heads over and starts taking care of the equipment. My brain keeps telling me to take the words back, to apologize to the customer, and to Scratch, but I can’t make my mouth listen.
As soon as they leave, Maddox is grabbing his stuff. He didn’t even have to stay here this long, I remind myself. He helped me this morning and we did three tattoos on a day we weren’t supposed to do any.
“Hey,” I start to say to him as he’s heading toward the door.
“I gotta run. I didn’t plan on being here this long.”
“Maddox…”
I’m sorry. I’m freaking out and I don’t know why.
“I’m—”
“Don’t,” he cuts me off.
“Don’t what?”
“You’re honest—that’s what you are. You told her the truth. It’s important that we both remember that. I’ll see ya later.” After that, Maddox walks out of my shop.
Guilt trickles through me before becoming a massive waterfall. I jump when my cell phone vibrates on the desk. “Relax,” I mumble as I walk over to look at it.
MOM lights up on the screen.
I wait, telling myself I’m going to pick it up on the next ring. I don’t. And then I don’t again. Finally it stops. It’s not the first time her call has gone unanswered since we spoke about my sister.
It’s another reason to feel like crap.
And then I remember the vision, memory, whatever I should call it about being grabbed and wonder if it’s real. I shiver. A flash of sitting in the corner, scared, floods my vision. I never had any of those memories, dreams, before. And if they are real, I know it had to be from when I was taken from the person whose phone calls I ignore.
What’s wrong with me?
Chapter Twelve
~Maddox~
“I love Chinese food.” Laney takes a forkful of her fried rice and then smiles at me.
I shake my head. “You have food on your lip.” She wipes it off before grinning again. Crossing my arms, I rest them on the picnic table where we’re eating lunch. Fall’s setting in and the weather’s cooling down slightly, but today’s a pretty decent day. She puts another bite into her mouth happily as though everything is right and perfect in the world.
Sometimes I wonder how we can be siblings. She’s always been like that in a way. Laney’s been through a lot like me and she’s grown up fast because of it, but she’s also always had this sunshine and happiness outlook that I’ve never come close to having. She’s emotional and takes things to heart yet still can see the beauty in things that I couldn’t give a shit about.
It’s part of the reason I’ve always wanted to shelter her from the bad. Why try and taint that good? There’s enough negative in the world already. Plus, she always got the shit end of the stick when she didn’t deserve it. Everything that I got I had coming to me because I kept my mouth shut about Dad.
I’m still keeping my mouth shut to protect myself.
“How’s your tattoo?” I ask her.
“It’s awesome. I love it. You freaked for no reason, Maddy. I don’t get you sometimes.”
Yep, she’s right there. I know it was for no reason, but I don’t say it.
“And school?”
“It’s great. I love my classes. Lots of prereqs right now. I can’t wait to get into more of the nursing stuff.”
When we were kids, I thought I would be in the NFL and she always wanted to be a nurse and take care of little kids. It fits her and she’ll make it happen. I’m glad she’ll get her dream, though mine is such a distant memory. I don’t feel like that same person anymore.
In reply to her, I nod.
“What about you? How’s the tattooing going?”
This time it’s my turn to take a bite of my food. I knew she’d ask, like I’m sure she knows I don’t want to answer. The why of it I don’t get myself. Even while I’m shutting her out, I always feel like shit about it.
“Good. You’re doin’ it all okay? With work and school?”
Laney sighs and pushes her dark hair out of her face, looking at me with the same gray eyes I see in
As soon as they leave, Maddox is grabbing his stuff. He didn’t even have to stay here this long, I remind myself. He helped me this morning and we did three tattoos on a day we weren’t supposed to do any.
“Hey,” I start to say to him as he’s heading toward the door.
“I gotta run. I didn’t plan on being here this long.”
“Maddox…”
I’m sorry. I’m freaking out and I don’t know why.
“I’m—”
“Don’t,” he cuts me off.
“Don’t what?”
“You’re honest—that’s what you are. You told her the truth. It’s important that we both remember that. I’ll see ya later.” After that, Maddox walks out of my shop.
Guilt trickles through me before becoming a massive waterfall. I jump when my cell phone vibrates on the desk. “Relax,” I mumble as I walk over to look at it.
MOM lights up on the screen.
I wait, telling myself I’m going to pick it up on the next ring. I don’t. And then I don’t again. Finally it stops. It’s not the first time her call has gone unanswered since we spoke about my sister.
It’s another reason to feel like crap.
And then I remember the vision, memory, whatever I should call it about being grabbed and wonder if it’s real. I shiver. A flash of sitting in the corner, scared, floods my vision. I never had any of those memories, dreams, before. And if they are real, I know it had to be from when I was taken from the person whose phone calls I ignore.
What’s wrong with me?
Chapter Twelve
~Maddox~
“I love Chinese food.” Laney takes a forkful of her fried rice and then smiles at me.
I shake my head. “You have food on your lip.” She wipes it off before grinning again. Crossing my arms, I rest them on the picnic table where we’re eating lunch. Fall’s setting in and the weather’s cooling down slightly, but today’s a pretty decent day. She puts another bite into her mouth happily as though everything is right and perfect in the world.
Sometimes I wonder how we can be siblings. She’s always been like that in a way. Laney’s been through a lot like me and she’s grown up fast because of it, but she’s also always had this sunshine and happiness outlook that I’ve never come close to having. She’s emotional and takes things to heart yet still can see the beauty in things that I couldn’t give a shit about.
It’s part of the reason I’ve always wanted to shelter her from the bad. Why try and taint that good? There’s enough negative in the world already. Plus, she always got the shit end of the stick when she didn’t deserve it. Everything that I got I had coming to me because I kept my mouth shut about Dad.
I’m still keeping my mouth shut to protect myself.
“How’s your tattoo?” I ask her.
“It’s awesome. I love it. You freaked for no reason, Maddy. I don’t get you sometimes.”
Yep, she’s right there. I know it was for no reason, but I don’t say it.
“And school?”
“It’s great. I love my classes. Lots of prereqs right now. I can’t wait to get into more of the nursing stuff.”
When we were kids, I thought I would be in the NFL and she always wanted to be a nurse and take care of little kids. It fits her and she’ll make it happen. I’m glad she’ll get her dream, though mine is such a distant memory. I don’t feel like that same person anymore.
In reply to her, I nod.
“What about you? How’s the tattooing going?”
This time it’s my turn to take a bite of my food. I knew she’d ask, like I’m sure she knows I don’t want to answer. The why of it I don’t get myself. Even while I’m shutting her out, I always feel like shit about it.
“Good. You’re doin’ it all okay? With work and school?”
Laney sighs and pushes her dark hair out of her face, looking at me with the same gray eyes I see in
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