when heaven and hell meet

forty five

Luci

♫:  ivy (frank ocean)

"Marcus it hurts, please slow down," I pleaded.

I lie on my side as he hovered over me. Tears threatened to escape my eyes as the pressure increased.

"I'll go slower just keep your voice down," he promised.

I squeezed my eyes shut as the needle pressed against my skin. I'll admit it probably wasn't a good idea to get a tattoo right after training, but the pain would be worth it.

Even though I only had two tattoos, they symbolized change for me. I had always gotten a new one when I felt differently about where I was in my life.

"Ow!" I screamed. The needle pressed harshly against my skin and a warm tear slipped down my cheek.

"You didn't scream this much when you got your spine done," Marcus scoffed. "This one won't be nearly as big."

"It still hurts," I mumbled.

"Stop your whining," he said. "I'm done."

He placed the wrap over the curve of my hip before helping me sit upright on the bed. I curved my head to look at the tattoo and smiled when I saw the finished product.

"It looks amazing," I smiled.

"Yeah because I did it," Marcus teased.

I rolled my eyes and pulled my shirt back down. I grabbed my phone and other items I had left on the bed, and hurried to find my shoes.

"Why're you in such a hurry?" he asked. "You can stay if you want."

"Can't," I said. "I have to train."

I checked my watch and saw that it was almost midnight. Roderick would be waiting for me in the den, so I needed to be there on time.

"You've been training a lot," he said.

I didn't miss the way his eyes narrowed at me. I refrained from rolling my eyes and slipped on my shoes.

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It's not a bad thing," he began. "I just can't help but think... never mind."

He started to pack up his tools and disregarded my presence. When Marcus avoided telling me something, I knew it was bad.

"You can't help but think, what?" I asked. I placed my hand on his shoulder to stop him from packing. "Tell me."

He sighed and placed his tools back down on the bed.

"You're getting stronger," he said. "That's great. I'm so incredibly proud of you. But I can't help but think you spend all this time training just to distract yourself and avoid Saint."

I blinked when I heard Saint's name and shook my head. Talking about Saint with anyone was not something I liked to do. They already had a negative opinion of him, and I didn't want my hostility toward him at the moment to add to that.

"I'm just trying to get stronger," I said. "It has nothing to do with Saint."

"Don't make me laugh, Luci," he snickered. "It has everything to do with him."

He finished packing his tools and set them carefully on the floor. He sat back on the bed and patted the spot next to him. When I sat down, he sighed and rubbed his temples.

"You and Saint have a... complicated history," began. "I don't like him for you, but I cannot force you to love someone else."

The word "love" made my heart pang. Although it was unnerving to hear, I remained silent and chose not to correct him.