I Met a Vampire Down in Santa Carla

Chapter Twenty-Eight

It has been a couple of days. Hell, almost a week. At first, it hurt so much, and I couldn't think straight. However, now it was just anger. How could he say something like that?  I have been ignoring him.  He keeps calling me, and he keeps trying, but I've been putting it off because I'm too scared to lose him. One part of me told me to run, the other told me to give him a chance, and in fear of ruining something great, I've been avoiding it, but it only made me miss him more. I look in the mirror as I am getting ready for work. I'm wearing a long black skirt that goes to my ankles. It is form-fitting around the hips and thighs but flows off at the knees. I wear my universal monsters shit with it, and I have my hair up in a ponytail. I put on some Doc Martens and have on eyeliner and lipgloss. 

I drive into work and get my station set up. I have two oppointments linded up for the night. One is a cover-up, and the other is finishing one I started two months ago. I sit and wait. When the first client comes in, we take a look at what he wants. He has a girl's name on him. "So I got her name tatted like three months in." He chuckles, embarrassed. 

"Damn," I shake my head. "It's like I always say, never."

"Get a person's name tatted, yeah, I know. I was warned, believe me." 

"Well, no," I shrug. I pull my shirt down enough show Milo's name. "Got my son's name on me. I just wouldn't tattoo a romantic or friendship. Things like parents and kids are good, though." He nods. 

"Yeah, I know. Think you can help me?" 

"Totally. What ya thinking of covering it with?" 

"I was hoping to get a skull with roses. Kinda basic, I know," I cut him off.

"No, it's cool, what kinda style?" He talks it over, and I start to draw some concepts. I then place it and get started. He decides to talk. About his messy breakup. How things were amazing, but then she started being dodgy. She blamed him and said if he wanted to be with her, he should prove it. The tattoo was him proving it. Not even a week later, he found out she was cheating. He had to wait for it to heal before coming to get it covered up. I try not to think of it. He tells me how this isn't the first time he'd been cheated on. It's happened before. How he couldn't believe it happened again. How next time he won't love too quickly, how that is always his downfall. 

I sigh and nod. "I'm afraid I have the opposite issues," I admit. "I'm so guarded and so afraid of something that I have now will turn into the thing I had. We had our first real 'fight,' and things were said. I don't know if I'm being too guarded and paranoid or if I'm valid." I sigh, wiping the tattoo down.

"Okay, well, let me ask you this." The guy starts. "What did you have before, and what did he do after a fight?"

"He would brush it off as me being dramatic. He wouldn't accept he was wrong and never apologized; it was always my fault." I remember my relationship with John. The lies, the hurt, and how I was always afraid. 

"Okay, and the guy you got now, what is he doing?" I smile, thinking of how hard he is trying.

"He is doing his best to apologize. I keep ignoring it out of fear, but that isn't fair to him," I sigh. "Thank you," I smile, "This helped a lot." 

"No, thank you for the sick tatt." He chuckles. I finish up and let him look in the mirror. He takes a long look and is very happy with my work. He pays and wishes me good luck. I lean against the counter and try to think of a way to talk to David. I want to forgive him, I really did, but the memory of his vamped-out face was both painful and angering. My other client came, and we spent the time listening to music. I check the client out and then clean up for closing. I don't waste time going home to see David waiting in my driveway. I take a deep breath and get out. I try to walk past, but he doesn't let me.