Page 87 of The Tattoo Artist

I smile, shaking my head at her messages before replying. “Alex! Get me a towel from the cupboard,” he called from upstairs.

“Sure!” I reply, making my way back upstairs and into the bedroom. I open the sliding cupboards to find the towels stacked at the top, just out of my reach. Determined, I spot a chair in the corner and brought it over, placing it onto the floor. As I climb onto it, I notice something intriguing behind the towels—a black box hidden from view.

Glancing at the bedroom door to make sure no one was coming; I quickly threw the towels onto the bed and retrieve the black box. Setting it carefully on the bed, my curiosity got the better of me. I couldn’t resist taking a peek inside. With a slow and steady movement, I slid off the lid, gently setting it to the side.

I noticed an envelope tucked beneath some papers. My hands trembled slightly as I reach for it, and with careful movements, I unseal the envelope and extract a thick piece of paper. I unfold the paper, the world seems to slow down, and my heart sank to the very core of my stomach.

The contents of the letter left me stunned, unable to grasp the reality of what I am reading. It felt as if the ground beneath me was crumbling, and I struggle to comprehend the words that held so much weight.

“Alex, didn’t you hear me? It’s fine, I found one-”Ares began, but his voice trailed off as he saw me holding the photos and the certificate.

“We’re married?” I whisper; the shock evident in my voice.

His jaw tenses, and he hesitates before glancing at the engagement box on the bed. “Why am I holding a marriage certificate, Ares?” I ask, my heart pounding with confusion and fear.

A marriage certificate with our names and signature.

“I didn’t want to bring you here, Alex.” He starts, but I cut him off, shaking my head in disbelief. I grab onto my throat, suddenly air is unable to exit my mouth. I stumble backwards, my back colliding with the dresser and the frames falling onto the ground causing it the glass to break and splatter over the room. I turn around, grabbing onto the edge of the dresser as I close my eyes and focus on my breathing.

This is too much.

This is all too much for me.

This is all…breathe…breathe…

“Alex.”

“I can’t do this,” I whisper, my voice quivering. I drop the certificate that was once in my hand onto the floor. “I can’t do this anymore.” I pull the draw open, and grab one of his shirts, quickly pulling it over my head, dropping the towel. I hastily slid on my jeans, my mind racing with a whirlwind of emotions. I needed to leave, to escape from this overwhelming revelation.

Ares tries to stop me from leaving, blocking my path with his body. “Let me through,” I plead, tears streaming down my face.

“Alex, please—we can talk about this,” he implores, his voice tinged with desperation.

I shook my head, my heart aching with the weight of my decision. “I can’t do this anymore, Ares. Don’t you understand? I’m not her! I’m not her anymore! I’m a different person!” With all my strength, I push him, trying to get him out of the way of the door but he wouldn’t budge. “Let me through! Now!” I cry, my emotions overwhelming me. He still wouldn’t budge, and I begin to slam my hands against his chest- trying my hardest to run.

All whilst he takes the pain.

“Alexandra, please—you don’t need to be her anymore!” He said, his hands resting onto my cheeks, brushing the tears away but they wouldn’t stop falling. I shake my head, grabbing his wrists. “You don’t need to-”

And there it was, a tear falls down his eyes.

Ares is crying.

“Please. Don’t leave me again.” He speaks.

“Ares, you don’t love me... you love her,” I whisper, pointing back to the black box. “I am not her anymore, and I’m tired of pretending to be someone I’m not. I can’t live in her shadow any longer. I know how much this hurts you, I can see it in your eyes when I ask you things.”

I took a deep breath.

“I love you so much, Ares. But I can’t be with you if you can’t fully love me, the person I’ve become. I deserve to be loved for who I am now, not for who I once was.”

He shook his head, unable to find the right words.

“I love this Ares—the one who cares for me now—but I need to let go of the past. For both our hearts, I need to do what’s right for us. And that means we’re done.”

And it happened so quickly.

The way his eyes darkened.

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