“Thank you!” I squeal and hug them all back. “The tattoo artist will be here tomorrow at ten.”
Sean pulls back. “He’s coming here?”
“She is.” I smile. “She just started her own business, so she’ll do them for free. Isn’t that great?”
My brothers freeze, their eyes as wide as saucers like I just gave them a death sentence.
Mission accomplished.
***
I can barely pull myself out of bed the next morning. I stayed up all night, waiting for Grant to text or call. Something. But every minute that ticks by without a word from him cuts into my heart a little more.
All night long, I distracted myself by thinking about this prank, so I didn’t have to worry about Grant. But he’s still the only thing on my mind. Even as I’m about to get a needle stuck in me that looks more like a syringe.
Yes, I had talked to Juliet’s roommate Karli about her help for this prank. And now I feel bad for saying I didn’t like her. She understood her assignment.
“I don’t think those needles are clean, Lennox,” Trent says, halfway hiding behind me like Karli is a wild animal who might just rip his heart out.
Actually, she might.
“Sure they are,” I say. “Right Karli?”
She gives me a dumbfounded look. “Are they supposed to be?”
“Yes, they’re supposed to be!” Sean yells. Ever since Karli got here, my brothers have been nervously pacing the living room, though none of them will come right out and admit they’re scared.
Revenge is so sweet.
“Fine,” Karli grumbles. “So picky.” She picks up the stack of needles and carries them into the kitchen.
How are the guys even buying this? What kind of tattoo artist carries around a box full of needles? I have no idea. Maybe they all do.
“Lennox.” Michael turns to me as soon as she’s out of sight. “Let’s maybe do this next year for Christmas, huh?”
I paste on a frown. “I thought you were all willing to do this with me.”
“We are,” Michael says quickly.
“But not with this chick,” Sean adds.
“She’ll kill us all,” Trent says.
She most definitely will. I keep this little tidbit of information to myself, though.
“You big babies.” Grandma hollers from the couch that she’s been sitting on for the last hour, watching my brothers with glee. “A little tattoo is nothing to be afraid of. I can show you a real scar.” She stands and turns around, reaching for her waistband.
We all scream and turn away.
“Man up.” She cackles, and we wait a solid minute before turning back around so we glimpse something bound to scar us forever.
Karli walks back into the living room with the same stack of needles. “They’re as clean as they’ll ever be.”
My brothers send me pleading looks, but I smile at Karli. “Michael wants to go first.”
Micheal’s eyes go wide and he reaches for his fiancé who is across the room. She ignores his pleas and takes a bite of a fresh cinnamon roll. “Ooh can ooh it,” she cheers with her mouth full.
Michael takes a deep breath and sits down on the folding chair we brought out just for the occasion.
