Page 321 of Rock Me All Night
He does the same to Drew.
I check our reflections in the mirror. I'm the key and he's the lock. There's no doubt they're matching, that they're for us.
"You have any ink, Kara?" Ed asks.
"None."
He grabs a tattoo gun and prepares the different colors of ink, separating them into small, individual cups. "It hurts, but it's not too bad. Like a shot at the doctor. Let me know when you're ready."
"I'm ready," I say.
The tattoo gun turns on with a rhythmic buzz. Drew offers his hand. I take it.
Ow. That hurts like a bitch. I close my eyes, focusing on the pain. It's familiar, good and bad all at once. I squeeze Drew's hand a little tighter. I open my eyes and stare into his.
It's enough to get me through this.
It's about thirty minutes, on and off. The shading hurts the most, but it's nothing compared to how exhilarated I feel when I look at my new tattoo in the mirror.
Drew presses his lips against my forehead. "You were right. We should get back to the party. Your mom is probably missing us."
"Your sister is probably flirting with Tom."
"Not if he wants to live through the tour."
"She wants his bod."
"Better stop that from happening." Drew smiles. "You're not buying this bluff, are you?"
"Not a chance."
Drew goes next. His tattoo takes longer. An hour maybe. The whole time, he holds my hand. No squeezing necessary. He doesn't seem to mind the pain.
When we're finished, Ed wraps our new ink and gives us instructions on how to take care of it. He looks at Drew with a serious expression. "Make sure she follows procedure."
"He thinks you're trouble," Drew says.
"Because he knows you're trouble."
Drew smiles. This flush spreads across his cheeks. Almost like he's nervous. He checks something on his phone then turns back to me.
"Meet me outside," he says.
I raise my eyebrow as if to ask why.
"It's a surprise," Drew says. "And I have to settle up with Ed. Go."
Okay. I like the surprises so far. I make my way back to the car. Our graduation ceremony was early. It's still light out. Another hour or two to sunset even. I bring my gaze to the sky.
Oh my God. There in tiny little clouds, it says "Kara, will you marry me?"
I rub my eyes again to make sure I'm not dreaming.
I'm not.
The door to the tattoo shop opens and Drew steps outside. "They wouldn't give me enough letters to write 'Kara Kendrick, I love you more than life itself, will you marry me?'"
He makes his way to me. Right here, in the parking lot, he drops to one knee.
