Page 9 of The Tattoo Artist

“Because the same butterfly is tattooed on the back of your hand,” I pointed out with my pen. His expression remained stoic, but he offered a small nod of acknowledgment.

“Doesn’t prove anything.” He speaks.

“Yes, it does.” I reply quickly.

A smirk spreads across his lips, almost as if he were shocked, I was arguing with him. “And what does it prove exactly?”

“That you drew it.”

“You’re a very hardheaded woman.”

“And you’re a very stubborn man,” I counter, my own smirk matching his. “But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re the artist behind this painting.”

“Alright, got it!” Catherine enters the room, and I step away from Ares. Cathy hands Ares the cash and swiftly pulls me out of the room, urging me to follow her without giving me a chance to look back.

During the car ride home, my thoughts remained stuck on Ares. It was rare for someone to speak to me directly, to acknowledge my presence. Despite my outward appearance, I couldn’t help but believe that it was because he genuinely saw me.

I liked the way he smiled.

He had a nice smile.

In the company of Cathy, people always seemed to gravitate towards her.

And I understood why—Cathy was stunning.

With her short, blonde hair, crystal-blue eyes, and fair skin, she exuded a beauty that captivated everyone. Her impeccable fashion sense only added to her allure. Sometimes, I couldn’t help but feel that she spent time with me out of pity, as if she felt sorry for me. No one had ever truly looked twice at me until Ares broke through that barrier and acknowledged my existence.

“What’s on your mind?” Cathy’s voice broke through my thoughts, her eyes focused on the road ahead.

“Nothing,” I mumble, absentmindedly rubbing my nose.

“You’re a terrible liar, Alex,” she retorts, her fingers tapping on the steering wheel. I let out a sigh, unable to hide my tell-tale gesture.

“I really am…”

“Hang on, do you have a crush on Ares?”

“What? No?” I shoot out.

“I mean I wouldn’t blame you, he is gorgeous, but I think he’s like five years older than us?” Catherine stops at a red light and glances over at me. “And I’ve heard rumours about Ares and Alex, they were not good. He isn’t a good guy.”

Catherine warns me, I lean my chin onto the palm of my hands watching the houses past by us. Catherine’s warnings, my own warnings alerting me that I shouldn’t really interact with him anymore. But there was something…oddly weird, oddly familiar…

Catherine parks in her driveway and switches the car off.

“And the fact that you are two different people entirely, basically opposites…can I be honest?” I nod my head. “I don’t even think he’d go for you…you’re young, innocent and…you know.”

“No, I don’t know Catherine so please enlighten me.”

“I’m not being rude; I’m just saying that…he goes for girls who are more mature.”

“I’m twenty years old, I am not a child so stop treating me like one. And if you like him, then good for you but you don’t need to put me down on the way.”

“I don’t like him.” I undo my seatbelt and bid Cathy farewell before entering my house. “Alex, I didn’t mean it like that.”

Retrieving my keys from my bag, I insert one into the lock and twist it, allowing the door to swing open. Inside, I found my mother cleaning the house.

Without a word, I made my way directly to my room and closed the door behind me. Dropping my bag onto the floor, I place my sketchbook on the desk and found myself staring into the mirror.

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