Page 4 of A Little Crush
“Hey, is that a new tattoo?” Lia motions to a large piece on his side. A mean looking rhino blends in perfectly with the lion on his chest and the phoenix along his ribs.
Ev looks down. His mouth lifts. “Oh, yeah. That one. Raine did it a few weeks back. Gotta fit them in before the season starts.”
Raine explains, “We don’t want his pads to mess with the healing process. And sweat?” She tsks. “Yeah, not so great when it comes to fresh tattoos.”
“Noted,” I say. “I assume that means the new shop is going well?”
Raine smiles. “Yeah, it’s kind of crazy, actually. We’rebooked out for a solid two months. Seems Etch ‘N’ Ink’s reputation precedes itself.”
“That and your own work,” Everett adds, wrapping his arm around his wife’s waist before pulling her in for a playful kiss. “When Raine announced she was wrapping up at the new location, people lost their minds and caused their website to crash because of everyone trying to make an appointment before her last day.”
After Raine joined her dad’s team at Etch ‘N’ Ink, people started flying in from all over the country to book an appointment with anyone from the shop and—more specifically—Raine, herself. Because her dad’s an excellent businessman as well as an artist, he suggested they expand to meet customer demand. Now, Raine travels to different places in the US, builds new tattoo parlors from the ground up, hires and trains different artists, and makes sure they live up to Etch ‘N’ Ink’s brand before giving it her stamp of approval and doing it all over again at a new location. It’s crazy and inspiring, and I couldn’t be happier for them. But what’s more? To help support his wife, Everett’s put in multiple trade requests over the years so he can be wherever she is, watch his wife thrive, and maintain their rock-solid relationship. Seriously. It’s incredible, but my favorite part is how they’re finally settling back in Lockwood Heights so Everett can play for the Lions with Griffin and Reeves under Jaxon’s supervision.
“So, what are you going to do when you run out of blank skin?” Ophelia chimes in. “Seems like you’re already close to it.”
Everett’s smile widens. “There are still a few places she can mark.”
Smacking his chest, Raine rolls her eyes. “And on that note, I’m going to take a dip in the pool. You coming?”
“Hell, yeah,” Everett returns.
“Me, too,” Finley decides, turning to Lia. “As long as you’re good with holding Callie for a little longer?”
“Yeah, no problem,” Lia answers.
“Thanks. You’re the best.” Standing up, Finley jumps in next to her husband, stealing Macky from Griffin’s grasp. As her fingers dig into her toddler’s sides, Macky squeals in delight.
“You comin’, Rore?” Raine asks me.
I look at the cool blue water, then decide, “I’m going to use the restroom first, but I’ll be back.”
“Sounds good,” Raine replies. “Don’t be long. I’ve missed you. We need to catch up.”
“Yeah, definitely,” I return. And she’s right. Living outside of Lockwood Heights when everyone else is very much inside Lockwood Heights—even if it’s only metaphorically for certain individuals—has a way of keeping distance. Despite always saying it’s for the best,—the less opportunities for uncomfortable encounters with Jaxon, the better—it does make gatherings like this feel a little like you’re the third, er fifteenth, wheel sometimes.
Making my way up the steps, I run into a very pregnant Dylan, her husband, Reeves, and their two little boys, Eli and Parker. Trailing behind them are my mom, my dad, Aunt Kate and Uncle Macklin. Pretty sure hugs are like confetti at this point as I pass them around until finally reaching the blissfully empty kitchen. Resting my back against the closed sliding glass door, I take a deep breath, reminding myself this is only the beginning of a very jam-packed week.
I love everyone more than anything, but it’s…a lot. Pretending like everything’s okay. Like a simple run-in—hell, it wasn’t even a run-in—with a certain someone isn’t enough to knock me on my ass or leave me feeling completely off-kilter like I do right now despite my best attempts to act normal and unaffected. I wonder where he is now.
Don’t think about him.
It doesn’t matter.
Heading to the restroom, I do my business and wash up in the sink. The cool water feels good against my hands, and I bend forward, splashing it against my face.
I wonder if Tatum saw right through me. If she could feel how distracted I was after my little…whatever the hell it was with Jaxon before he disappeared. Was he upset to see me? Can I blame him if he was? Probably not. One thing is very clear. This is even harder than I thought it would be, which is kind of ridiculous, all things considered. Instead, here I am. Hiding in the bathroom. Terrified that, by the time I make it back to the pool, he’ll be there. With his wife. And I’ll be…I’ll be the same pathetic girl who ran out of Lockwood Heights all those years ago.
Don’t think about him.
With a deep breath, I pick up the soap bottle, rinse it under the faucet to get rid of any potential soap scum build-up, then set it back down. I shouldn’t. I know it’s a compulsion. But it’s one of the few I don’t fight, well aware that, in the big scheme of things, it ranks low on the totem pole in regards to my obsessive compulsive disorder. After drying my hands, I grab my swim towel from beside the sink and open the door, stopping short.
“Shit,” I breathe out.
“Sorry.” A shy Jaxon stands in front of me squeezing the back of his neck. “I needed to?—”
“Yeah, of course.” Stepping aside, I give him space to enter the bathroom, but he doesn’t budge.
Of course, he doesn’t.
