Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 90503 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90503 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“Told you so.”
“Am I done?”
“Yes, but sit tight for a minute. It’s not good to get up too fast, and we need to go over aftercare instructions.”
“Okay.” She was silent as I handed her a sheet explaining when she should remove the bandage, how she should wash and dry it, and what to put on it to help her skin heal.
“No sun, no swimming, no soaking for two weeks,” I warned. “And after it’s healed, make sure you use sunblock on it.”
She nodded. “I will.”
I stood up and offered her my hand. “Thanks for coming in.”
“Thank you.” She rose and shook my hand. When she let go, I waited for her to leave so I could start cleaning up, but she continued to stand there, looking at me curiously.
“Something else I can do for you?” I asked.
“I want to know what happened to the girl. The one you loved.”
My heart stuttered a little. “I don’t know.”
“Well …” She fidgeted impatiently. “What was her name?”
“Maren.” I hadn’t spoken her name out loud in years. Feeling it on my lips again made my chest go tight.
“Do you ever think about her?”
Every day. “From time to time.”
A smile snuck onto her lips. “You still love her.”
“Goodbye, Lisa. Thanks for coming in.” I turned my back to her and texted Evan that I would be out of here shortly.
She laughed. “See? Sometimes love is forever. Even if you don’t want it to be. You should go see her.”
“It’s too late.”
“It’s never too late.”
I ignored her and she finally walked away, but as I finished cleaning up, I kept hearing her words in my head. You still love her.
The vise on my heart contracted. Of course I still loved her. I’d never tried not to love her. No matter what I had done, or how long it had been, or how many other women had tried to take her place in my heart, she was always there, as permanent as any tattoo on my body.
I’d been thinking about her a lot lately, too. My memories of being with her were so fucking vivid these days. They hit me out of nowhere, as if someone had pushed a button in my brain. The colors were so vibrant, from the sapphire blue of the lake we used to swim in to the golden flecks in her brown eyes. If I took a deep breath, I’d smell the lotion she used to wear that made me want to lick her skin. I could hear her laugh as if she was in the same room with me.
But it wasn’t just the memories getting to me—it was the thought of her now. I wasn’t on social media, because fuck that shit, but I’d been drunk and curious enough times late at night to look her up. I knew she still lived outside Detroit not far from where we grew up, I knew she had quit ballet and opened up a yoga studio, and I knew she grew more beautiful every single year, so beautiful it hurt.
You should go see her.
My stomach muscles tightened. The truth was, I’d been thinking about it. Ever since the test results came back.
On my way out of the studio, I stopped to talk to Beatriz, the owner of the shop, who was wiping down the glass case of body piercing jewelry in the lobby. Her long, blue-tipped braids swayed in front of her shoulders as she worked.
“Hey,” I said, “got a second?”
She looked up at me and smiled. “Sure thing. How did it go with Tweety Bird?”
“I talked her out of it.”
“Good man.” She straightened up and set her rag aside. “What can I do for you?”
I rubbed the back of my neck with one hand, wondering how to approach this. I hadn’t told her about my head yet. “Remember when I said I might need some time off for a family thing?”
Beatriz nodded. “Yeah.”
“Looks like I might have to go back east for a few weeks. Maybe even a couple months.”
Her dark eyes were concerned. “Everything okay?”
“I’m not sure yet. I hope so. I know that’s a long time, and I don’t expect you to keep my position open—”
She held her hand out to silence me. “Your position is here whenever you get back. I won’t say we won’t miss you since you’re so damn popular, but your job is safe, Dallas. You’re wickedly talented and professional as fuck.”
That made me smile. “Thanks.”
“When do you need to take off?”
“I have to call my brother back tonight. I’ll know more after I talk to him.”
“Okay. Just let me know. You’ve got appointments on the books but I’m happy to call them and reschedule for when you get back, or suggest another artist.”
I nodded. I hated to lose business to another artist because I had worked hard to build up a clientele over the last few years, but the truth was, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to work again anyway. And it wasn’t like I needed the money. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”