33
OLIVIA
“Where are we going?”I ask. The streets blur past us as we leave the city. It’s just turned dark, and a light drizzle of sleet trickles down the window.
“You asked me once what I do for fun. How I let loose.” Penn meets my gaze before giving his attention back to the road. “I’m going to show you.”
When he picked me up earlier and asked me to go somewhere with him, I didn’t even question it. Ever since he crawled into my bed the other night and talked to me about his dad, it’s like something has changed between us. I feel closer to him now; I’m just not sure that’s a good thing. I’m already way more attached than I ever thought I’d be. How am I going to say goodbye to him in a couple of months?
“Are we going to a strip club?” I joke.
He shakes his head, laughing. “Do you want to go to a strip club?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. I’ve never been.” When he doesn’t say anything, I ask, “Have you?”
He shoots me a look from the corner of his eye.Duh.
I don’t ask any more questions.
When we finally pull into a parking lot, I scan the area. “Are you sure this isn’t a strip club?”
The building is dark, and the neon light flashing above the door reads ‘Open All Night.’
He shuts the truck off and reaches over, undoing my seat belt. “Not a strip club. This is where I come when I need to blow off some steam, and music isn’t doing it for me.”
My eyes dance around the building, searching for something to tell me what’s inside, but the windows are blacked out.
“Come on,” Penn says, tugging me out on his side.
As we step through the doors, I’m hit with walls of artwork and the low hum of rock music. A few people loiter around, checking out the framed poster-sized photos of various tattoo examples. There’s a girl at the counter with dark hair cut in a stylish bob and a septum ring. She smiles when she sees Penn.
“Just can’t stay away, can you?” Her tone is flirty, and my hackles instantly rise.
We approach the half-moon counter she’s sitting behind.
“Is Jason here?” he asks her.
Her eyes flick to me, a small frown covering her face, before she shakes it off and gives Penn her full attention. “He is. He’s got one in the chair now, but he should be finishing up. Want me to put you down?”
He nods, and she slides a piece of paper across the counter to him.
I slip away and walk by the walls, examining the artwork. There must be hundreds, if not thousands, of samples covering the walls. Anything you can think of, from delicate flowers to large-breasted women, animals, and tribal designs. I skate the room, taking it all in, only half listening to the girl behind me chatting with Penn.
“How’s the music coming? I follow the Instagram page forupdates. As soon as I get a night off, I’m going to come see you play.”
I don’t miss how she emphasizes the word you. I peek over my shoulder, unable to help myself. She’s leaning over the counter, smiling as he fills out the waiver she gave him. She’s cute, definitely someone I could picture him with. They’d probably look more suited together than he and I do.
As if he can sense me staring, he glances over at me, a crease forming between his brows, but then he winks. I bite my lip to keep from smiling and turn away.
A moment later, familiar arms wrap around my waist. “It’s cute when you’re jealous, Barbie. But you don’t need to be,” he says quietly, nuzzling my neck.
I scoff. “I’m not jealous.” Am I? Idoget anxious when other girls give him attention. Even though he’s not my boyfriend, I don’t want to compete with other girls because I worry we don’t have enough in common, and he’ll get bored with me before our time is up. He never pays much attention to them, though, which is nice and the complete opposite of Chad. Chad loved the attention, practically basked in it.
“I like that you’re a bad liar,” he whispers in my ear, his breath fanning across my skin. My neck breaks out into chills, and my head tilts. I wait for his lips to meet my skin, and he doesn’t disappoint. “I don’t even need to be looking into your eyes to know it. Your voice and body give you away. Every”—kiss—"single”—kiss—"time”—kiss.
“I’m not lying.” I try to keep my voice even, but he smiles against my neck, and I shove him away, feeling too much with him so close and already knowing me so well.
He laughs and takes a seat on one of the couches. I gaze at the artwork a little more before sitting down. He has his head leaned back, eyes closed, but when he feels me next to him, heplaces his hand on my thigh. The simple touch warms my insides like it always does.
