Page 19 of Watercolor Skulls

Except I forgot one thing. My bruises. They are a nice shade of purpley blue today. Great.

He’s busy getting everything ready. Oh god I’m so nervous. My body is trembling and no matter how much I beg it to stop it won’t.

“You ready?” he asks while snapping on a pair of black latex gloves.

“N-no, I mean yes. Yes.” My teeth are chattering, I bite down hard trying to stop it.

“Are you cold? Personally, I think it’s warm as fuck in here.”

“N-no, not cold. I’m sorry, I’m just a little nervous I guess.”

He wheels his stool over to me, stopping between my legs. “Hey, we can take this slow. I don’t have any other appointments today.”

I nod, fighting the urge to squeeze my legs closed. This feels intimate.

“What has you scared? Is it the pain?”

“No, I’m not scared of the pain. I guess it’s just the fear of the unknown.”

His amber eyes pull me back to a calm surf. “You just tell me if you need me to stop. I promise I’ll get you through it.”

“Okay.” I offer him a big smile, letting him know I’m ready.

“Here stand up.” He scoots away, letting me drop to my feet in front of him. His eyes roam over my bruises, his eyebrows pinch together but he doesn’t say anything. He places the stencil high on my hip, half of it covering my butt.

He’s careful to avoid the bruising on my leg. “How’s this look.” He points to a mirror on the wall.

“I like how you used lilies instead of roses.” I shift back and forth in front of the mirror.

“A girl named Lily should have them tattooed somewhere on her body.”

My eyes catch his in the mirror. He smiles so I smile back. He is so handsome. Rugged yet refined. He pats the table, so I turn back and hop up beside him.

He helps me to lay on my side and shifts my legs to the position he wants me in. I keep my muscles loose so he can mold me however he sees fit. His hands are rough, his touch sure, and it makes me feel funny things.

“Okay, are you comfortable?”

I nod, taking a deep breath as he settles over my hip.

“Here we go. Just try to hold as still as you can and if you need to stop let me know.”

I nod again. I’m too nervous to speak.

The gun buzzes and he presses it to my hip. It hurts but nothing like I was expecting. He stops after a minute. “What do you think? You doing okay?”

“Yeah, it’s not so bad.”

“Good.” He focuses back on my leg. “So, tell me about your aunt.”

A warmth spreads throughout my chest. I jump at the chance to talk about her. “She passed away five years ago.”

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry.”

“She was only six years older than me. She came to live with us for a few years. They were the best four years of my life. I loved her so much.”

Dan continues to work but I know he is listening.

“She was a free spirit. My dad called her a crazy hippie, and she was, but I always admired her for being herself. Aunt Jenny didn’t let anyone dictate who she was supposed to be.” I laugh, tears springing to my eyes. “She was the first person that told me I could be anything I wanted to be. I miss her.”

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