thing had not changed about Joe after all these years - he was rough.
When they were done cleaning me, Gus again lifted me from the tub and took me into my room, carefully setting me on the edge of the bed.
“Do you want another hit, Ink?” Aimes asked.
“No thanks. Thank you, everybody…just, thanks.” I was mellow physically but my mind was whirling, and watching everyone hover in my doorway wasn’t helping.
Evan had been cautiously letting Aimes take charge but he decided to step up to the task. He didn’t know everything about my past and the role Aimes played in it, but he knew enough. I was glad he read me correctly and said, “Can you give us a few minutes guys?” Our three friends closed the door behind them, leaving Evan and I on the bed.
“I have to get dressed, Evan.”
“I just want to hold you, baby.”
I turned my head toward him, seeing for the first time how worried he was, “Sorry, Evan. I want that too, but right now there’s something we have to do…Aimes and I have to do... and I’m happy for you to be a part of that, but I need to get dressed. Can you help me do that?”
“Sure, baby.” He was reluctant but he did it.
Only a few minutes later, a light knock came at my door.
“Ink?” Aimes asked.
“Come in.” I said as I slipped my feet into my green Havianas.
“Everything’s ready. We’ll leave whenever you want.” She stood in the doorway, waiting for me.
“Let’s go.”
***
The sun was just starting to come up by the time I walked with my friends to the beach. Lisa threw down some wood from the pile we kept for bonfires and Evan doused it with lighter fluid.
Aimes handed me a plastic shopping bag. “Here you go, Ink.”
I opened it and threw the clothes, including the shoes, onto the fire and watched them burn. The smell was terrible - plastic, rubber and polyester melted and burned as we all looked on. I could feel the hot sting behind my eyes and when I threw the last sock into the flames, I let out a tiny sob and whispered, “mother fucker.”
***
Evan never let me go. He held me close, lying on top of the covers until Aimes opened the door. We had probably been laying there for a few hours but I don’t think either one of us slept.
“Inky?” She asked.
“Yes?”
“He said twenty minutes.”
“Time for coffee?” I asked.
“Here ya go.” Aimes, God bless her, handed me a travel mug.
We all piled into the car. Aimes and Lisa knew where we were going. Gus and Evan didn’t ask questions.
“Hi, Nico.” Aimes shook the heavily inked man’s hand. When she turned to me and our eyes met, I could see her tears silently falling.
“Come with me, Anika.” Nico kissed me lightly on the cheek and gently wrapped me in his arms. This was his way, tender and thoughtful. After the first time, he never asked questions and he never accepted money.
“Her real name is Anika?” Gus quietly asked Aimes.
“You didn’t know that?” She returned.
“No…why do ya’ll call her ‘Inky?’”
“You’ll see in a minute, Gus.”
I sat with my chest pressed against the back of the chair and Aimes carefully lifted my shirt over my head. Nico leaned down and spoke quietly into my ear,
“I’m sorry, Anika.” He knew. He was one of the few who did. The large oak tree that covered my back had long branches that spread out over my shoulder blades. On one side a large A in beautiful script hung like a leaf. The A represented my friend, Amelia, who truly loved me. I left the other branches bare with the intention of adding an E after Evan and I were married. The ground, my lower back, was covered in leaves, all autumn colors of orange, yellow and brown.
Nico began to add a new leaf right over my spine.
“What are the leaves?” Gus quietly asked Aimes.
“The pain.” She answered.
Chapter 7
I stayed in my room over the next week, only leaving to use the bathroom and bathe. Basically, I was fucked. Each morning Evan would bring me coffee and Aimes
When they were done cleaning me, Gus again lifted me from the tub and took me into my room, carefully setting me on the edge of the bed.
“Do you want another hit, Ink?” Aimes asked.
“No thanks. Thank you, everybody…just, thanks.” I was mellow physically but my mind was whirling, and watching everyone hover in my doorway wasn’t helping.
Evan had been cautiously letting Aimes take charge but he decided to step up to the task. He didn’t know everything about my past and the role Aimes played in it, but he knew enough. I was glad he read me correctly and said, “Can you give us a few minutes guys?” Our three friends closed the door behind them, leaving Evan and I on the bed.
“I have to get dressed, Evan.”
“I just want to hold you, baby.”
I turned my head toward him, seeing for the first time how worried he was, “Sorry, Evan. I want that too, but right now there’s something we have to do…Aimes and I have to do... and I’m happy for you to be a part of that, but I need to get dressed. Can you help me do that?”
“Sure, baby.” He was reluctant but he did it.
Only a few minutes later, a light knock came at my door.
“Ink?” Aimes asked.
“Come in.” I said as I slipped my feet into my green Havianas.
“Everything’s ready. We’ll leave whenever you want.” She stood in the doorway, waiting for me.
“Let’s go.”
***
The sun was just starting to come up by the time I walked with my friends to the beach. Lisa threw down some wood from the pile we kept for bonfires and Evan doused it with lighter fluid.
Aimes handed me a plastic shopping bag. “Here you go, Ink.”
I opened it and threw the clothes, including the shoes, onto the fire and watched them burn. The smell was terrible - plastic, rubber and polyester melted and burned as we all looked on. I could feel the hot sting behind my eyes and when I threw the last sock into the flames, I let out a tiny sob and whispered, “mother fucker.”
***
Evan never let me go. He held me close, lying on top of the covers until Aimes opened the door. We had probably been laying there for a few hours but I don’t think either one of us slept.
“Inky?” She asked.
“Yes?”
“He said twenty minutes.”
“Time for coffee?” I asked.
“Here ya go.” Aimes, God bless her, handed me a travel mug.
We all piled into the car. Aimes and Lisa knew where we were going. Gus and Evan didn’t ask questions.
“Hi, Nico.” Aimes shook the heavily inked man’s hand. When she turned to me and our eyes met, I could see her tears silently falling.
“Come with me, Anika.” Nico kissed me lightly on the cheek and gently wrapped me in his arms. This was his way, tender and thoughtful. After the first time, he never asked questions and he never accepted money.
“Her real name is Anika?” Gus quietly asked Aimes.
“You didn’t know that?” She returned.
“No…why do ya’ll call her ‘Inky?’”
“You’ll see in a minute, Gus.”
I sat with my chest pressed against the back of the chair and Aimes carefully lifted my shirt over my head. Nico leaned down and spoke quietly into my ear,
“I’m sorry, Anika.” He knew. He was one of the few who did. The large oak tree that covered my back had long branches that spread out over my shoulder blades. On one side a large A in beautiful script hung like a leaf. The A represented my friend, Amelia, who truly loved me. I left the other branches bare with the intention of adding an E after Evan and I were married. The ground, my lower back, was covered in leaves, all autumn colors of orange, yellow and brown.
Nico began to add a new leaf right over my spine.
“What are the leaves?” Gus quietly asked Aimes.
“The pain.” She answered.
Chapter 7
I stayed in my room over the next week, only leaving to use the bathroom and bathe. Basically, I was fucked. Each morning Evan would bring me coffee and Aimes
Similar Books
