3. Ian #2
“Thanks for the book, Noah.” Julian holds it up.
“Take good care of her!” Noah gives Anna a big hug then goes over and gives a big one to Julian.
“Thanks, man.” Jamie gives me a careful hug.
“Take it easy tomorrow, alright.” Jamie nods sleepily.
I know the adrenaline is probably already fading fast. Jamie grabs me in for another hug and attempts to shove money into my pocket.
He’s pushy, so I give in and take the money, knowing I’ll use it to feed him when he comes up to do the mural next month.
I think he’s going to hug me again but instead he leans in.
“He looks at you when you aren’t looking.”
Before I can ask what the fuck he’s talking about, Jamie is joined by Noah, who carefully puts his arm around his waist.
What the hell was that about?
Jamie leaves and I try to shake the words from my mind.
There’s nothing there between us. So what if I’ve noticed how toned Julian’s arms are, or how sometimes, when he leans over his station, I admire the way his jeans fit his ass.
Or how there’s a tightness that grows in my chest when Elijah comes in for tattoos and leaves with Julian after he’s done working.
The door opens again and it’s like my thoughts have summoned him.
Julian looks up, confused, then smiles when he sees Elijah walk over to his station.
Stupid Elijah. I don’t know much about him but they’ve been friends for a bit now.
Elijah’s a Korean man who’s an EMT about an hour from here.
He’s transferring hospitals and is moving here in the next couple of months, but for now he’s still going between his old place and his new job and apartment here.
He’s nice enough. Handsome. Stupidly handsome. Julian’s been working on a sleeve for him.
Working on some other shit too that is absolutely not making me jealous.
“Hey, Ian.” Elijah gives me a small wave.
“Hi.” I clean up my station and ignore their conversation, but I feel eyes on me and look over to see Anna glaring at me. Because I am a mature adult, I do the right thing.
I flip her off.
She bites the air with a manic smile. Our phone trills, splitting the air, and Anna spins around in her chair like a tilt-a-whirl. “Are you going to get that?”
“Get what?”
“Anna. The phone. Now!”
“You know I don’t like talking on the phone, Ian.”
“It’s literally your one job. Answer it.” With an exaggerated sigh that I swear rattles the shop, she picks up the phone, glaring at me as she speaks to the poor soul on the other end.
“Hey.” I look up at Julian’s voice. “Do you mind if I head out? I don’t have any more appointments.”
“Uh, yeah. Whatever.” My smile feels too tight, my voice too high. I just want to close up and not talk to anyone.
“See you tomorrow.” Julian’s soft eyes land on mine.
“Yeah, see ya.”
My eyes lift and I watch Julian close out his station and walk out with Elijah. The door jingles behind them and my hackles rise as I put away my supplies and set up for the next client. “Stop staring at me, Anna, I’m not interested.”
“Oh, baby.” Anna bounces over to my station. “I am a ride you would not survive.”
“Anna, you are ride that would malfunction halfway through and most likely sever one if not all of my limbs.”
She hops into my chair as I clean up. I try to ignore her, but it’s hard. Like trying to ignore a poltergeist so you don’t give it more power. “What are you doing tonight besides not getting railed by Julian—”
“Anna—”
She pops her face into my line of sight. “That’s Elijah’s night.”
“Shut up,” I snap, harsher than I mean. “Sorry.” I shake my head.
“Almost done today. Then just going to catch up on sleep. I have a tattoo I need to draw for tomorrow anyway.” I’ll check in with Jamie before the shop opens tomorrow.
A tattoo that large is draining for the healthiest person so he’s going to be a mess.
I wonder if Maddox would have done it. I’m confident I can finish it.
The scars are thick, but they’re not even close to as bad as the ones on his chest.
Jamie told me metal from the jeep had pierced his skin. Just inches in the wrong direction and he would have been gone too. It’s a miracle he’s still here.
“Ian—”
“No.” I blink at her. “Just stop.” I take a breath. “I’ll close up if you want to go home.”
“Who’s going to answer the phone?”
“Is there really a difference between you being here or not?”
“True.” Anna stares at me for a moment before she thankfully concedes.
“Fine. I’ll see you Monday.” I feel silence stretch between us.
I look up and she’s standing there. “Ian.” It’s very rare that I see Anna serious.
In fact, I’ve only seen her serious two other times in my life—the day Maddox died and his funeral. Which is why my chest squeezes.
“What, Grems?”
“It’s okay if you like him.”
Not this again. “Stop—”
“He would’ve wanted you to move on.”
“Anna—”
“Just remember. I knew him better than you did—”
“Not right now.” My teeth clench.
“Ian—”
“Please, just stop.” My throat grows tight. “Stop. I’ll see you Monday.”
She stares at me a moment before she packs her things and leaves without saying another word. Tomorrow we’re usually closed, but the last few months I’ve stayed open to make a dent in our waitlist. It has to let up soon. At first I’d needed the work and distraction, but it’s getting heavier now.
While I wait for my next appointment, all I do is think about what Anna said.
The thing is, I know Maddox would understand if I moved on.
It’s not like I haven’t tried. I have, a few times. But every single time I do I panic. When I try with other people my mind always goes to him. My mind is always on him.
His memory never fades, it only gets sharper.