Page 78 of The Devil's Tattoo

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After the show,everyone seemed determined to enjoy the last two shows together, so we all went to a bar down thestreet.

We weren’t sure what we were doing next, but Louie had said The Stabs were going to Europe in a few weeks, and all that did was make me worry more. Things were still a little weird with Will, especially after the way he’d seemed to screw me into submissionearlier.

As with everything that happened with us, things had gone up and down just as fast in the last day. An incredible high followed by a sickening low. Nothing was ever simple where Will Strickland was concerned, and I knew it the first time I laid eyes on him all thosemonthsago.

As we stood at the bar, the music loud around us, I tried to put on a happy face, talking to the guys and making an effort to socialize. Pretending. It wasn’t long before I couldn’t take it and askedagain.

Pulling Will aside, I asked, “Areyou telling me the whole truth?” He went to embrace me, but I jerked away, determined not to be put offagain.

“Zoe.”

“You can’t screw me intosilence,Will.”

He let out a strangled moan and pulled me into him. “I’msorry,Zo.”

“What’s wrong? You’re really fuckingscaringme.”

He hesitated but finally came out with, “I didn’t know if you’d still want this after the tour was over. I was worked up about it all day yesterday, and I let it get to me instead of just asking you. When we got back, I didn’t want to give you the chance to dump me, so Ibolted.”

“Iwouldn’t…”

“I guess I panicked.” He shrugged, eyesdowncast.

I cupped his face, my thumb rasping across his stubble. “I don’t want thistoend.”

He closed his eyes and sighed, leaning into myhand. “Good.”

“What a stupid thing tothink.”

He opened his eyes, a smile crossing his face. This time, when he kissed me, it was the Will I remembered. My heart fluttered a little in my chest, and I began to feelbetter.

“Let me buy you another drink,” he said, turning towardthebar.

“I still have awholehalf.”

“So? I’ll get you whateveryouwant.”

“Whatever, huh?” I smiled, the mood suddenly lighter. Nodding, he began to move off but hesitated, making me bump into hisback. “Ow.”

Will was looking across the bar at something and frowned, biting his bottom lip, and I’d come to know it was a tell. He was worked up aboutsomething.

“What is it?” I asked, squeezinghisarm.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” he said without looking at me and walked off into the crowd. It was still in the tone of that weird, out-of-character funk he’d been in. I began to panic a little, thinking I’d done something this time, but I saw him grab the arm of a pretty-looking brunette and start talking with her. She was as tall as he was with short spiky hair and looked very slim for her height. All those things I had thought we’d just put to rest camefloodingback.

Pete was standing at the bar beside me, so I asked, “Who’sthat?”

“That’s Mish,” he said as he glanced acrosstheroom.

“And who’s Mish?” I tried to cover my annoyance, but I didn’t think it workedthatwell.

“Hedidn’tsay?”

“Pete,” Ihissed.

He sighed and shrugged. “Mish was the one whogotaway.”

My expressioninstantlyfell.