Jasper (Love In Ink #3)

1. Chapter 1

Ugh, why did I go out last night? My head is splitting and my stomach is one bad smell away from emptying its contents on Ink Me’s pristine white floors. Jaxon would kill me if he were here.

I hit one of the light switches at my workstation, dimming the brightness.

Fuck, that’s better.

Billy called last night and tried to convince me to go out to the club. It didn’t take much convincing since I was in the mood to let loose, and the number of drinks I had reflected that. Those little pills he handed me when I arrived didn’t help either.

I know last night was… irresponsible. The pounding in my head wholeheartedly agrees. Ugh, I need to stop answering when he calls. Just a couple more hours and I can go home and get some sleep. Lots of sleep.

Mira ushers in my next client. Thankfully, it’s just a piercing. I don’t know if I could handle the constant buzzing of the tattoo gun.

She’s young, a college student, and wants a nose ring. Her mother is going to be pissed, but hey, I’m not here to judge. The entire process only takes fifteen minutes and most of that’s set up.

By the time she’s walking out the door with a smile on her face, my head is down to a small thud, and my stomach only wants to revolt slightly . I’m calling it a win.

Bending down, I pull open the bottom drawer at my station. Everything goes a little woozy, so I quickly straighten and grab the counter. I close my eyes, waiting for the feeling to pass.

So maybe not a win.

Once I have my bearings again, I go about sanitizing my station before putting the cleaning solution back in the drawer under my desk. As soon as I stand back up. Everything goes dizzy again. This time, I can hear the blood rushing through my ears and feel my heart beating in my chest.

Then everything goes quiet and my vision goes dark.

When I come to, I’m on the floor with my piercing tray and instruments scattered around me. My head hurts.

Ouch! Motherfucker!

Mira runs to my station. “Oh my God, Jasper. What happened?” Dom comes in next, “Jasper?”

“I’m fine, really. I got a little dizzy and maybe fainted. ”

“Mira, call 911.”

“You don’t need to call 911, really I’m…”

“Mira, call 911.” Knowing Dom won’t budge on this, I whisper a silent curse. “Shit.”

“Can you stand?” he asks.

“Yes, I can stand.” Geesh, everyone is overreacting. I move to get up, trying to hide just how unsteady on my feet I really am.

Dom hovers over me, ready to catch me, but at least he’s nice enough to let me do it on my own.

“You need to sit. Hop up onto the table.”

“Yes, Sir. Mr. Dom ,” I exaggerate his name.

“Well, good to know you still have your feistiness.”

Hopping up onto the table, I kick my legs like a four-year-old. “I don’t need an ambulance,” I say, which comes out as more of a whine.

“I’m not saying you do, just that you should be checked out before you go anywhere.”

“Fine.” I roll my eyes.

“He’s back here,” Mira says as she rounds the corner.

Dom moves to stand off to the side as a small twink of a thing comes in like he owns the place, setting a bag of who knows what on my desk.

“Sir, can you tell me what happened?” I snort and Dom shakes his head at me. Come on! Sir? It’s funny.

“I just got a little dizzy and lost my footing,” I say.

He looks around the room. “Did you hit your head on anything?”

“I don’t know. I wasn’t exactly conscious as I fell.”

He takes both of his hands and starts feeling around my head. “Ouch,” I say when he hits a particular spot that’s tender.

He gives me a look. “So maybe?” I shrug .

He pulls a small flashlight out before aiming it right for my eyes. That’s not very nice. He should be fired.

When he’s done doing all these little tests, he straps a blood pressure cuff on my arm. “I need to get a blood pressure reading. If you hit your head and got a concussion, the best place for you to get checked out is the hospital.”

“I’m fine, really. My head doesn’t even hurt.” Lie .

“Well, your blood pressure is high. Are you on any medication for it?”

“Ahhh, no.” I don’t even know when the last time I had my blood pressure checked.

“I want you to just sit here for a bit. I’m going to grab some paperwork.”

The twink with an ass for days leaves, and I close my eyes, leaning my head back. I just need a minute.

I don’t get long because someone clears their throat. I crack open one eye and see Jaxon standing in the doorway. Fuck, he’s supposed to be at the fundraiser with Alex.

“I’m fine really,” I tell him, blowing out a big breath. He looks to Dom, who I’m pretty sure is conspiring against me.

Then there’s another round of commotion. Oh, come on, people. Now what?

“Oh, my God! What happened?”

Fuuuuuck me.

Olly pushes past Jaxon, and I roll my eyes. If I could read Jaxon’s shrug, I bet it says, ‘ It sucks to be you .’

Whatever, traitor!

I can tell he’s come straight from the restaurant with his greasy jeans, his trusty flannel shirt, and backward baseball cap. Not that Olly plays baseball .

Look, I like Olly and have developed somewhat of an obsession with him. But that’s beside the point. I don’t need him being all worried about me. Something’s going on with him and I think it’s something to do with The Diner. Which means he has enough on his plate. Plus, Olly can be…

“Olly, I’m fine, really!” I tell him.

The pain from the slap to my arm is nothing, but still… Ouch. “The hell you are, Jasper. You look like shit.” Double ouch!

“Gee, thanks,” I grumble, making Dom and Jaxon stifle a laugh.

“I’m sorry, that was harsh of me, but Jasper…”

And saved by the twink. “Okay, I think we are all done here,” he says, coming over and taking off the blood pressure cuff. “Since you refuse to get checked out at the hospital, you need to follow up with your doctor.”

Olly scoffs. Damn it.

“And you need to take it easy for the next couple of days. Don’t do any strenuous activities and try to keep your heart rate down. Also, because you hit your head, it would be smart to have someone stay with you tonight.” He squeezes my arm. What is that look on Olly’s face? Oh, is that…? “And call your doctor,” he says as he leaves.

I hold up my hands. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“The hell you don’t!” Olly shouts, frustration clear on his face. I flinch at the volume. I’ve never seen him this upset. I mean, we bicker… a lot, but I’ve never seen him as angry as he is right now.

He softens his tone. “You don’t have to take risks all the time Jasper, please…I’ll stay with you.”

I need to take the risks. Something they will never understand. Something he will never understand. None of it matters because, deep down, I know he’s right. Olly will always be right. Feel right .

Fine.

“Okay,” I say, hopping off the table, playing it cool even as I wobble on my feet. I’m ready to fucking leave.

Jaxon stops me. “I don’t want to see you back here for at least three days,” he says before giving me a hug.

Awkward.

“Jaxon, I’m fine. Really. I just didn’t get a lot of sleep the last few nights.” I should have stayed home.

“Fine, two days. I don’t want to see your ass back here for two days.”

I guess it’s better than three.

“Okay, fine, two days,” I concede. “But everyone loves my ass. It will be missed!”

“I’m parked out back,” Olly says, coming up beside me as I grab my jacket. My baby. My prized possession.

I blow out a breath. “Okay, Olly, let’s go.”

This is going to be a long night.