Page 15 of What About Now

“I have one client tomorrow afternoon, as far as I know.” I pull out my phone, log into the app for our scheduling system, and look at my schedule. “That’s it. I’m going to go ahead and block out the rest of my day so I can move some of my stuff.”

“Can you do that? Just block out your day?”

“Yeah, we all maintain our own schedules. Looks like all four of the guys are on the books tomorrow. They won’t miss me.”

“The five of you have really built something special.”

Pride swells in my chest at her acknowledgment of what my four best friends and I have built. “Thank you. It’s surreal to see the business grow like it has. Who would have thought we’d be this successful with our art? Because tattooing was not something they talked about on career day.” I chuckle.

Brogan smiles. “Right? There are so many trades that are never discussed. Working hard and chasing your dreams. The five of you are proof that if you do that, you can have success.”

“What about you? Did you always want to be a phlebotomist?” I feel like I should already know the answer to this question, but I’ve never asked. I’m going to make it a point to learn every tiny detail about my wife.

“Honestly, I wanted to be a nurse. After everything that happened, there wasn’t time or money for nursing school. It was a way for me to have a career that didn’t take years of schooling, and still be in the medical field.”

“There’s still time you know. You can go back to school and get your nursing degree.”

She smiles, but it’s not one of happiness. Her eyes show her sadness. “Who’s going to keep the lights on in this place if I do that?” she asks.

“Me.”

Her body stiffens as she studies me, holding my stare. “Nursing school is longer than six months, Maddox.”

“Good thing I don’t plan on leaving in six months,” I counter.

“I’m too old to go back now.”

“Brogan, babe, you’re twenty-three. That’s not too old. Hell, you could be fifty-three, and I’d still tell you to go for it if that’s what you wanted.”

“I’m a different person now. Too much time has passed. Too much has happened.”

“Think about it.” I can tell she’s not going to, but if this is something she truly wants, I’m going to make sure she gets it.

“What about you? How did the five of you come to open Everlasting Ink?” she asks, changing the subject, and I let her.

“Honestly, we’ve all been friends since we were kids, and all five of us loved art. When we graduated, we all went to get tattoos and it just sort of clicked. That’s what we wanted todo. Since then, we worked our asses off to build a name for our business, and thanks to Legend’s help, we’re opening a new state-of-the-art facility here in Ashby.”

“I’ve heard bits and pieces. Something about an inheritance?”

“Yeah, his grandma that he never met. There was a stipulation that he had to be married for a year to anyone of his choosing to get the money. He wasn’t going to go through with it until Monroe volunteered.”

“And they lived happily ever after,” she murmurs.

“Pretty much. We could all see it from day one. There was nothing fake about their marriage.”

“Not like ours,” she replies.

“Baby, there is nothing fake about our marriage either.”

“We don’t even remember it. Besides, all we have is a piece of paper that says we had a wedding. It’s just paperwork at this point.”

I shrug. “Then we’ll renew our vows. We’ll give ourselves a day we can remember.” The idea was already brewing in my mind. All she has to do is agree, and I’ll make it happen. Whatever she wants, it’s hers.

“I never drink that much. Never. Not after… that night.” She seems to close in on herself as her shoulders hunch together. “It was stupid of me to allow myself to get in that state. It was dangerous.”

“I was with you. I’d never let anything happen to you.”

“You were wasted too. You can’t remember that night either, so really, you can’t say that you would have protected me.”

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