"I'm proud of you, too. Tonight I'll show you how proud I am." I whispered the words against his cheek, hearing his breath catch. I pulled back and smiled slyly at his flushed skin. As I turned I subtly raked my fingers lightly across his crotch, and I chuckled to myself at his involuntary whimper. "So, how about a drink?" I smiled at the look he cast me. "Yes, how about? Only a couple, though, we have work tomorrow morning." She gave me a pointed look that told me to make sure she only had those couple. There was a sudden change in her eyes then, a flicker, and if I hadn't been paying attention, I'd have missed it. We did end up only having two drinks a piece before Liz bid her goodnights. I watched her leave before standing to follow. She left her door open for me to

I gasped as I walked into the shop two days before it officially opened. It was a beautiful setup. The front door opened into a large space with a desk that sat upon it a telephone, a lamp, and a large calendar that would be used to make appointments. On the left wall were plastic-clad, hanging posters that you were able to see design samples. Further into the shop was a piercing room and bathroom and directly to the right as you enter was the building, to the right of the desk, Mykel would be doing his tattoos. I looked around, my mouth agape but smiling. "It's beautiful, Mykel." Mykel smiled an electric smile that made my heart flutter. From behind me, he wrapped his arms around my chest, his arms coming over my shoulders, kissing my cheek. "I'm glad you like it." Mykel nuzzled into my neck. "Though I have to admit, I'm going to miss spending the days with you." I grinned in spite o

 There was a pause and for a moment I thought he wasn't going to answer. "There's something I haven't told you." I didn't respond, just waited for him to continue speaking. "A little over a year after Kaiden died I met someone. Logan. He was charming and good-looking. Not long after the six-month mark, I told him I loved him. And I guess in a way..." he shrugged and kept talking, "anyway, he said it back and all was groovy. Come to find out he'd been cheating on me since the get-go. And...when I caught him he just...laughed. 'You really think I could love you? You give good tattoos though and really good head.' When he said that he looked at his arm which I had almost sleeved for him for free. He told me that no one would ever really love me. I had told him some about Kaiden...he said that Kaiden didn't even love me enough to care to live. And it isn't that I think you're anything like him, or that it would have the same outcome...but my doubts about myself

As he came through the door and around the couch to kneel in front of me I tried not to flinch away from him and further into Liz. I don't think I succeeded as I saw the small frown appear and vanish quickly from his brow.  His movements, a bit slower than his original trajectory, he reached for my hand. I didn't pull it away upon contact but gripped his fingers like I never wanted him to let go. And I didn't despite my fears.  "Are you alright, mon bonheur?" He did look and sound...well, worried. I started to nod in the affirmative but quickly changed to a shake of the head that indicated the truth. I was far from alright. The hurt my sister inflicted upon me that day as I watched her close the door softly behind her, leaving me there to endure two more years of the abuse she ran away from, was much more than anything my parents ever did to me combined. 

July seventh: Mykel was smiling as he walked through the door to his tattoo parlor. He was surprised to see his next appointment so early, and before his smile could widen he heard Mattie gasp just under his breath. She had yet to notice him as she stood smiling. "Hi. I know I'm early so if you..." Her eyes shifted just slightly to the right as she noticed to whom she was face to face with. "Mattie bear?" Mykel felt Mattie's fist in his back, gripping onto his shirt as if for balance. The venomous tone as he spoke made the hairs on Mykel's neck stand on end. "You don't get to call me that anymore. That died when you left me in that fucking closet." Before he had a chance to respond to Mattie or even process the onslaught of information he'd just received from this short exchange, Mattie bolted. In his haste to chase after him, Mykel didn't realize the glass to the door slightly cracke