Page 21 of Ink Me Three Times

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"Just saying." He leans his hip against the edge of my station, arms crossed now. "It’s been, what, three years? Since…"

"Don’t."

He goes quiet. Doesn’t push, but he doesn’t back off either.

"You liked her," he says eventually. "Thought she was different."

"I thought wrong."

"She wrecked you."

"I’m fine."

"Sure," he mutters, voice dry. "That why you’ve mauled seven different sketches in one morning?"

I shove the latest one aside. Crumple it. Toss it in the trash with the others.

"Ivy’s not athing," I say. "Not to me."

Tim just looks at me, waiting.

"She’s working for Freddie. That’s it. I didn’t know who she was. We didn’t talk. It was one night."

"You could’ve told him."

"What, you think I’m gonna walk into my friend’s kitchen and say, ‘Hey, remember that new nanny you hired? I fucked her on the shop chair last week and never got her name’?"

He winces. "Okay, yeah. Not ideal."

"No shit."

There’s a pause. Then, softer, "You gonna tell him now?"

"I don’t know."

"Mitchell…"

I cut him off. "It doesn’t matter. I’m not interested. I’ve got enough on my plate. I don’t need more…mess."

He raises an eyebrow. "You sure that’s notexactlywhat you need?"

I glare at him.

He shrugs. "You keep saying long term’s not for you. That you’re good on your own. But I see the way you looked at her. Like your whole system just got scrambled."

I pick up another pencil, firmer grip this time. Something to ground me.

"She’s working at Freddie’s. Watching Penny. I’ll keep my distance. End of story."

Tim lets out a slow breath. Then, grinning, "You gonna keep your distance if she shows up here again?"

My look could break glass.

He laughs anyway. "Alright, alright. I’ll shut up."

Despite my best efforts to deny it, inwardly I know the truth is clear.

Ivy got under my skin in a single night.

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