Page 147 of Splintered Hearts

“Holy fucking shit.” Anna squeals. “It’s so cute!”

I look in the mirror and can’t stop the dumb-ass grin on my face. It’s come out exactly the way Noah had drawn it. It’s hard to make something look glittery but Ian has somehow nailed the diamond-sparkle effect of the shaft. The head is a shaded rainbow, just the way Noah drew it with the smiley face. “This is amazing, thank you.”

“I don’t want you to thank me for that.”

Julian comes up to look at it with a grin. “Makes me think of my ex. Maybe I should call him.” Ian whips him with a towel, making him laugh. Wrapping the spot he gives me the whole aftercare thing he legally has to, as if I haven’t done this a thousand times before.

“How much?”

“Free.”

“No. No, don’t do that. How much?” Ian chews on his lip before grabbing an onyx glass jar. It takes me a moment to realize what it is. “Donations?”

Ian nods. “We donate art supplies to the high school here, andJulian and I teach some night classes to kids who need a little guidance. We take donations for help.” I look at the name.

The Madd Ink Foundation.

I grab my wallet and leave two hundred dollars in the jar before Ian hands it back to Anna. “Thank you.”

“You better message me, asshole. I’m not letting you disappear for another five years. Plus, we need to talk about your other leg. Maddox had big plans, which I intend to see through.” While the idea of another tattoo is daunting, I nod.

Ian gathers me into a tight hug and it’s everything I can fucking do not to break down again. “Thank you.”

“It’s good to see you. Don’t disappear on me again.”

“I won’t.”

My chest feels a little tight. I don’t like this part of getting tattoos. The feel of the plastic always makes my skin crawl, and I hope Noah won’t notice it until we get back and I can take off the plastic wrap. I can’t wait to see the look on his face.

“Jamie?”

Stopping, I turn at the voice. The impossible familiarity sends a sheet of ice down my spine, and it takes me a minute to find the source before I see her stomping up to me.

Ailee.

Well, no, not Ailee, her sister Ariana. Her twin in every fucking way. I nearly lose my shit. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

A little older, but she looks the way I remember Ailee. Pretty and petite, ripped straight out of one of those shows with the dance competitions. “Ari I—”

“You really have no fucking shame, do you? Did you just leave Ian’s—”

“Look, I—”

“You’re disgusting. How dare you come here.” I feel fucking numb. “I always told my sister you were a fucking loser but shewouldn’t listen. You got her killed.”

“You don’t know shit—”

“She was texting me the whole night! You treated her like shit. Kept her around as some fucking plaything while you had a thing for your own sister like a fucking pervert.” I didn’t even have it in me to correct her, to say we were in no way blood related, didn’t even grow up together. “I told her you were trash but she didn’t believe me. Even your own mother didn’t want you!”

I bite my tongue and the awful shit I want to say back. I can’t because she’s right. She’s right.

“If you do anything right with your miserable life you’ll end it and never make another person suffer the way Ailee did.” I almost brace for her to hit me, but instead she storms away.

She’s right.

What the fuck am I doing?

Noah.

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