Page 39 of The Tattoo Artist

She shouldn’t be doing that.

I glance back at her, to see her turned to the other side with the blanket now over her half naked form. I slide off my shirt and walk over to her; she groans as I push away the blanket and slide my shirt over her head.

I leave Alexandra’s room using the balcony exit.

As I descend the stairs, my eyes catch sight of Catherine standing by the opposite balcony, her arms tightly folded across her chest, and her gaze fixated on me with an intense, almost hostile expression.

“Stay away from her, Ares,” she warns me, her voice laced with a mix of anger and concern.

I let out a low, humourless chuckle, shaking my head slightly as I raise my eyes to meet hers. “Oh, Catherine, I never knew you cared so much,” I reply, my tone laced with a touch of sarcasm.

“I’m serious. You’re nothing but trouble. Before you came, Alex was completely fine,” she insists, her jaw tense with determination.

My amusement fades, and I fix her with a serious look. “You’re a good friend, Catherine, but if only you were good enough to tell her the truth,” I retort, my voice steady and firm.

She takes a step closer, her eyes locking onto mine with intensity. “I’m not telling her to protect her, because she-” she starts, her voice faltering as she struggles to find the right words.

“That’s enough from you,” I cut her off, my patience wearing thin. “You don’t get to play the martyr here.”

“You don’t understand,” she begins, her voice quivering with emotion.

“I understand more than you think,” I interject, my voice growing colder.

Suddenly, she seems to gather herself, her eyes narrowing with determination. “Don’t you dare-” she starts to say, but I don’t let her finish.

“Don’t I dare what?” I challenge her, my tone sharp. “Go on. You’re nothing but a liar, Catherine.”

Her anger flares, and she takes another step forward, closing the distance between us. “I’m not telling her because she’s better off not knowing the truth,” she declares, her voice tinged with desperation.

“That’s your opinion,” I retort, my voice unwavering. “But it’s not your decision to make.”

Her fists clench at her sides, and for a moment, it feels like the tension in the air is suffocating. “I’m trying to protect her,” she insists, her voice cracking with emotion.

“Protect her?” I challenge, my eyes narrowing. “The truth has a way of coming out, Catherine. And when it does, the fallout will be worse if she finds out you’ve been keeping things from her.”

Her face contorts with conflict, torn between her loyalty to Alexandra and her fear of the consequences. “I can handle it,” she says finally, her voice quieter.

“No, you can’t,” I respond firmly, my gaze never leaving hers.

“Well, if you were such an honest man, why aren’t you telling her?” She shoots back at me.

“In due time, Cathy, in due time.” There’s a moment of silence as our eyes lock in a tense standoff. I can see the turmoil in her expression, the weight of her secret burdening her. “And if you ever threaten me or try to push me away from her again like you have been doing, well I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“I did what you asked! I brough her to you-”

A smirk spreads across my lips, “and it worked wonders.”

As Catherine finally looks away, I turn on my heels and walk away, leaving her to wrestle with her conscience and the consequences of her choices.

I slide into my car and begin to drive towards my house.

I glance down at a text my brother sent:

Adonis (12:49am): you made me invite Elmer and you left? I had to do the job for you.

Fuck. I forgot about that.

I glance up at the red light, and begin typing…