Page 73 of Love Unwritten
“What’s this tattoo about?” I trace over the thin band of stars that circles the entirety of her middle finger.
“Huh?”
“Your tattoo.” I tap the permanent black ring.
“Oh. That.” Her brows furrow. “I made a promise to myself when I was younger.”
“What was it?”
She stares at our hands. “That, no matter what happens or how hard life gets, I won’t give up on myself.”
Thunder rumbles outside as rain beats down on the plane.
I try to distract her with another question. “Why did you choose this finger?”
She swallows thickly before glancing up at me. “Middle fingers are associated with our life and identity, so it seemed right.”
“Huh. I just thought they were good for flipping people off.”
Another laugh pours out of her, only for the sweet sound to be cut off by another clap of thunder.
“What about this one?” I point at the triplet note located on the inside of her right wrist.
“It represents my family. Burt, my mom, and me.” She points to each part of the note. “They got matching ones.”
“I didn’t know you were an only child.”
“You never asked.”
“I’ve been an asshole.” Guilt replaces my curiosity. After knowing Ellie for nearly a year, I should be able to answer a simple question like that myself.
“Just a teensy, tiny bit.”
I shoot her a look.
“But to answer your question, I was raised like an only child, but I have half-siblings on my father’s side. I’ve never met them, though.”
I know better than to broach a conversation like that, especially with how anxious she is.
“And what about this one?” I turn her arm and follow the path of blank skin to the crescent moon near her elbow.
Her already-pale face completely loses all its color, and she yanks her hand away without warning. “I just liked the way it looked.”
“If you want us to start trusting one another, you should stop lying.”
Her eyes narrow. “You want the truth?”
I nod.
“It’s the one and only tattoo I regret.” She reaches for her headphones and covers her ears, effectively shutting me out.
Ten minutes later, the summer storm has officially passed, and the captain promises that the rest of the flight will be a smooth one. Ellie acknowledges me with a whispered thank you for helping her through her anxiety before tuning me out again.
I’m used to Nico’s nanny being quiet. It was one of the main reasons I hired her in the first place, because unlike the other ones, she wasn’t actively trying to impress me or force me to open up. We both did our own thing, with us only interacting when it related to Nico.
It was a match made in heaven…until now.
I should be grateful that Ellie established a clear boundary again, but instead, I’m left with the bitter taste of loneliness as we go back to ignoring each other’s presence.