Page 78 of Ink Me Three Times
Ivy: You have no idea…
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Mitchell
I never do this.
Never.
Main Street on a Saturday?
A nightmare.
Too many people. Too many damn smiles that make you feel like you’ve been trapped in a room with an overenthusiastic tourist who’s trying to make small talk about the weather and the latest gossip.
But I’m here.
Granger’s Groceries.
And not because I want to be. I just need coffee. My head’s been pounding since the morning, and I’m down to the last few sad scoops in my bag at home.
So, of course, I’m standing in line behind a group of tourists and pretending like the guy behind the counter isn’t giving me the same tired "how’s your day going?" look that everyone else in this town knows how to give. I should be used to it by now.
But then I hear it.
A laugh.
Light, easy, the kind of laugh that makes the space around it feel warmer, softer, like it’s welcoming you into something you didn’t even know you needed.
I turn. Just enough to catch a glimpse of her.
Ivy.
I knew it before I even saw her face. Something about the way the air shifted, like it knew I was about to run into her.
She’s standing near the dog section with a mason jar in her hand, and she’s inspecting the treats like they’re going to change her life.
Pickle’s at her feet, looking like he’s the one who needs to pick out his next snack. The little shit’s got better taste than most people around here.
I should walk away.
I should turn around, pay for my damn coffee, and just leave.
There’s nothing good that can come from standing here, watching her like an idiot. This whole thing with Ivy? It’s been nothing but a mess since she showed up.
But here I am, rooted to the spot.
She’s laughing again, this time at something Pickle’s doing. Some little quirk of his that has her amused.
That laugh.
I can’t escape it.
And then I feel it.
A tug.
That old pull that’s never quite left. It’s like gravity. It keeps dragging me in, no matter how much I try to fight it.
