The Silent One ✔

Chapter Twenty-Four

"You all ready?" I sit in the passenger seat of Ned's car.

"As ready as I'll ever be" Jenny grins before drinking from the vodka bottle.

"She's gonna be hammered" Ned laughs as drinking from the bottle of Gin.

Fact. I wonder if the others are as hammered as these two.

"I'm gonna check on the others" I start "please don't take advantage of her while I'm gone" I beg as I jump out of Ned's car.

Jenny, Ned, and I are in Ned's car, whilst Sam, Blake, and Chris are in Sam's car. They are all pre-drinking for the tattoos, I could never drink before being tattooed.

I haven't had a drop alcohol tonight, but they don't know that. Since It's a long drive to the parlour, Ned suggested that we take a break and drink before arriving - I had no objections.

Suddenly I spot Chris in the distance. I smirk. I'm going to take a shot in the dark and assume that he rather enjoy the fresh air then his friend's drunken company.

"Hey" Chris greets as standing near a tree, around ten feet away from both cars.

"You ready to mark your body for life?" I cock a brow as folding my arms.

The cold breeze brushes against my skin, causing goosebumps to cover my arms. Jesus, it's cold.

"As ready as I'll ever be" he smirks as leaning towards me, eventually leading to a kiss.

He hasn't been drinking. I don't taste any liquor. Why is Chris kissing me? I pull away slowly and furrow my brows at him in confusion.

"That's random" I point out in a hushed tone as he presses my back against the tree.

Its been weeks since our first kiss. Since then he hasn't really spoken to me about it.

"What?" Chris raises both brows.

Am I just a friend with benefits for him or something? I don't know what it is but when he kisses me, he treats me like I'm a completely different person.

"You can't just keep kissing me, Chris" I lower my voice, "I need to know what this is"

"What do you want this to be?" He whispers, placing his hands on my waist.

I close my eyes, pressing my forehead against his. I feel safe in his arms. Safer then I've ever felt around any guy in a long time.

I shrug "I don't know"

"Eva we've got to get going!" I hear Ned call from the car.

"I'll see you at the parlour" I tell Chris before rejoining Ned and Jenny.

***

"Who's next?" I grin while jumping off the table.

I look down at my new tattoo. It's my wishbone. I really do like this one. So far Ned, Chris, and I have gotten inked. Ned got a Laurel wreath on his forearm, with Roman numerals on the inside. He didn't tell us what it meant, only that he got it for his sister.

"I'll go" Jenny smiles, hopping on to the table.

"What are you getting?" Ned glances over to his friend.

"A rose on the side of my index finger" she smiles.

Her speech was not slurred, although you could tell that the alcohol is starting to catch up. She was more bubbly than usual.

"Your the favourite flower, I presume?" Blake questions.

"My mother's name" she smiles.

"She must really appreciate this gesture than," I say.

The looks around me were strange. They all knew something that I didn't.

"She died from a drug overdose when I was three" Jenny explains with a loopy smile "I'm a foster kid"

She said it so casually, but I guess that's because of the liquor. She's always so happy. How did I have no idea? I mean she's drunk, so god knows if she would even remember this tomorrow.

"I'm gonna step out for a sec," Chris tells us all as heading towards the door.

"Alcohol getting to ya?" Sam laughs.

I know for a fact that Chris is one hundred percent sober, neither of us have consumed not one drop of alcohol.

"You know what I'll join him," I say, following Chris through the doors of the tattoo parlour and eventually outside. "Where are you going?"

"Home" Chris announces while walking down the street.

I furrow my brows "what, why?"

He turns around and faces me. Chris stands only a few feet in front of me.

"I'm not okay with this" he says simply. "I'm not okay with standing in that room and crying over whatever is inked on my body"

"You're not comfortable telling your closes friends the meaning behind your tattoo?" I raise a brow.

He looks into my eyes. In this moment I see all the pain that he tries to hide. I see it. It feel it. And I want to make it go away but I know I can't.

"They already know" Chris admits.

So it's me that he's not comfortable with knowing.

"Whose that tattoo on your forearm for?"

He has a weird looking, rather large symbol on his forearm. Kinda looks like a cross but I know for a fact that its some kind of Egyptian symbol.

"What's the story behind the doves" he orders. "Tell me how your sister die?"

"What?" My eyes widen in shock.

"The one that you told me you see...the one the doves are for" he repeats "how did she die?"

"We said we wouldn't ask-" I remind him.

"How did she die?" He yells before sighing "you don't wanna talk about it...I respect that...so how about you don't ask me about this tattoo"

"Whoever it's for you must love with everything you've got" I comment.

Chris nods then disappears in the distance.

I enter the tattoo parlour where I now see Blake getting tattooed.

"Where did Marcus go?" Jenny looks over to me.

"He's walking home," I tell her.

"Blake's getting an anchor on his forearm" Ned informs.

"To always keep me grounded" he smiles widely.

I nod slowly as Sam makes his way over to me "What happened out there?" He lowers his voice.

"What part of don't talk to me ever" I give him a dangerous glare. "Did you not understand?"

"Maybe you should remove that stick that's so far up your ass" he smirks as sipping from his flask.

"Go to hell" I snap as exiting the parlour aggressively.

Why am I so aggressive towards Sam? Fear is my reasoning. I can't get too close him or else all my walls will come crashing down. Without my guard up, who knows what secrets will be revealed.

-----------------------------------

Hi guys,

Just letting Y'all know that I go into more detail about Ned's tattoo in his sequel The Broken One.

I hope you all are enjoying this book so far.

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Enjoy!