Page 33 of Body and Soul

I gaped at Keres, at a loss for how to respond to that. He said it so matter-of-factly, like it was perfectly reasonable to declare he'd be shadowing my every move from now on.

“Because I have a life,” I said, exasperated. “I have shit I need to do that doesn't involve you. My apprenticeship is important to me. I can't not show up.”

Keres's jaw clenched and for a second, I thought he might physically try to stop me from leaving. But then Gavin interjected, his calm voice cutting through the tension.

“Keres, I'm sure we can come to a compromise. What if you accompany Eli to the tattoo shop? That way, he can attend to his responsibilities while still being under your protection.”

Keres looked between me and Gavin, his jaw tight. Finally, he nodded. “Fine. But I’m driving him there. And I’ll pick him up.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but Gavin shot me a warning look. I snapped my jaw shut, realizing this was probably the best deal I was going to get. At least Keres had agreed to keep his distance while I was working.

I stepped into thetattoo shop, the bell above the door jingling. The familiar smell of disinfectant and ink usually comforted me, but today it churned my stomach. I rehearsed the difficult words for Cherry and Ketchup, who were busy with clients. Cherry hunched over a sorority girl’s ankle, inking an infinity symbol, while Ketchup free-handed a colorful dragon across his client’s back.

“Hey, Eli,” Cherry called, concern evident as she exchanged a worried glance with Ketchup. “Everything all right?”

I swallowed hard, my mouth dry as sawdust. “I need to talk to you guys. When you have a minute.”

“Sure thing, kid,” Ketchup replied, but his furrowed brow revealed unease. “Give us twenty.”

I nodded jerkily, pacing the cramped waiting area, pretending to study the flash art on the walls. My eyes skimmed over skulls, roses, and pin-up girls, but I couldn’t focus. My mind raced, searching for the right words to explain everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.

Minutes crawled by. I picked at a loose thread on my frayed jeans, my leg bouncing with nervous energy. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Cherry and Ketchup finished with their clients and turned to me, twin expressions of concern on their faces.

“You had us worried sick,” Cherry said, her playful tone replaced by seriousness. “Where were you last night?”

I avoided their stares, studying the scuffed toes of my sneakers. “I got caught up in something.”

“What kind of something?” Ketchup asked, crossing his arms.

I took a shaky breath. “I got fired from McHappy's.”

“What?” Cherry exclaimed, eyebrows shooting up. “What happened?”

I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant despite the shame coiling in my gut. “I was late. Brett was looking for an excuse. He dragged me back to the office and told me to leave or he’d call the cops.”

Cherry's face crumpled. “What an asshole! I'm so sorry.” She reached out, hesitating to pull me into a hug.

“You’re better off without that place,” Ketchup said.

Cherry nodded. “We’ll help you find something better, Eli.”

Her faith sparked warmth in my chest, but it quickly cooled as I launched into my next confession. I couldn’t meet their eyes.

“There’s more,” I said, my voice thin. “After Brett fired me, I went back to The Playground.”

“Why?” Ketchup frowned. “You could’ve called us.”

“I know,” I said. “I just… couldn’t face you guys.”

I swallowed against the lump in my throat. “I ended up going home with Shepherd,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “He offered me a place to crash for the night.”

Cherry’s eyes widened. “Shepherd Laskin? The dom from The Playground?”

I nodded, heat rising in my cheeks. “Yeah.”

“And you spent the night at his place?” Ketchup asked, disbelief coloring his tone.

“Nothing happened,” I said quickly. “But he said I could stay as long as I needed.”

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