Chapter 17
17
HANNAH
T he clock on my laptop read ten-fifteen a.m., but I was pretty sure it had been stuck there for the last decade. Or maybe that was just my brain, fried from trying to revise this damn pitch while I simultaneously tried not to think about Nikko.
Spoiler: I was failing miserably.
I was in this internal battle with my own brain. I wanted to not think about Nikko. But the more I told myself not to think about him, the more I thought about him.
It was the quiet. It was practically screaming his name. I got up from the small desk in my hotel room and grabbed the remote. I flipped through the channels, settling on a trashy reality show that was loud and chaotic enough to drown out my thoughts. I thought about texting him again, just to see if he was okay. But that seemed clingy, and if there was one thing I wasn’t, it was clingy. At least, that was what I kept telling myself. And it wasn’t like I was his girlfriend. I was no one to him. I was just some chick he hooked up with once. And then went out with a couple of times.
I tossed the remote onto the bed and paced around the room. The boring walls felt like they were closing in on me. Maybe a walk would clear my head. I grabbed my room key and slipped out before I could change my mind.
It sucked to be in Miami and not be able to enjoy the beauty of the beaches. I told myself a ten-minute break was all I needed to release the frustration Nikko caused. Technically, he didn’t cause the frustration. That was on me. I needed to hate the guy but he was making it very difficult.
I walked outside to the pool area. It was packed with young people wearing next to nothing. They were laughing and splashing around. I found a spot on the patio to simply stare out at the ocean.
The cool breeze mixed with the salty air was instantly calming, a sharp contrast to the chaotic energy of the pool. I leaned on the railing, letting my mind wander. Despite my attempts at distraction, Nikko kept creeping back into my thoughts. It was irritating how someone I barely knew had found such a comfortable spot in my head.
Just then, a couple nearby started arguing loudly, their voices slicing through my reverie. I rolled my eyes and decided that enough was enough. This wasn’t clearing my head at all. It was time to get my ass back to work. My career was on the line.
I stopped to get myself a tropical smoothie in the lobby before making my way back up to my room. I put my game face on. It was time to fix this pitch and make the clients happy.
I sat at the desk, the noise of the TV in the background. I chewed the end of a pen and stared at the screen. The presentation slides stared back at me, taunting me with their smug little headers. I needed to figure out how to incorporate the client’s last-minute “suggestions” without making the whole thing look like it had been thrown together by an intern. It needed to be polished.
But instead of focusing, I kept replaying last night in my head.
Nikko had this way of looking at me like he saw straight through the facade I’d spent years perfecting. It wasn’t fair. He wasn’t supposed to do that. He was supposed to stay firmly in the category of “Bad Decisions You Only Make Once,” but now? Now I was actually looking forward to our third date tonight .
I groaned and dropped my head. Who even was I anymore?
With a sigh, I pushed back from the desk and stood up, stretching out the stiffness in my shoulders. I glanced at the mirror on the wall and frowned at the woman looking back at me. She seemed tired, a little frazzled around the edges. It wasn’t a look I was used to—or liked. But then, thinking about Nikko had that effect on me. He unraveled me in ways I couldn’t quite understand yet.
I needed to get this pitch done. I managed to focus, spending a good hour cleaning things up, expanding on the client’s ideas and pulling it together.
My phone buzzed. I glanced down at the screen. I smiled when I saw it was a group video call from my girls. It was the break I needed.
I hit accept, and their faces popped up on the screen. Tara, Maddie, and Rachel were all grinning like they knew exactly what kind of existential crisis I was having.
“Lunch break gossip sesh,” Tara announced, propping her phone against a coffee cup. “Spill, Hannah. What’s going on with Hot Tattoo Guy?”
“I’m revising a pitch for work,” I said pointedly, tilting my screen to show the laptop for emphasis.
Maddie raised an eyebrow. “That’s not what we asked.”
Rachel leaned closer to her screen, her chin resting on her palm. “Yeah, what’s going on with you two ? Don’t try to dodge the question. You texted and said you guys were going out last night. How did it go?”
I sighed, knowing full well there was no escaping their interrogation. “Okay, fine,” I relented, dragging a hand through my hair. “It was… amazing. We talked for hours. I got to see a different side of him. A deeper version of the tough guy that inked his initials on my arm.”
Maddie squealed, her excitement palpable even through the screen. “I knew it! I could tell by the way you texted us after your first date that there was something different about this guy.”
“This sounds like a thing and not a fling,” Rachel said.
“Are you going to see him again?” Maddie asked .
Tara was quiet, but I could see the expression on her face. She wasn’t happy.
“Yes, we’re supposed to go out again tonight. Third date.”
Tara’s eyebrows shot up. “Third date already? Someone’s moving fast.”
“It’s not like that,” I said quickly, holding up a hand. “It’s complicated.”
Maddie snorted. “It’s always complicated. That’s how these things start. Next thing you know, you’re monogramming towels.”
“I am not monogramming towels,” I said firmly. “And for the record, I still don’t trust him. But…”
“But?” Rachel prompted her grin widening.
“But,” I admitted reluctantly, “I don’t hate him anymore.”
They were quiet, but since I could see their faces, I could pretty much see what they were all thinking. It was about three seconds before Tara burst out laughing.
