
“We’re not done.”
“I know, but...” Her smile spread slowly like she couldn’t help it.
And Christ, that smile.
I had seen it before in Scoop & Swirl when customers complimented her. When kids got excited over sprinkles. Or when she talked about the shop.
But sitting here? Knowing I was the reason for it? That felt fucking unexpected.
I finished the shading and added the tiny sparkles. I wiped her wrist clean one last time and then switched off the machine.
Silence settled around us as I gently cleaned the tattoo.
Applied ointment.
Wrapped it.
My hands moved automatically, but my head? Not so much.
I sat back on the stool. “Done.”
She stared down at her wrist, then back at me. Her eyes were shiny.
