Page 28 of Inked Desires

I roll my eyes, silently praying for divine intervention that doesn’t come.

“Stay here,” I say, grabbing William’s arm to lead him away. We’ll talk later. No way I’m explaining myself in front of him.

“What are you doing here?” I ask William.

“The real question is, what are you doing here? You need a damn shrink, Arès. He could be my brother!”

I run my hands over my temples to calm down.

“None of your business. Why are you here?”

He holds up an envelope. Only now do I notice it.

“Divorce papers,” he grumbles.

I bury my face in my hands and massage my temples, trying not to explode.

“I told you to send them, not hand them to me in person!”

He steps back a few paces, keeping his distance. He’s scared of me again, and it drives me mad. I’ve never done anything to him. His fear is totally unfounded.

“I wanted to see how you were,” he murmurs.

I snatch the envelope from his hands and head to the table.

“I’m fine,” I reply coldly.“Next time you get nostalgic, call me, but don’t set foot here again.”

I pull the papers from the envelope and skim them quickly. He doesn’t want anything from me. He just wants to erase me from his life. No surprise there. When we split, he was clear before he fled.

“You’re the one not doing well. Otherwise, how do you explain having my double in your shop?”

I grab a pen and sign the divorce papers in one stroke.

“Still none of your business, darling,” I say bitterly, inadvertently using his old nickname.

I bite my tongue, annoyed. It wasn’t intentional, just an old habit.

I put the papers back in the envelope and shove it into his hands.

“Now you have everything you need. Get out,” I demand.

“You really want to get rid of me that fast?” he asks softly, hurt.

His question, even innocent, sets something off inside me. A long-buried anger resurfaces.

“What do you want me to say, William?” I yell.“You couldn’t handle my return after deployment. I was too much for you. Too angry. Too quiet.

“When I found a way to vent, to rebuild myself, you decided I worked too much. You left, and for two years, you never tried to reach me.

“You thought I’d wait for you forever? You broke my heart, damn it! And now, I don’t need anyone to fix it.”

He stares at me, wide-eyed, surprised by my honesty. He didn’t expect that. I’d always preferred silence to confrontation. And even now, I don’t want to talk anymore.

“Go away, please,” I say, drained, worn out by all this.

I leave him there, unable to bear his presence any longer. His face is an open window to too many memories I’m not ready to face.

Passing by Andrew, I glance sideways.