Page 6 of Cupid's Arrow

* * *

I park rightin front of the shop, and the large neon sign reads: Wicked Ink. The windows are blacked out, with painted graffiti of tattoos. Even the square sign with the opening hours is painted artistically.

“Do you like it?” Corinne asks quietly.

“I love it. I can’t believe Ben did all of this for me while I was gone.” I saw this place before he renovated it, and it looks vastly different now. It was my dream to open a tattoo shop, and it was his dream to be able to provide for Corinne. This seemed like the perfect way to fulfill both.

“He didn’t do it alone. I was here too, and I can promise you we both enjoyed doing it very much.”

“You were here helping with renovations?”

“After school and on the weekends.” She shrugs. “Why do you seem so surprised by that?”

“I guess I assumed you would be out with friends, enjoying your last year of high school. I figured with prom and all of that…” I trail off, not wanting to reveal how much I have actually thought about it. How much I worried about what she was doing.

“I didn’t go to prom, and I hated my senior year. How could you expect me to have fun knowing you were locked up and alone?”

My mouth opens, but no response comes out because I don’t have one. I had no idea she wasn’t having a good time. I thought she was better off without me. That’s why I never answered any of her letters or calls. I figured she only called out of pity. How could I have been so blind?

“I’m sorry.”

“There is nothing to be sorry about. Just be happy we are here now.”

“I am happy. I’m here now. Although, I would really prefer for you to be wearing more clothes.” Knowing that she’s not wearing underwear is a huge turn-on, but knowing that while being around other people is going to be a fucking nightmare.

“I have some stuff in the back room to change into. Now, let’s go in so I can show you the rest of the place.” She doesn’t wait for me to respond before she’s out of the car.

I throw my own door open and climb out of the car to follow her. I have to jog half the way just to catch up with her. Corinne pulls the heavy door open, and we walk in together. An electronic bell rings above us, and a second later, Ben appears from one of the rooms in the back.

“It’s about fucking time!” he yells. A wide smile appears on his face as he walks through the front of the store to engulf me in a bear hug. “Jesus, you’ve gotten even bigger since I last saw you.”

Ben was the only visitor I would allow, but we were always separated by a thick piece of glass. I slap my best friend on the back before breaking the hug. “Or maybe you got smaller. When was the last time you saw the inside of a gym?”

“Shut up before I kick your ass.” He laughs, shoving me away. Yes, I have packed on a few pounds of muscle, but Ben has always been athletic. He is a strong motherfucker and would be hard to take down in a fight. Not that I would ever actually fight him, unless he finds out what I did to his sister in the car.

Guilt settles in my chest. If he ever finds out, he’ll hate me. Our friendship will be over, and Corinne loves her brother too much to stay with me.

“I’ll be right back,” Corinne excuses herself and disappears into the back of the store. I say a silent prayer, asking for her to put on some fucking underwear.

“It’s so fucking good to see you, brother. Six months without you was rough.” Ben’s voice goes from genuinely happy to rueful. “Especially considering the circumstances.”

I nod. The last six months were hell, but I wouldn’t change it even if I could go back in time.

“I didn’t tell Corinne,” Ben whispers as if his sister can hear through the thick walls surrounding us.

It was worth it, so I simply reply, “She never needs to know.”

And she never will.

5

CORINNE

This is the longest night of my life. I’ve been sitting behind the shop’s front desk for hours, but it feels like days have passed. Every time I look up at the clock on the wall, I’d swear the hour hand has traveled backward.

“We might as well have propped the door open.” Ben is on cloud nine as another old friend of his and Arrow’s comes in to welcome the jailbird home—his words are probably not the best choice, but Arrow takes it well.

Somebody must have spread the word about him coming back today, and the door hasn’t sat closed for more than a few minutes at a time. It’s like one big party with Arrow at the center, and since it’s all for him, I’m happy. He deserves to know how much we’ve all missed him.

---