“What is it?” Austin asked.
It was as if he could actually see all the thoughts spinning through my head.
“Nothing,” I finally said.
Not now. Not here. Soon.
“You sure?”
No.
“Just overwhelmed.”
I needed to get my shit together if I wanted to make this work.
The door to the backyard flew open. Sutton rushed out, slammed the door behind her, and crushed her back against the brick wall. She covered her face with her hands, breathing heavily. I wasn’t sure if she was crying or just trying to figure out how to breathe again.
After a minute, she removed her hands and trudged over to us. “Hey,” she muttered. “Sorry about that.”
Austin shrugged and patted the seat next to him. “You don’t have to apologize to anyone.”
Sutton sat with a huff. “I know. I just…hate all of this. I hate every last thing about it. I should feel thankful that all these people want to help me, but I don’t. I feel nothing. I look around for Mav to make fun of the big event, and then I remember…he’s not here. He’s never going to be here again. And I don’t know how to live that life.”
“You don’t have to entertain anyone,” I told her. “If you don’t like any of this, then I’ll tell everyone to leave.”
“It’d be rude.”
“So?” I said with a shrug. “I don’t mind being the bad guy. You do not have to be available right now. You have to do what’s best for you and Jason. That’s it.”
“You’d do that for me?”
“Of course we would,” Austin said, backing me up.
“Would you do something else for me?”
“What’s that?” I asked.
Her eyes traveled down Austin’s half-sleeve and to the tattoos I revealed in my spaghetti-strap dress.
“Take me to get a tattoo?”
Twenty-Three
Austin
“You’re sure about this?” I asked Sutton for the tenth time since we’d shown up at the tattoo parlor the next day.
“More than sure.”
She was split between excitement and nerves at the thought of her first tattoo. I could still remember my first. I’d gotten it the day after I turned eighteen, and my dad had beaten my ass the next day. But I’d done it for my mom, and I didn’t care that I’d broken a rule while living under his roof.
“She’ll do great,” Julia said. “The first one is the hardest.”
I laughed and squeezed her hand.
“What?”
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
Sutton looked between the two of us through hollow eyes.
I quickly released Julia’s hand. “Sorry.”
“Don’t,” Sutton said, waving us away.
But I saw tears coming to her eyes again.
Fuck, I’m stupid. I hadn’t meant to flaunt my relationship in front of her.
“Let’s just do this,” Sutton said.
We walked inside and met with my tattoo artist, Nick. His boyfriend, Michael, was also there that day, lounging around and making fun of the absurd tattoos Nick had recently put on people’s bodies.
“Austin,” Nick said, clapping hands with me. “I was happy when you called, man. What are we doing for you?”
“Not for me,” I said. “This is my sister Sutton.”
“Virgin skin?” he asked.
“Yeah, this is my first,” Sutton said, relaxing at Nick’s easy demeanor.
“Great. You know what you want?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“And you?” Nick asked. He eyed Julia’s tattoos. “May I?”
She held her hand out, and he took it, looking at all the inked skin that I adored.
Nick whistled. “Please tell me, I get to add to this masterpiece.”
“I haven’t quite figured out what my next tattoo will be,” she told him.
“Whoever did the rest of your work really knew what they were doing. I’d love to play on your skin.”
Michael snorted down the row and kicked his feet up onto the counter. “Language, love.”
“Michael, appreciate her beautiful work, and then get back to me.”
“She’s not my type,” Michael shot back.
Nick thoughtfully patted Julia’s shoulder. “You’re not mine either, honey.”
I just shook my head, and even Sutton cracked a smile.
Julia gave him an amused look. “That’s probably for the best since I’m with Austin.”
“Oh, new honey. I love it.” Michael cooed from the front.
“Girlfriend,” Austin corrected.
Nick’s eyebrows rose. “How new and different. Now, let’s focus on the sister. You know what you’re in for?”