Page 49 of Inked Desires

“There’s nothing to say,” I reply, pulling on my arm.

I drop the bag to try to free his hand with my other.

“Do you really trust me so little? Do you really think I could do this to you, and in the studio, no less?”

“I never trusted you, and I never will,” I answer coldly.“Whatever happened between us, it’s over.”

His hand slides off my arm and he steps back slightly. His gaze changes. The anger leaves his eyes, replaced by an emptiness that pierces me. He no longer really looks at me; he seems to see right through me.

I lean down to grab my backpack. This is my chance to escape before he tries to stop me again. I dash down the hall and bolt out of the apartment. Out of the corner of my eye, I see William still there, near the table. Let them be happy together. They deserve each other.

As for me, I’ll try to stay alive as long as possible. I toss Arès’keys onto the desk, the last tie that binds me to him, and take the money from the cash register. It’s maybe not very honorable, it’s even a crime, but it’s not my first time.

I take everything: fifteen hundred dollars. It won’t get me far, but it’s better than nothing.

In a final surge of spite, I flip off the surveillance camera before leaving that bastard and his world for good.

CHAPTER 12

ARÈS

I stare at the spot where Andrew stood just seconds ago, as if reliving the same story with William. A feeling of déjà vu washes over me.

He didn’t even let me speak, didn’t take the time to listen. Does he really think I’d sleep with my ex in the studio while he’s there? Haven’t I told him enough that he’s the one who matters to me? Damn it!

I force myself to look away. Andrew is already gone. Slowly, I drag myself through the apartment. There’s no trace of him left. Every movement feels like a superhuman effort and breathing becomes almost impossible, as knives pierce my stomach.

I stop in the back room of the shop and my fists clench instinctively when I see William.

“What are you still doing here?”

He jumps, nervously tucks a strand of hair behind his ear, then starts fiddling with his fingers.

“We need to talk,” he finally says.

“Talk?” I shout, my voice full of anger.“About what? Damn it!”

“About us...”

His lip trembles slightly, tears begin to fill his eyes. I hate seeing him cry. Before, I thought it was my fault. Now, it just annoys me more than anything.

“Fine. Then explain why you groped me like I was still your damn property,” I demand.

He shifts from one foot to the other. I wait for an explanation. When he showed up, I was too shocked to push him away. It was like a memory, and my body reacted by reflex. His closeness had always calmed me. But very quickly, it felt wrong... Those weren’t the right hands on my body.

“The divorce was a mistake, Arès,” he finally admits.“You’ve changed, you’ve grown.”

I run my hand through my hair. A dull pain drums at the back of my skull.

“That has nothing to do with you,” I answer sharply.

“I know... I should have been there for you. I ran when it got too hard. I’m sorry. I swear it won’t happen again.”

I’d waited a long time for this moment. I spent months lost in my thoughts, imagining what it would feel like if only he came back to me. I dreamed of holding him again, winning him back, hearing him apologize. But now that it’s all happened, I realize it was just an illusion. He’s no longer the one I desperately desire.

Still, it feels good to hear he’s sorry. But that’s it. I don’t want him anymore. What existed between us is now the past, and I have no intention of going back.

“I’m sorry too,” I say more calmly.