“And we’re here because I didn’t lie. I’ve always wanted a tattoo by Bennett, and I think it’s a good way to start to crack this goody-two-shoes image I have. There might even be a possibility to record the process. It could be a really great opportunity for everyone involved, so when they reached out I said yes right away.”

I’d stopped listening after she mentioned her image. So this wasn’t entirely about me. In a way, it was relieving. Eva was still talking, but I couldn’t keep the words down. “They know I’m coming?”

“They do, and they were fucking ecstatic about it.”

My stomach flipped. Neil opened the door, and Eva started to get out. “You coming?”

I wanted to say no and get a cab home. But that traitorous piece of my heart knew if I walked away now, I’d always wonder, and I didn’t want to be left with questions forever.

Putting on my hat and sunglasses, I got out of the car.

Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

________

ESME

Nautilus was beautiful. Everything that made up a classic grungy tattoo shop, but elevated. Dark, clean cement floors and strong lines emphasized by square columns. A mirror all along the back wall which reflected the natural light. This building was lucky—having storefront windows on two sides, so the natural light felt fresh and clean.

There were doors to what looked like private rooms, and a few stations out in the open, only a couple of them full. Bennett was one of the ones tattooing, and he hadn’t seen me yet. But I saw the others too. I knew their names now from stalking them on social media. Avery was finishing a tattoo on someone’s shoulder, and one of the doors was open.

Grays with splashes of spring green decorated the space, with a lush waiting area and monochromatic prints on the walls. With one exception.

Behind the reception desk, over the metal sign which read Nautilus, there was a painting. The paint was chunky, thick, and layered like it had been put onto the canvas with a palette knife, radiating out in an abstract spiral. A deep blue-violet which reminded me of tanzanite and a metallic gold which winked in the light. Streaks of black and white too, but it felt alive in this space.

It took my breath away.

I grabbed Eva’s hand, and she gasped too. “See? I told you.”

The other thing about this place was, it was like stepping into a candle store. Competing scents which were all so good, you didn’t know which direction to walk in first. “I need you to tell me if it smells like the world’s best perfume store in here, or if it’s just me.”

My sister laughed quietly. “That’s just you, babe.”

Fuck.