"It's true," I confirm.
"Okay." Brodie gestures to the chair. "Let's get the stencil on and—Jesus Christ, Amelia!" He spins around as she casually strips off her top, dropping it on the nearby counter. "Could've waited for the privacy screen."
"Please," she settles onto the chair, all confidence and casual grace. "Like you haven't seen your fair share of skin. Don't be dramatic."
"It's called professional courtesy," he mutters, still facing the wall while Mia laughs.
"Since when are you proper?" Amelia teases, then lets out a small gasp as Mia's cold hands touch her skin. "Warning next time!"
"Sorry!" Mia grins, reaching for the stencil. "Okay, hold still. This is going to feel weird, and cold."
She carefully positions the transfer paper against Amelia's spine, smoothing it down. "The trick is getting it perfectly centered," shemurmurs, tongue poking out in concentration as she works from top to bottom. "Brodie taught me to use the spine as my guideline, but you have to account for how people naturally sit . . ."
When she peels the paper away, the purple outline of two koi fish appears on Amelia's skin, their tails flowing into delicate spirals.
"Brodie, come check the placement?"
He moves behind her. "See how the top koi aligns with her shoulder blade? That's exactly what we want. The flow is perfect."
Mia glows under the praise.
"Okay, show me what you've got."
The needle buzzes to life in Mia's hand. "Ready?"
Amelia's fingers find mine, squeezing tight. "If I pass out—"
"You won't," I assure her.
The first touch of the needle makes Amelia jump. "Holy mother of—this is fine. This is totally fine. I am zen. I am—ow!"
"Breathe," Brodie instructs. "And stop moving, unless you want this koi fish to look like it's having a stroke."
I watch the design take shape. It's beautiful, even half-finished, and with Amelia threatening creative violence every few minutes.
The next hour passes in waves of needle buzzing and gentle teasing. Mia proves to be as precise as Brodie promised, her small hands adding delicate details while he works on the broader strokes.
"Almost done," Brodie announces, and I realize I've been so lost in watching the process that I've forgotten to check my phone. Progress, maybe.
"Thank God," Amelia sighs. "My spine feels like it's been through a meat grinder, but like, a really artistic one."
"It's not that bad," Brodie mutters. He's been quiet for the last twenty minutes, sneaking glances my way whenever he thinks my attention's elsewhere.
"Okay," Amelia says as Mia starts the final cleanup. "What is it? You've been weird all day. Did I unknowingly ask for a tramp stamp? Is there a skull hidden in there somewhere?"
Brodie's hands still and he sighs. "Caleb's gone."
"What do you mean gone?" Amelia twists in her chair, wincing as the movement pulls at her fresh tattoo.
I catch Mia trying not to eavesdrop. She keeps shooting me soft, sympathetic looks that make my skin crawl. I don't need anyone's pity, especially not over this.
"He left last night." Brodie still won't look at me. "Took that job in Boston. The gaming company thing."
Something inside me goes very quiet. After all, I'm the one who asked for boundaries. I just didn't expect him to build a whole city between us.
"Boston?" The word falls from my lips, barely a whisper.
"Leaving without a word. How very on-brand," Amelia snaps, trying to sit up before Mia gently pushes her back down.
