She guided my truck through the first turn, even if she was going about three miles an hour. “I’m not really a big fan of needles.”
“What do you think they’re going to pierce your ears with?”
Addie’s lips twitched. “That’ll be fast, though. A tattoo could take hours.”
“I guess that’s true.”
She made it through three more turns before coming to the spot where we started. Addie pressed down on the brake with delicate ease, no jerking motion this time. She put the truck in park and turned to me.
The smile that stretched across her face was like an unexpected blow to the solar plexus. All the air rushed out of my lungs, and it was as if I’d forgotten how to get them to reinflate. The gold in Addie’s eyes sparked and danced. “I drove.”
I coughed in an effort to breathe, and it seemed to do the trick. “You drove.”
Addie reached over, her hand resting gently atop mine. “Thank you, Beckett.”
The touch was so simple. Yet it was intimate somehow, too. A gift because Addie had been the one to reach out when that was never an easy thing for her. My thumb reached around, resting on the top of her hand and squeezing. “Anytime.”
There was more in that one word than I could say out loud right now. It was a promise that I’d do anything for Addie. It should’ve terrified me, but I couldn’t find it in me to care.
19
ADDIE
I stared up at the sign that read: The Pin Cushion. The name alone had me feeling a little queasy. When we started the drive to the tattoo parlor and piercing studio, my adrenaline had still been pumping from the high of driving for the first time. But the longer the trip took, the more my nerves had begun to set in.
“You don’t have to do this. If you’re not ready, we’ll come back another time.”
There was a gentle kindness in Beckett’s tone that had my heart aching. “No. I want to do it today.”
The more I backed away from challenges, the more I would cement giving up as an option. I needed to prove to myself that I could do terrifying things. Because the life I wanted was on the other side of that scary stuff.
I didn’t let myself pause; I simply pushed open the door and hopped out of the truck. Beckett met me at the front of the vehicle and grinned. “I’m thinking a little skull and crossbones for your earrings. Honor that burgeoning badass.”
I choked on a laugh. “I’m not sure skulls are really my vibe.”
He pulled open the door. “What is your vibe?”
My steps faltered as I headed inside. “I don’t know, to be honest.”
Beckett reached out and gave my hand a quick squeeze. “That just means you have to try different things on for size. You’ll figure it out.”
I fought the urge to squirm. I was so used to needing to get something perfect on the first try, but Beckett made me realize that it was impossible to do that and live life to the fullest. I would stumble along the way. I’d just have to pick myself up and start again.
“I’ll be damned.” A deep voice sounded from a back hallway, followed by heavy footsteps. The man who appeared was massive. At least six foot five with broad shoulders and a tattoo that curved around his neck. He moved so fast towards us, I stumbled back on instinct, crashing into Beckett.
Beckett’s arm came around me, pulling me to his front. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “Caleb’s a friend.”
The large man seemed to sense my wariness because he slowed his pace and left plenty of distance between us. His gaze flicked from me to Beckett, and his smile was back. “It’s damn good to see you, man. I heard you were back.”
“Good to see you, too. Sorry it’s taken me so long to come by.”
Caleb waved him off, and I saw that he had tattoos across his knuckles, as well. “I’m sure there’s lots to do to get settled.”
“Too damn much.” Beckett gave me a squeeze and then moved his hands to my shoulders. “Caleb, this is Addie. She’d like to get her ears pierced. Addie, this is my friend, Caleb. We went to high school together.”
Caleb sent me a gentle smile. “Nice to meet you, Addie. We can definitely get you some pierced ears. Did you bring earrings, or did you want to look at what we have here?”
“I don’t have anything with me.”