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“I’m a communications minor. I had class.” He looks me over and I avert my gaze, not wanting him to see the tears. He lifts my chin and scowls. “Who the fuck made you cry?”

“No one.”

He smears a tear across my cheek with his thumb. “Bullshit. You running from someone?”

I shake my head, and realize his touch made my heartrate shift from fear to something else. Something that makes my body warm and flush with the memory of the night before. “What are you doing right now?”

“Other than kicking someone’s ass, nothing.” His jaw tics. “Why?”

I take a deep breath and confess, “I need a safe space.”

10

Nadia

Axel takesmy hand as we climb the porch stairs. I can feel the energy rolling off of him.

“Ready?” he asks, looking down at me, a glimmer in his green eyes.

“Not even remotely.”

When I asked Axel to take me somewhere ‘safe’ I didn’t think it would be to the old house on the edge of the business district. The one with the neon sign in the window announcing the name of the shop: Permanent Record.

It’s a tattoo and piercing parlor.

“This isn’t what I was thinking, when I said I needed a safe space.”

“Me either, T,” he opens the door, and a bell chimes overhead, “but the other option included the two of us getting naked and I don’t think that’s what you had in mind.”

He’d be wrong about that, I think, but don’t say, as I walk in behind him. Getting naked with Axel is exactly what I’d had in mind. I’d wanted to go back to one of our houses, let him peel offall my clothes, and forget about stupid boys and epic fuck-ups. Of course, that decision would have added another to the list.

I hate it when he’s right.

We step inside a small foyer, that doesn’t look like it’s changed since it was a home. A glass chandelier hangs overhead and a massive coat rack takes up one wall. There’s a room to the right and left. To the right is a sitting room, filled with comfortable looking seating and gorgeous artwork on the walls.

“So this is your safe space?” I ask, peering at one of the drawings.

“It’s relaxing,” he says.

“Having a needle jabbing into your skin is relaxing?” I ask in disbelief.

“I know it sounds weird, but it’s true. The pain isn’t that bad and after a while it becomes kind of soothing. I go into this, like, meditative space.”

I stare at him, trying to figure out if he’s messing with me. The expression on his face, tells me he’s not. “God, you’re weird.”

“Unique.” He gives me a cheeky grin. “At least that’s what my mother calls it.”

He looks over my head and I turn, seeing someone walking across the foyer.

“Hey man.” A guy with spiked hair and tattoos twisting up his neck. He grins, thrusting his hand out. Axel takes it, smiling back. “Didn’t see you on the appointment books.”

“Hoping for a walk-in. It’s for something small.” He grabs me by the wrist and pulls me next to him. “Tony, this is Nadia. Nadia, this is Tony, my tattooist.” He grins. “We’re kind of in a committed relationship.”

“We’re not–” I start, taking a beat too long to realize Axel is talking about Tony and not me. “Oh, right.”

“Although,” Axel adds with a sexy grin, “Nadia and I have a special thing going on too.”

“Nice to meet you, Nadia.” Tony looks me over and I feel oddly insecure, not like he’s checking me out, but noticing how bare my skin is. “I have a little time if you want to get something after I’m finished with Ax.”