“She did. She really wants to leave him, I guess.”
“Good. He needs them. Maybe that’ll wake him the fuck up, because nothing else has.”
“Yeah, but… do you really think they should get divorced?” Marcus asked.
“Hell if I know.” Chancey took a long, drawn-out breath. “But if they wanted to divorce, they didn’t have to split everyone else up with them.”
“Yeah, I get it. You go get some rest, man.”
“Later, Marcus. I’d say I’ll see you around but… you won’t. Not for a while.”
The main door to the suite closed, and I heard Marcus shuffle across the room. The couch outside my bedroom creaked as he sat to keep watch.
The tattoo on my wrist of Ava’s name pulsed, burning through the core of me. Marcus.
I didn’t give it much thought as I kicked the covers off myself and stumbled toward the door. I threw it open. Rishi gave a hiss like I’d startled them both.
“Charlie, you should be resting,” Marcus insisted. “You’re still drunk. Get back to bed.”
“I need you to get rid of this.” I shoved my wrist in his direction. The skin had long since healed, so I couldn’t feel the tattoo, but just knowing it was there was enough to make me want to scratch my skin off. The least I could do with my last half a brain cell was get Marcus to remove it before I made another asinine decision I couldn’t take back. If he didn’t get rid of this tattoo, I was sawing my arm off.
“Um… what?” Marcus sounded dumbfounded.
I’m not sure what he didn’t understand. I was pretty direct. “Ava and I are getting divorced. I want this gone.”
Marcus’ tone was scathing. “You want me to remove it? I thought I was clear when I gave you this tattoo— it’s permanent. Yet you and Ava insisted.”
“No shit it’s permanent,” I growled. “Use some of your fancy witch magic to dissolve the ink or something.”
“I drew this tattoo with an enchanted quill,” Marcus reminded me. “It’s not coming off.”
“Then cover it up!” I snapped desperately. “Please, Marcus. I can’t live with this reminder.”
“Can’t you just pretend it isn’t there?” Marcus asked.
“Just because I’m blind doesn’t mean I can ignore reality,” I said. “Just knowing it’s there is a reminder of what I did to her!”
“Maybe…” Marcus started tentatively. “Maybe that’s not a bad thing.”
“Not a bad thing?” I gaped at him. “Marcus, do you realize what I’ve done? I took Ava’s soul in my hands and snapped it in two!”
“And maybe you need to live with that regret for a minute!” Marcus challenged. “You’re just gonna have to get over it, because I’m not removing shit!”
Marcus had never stood up to me like that. I should’ve admired him for it, but I was annoyed he chose this moment to put on his big boy britches.
I turned toward the door to the suite. “If you won’t do it, I’ll find another artist who can.”
“Charlie, hold on.” Marcus grabbed my wrist— ironically, the same one that had Ava’s name inscribed onto it. I’d have yanked away if I didn’t feel that burning sensation subside for half a second. “I’m not trying to be an ass. I’m trying to be reasonable. I don’t want you doing something you might regret. Again.”
It hadn’t occurred to me that I might regret erasing Ava’s name from my skin. Why should I, if our relationship had already ended?
And yet, I found myself pausing. I followed Marcus to the couches when he yanked on my arm, and he pushed me into a seat.
“Look. I know what you’re going through.”
“You don’t know shit,” I snarled.
“I’ve been through hell, too, you know.” Marcus remained surprisingly calm. “And I learned a thing or two about loss. You want someone to swoop in and take all your pain away, but here’s the honest truth. This sorrow and regret doesn’t have to be a bad thing if you use it in the right way. Your pain is there for a reason, and it can either send you spiraling into a dark hole you can’t dig yourself out of, or it can push you forward to be better. I get that it’s a tough pill to swallow, but if I can spare you even a second of torment that I put myself through after you broke mine and Kallie’s bond, then you have to let me.”
