A few people sat in groups around the small, bright lobby. Along the far wall, Lila looked through an album at a tall table, her feet swinging in the air as they dangled from the chair. It made her look too young and innocent to be there. He thought of her in the bright pink bikini—much more vibrant than her hair—and how self-conscious she seemed. It broke his heart to think she didn’t know how beautiful she looked. How beautiful she always looked.
“Weston,” Gavin hissed when he got close. She glanced up with wide eyes and a grin that took the planned lecture from his lips. She sat almost eye level with him in the tall chair.
“You came!” She placed the book on the table beside her.
“Of course, I came.” He had to give her credit for at least picking somewhere clean. The room was cold, sterile. She had to be freezing in her tank top and shorts. “How are you even going to do this? You’re not eighteen.”
She nodded toward the glass case at the front that doubled as a desk. “My mom dropped me off and signed the papers on her way to meet my dad for lunch. I had to practically beg her to leave me, but I’m all set—just waiting on my guy to be ready.”
Gavin pushed a hand through his hair. “Do you know what you’re getting?”
At that, her eyes lit up, and her smile turned mischievous. “It’s a surprise.”
He sighed and shook his head just as someone stepped out and called her name. She slid off her chair but froze. After their moment last night, he easily draped an arm around her shoulders, tucking her into his side. “Are you sure about this?”
Lila nodded. Gavin brushed his lips against her temple before thinking better of it. The corner of her mouth lifted, and they walked toward the man indicating they needed to follow him. He led them down a wide hallway. Open rooms lined both sides with dozens of framed photos on the walls between the doors. The walls didn’t quite reach the ceiling, and music drifted from somewhere above them.
They went to a small room near the back. Lila stopped in the doorway, staring at the chair in the center of the space. The man—Dax—sat on a short stool, looking up at them.
“Ready?” he asked.
Gavin squeezed Lila’s shoulders when she didn’t answer. She finally whispered a “yes,” then she sat on the edge of the chair. Dax turned on the stool, holding out a paper with a design Gavin could faintly see through the back.
Her face lit up in a brilliant smile. “I love it.”
“All right, I’ll put the stencil on so you can make sure you like the placement, then we can get started,” Dax explained.
He turned back around to pull out his supplies, and Lila leaned forward. Gripping the hem of her shirt, she pulled it up over her head. Gavin looked away, mumbling about waiting out in the lobby, but she reached out and grabbed his hand.
“Stay?”
He met her eyes. Swallowing, he nodded and moved to her side. Dax swiveled back around and reclined her chair before having her raise her right arm. He pushed the edge of her sports bra up slightly and cleaned her smooth skin. After he dried the area, he peeled the black cursive words surrounded by flowers from the paper and carefully placed it against her side. He smoothed it out, taking time to ensure it was straight and even.
“Okay,” Dax said, pointing to a mirror on the wall beside Gavin. “Check it out and let me know what you think.”
Lila stood and turned to the side. She looked up at Gavin in the reflection. “What do you think?”
She turned more, so her bare side faced him. A blush spread across her cheeks, neck, and chest as he took her in. Reaching out, he brushed his thumb along her ribs beneath the design. He chewed on the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. They had known each other their entire lives. Hell, there were photos somewhere of them taking baths together as toddlers. But the room heated despite the cool air, and the tension from the night before settled between them once more.
“It’s perfect,” he managed to whisper.
Lila bit her bottom lip as she bounced on the balls of her feet. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she squealed quietly while taking a seat.
Dax chuckled under his breath as he pulled the small table of supplies over. He asked if she was ready again, showed her the noise of the tattoo gun, then asked her to lie back. She did as she was told, lifting her arm.
The buzzing began, and when she winced at the first touch, Gavin grabbed the hand above her head. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. When the wording was done, Dax let her take a short break. He raised a hand-held mirror to show the progress. She smiled, and a tear rolled down her cheek. Gavin brushed it away as Dax put the mirror back.
The yellow flowers with purple swirls took longer than expected for something so small. Dax was meticulous with the details, and Gavin was once again grateful she chose that place. Lila’s breath caught as the needle reached a sensitive area along her ribs. Gavin squeezed her hand and leaned in close.
“Almost done.” His breath stirred her hair. When she tilted her head to lie against him, he whispered, “You’re almost done, Princess.”
“Stop touching it.” Gavin laughed from where he sat on the edge of Lila’s bed.
She stuck her tongue out at him in the mirror. A dream is a wish your heart makes was a permanent part of her for the rest of her life. Her fingers trailed along the redness surrounding the tattoo. She glanced up to find him watching her with that look of longing
