Page 21 of Accepting Fate
Logan nods. “Yeah. And you don’t have to apologize. But can I ask you a question?” she asks quietly while tugging on the strands of her sweater sleeves.
I start the tattoo and nod.
“I want to ask so many things, but I don’t think I want to know. But I have to know this. Did the person that did that to Lily and Alana get what they deserved?”
I hesitate and concentrate on the tattoo for a moment. I feel the urge to tell her everything, but I can’t. I try to put myself in her shoes and decide that I would want to know if the bastard received the proper punishment. Landon would kill me if I said too much so I need to be vague but clear.
“I just helped them get the help they needed, but I also heard there was a guy in that area that got into a fight with someone that resulted in a shootout and he didn't make it out alive.”
Logan smiles, “That sucks. Oh well.”
I chuckle, “So, how weird is it that you and I run into each other the next day?”
“I say the odds are very low, but I needed ink therapy so here we are.”
I’m starting to think this is all a dream and this perfect girl isn’t real. How the hell did I randomly find a girl that almost knocked me on my ass, and when I thought I’d never see her again, she walks into my place? Now she is being fucking adorable and saying she needed ink therapy.
I’m so fucking screwed and I barely know her.
I need to keep this going so I don’t start acting like a creep obsessing over her.
“We aren’t advertised in Seattle, so how did you find us?”
“Um. I hike around the area and drove through here one day and saw this place. Seattle is draining and I figured why not take a drive and get a tattoo?”
I can tell this isn’t the full truth, but I’m not going to question her. Since my brothers and I started our missions, I’ve picked up some interrogation tactics and can tell when people lie to me.
She may be lying to me, but I want to make her trust me. The more information I give, the more likely she will realize that I’m not a threat.
“Well, I would like to welcome you to Cliff Haven. I’ve lived here my entire life and I love it. My family owns a few businesses in town. My brother owns the bar across the street.”
“Wow, that must make for good business. Drunk people at the bar can just wander across the street and get a smiley face on their ass.”
She’s not wrong.
“It definitely makes for some entertaining nights but I’m mostly appointment only, so I don’t get a ton of that. I have had some crazy appointments though.”
I can see her relaxing. She isn’t closing into herself and is actually looking at me when I glance up at her.
Logan winces a little as I hit a tender spot. “You, okay?” I ask her. “Do we need to take a break?”
She shakes her head. “No, keep going. This isn’t the worst one I’ve had done, but it still hurts like a bitch.”
I chuckle. For such a tiny little thing she has some fire. I fucking love it.
Wincing again, “Tell me about one of your craziest appointments. I need a distraction,” she pleads.
I can think of a million other things I’d rather talk to her about, but I can’t push.
I start shading a part I know is going to hurt. “Okay, so there was this couple that got sloshed at the bar. They almost fell on their faces walking in the door. I knew they were drunk but they were determined to get a tattoo. I asked them the standarddo you know where you are, who's the presidentbullshit. They seemed coherent enough for me to say fuck it.”
“Oh, this is going to be good,” she says sounding intrigued while relaxing a little more into the chair.
“Yup. The guy wanted a Pokémon tattoo on his waistband right above his dick.”
Logan giggles. “You’re kidding? Please tell me it wasn’t Pikachu pointing at his dick or something like that?”
I laugh and shake my head, glancing up at her and giving her a brief moment before I start shading again, “Almost. But worse.”