Page 54 of Ink Me Three Times
Lani’s voice cuts through the hum of the machine like it’s nothing. Like she’s not in the final stretch of a five hour piece on her forearm. Like she’s just chatting over coffee instead of getting her skin needled for the hundredth time.
I don’t look up.
Just wipe the line. Ink and blood and balm smudging into the paper towel.
"Depends what you mean," I say flatly.
She grins up at me, eyes bright, messy bun slipping sideways. "Ivy. Timothy. The Hollow. Last night.Everything."
I keep my face still. My hands steadier.
Of course it’s about Ivy.
It’salwaysabout Ivy lately.
Lani goes on like she’s telling me the weather. "Apparently, Arlo told Dottie this morning that Ivy and Timothy gotrealclose last night. Likeleft togetherclose. Which is wild, because Principle Jenks lives next door to Freddie, and Ivy has been staying there a lot too… she thought they weretogether."
Lani says it like it’s nothing. Like it's funny. Like it isn’t stabbing me right in the gut.
I press a little too hard into the next line and have to ease up before I blow it out.
No big deal. Just Ivy. Just my anonymous mistake turned daily distraction. Just the girl I haven’t stopped thinking about since she came back into my life and started orbiting my business partners.
I exhale slowly through my nose. "You shouldn’t listen to Dottie."
Lani laughs, unfazed. "Babe, Dottierunsthis town. She knows what brand of coffee you drink and how often you refill your prescription. If someone’s walking out of The Hollow at midnight entangled with someone else? You bet your ass she’s taking notes."
Urgh, this is why I’ve always been ambitious, wantingmore. Small town life is just too… small.
I keep my mouth shut. Let the machine buzz fill the space.
I shouldn’t care.
She wasn’t mine. Never was.
It was one night.
One mistake.
But hell if it didn’t brand me…
Just as Lani’s sliding her hoodie over the fresh wrap on her arm and tossing me a wink, the door swings open with that same irritating jingle.
And in strolls Timothy.
Hair mussed. Hoodie hanging loose off one shoulder. Looking relaxed in a way I haven’t seen in months.
Happy.
"Yo," he says, nodding at Lani as they pass each other. "How’s the arm?"
"Glorious," she says, flashing her bandaged forearm. "Tell your brother he’s a genius. And drink some water… you look like someone who forgot to sleep."
Tim chuckles. "I remembered. Just… barely."
She winks. "Uh huh. I bet."
The door shuts behind her.
