Page 106 of Forbidden Harmony

Brad bellowed a curse and glared atPreacher. “Fuck, that hurt! Are you tattooing to the goddamn bone?”

Preacher stared at him until Brad droppedhis gaze. Daniel scowled at his friend. “Keep your mouth shut about Addie orI’ll kick your fucking head in. I mean it.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re the one who wascomplaining about her.”

“I can complain about her, she’s my sister.”

“Why’s she texting you for this shit,anyway?” Brad said.

“Because my parents are gone, and herfriends are working, and as you keep pointing the fuck out, she’s not withHarrison anymore.”

“Jesus,” Brad snorted. “That lawyer waspussy-whipped if your sister got him to pick up that type of shit for her. If Ihad a girlfriend who even texted the fucking word tampon to me, I’d kick herout the door. Keep your goddamn monthly blood bath problems to yourself, youknow?”

Preacher stopped tattooing and wiped thesmears of ink away before placing plastic wrap over Brad’s arm and taping itinto place. If he had to hear Addison’s name come out of this shit stain’smouth one more time, he’d stab the tattoo gun into his own goddamn eye.

“What are you doing?” Brad said

“Lunch break,” Preacher said. “Come back inan hour.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Brad glaredat him as Daniel’s cell dinged again.

“No, I’m fucking not,” Preacher said. “Yougot a problem with that?”

Brad cleared his throat. “Nah, man, that’sfine.”

“Good. Get out.”

Brad slid off the tattoo bed and turned toDaniel. “Let’s head over to Nan’s and get a bite. Unless you need me to driveyou to your car so you can do a fucking tampon run for your sister?”

Daniel shook his head. “She’s doing it herself.Let’s go. See you in an hour, Preacher.”

Preacher just nodded. The two men left theshop and Preacher joined Nix who was still with the tourists. Nix glanced athim. “Hey, what’s up?”

“You okay for a while on your own?”Preacher said.

“Not a problem,” Nix said.

“Just text me if it gets busier,” Preachersaid. Leaving Nix to deal with the tourists, he went upstairs to his apartment.He was feeling anxious and unsettled and he studied the leftover pizza in hisfridge before closing the door and moving to the window.

He stared at the people scurrying down thesidewalk. He wasn’t worried about Addison, he told himself grimly. He didn’tfucking care if she was sick. He didn’t miss her either. Besides, if she was sick,he didn’t want to be around her anyway.

Still, the fact that she was reduced toasking her brother to bring her tampons, had to mean she was really sick, right?Not that the useless twit could help her. He supposed he should have beenrelieved that Daniel had enough common sense not to drive when he was drunk,but Preacher was mostly just pissed that he was leaving Addison to fend forherself.

He sat down on the couch and scrolled throughFacebook for twenty minutes. He needed to eat but he had no appetite. Hestood and paced his small apartment for another few minutes before returning tothe window.

He stared blankly across the street. Therewas an old woman sitting on the bus stop bench outside of Walgreens. Sheclimbed painfully to her feet and adjusted her hat as the bus pulled up andblocked her from his view. After a moment, the bus drew away and he studiedthe woman who had stepped off the bus and was standing next to the bench. Shewore a baggy sweatshirt, yoga pants, and flip flops and her hair was in a messyponytail on top of her head.

Her ass reminded him of Addison’s ass, hethought before snorting. Addison wouldn’t be caught dead outside of the housein a sweatshirt and yoga pants. His little Sunshine liked to wear -

His eyes widened as the woman turned to grabthe back of the bench and he saw her face. She coughed harshly, her body bendingwith the force of it. Even from his apartment he could see the flush of feverin her cheeks. She straightened and walked slowly into the Walgreens.

He paced back and forth in front of thewindow with his hands clenched into fists. After a few minutes, he cursed andstomped down the stairs.

“Be right back,” he said to Nix and leftthe shop.

* * *

Addie sneezed and then groaned in pain.She didn’t know whether to grab her stomach or her head. She settled forrubbing at her forehead with one hand and pressing on her abdomen with theother.

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