I just don’t understand where I went wrong. I don’t understand why he changed his mind about me. How he went from caring so much to… This. I was really heartbroken, I still am, but I was more broken than I thought I could be. Than I ever have been.
When I woke up and Ty wasn’t with me, wasn’t telling me he lied and begging me to understand, wasn’t telling me he loved me and would do anything to keep me… I realized it was true.
I spent so much of my life trying to protect him. Trying to keep him safe and free from the shit I’d somehow stumbled into, but it turns out all that was in vain.
Ty didn’t care about me, and he might never have.
I haven’t been able to see him to actually be able to feel his energy, toreadhis eyes. But if he puts that fucking dead-eyed look back on… I might not be able to tell anything.
How am I going to work with him? After sacrificing myself to Mickey for all those years, only to find out Ty used me too? Maybe worse though, because Mickey at least never lied and said he loved me.
That’s the part that makes me sick.
That makes me livid.
That makes me want to rip out his fucking fingernails.
A gust of breeze brushes against my cheeks and I take a deep breath to calm down. Exhaling slowly through my nose, I make the very short walk toFrom The Ashes. But even the door, the once comforting place, causes my heart to beat faster with nerves.
Will Ty be there today?
If he is, do I ignore him? Cry at his feet? Demand he apologize? Smile?
Regardless, with Ty and Asher is the first place I truly felt like I had a place. So I’m not going to give that up easily. If he doesn’t want me there…he’s going to have tosayit.
And when have I ever made it easy for him?
I didn’t back when I was his girlfriend and I’m certainly not going to start now that I’m not anymore.
I square up my shoulders and take a deep breath, hardening my expression and opening the door.
It’s now or never, Roxie.
Walking into the shop is like coming home. The familiar low sound of the generic rock station coming through the speakers, the scent of antiseptic and bleach, and the dark aesthetic makes me feel comfortable all at once.
It’s like the breath of fresh air I needed. I can feel the alternative emo energy infusing into my soul like the dark, witchy, sarcastic bitch I am. My shoulders roll back and I gently move my hair to the side before plastering on my signature smirky grin.
“Oh, how I missed this,” I say loud enough for Asher to hear me over everything and the buzzing from the tattoo gun in his hand momentarily stops.
“Well, well, well.” There’s a small, teasing smile that grows on his face as he looks me over. “About time you showed up. I could use some help. Come on, Rox, come sit and tell me what you need.”
I swallow the tears that are threatening to build behind my eyes and nod, walking past the front desk and dropping my bag beside his desk before pulling up a stool to inspect his work.
“Not too bad,” I mutter, eyeing the compass and rose artwork he’s gracing someone’s forearm with.
“I think so.”
The customer smiles in thanks and Asher turns the machine back on.
“I’m very glad you’re back. It’s been too quiet without you.”
“Oh I’m sure you and…” I cut myself off before saying his name. “I’m sure you guys were just fine without me.”
“It was just me,” Asher says softly, dipping the needle back into the ink like he didn’t just drop a bomb on me.
“What?” I was so sure Ty had gone straight back to work, collected his winnings and used them for the shop. Or his family.
“Yeah, Ty called me the night of your accident and told me that he needed to go work for his mom’s family for a few weeks to pay off a debt or something. He hasn’t been around. Not after that night.”
