All We Were

Matching Ink.

The impromptu girls day was so successful.

Sprig had managed to catch up on Chyanne's life and in the process Chyanne had lifted her sister further out of her current life crisis.

Time had slipped passed them during lunch and now it was time to head over to the tattoo shop.

It was relatively close to the cafe in downtown Phoenix, so they decided to walk to the shop.

Chyanne opened the ship's door and Sprig walked in laughing... Until her eyes locked onto Caleb's.

Of course, life couldn't just give her one easy day. Coldly she walked in and up to the counter. She debated just cancelling but she was already here.

Chyanne was next to her now and she leaned in, "Sprig is tha---"
Sprig nodded and smiled when one of the artists came to talk to her.

They exchanged a few words and he assured her that they'd be ready in a few minutes.

She had made her mind up to just pretend Caleb Spencer didn't exist, but when she felt him close, smelled his own unique smell mixed with his cologne, it was hard to pretend he didn't exist.

"Why do you have to smell so damn good?" Shit! Had she actually said that out loud? When he laughed, she grimaced. Great, so much for actually ignoring him.

"Well, I suppose smelling good is a better alternative to smelling like stinky ass. You think I smell good?" He looked her with amusement.

She nodded. What could she do? Lie? Well, she could but she didn't want to.

Chyanne butted inbetween them."Well, you kinda smell a little too good. Like you doused yourself in the whole damn bottle."

"Uh, nice to see you too Chyanne, always so chipper."

"Damn straight. I figured you'd have been far away from Phoenix by now. Why the sudden need to come back?" Chyanne was definitely being cold.

Half of Sprig wanted to high five her sister but the other half felt bad for Caleb. He was an ass, but he was her ass and she could deal with him.

"He picked up a job here and took it. He's worked all over the country up until now."

"I've always lived here though. I bought a house awhile back but been too busy to actually live in it until now."

Well, that surprised her, but then it didn't. She remembered his house but figured it was just a rental.

Chyanne looked at Sprig and Sprig mentally communicated that it was alright. Chyanne just shrugged and backed off.

Chyanne's phone started buzzing, so she dug it out and looked at it. "Hello? Yeah, no I--hold on." Covering the mouth piece she looked at Sprig, "I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to bail out Sprig. This seems like an important job so I have to take it."

"It's okay, just go okay? I'll be fine, I promise."

Chyanne turned and exited the shop still trying to get a word in edgewise on the phone.

Now she was alone with Caleb again. Today was going downhill quickly.

"What brings you here?" She was trying to look everywhere else but at him. She wasn't ready. Not yet.

"Friends said this was the place for ink. I needed something new so I came here." He shrugged and picked up a flash book. "What about you?"

"It's therapy for me. I like pretty stuff to look at on my body." She rubbed her arms, suddenly nervous. Why the fuck was she nervous?