Page 130 of Ink Me Three Times
She sees Trina leaning in, smiling sweet, her fingers brushing my hand acting as if we’re sharing some private joke. And worse…
Trina, always the performer, chooses that moment to kiss my cheek.
Just a brush of her lips, sealing some kind of deal.
I flinch and pull back instinctively, but it’s too late.
Ivy’s already frozen in the doorway, holding Pickle’s leash in her hand so tight her knuckles have turned white.
“Ivy…” I take a step forward, hand up, but the look on her face guts me. Not anger. Not hurt.
Betrayal.
She lightly tugs the leash, and Pickle, confused, tongue lolling, bounces to her side.
“Ivy, wait. That’s not…” I stand quickly, jostling the table and spilling my coffee, but I don’t even register the hot liquid running down my pants.
She’s already turning.
Already walking away.
“Ivy!” I call again, louder, taking a step toward her.
But she’s fast. She’s furious. And Pickle, despite his usual chaos, somehow keeps up, his tail low now. He knows something’s wrong.
She’s gone.
And I can’t even chase after her. Note until I settle this issue with Trina. Not until I make sure Penny is safe.
I shove my hands through my hair, pulling at the strands as Trina leans back in her seat, her smug look the icing on top of my pain.
And then the panic hits.
She didn’t let me explain.
She thinks I let Trina kiss me.
She thinks… she thinks the worst.
How the hell am I going to fix this?
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Ivy
I didn’t sleep.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Trina’s face leaning in. That too-pink mouth brushing Freddie’s cheek like it belonged there. That quiet smirk. She knew what she was doing.
And Freddie didn’t pull away fast enough.
Didn’t look mad.
Didn’t even look surprised.
I tell myself to breathe, but every part of me is a wire pulled too tight. And now… now I need to tell someone.
Only one person’s texted back so far.