“Oh no,” she said, pointing at the screen. “You’ve caught feelings. This is bad. Abort mission, Hannah. Abort!”
“I have not caught feelings,” I insisted, even as my cheeks burned.
“Uh huh,” Maddie said, clearly unconvinced. “So, what, you’re just going to keep hanging out with him for revenge? That still your big plan?”
“Yes!” I said, though even I could hear the lack of conviction in my voice.
Tara wasn’t letting up. “Hannah, come on. You’re practically glowing. You like him. Admit it.”
I groaned again, pressing the heels of my hands against my eyes. “I don’t like him. I like unraveling the mystery. He’s complicated, and it’s fascinating. That’s all.”
“Oh, honey,” Rachel said, laughing softly. “You are so screwed.”
My friends’ laughter echoed through the speakers. I felt my cheeks burning hotter. They were basically talking amongst themselves about me while I watched. A part of me wanted to confess everything. How Nikko’s smile made my stomach flip, or how his intense gaze made me feel seen in ways I hadn’t realized I was hiding from.
“Okay, okay, you vultures,” I finally surrendered, waving a hand dismissively at the screen. “Maybe I like him a little. But it doesn’t change anything.”
“Exploring things?” Rachel echoed.
“Guys, I don’t know.” I sighed.
“Bad idea,” Maddie said.
“Real bad,” Rachel agreed.
“Why?” I asked. “I just want to know about his past. There’s no harm in getting to know a guy. Find out what makes him tick.”
“Yeah, every bad boy’s past makes a girl like you want to fix him,” Tara said. “It’s a character flaw.”
“What?” I asked.
“Women are preprogrammed to nurture,” she said as if she actually knew. “We see a wounded animal, lost kid, or a damaged guy and we want to fix them.”
“It’s not that,” I said, but even my own ears could hear how weak that defense was.
Tara leaned forward. Her face filling the whole square. “He branded you. Took ownership of part of your body without your permission. How are you not still angry?”
“I am,” I said but I knew it wasn’t true anymore. How did that happen? Logically, I knew I should be pissed. But in my heart, I wasn’t. I was almost… glad.
Ew. I cringed at how toxic I was being.
I needed to try and get my friends to understand my position. “I thought I’d be able to focus, but I’m… I’m thinking about him. The whole date at the gallery, the way he looked at me, the way he kept trying to get to know me. I didn’t expect it.”
“Wait, so the bad boy is a softie underneath?” Tara teased.
“No,” I said quickly. “It’s just… different. He actually listened, Tara. He wasn’t trying to get me back in bed. Not like last time.”
Tara snorted in disbelief. “I’m sorry. Not trying to get you back in bed? Are you telling me this guy doesn’t want another round with you?”
I groaned, rolling my eyes. “Don’t start with me. I swear, you’re impossible. But no. It’s not like that. He seems more interested in me, not just my body. Like maybe he’s not just playing games this time. He didn’t try and kiss me. There was no suggestion of sex. It was like an actual date.”
Tara laughed lightly, clearly unconvinced. “Uh huh. So, what’s the game plan now? Are you falling for him, or what?”
“No!” I said, the word too loud in the quiet of my hotel room. I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. “I’m not falling for him, Tara. I’m not making that mistake again. This is about revenge. He messed up my tattoo, so I’m going to make him regret it. He’s going to fall for me, not the other way around. I need to make that happen.”
I wasn’t sure who I was trying to convince. My friends or myself.
Before I could respond, a knock at the door startled me. I frowned, glancing at my phone. “Hang on, someone’s here.”
I opened the door cautiously. No one was there, but on the floor sat a small package wrapped in plain brown paper. I picked it up, frowning, and shut the door behind me. I didn’t have to guess who sent it. It seemed to be his MO.
“What is it?” Tara asked as I sat back down on the bed.
I tore the paper off, revealing a framed print of a watercolor tattoo design. The same one from the art gallery.
My stomach did a weird flip as I stared at it. The delicate lines, the bold use of color—it was the piece I’d spent ages studying at the exhibit, the one I couldn’t stop talking about. I kept gravitating back toward the piece all night.
There was a note tucked into the frame. I unfolded it carefully.
“Thought you might like a reminder of the night you made me actually enjoy an art exhibit. See you tonight, princess. –N”
I stared at the note, my heart doing an entirely inappropriate flutter.
“Well?” Tara’s voice broke through the haze .
I held up the frame so they could see.
“Oh my God,” Maddie said, her jaw dropping. “He sent you art?”
Rachel let out a low whistle. “This guy has game.”
Tara was cackling now. “Hannah, you’re toast. Just give in already. He’s clearly into you.”
I shook my head, even as my lips twitched into a smile I couldn’t fight. “It’s not… I’m not… Ugh, I don’t know what it is, okay? All I know is, I need to get through tonight without completely losing my mind.”
“Good luck with that,” Maddie said, smirking.
“Hey, just be careful, okay? We’re not saying you can’t have fun. But don’t lose sight of what’s important. You’re amazing, Hannah. Don’t forget that.”
I swallowed hard, nodding. “Thanks, Rachel. I’ll keep that in mind.”
After we hung up, I sat with the frame in my lap, tracing the edge of the glass with my finger.
I should’ve been angry. I should’ve been focused on revenge. But instead, all I could think about was how much I was looking forward to seeing Nikko tonight.
And that was terrifying.