Page 24 of Company Ink

"Do you ever worry that your quick tongue will get you into trouble?" he asks in a low guttural tone, his eyes flitting down to my parted lips.

"Sometimes," I admit, my breath hitching. "But then again—what's life without a little trouble?"

"Hmm." Adrian licks his lips, dropping his hand to his side and taking a step back, leaving me a puddle of flustered hormones. "Have a goodnight, Cassie."

I take a frustrated breath. "Goodnight," I murmur. "See you Monday,Adrian."

I swiftly turn around and walk home, my legs feeling like jelly and my cheeks burning red.

God, what is he doing to me?

ten

painting a picture

"Hi, Nessy!" I exclaim, walking into my cousin's violet and plum hued bedroom. Vanessa is perched on a stool in front of a large canvas, paintbrush in hand. I glance over at her newest creation, a proud smile forming on my face. "Wow, that looks beautiful! Even better than the last one."

After the accident, Ness started attending art therapy as a way to improve her motor skills and give her a creative outlet. It was weeks before she could even hold a paintbrush, but now she creates vivid and abstract paintings of the Seattle skyline and nature landscapes.

"Thank you," Ness says quietly, her words vibrating in her throat. She points to a tall, jagged dark figure on the painting. "Guess?"

"Hmm... Space Needle?" I muse, bringing a basket full of hair supplies to her side console table. "Or the Empire State Building?" I scan the rest of the drawing, looking for more familiar landmarks. "Mmm...no. I stick to my original guess. Space Needle."

“Correct!” Ness nods, her face illuminated by her precious smile.

"I'm getting better at this whole abstract art thing, eh? Maybe I can work for the MoMA one day." If I ever end up leaving Seattle, that is.

Ness rolls her eyes and sweet giggles escape her mouth. She points to the array of combs and clips on the table, furrowing her brows. "Why?"

I connect my iPhone to the Bluetooth speaker and put on some melodic background music. "It's Monique's birthday today. We're going to Mamba. I thought maybe you'd like to come. I can do your hair and makeup. We can dress up and go listen to some music. It's Latin night."

Ness's eyes drift to the ground and she shakes her head. "I don’t want to."

I drop down to my knees in front of her and place a desperate hand on top of hers. "Come on, Ness. It'll be fun. You used to love Latin night."

Vanessa's porcelain face contorts into a heart-wrenching frown, her hazel eyes glossing over. "I can't dance."

I bite the inside of my cheek to prevent myself from crying.Fuck, I shouldn't have brought that up. "We don't have to dance, Ness. We can just sit and eat and listen to the music."

Ness shakes her head again, pointing a shaky finger at the canvas. "Busy."

I take a deep solemn breath. Ever since I took her to Jux last year and some fucking asshole called her a retard, Vanessa has passed on every outing. That was the one time I've ever had the cops called on me. I didn't even care. That prick deserved more than just a slap to the face. I think Ness believes that she's a nuisance now. I've told her so many times that she will never be a burden, that she will always be the most important person in my life, but she still refuses to go out with me to places that are bustling with people. Even though I know she'll say no, I keep inviting her out. Maybe I should stop? I hate seeing her face fall every time, seeing her eyes lose their bright light. But I'm hoping that one day, she'll say yes. And if I stop asking her—that day will never come.

I force a smile. "Okay, that's fine, but can I still do your hair? Maybe two fishtail braids?"

Ness nods eagerly, joy returning back to her amber eyes. "Boss?" she asks, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

I slap a hand over my mouth and chuckle. "You want the tea?"

"Yes, please."Of course, she does.

I grab the hairbrush and begin combing through Ness's long auburn hair. "Well, I went for drinks with him last night and it was uh—interesting."

Ness cranes her head upwards, her eyes expanding with surprise. "Sex?"

"What? No! We just talked."

Ness narrows her eyes as if she doesn't believe me. "Sure."

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