Picture Perfect

9.

~Sam~

"Come here." He takes my hand as I climb back onto the bed. He pulls the comforter back and pulls me to sit between his legs and lay back.

He rests his hands on my stomach and leans forward to kiss my forehead, and then my nose, and then my chin.

"Ky, I'm cold." I laugh pulling the covers over us.

"Sorry, I was trying to see your tattoos."

"Tattoo, I only have the one."

"Mhmm." He nods.

"Why a barbed wire around your waist?"

This is too personal of a question, I don't do personal questions.

I shrug.

"I just thought it was cute, I was 14, feeling edgy. My foster brother was an artist and had a few pieces on himself so I let him practice on me."

He crooks his head.

"14? How old was he?"

I sit up and turn around to look at him.

"Why does that matter?"

He looks confused.

"I guess it doesn't. But like, who tattoos their 14 year old sister? Do you still like the tattoo?"

It's hard not to pick apart the judgement in his voice. Why does he feel like this is any of his business?

"Again, what does that have to do with anything?"

"Why you acting funny about about it? I'm just asking you about a tattoo."

"I'm not acting funny about it. Like you're asking questions that just come off super invasive."

"Invasive? I've spent the last 48 hours all up inside of you, and me asking you about some ink work on the outside of your body is invasive?" He laughs.

"You're sick." I pull the covers back and get up.

"Woah, chill out ma. What's going on with you? Why are you so upset about this shit?" He gently grabs hold of my arm.

"Because it's none of your business. This was a mistake Kyler. We can't keep doing this shit." I grab my clothes off the dresser and put them back on quickly making my way out the door.

~Kyler~

I keep trying to understand why the fuck Sam snapped like that. Clearly there's some deep shit connected to that tattoo, being that it's the only one she's ever gotten, and at such a young age.

Is it safe to assume maybe she doesn't like tattoos? And that maybe she didn't have a choice when she got it?

Maybe she feels like I'll judge her because of her past, whatever happened in it. I'm sure there's some sort of heartbreaking, gut-wrenching history there that she probably isn't ready to share, and I'm okay with that. I just wish she'd talk to me so I could tell her that.

But Imma let her do her thing and eventually she'll come back to me.

It's Thanksgiving and as always, Jabari and Elijah are hosting dinner at their home. But everyone will be there, both their sets of parents and siblings, Unc will be here too. My parents and my younger brother will be here, and so will a close friend of mine from college, Natalie.

She is in town for a Women in Real Estate Symposium she has to speak at tomorrow evening, so Jabari said it was cool if I invited her to dinner. She beat me here and said she was waiting for me to walk in so it wouldn't be so awkward.