Page 105 of Goodbye Note

I lifted my shoulders. “It's on the back of my arm. With a shirt on, no one will see it.”

“What did he get?” Val didn’t seem mad, more resigned.

“Who said he got something?”

“You both were going to get tattoos. So what did he get?” Val paused, then corrected, “What is his ghost carrying?”

I started laughing.

“Christ. That means it’s bad. It better not be the dopamine symbol.”

“It’s not!”

“Fuck. What’s worse?” Right at that minute, Arik decided to walk onto the bus. Val snapped at him. “Let me see it.”

Arik got a coy little smile, showing off his fucking dimples. It wasn’t right for him to be that good-looking. He turned the inside of his arm so Val could see his little ghost.

Val shoved off the bench seat to get a better look. “Is that a little hazardous chemical symbol?” He shot me a look.

“It’s combustible chemicals.” Arik burst out laughing as he said it.

“You fucking two. I thought they told you to lay low.”

“We are. These are tattoos celebrating the tour.” I knew my brother would see through my argument, but I had to stick with the defense Arik and I came up with.

“For each other?” Val asked.

“We are best friends,” Arik replied smoothly.

Val rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say.”

I side-eyed Arik to make sure he wasn’t freaking out over what Vallen thought. He seemed chill, which made me breathe easier.

“What’s the plan for the rest of the morning?” Arik asked, strolling into the kitchen to dig through the snacks piled up on the counter.

“There’s juice for you in the mini fridge.”

He froze, then turned on me. “What?”

“Apple and orange.” I smiled because I’d been waiting days for him to figure it out.

Happiness bloomed over his face, reaching his eyes. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I did. We’ve been spending more time here, so I wanted you to have your morning juice.”

“You.” He grabbed one of them and went to crack it open but stopped and crossed the narrow space to hug me. I pressed my face into his chest from where I sat. He pulled back and took a drink. “So what’s the plan?”

I lifted my shoulders. “No idea. We have sound check at some point, and I have a lead on a plug.”

“Please do not do drugs before getting onstage.” Val pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can only imagine you two tweaking and trying to lick the walls.”

“You mean speakers, and then he’s blowing his eardrums.” Fox stumbled out of the hall sans shirt.

“Could be worse. He could lick the drummer,” Bronx added.

“Is that worse or better?” Fox grinned, getting down his customary two boxes of cereal and adding both to one bowl.

“Fruit Loops and Reese’s Crunch?” Arik’s upper lip curled in disgust.

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