Stay || c.h. *completed & editing*

Chapter 4.

Dear Laurie,

Today is our birthday. Your birthday. You would have been turning 18 today if the accident hadn't happened.

Calum has a birthday surprise for me today. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm really excited.

Love,

Ellie

~~~

I sat waiting for Calum in our usual spot. At 9:18 exactly he came and stood in front of me, smiling.

"Happy birthday Ellie!" He yelled, causing some people to look over at us. I whacked his arm, still not completely wanting attention on myself just yet.

"Are you ready for your birthday present?" He asked, taking my hand and interlacing our fingers. We had gotten into the habit of holding hands lately and I was completely okay with it.

"I'm scared," I shrugged. "But I'm ready."

~~~

"I don't know about this," I shook my head.

"Come on, Ellie. You're living remember?" He smiled big at me. "It'll be fun."

"Are your sure?" I asked. "And what about my parents?"

"They'll be fine," he shook his head. "This is your birthday present remember?"

I sighed. "Okay. Fine."

"Yay!" Calum cheered as he dragged me into the entrance of the tattoo parlor.

We walked up to the counter, a guy standing behind it and looking down at a magazine in front of him. He looked up at us, his face lighting up when he looked at me.

"Looks who's back!" He smiled, going up to throw his arms around me. I stumbled back, unsure what this was about.

"Let me see that last tattoo I gave you," he said, grabbing my arm and pushing the sleeve up. He stopped when my arm was bare.

"Alex... I think you're mistaking her for her twin sister," Calum said, smiling at me apologetically.

"You're Laurie aren't you?" He asked, his eyebrows knitting in confusion.

I shook my head.

"Alex, this is Eleanor, but everyone calls her Ellie. She's Laurie's twin sister," Calum said.

"Oh, I am so sorry," Alex shook his head. "I just now remembered about... Yeah. It just doesn't seem like she's really gone, you know?"

Believe me, I know.

"I'm really sorry," he said again. "Just for that, your tattoo is free. It's all on me now. I'm terribly sorry."

I smiled at him reassuringly, not wanting to say anything.

"She's kinda mute," Calum shrugged. "Anyway, we want tattoos!"

"What do you want?" Alex asked, rubbing his hands together as he walked towards an area farther back in the store.

"We haven't actually decided yet," Calum said. He turned to me. "What do you want?"

I shrugged.

"How about..." He thought for a moment. "You get forever and I get always? So then it would make forever and always?"

I nodded. "Okay."

He took my hand and we walked over and sat down where Alex was prepping for a tattoo and Calum showed him where he wanted his tattoo, his left wrist.