Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 82271 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82271 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“I’m a lawyer for your label, I have no choice but to know every single thing about you.” She shoves the hat against my chest, but I can tell she’s flustered. I like that. “Now put it on, it’s the perfect disguise, better than whatever the hell you have on right now,” She flips the black cap off my head. “I mean really? You just scream K-pop idol with your black mask and black hat. Well either that or serial killer.”
“I kind of want to kill you right now if I have to wear this.”
“See! I cheered you up already.” She laughs at me and playfully punches me on the arm before touching the hat in my lap.
I accidentally graze her hand when I reach down to pick it up and get caught staring down at our fingers. My blood rushes.
Touching her does things to me. It makes me lose all sense of logic. It makes me want to throw away everything I’ve worked for.
And just…
Be.
With.
Her.
I let out a breath. Damn. I have to get it under control. I focus on her hands instead. Not her lips. Just her beautiful hands.
Her nails are a perfect white. Her fingers, long and slender. Delicate and fragile, but I know she’s anything but. I just want to reach out and grab them and pull her into my embrace. But I can’t. She’s so close and so far at the same time.
Like she can feel my energy, the raging emotions percolating inside, she jerks her hands back and folds them demurely in her lap. Prim and proper like it should be. “Ready?”
I aggressively shove the hat over my head. “I swear if someone recognizes me in this I’m going to tell them you kidnapped me and forced your favorite baseball team on me when we all know the Red Sox are better.”
“Oh come on!” She slams the steering wheel. “This again?”
“Yes, this again, and you know it!”
Her smile is all I need.
It’s like an infusion to my soul.
But I don’t touch her.
I can’t touch her.
She’s not mine to touch.
Instead, I clear my throat and reach for the door. “What am I getting today?”
It’s a game we play.
She’s the one to tell me what’s important to me—what small object to put on my new sleeve—making it a crazy mixture of tons of different tattoos that make no sense to anyone.
Anyone but us.
It’s our secret.
And it’s as far as anything outside our friendship goes.
How depressing.
I open the car door and get out.
She follows and we walk to Underground Ink.
The door is open, but the sign says closed.
I wait while Ari switches to English with the owner. “He just wants something small.”
Tyler peers around her. “I actually already planned for something, want a surprise? I knew you’d be back after a few months.”
I nod and speak in English. “Yes, let’s do it.”
He gives me a thumbs up, and I just trust him as I walk further into the shop and sit down while Ari pulls out a chair next to us.
He puts the stencil on my skin while Ari checks her phone. Everything is normal, the pain isn’t bad, and he’s done in like, fifteen minutes.
I haven’t even looked yet, it’s on my wrist so I’m bleeding a bit because of the shallow veins, he covers it with saran wrap and tape after rubbing Vaseline all over it. “Don’t get it wet until tomorrow night.”
“Yup.” I get up and freeze when I look down at my wrist.
Ari grabs my shoulder. “Are you okay? Did you need more food?”
I tuck my sweatshirt over my wrist. “I’m fine.”
“Okay,” She perks up, “Let me start the car, wait here.”
I tug my sleeve while he runs my card and whisper to him. “Why?”
“You know.” He says under his breath. “You should at least have one part of her imprinted on you that’s physical.”
Was that supposed to be uplifting? I take my card and leave as it starts to rain.
“So, what did you get?” She asks once I’m back in the car buckling up my seatbelt and sinking as per usual down into the seat.
I shake my head and tug the stupid Yankees hat down over my eyes. “It’s a secret.”
She’s used to that.
But I’m not used to what’s permanently inked on my wrist.
It’s a beautiful A over a small heart, with a star on the side that represents profit, gain, and wishing.
Tyler gave me what I’ll never have.
He gave me Ari.
Chapter Two
Ari
I don’t tell him how much I do actually miss him.
How often I think of him. And what he does to my insides. Or how I can feel him. How connected I am to his energy. How I know he’s struggling. I told myself I was going to the dorm to check on my brother, but something told me Sookie needed me more. And the thought of him suffering in any way did something to my heart. It hurts if I think he’s struggling or sad. He’s young for an idol, and he’s popular beyond belief. Fans are obsessed with him to the point that he gets death threats if he doesn’t respond to them in the way they want. I haven’t told him that I’ve been hired on with the bands management for the past two months, or about the things I’ve seen.