Page 51 of Inked Desires

“Are you going to try to get him back?”

I stare at the white ceiling as if an answer would appear there. But there’s nothing—just emptiness.

“No. If he wanted me in his life, he would have said so,” I finally answer.

I can’t force him to share my feelings or stay with me. He always made it clear it wasn’t serious. He knew from the start he would leave town someday. William just gave him an easier excuse. If Andrew felt the same for me, he would have listened. It’s over. Maybe it’s better this way for both of us.

“Are you going to start drinking again?” my best friend asks, pulling me from my thoughts.

I take a moment to think. No. I don’t feel the need to drown myself in whiskey again. I’ve lived through that enough.

“No. A few new toys, and I’ll be myself again,” I reassure him with a forced smile.

“Want to just move on right away?” he asks, surprised.

It’s still the best solution. A new story to forget the previous one. My body needs to recover fast.

“That’s helped me so far, hasn’t it?” I point out.

He runs a nervous hand through his hair. He doesn’t seem convinced but is smart enough to say nothing. He probably prefers me sleeping with others rather than having to pick me up again to save the shop.

“Alright. And what about Jace? Should I just give up?”

“What exactly did you learn?”

“He faked Andrew’s death just to avoid saying where he was.”

I tap my thigh, letting his words echo in my mind.

“In that case, he won’t look for him anymore. To me, that’s a clear message.”

Kiran looks at me, clearly not convinced.

“I’m not sure. It could be a warning. Nobody officially declares someone dead that fast. He wants him to know. He probably paid people to make it happen.”

I take a deep breath. How can I help if I don’t even know where he is?

“Stop seeing evil everywhere. Anyway, it’s no longer my problem,” I say, brushing off his worries.

I stand and leave the room. I don’t want to talk about Andrew or my feelings anymore. I’m not the type to wallow. He only bruised my ego, nothing more.

Yet that damn weight on my chest refuses to disappear. I hoped too much, and now I have to deal with the consequences.

When I reach the office, I freeze. An uncontrollable laugh bursts from my throat. I sit down, laughing almost hysterically. This is one hell of a joke.

“What’s making you laugh?” Kiran asks from across the room.

“That idiot emptied my cash register,” I say, still giggling.

“What?”

“He stole from me! Today’s earnings, change... everything’s gone!” I shout, my laughter turning into rage.

Without thinking, I sweep everything off the desk. My fist slams down on the wood again and again. I want to feel pain, but it doesn’t come. I feel numb, furious, restless.

A firm grip on my shoulders forces me to stop. Kiran holds me back, pushing me to sit down.

“Look what you did. The screen and keyboard are busted. Now you’ll have to replace everything,” he grumbles.