The second he finished, he leaned back slightly, pulling off his gloves. “All done.”
I looked down. It was perfect, exactly what I wanted… But there was something I noticed.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“You’re really good at this.” I smiled, trying to cover the sadness that was creeping back up.
He huffed a soft laugh. “Thanks. I try.”
“Nick…” I muttered.
“Yes?”
“It’s your bike.”
“It is.” He nodded before turning away from me.
“But you didn’t know you were drawing this for me.”
“All I knew was a bike and a sun. How could I not think about our night?”
“I haven’t stopped thinking about it.” I mumbled, but he was already busy doing something else.
I stood and grabbed my jacket, and he reached for the wrap to cover the tattoo, his fingers brushing the inside of my arm. That touch alone made my knees weak.
“You should eat,” he said suddenly. “You just got a tattoo, and you haven’t passed out, so that’s impressive, but you should eat.”
I tilted my head. “You offering?”
He shrugged, but his eyes sparked. “There’s this place down the block. Greasy, loud, and probably has questionable health ratings, but the food is good.”
“Perfect,” I said. “I like questionable.”
“Or dangerous.”
“Both,” I smiled.
“Come on, Sunshine.”
The way he said my nickname, like he’s said it our whole life, has my stomach twisting. But I followed him anyway, because Nick was never just one night to me.
* * *
The diner was half-empty, but somehow stilltoo much. Theoverhead lights were buzzing loud enough to make my brain itch, and the smell of syrup and bleach mixed in a way that made my stomach turn and then growl.
I picked the booth by the window because I needed to see out. I needed somethingmovingto focus on, something other than the weird heaviness in my chest or the fact that I couldn’t tell what Nick was feeling at all.
He slid into the booth across from me like he’d done it a hundred times, smooth and quiet, with that unreadable look on his face, and my whole body tensed. I had to look away before I got stuck trying to decode him again.
I grabbed the menu and ordered quickly. “Uh… a side of hash browns, a biscuit, and… a chocolate milkshake.”
The waitress blinked at the combo but didn’t question it. Just jotted it down and called me “baby” on her way out. I flinched without really meaning to.
Nick raised an eyebrow. “That’s it?”
I glanced at him, already second-guessing myself. “Yeah, I don’t know. I always order weird things. It sounds good now, but I’ll probably still be starving after.”
He didn’t judge me for it, but he also didn’t answer. He just leaned back in the booth like he was thinking. Which, in return, made me overthink the whole situation. A few minutes later, when the waitress passed by again, he flagged her down.
