sketch.
“Nice,” Dustin says as he looks at the detailed drawing. The branches have an aged look that I can’t really explain, each of them bent and twisted into different directions. When I look at it, I think it has a story to tell and I’m suddenly upset that the piece is for someone else. It’s experienced and worldly, which probably doesn’t make sense to most people.
“Thanks,” I reply as Maddox says, “Who is it?”
His words make me snap my head toward him, my heart beating faster all of a sudden.
“What do you mean, who is it?”
“There’s a face in the trunk.” He points.
“Oh shit. That’s bad-ass. I didn’t even notice that.” This from Dustin.
Maddox is right. There is, but I say, “It’s not anyone specific. It’s a tree. He wanted it to look scary, and unique. This is how it came out.” And honestly, I didn’t think anyone would notice it.
He gazes down at me as though he doesn’t believe me. I turn away, unable to continue looking at him.
“You did awesome. It’s perfect,” Dustin says, excitement bouncing around in his voice.
“It’s not right…” I shake my head, looking down at it. “It’s missing something.”
Maddox leans over me and points to the paper. “Look at the branches right here. You’ve got part of something right there and you don’t know it. Are you seeing what I am?”
For a minute, I study it, trying to see what Maddox does. I squint, trying to make it out.
And that’s when I see it. All the branches together, with all the little parts sticking off, lying a certain way and somehow resembling feathers. “It’s almost a bird.”
“A crow. The black would blend right in. See this part?” Maddox points again. “Curve it a little. Make the head come around this way. Not everyone will see it, but that makes it more incredible.” He shrugs and steps back. “Only a thought. Not sure if it fits what you’re looking for but—”
“It’s perfect.” I’m seeing it in my head, on the paper, and wondering how I could have missed it before.
“What do you think?” I lean back while Dustin looks it over.
“It’s fucking awesome. I’m down.”
“Cool. Let me fix the sketch real quick.” I tell Dustin to have a seat. Maddox washes his hands before he starts getting the equipment ready for me while I lean over the paper to add Maddox’s bird, wondering how he saw it. Wishing I had. And thinking this tat would have been shit without it.
Chapter Eight
~Maddox~
I talked to Laney once and she mentioned how Adrian is always paying attention. Not that she wants to hide anything from him, but that it’s almost impossible to because he notices things. It wasn’t like I really wanted to sit and have a heart-to-heart with her about her boyfriend, but I’d listened to her, partly because he makes me curious.
I know who I am. It might not be pretty, but I’m honest about it. I’m shut down now, and honestly, I can’t imagine how he does it. I gave him shit and called him a pussy for walking out on Laney and I do believe that, but I also know he’s a better man than I am. I couldn’t be with someone if her family took from me what ours took from him.
Laney said he grew up with an abusive dad. That he kind of lived inside himself, making him see the world and other people differently. I don’t fully get it, but I guess it kind of explains how he notices more than other people do. Why he looks a little deeper.
That’s never been me, except when I had sex with Bee today I suddenly saw a part of her that is buried a little deeper.
I watched her eyes as she began to close off when we were having sex. How there was this sort of veil that separates her from other people. I’ve been with women I knew a whole lot less than I know her, yet there was still some kind of emotion, feelings. Something there that Bee doesn’t have. Or that she keeps locked away.
She lost it afterward when she gave me shit about my piercing, but then when I asked
“Nice,” Dustin says as he looks at the detailed drawing. The branches have an aged look that I can’t really explain, each of them bent and twisted into different directions. When I look at it, I think it has a story to tell and I’m suddenly upset that the piece is for someone else. It’s experienced and worldly, which probably doesn’t make sense to most people.
“Thanks,” I reply as Maddox says, “Who is it?”
His words make me snap my head toward him, my heart beating faster all of a sudden.
“What do you mean, who is it?”
“There’s a face in the trunk.” He points.
“Oh shit. That’s bad-ass. I didn’t even notice that.” This from Dustin.
Maddox is right. There is, but I say, “It’s not anyone specific. It’s a tree. He wanted it to look scary, and unique. This is how it came out.” And honestly, I didn’t think anyone would notice it.
He gazes down at me as though he doesn’t believe me. I turn away, unable to continue looking at him.
“You did awesome. It’s perfect,” Dustin says, excitement bouncing around in his voice.
“It’s not right…” I shake my head, looking down at it. “It’s missing something.”
Maddox leans over me and points to the paper. “Look at the branches right here. You’ve got part of something right there and you don’t know it. Are you seeing what I am?”
For a minute, I study it, trying to see what Maddox does. I squint, trying to make it out.
And that’s when I see it. All the branches together, with all the little parts sticking off, lying a certain way and somehow resembling feathers. “It’s almost a bird.”
“A crow. The black would blend right in. See this part?” Maddox points again. “Curve it a little. Make the head come around this way. Not everyone will see it, but that makes it more incredible.” He shrugs and steps back. “Only a thought. Not sure if it fits what you’re looking for but—”
“It’s perfect.” I’m seeing it in my head, on the paper, and wondering how I could have missed it before.
“What do you think?” I lean back while Dustin looks it over.
“It’s fucking awesome. I’m down.”
“Cool. Let me fix the sketch real quick.” I tell Dustin to have a seat. Maddox washes his hands before he starts getting the equipment ready for me while I lean over the paper to add Maddox’s bird, wondering how he saw it. Wishing I had. And thinking this tat would have been shit without it.
Chapter Eight
~Maddox~
I talked to Laney once and she mentioned how Adrian is always paying attention. Not that she wants to hide anything from him, but that it’s almost impossible to because he notices things. It wasn’t like I really wanted to sit and have a heart-to-heart with her about her boyfriend, but I’d listened to her, partly because he makes me curious.
I know who I am. It might not be pretty, but I’m honest about it. I’m shut down now, and honestly, I can’t imagine how he does it. I gave him shit and called him a pussy for walking out on Laney and I do believe that, but I also know he’s a better man than I am. I couldn’t be with someone if her family took from me what ours took from him.
Laney said he grew up with an abusive dad. That he kind of lived inside himself, making him see the world and other people differently. I don’t fully get it, but I guess it kind of explains how he notices more than other people do. Why he looks a little deeper.
That’s never been me, except when I had sex with Bee today I suddenly saw a part of her that is buried a little deeper.
I watched her eyes as she began to close off when we were having sex. How there was this sort of veil that separates her from other people. I’ve been with women I knew a whole lot less than I know her, yet there was still some kind of emotion, feelings. Something there that Bee doesn’t have. Or that she keeps locked away.
She lost it afterward when she gave me shit about my piercing, but then when I asked
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