Page 29 of Forever Always

My fingers traced over the raised skin and distorted image that was once a vibrant yellow rose but was now just a nasty scar. Another reminder of our asshole father.

I was back there suddenly. Back to the day an 18-year-old Beckett showed up at our apartment with the most important ink he’d ever gotten, at least to me anyway.

“Yo, Ri, check this out.”

I lifted my eyes from the manga I’d borrowed from the library to see Beckett standing in front of me, shirtless. My eyes first fell to the yellowing bruises across his chest, but that was nothing new so I let them drift to his side and a new tattoo. The ink ran all the way from his breastbone, down his rib cage, and ended at his hip bone. My first thought was how the fuck did he afford that? And then I realized what the tattoo was. Roses, white, red, black, and pink covered his pale skin. The collage of colors stood out when most of Becks’s tattoos were black. A bright-green branch with bloody thorns trailed through, connecting them all into one design.

Tears welled in my eyes and I tried to hide them. But Becks saw it. He always fuckin’ saw everything.

“Is this for Mom?” I asked, my voice so fuckin’ shaky. Becks was emotional too. He nodded sharply before collapsing on the couch next to me.

“I wanted something to remember her by, ya know? Something that the sperm donor can’t take from us.”

My heart sank. Dad.

“Becks, he can’t see that. He’s gonna kill you.”

Beckett laughed harshly, his eyes cold like they always were when Dad was mentioned. “I’d like to see the drunk fucker try.”

I turned toward him and looked him right in the eye. “Becks, I swear to fuck. Please. Please promise me you’ll hide this from him. Even if you don’t care. Do it for me. Please?”

Those were the magic words. I felt terrible using them against him like that. Becks made it his life goal to antagonize Dad, especially lately, but I didn’t think he understood what would happen if he saw that. But I did. Becks hadn’t been there when he ransacked the house and made me watch as he burned every last thing we had to remind us of Mom. Every picture, any homemade card Becks and I had made her. Her clothes, a random pair of socks, jewelry, it didn’t fuckin’ matter. He’d destroyed it all.

But Beckett wasn’t there. He didn’t see the look in his eyes. Dad would kill him if he saw that tattoo. I was sure of it.

I knew I won when Becks sighed and scrubbed his hands through his bright-pink hair, his newest phase. “Fuck. Fine. I’ll go put on a shirt and keep it from him. For you.”

I smiled and wrapped my arms around my big brother. My protector. “Thanks, Becks.”

He kissed the top of my head. “‘Course, Ri. Anything for you. It’s you and me forever.”

I looked up and smiled. “Always?”

“Always.”

I startled when I felt rough fingers against my cheek. Fuck, I’d lost myself there for a minute.

Beckett’s eyes were open and staring at me, just inches away from me.

“Hi.”

His lips tilted up like he wanted to smile but couldn’t get all the way there.

“Hi.”

“Do you remember when you had pink hair?” I blurted out of nowhere.

Becks blinked like I’d lost my fucking mind before he chuckled roughly.

“Fuck. Yeah, I looked good with pink hair.”

I rolled my eyes, even if I low-key agreed.

“How are you feelin’?” I was afraid of the answer, but this was the most coherent conversation we’d had since that first day when I came home. I still had no idea what happened that sparked this, and I didn’t know how to bring it up without Becks spiraling again.

He shrugged but didn’t answer. Instead, he looked down to where my hand was still on his ribs, resting right against the scar. I started to pull it away, but his fingers latched around my wrist, and kept it there.

“Does it bother you?” he asked hoarsely.

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