Page 20 of Silent Is The Heart

I was. God, I was.

The look on his face…

‘Are you fucking deaf? Maybe you’re the one who needs therapy. I asked you to fucking leave.’

Groaning into my hands, I whisper in my shame. “Shit.”

I have to make this up to him. Somehow, without getting a restraining order thrown at me. My throat makes a miserable noise realizing I’ve engaged in restraining order-worthy behaviors. Thank goodness, Mom and Dad don’t know what I was up to today.

Things are going great.That’s what I told them earlier this week when I went to dinner.

I just… stalked a former patient, invaded his personal space, and stirred up his past trauma. Yeah. Everything’s terrific.

CHAPTER 11

Easton

Tattooing isn’t for the weak. The urge to roll and crack my shoulders is strong, but I’m almost finished adding the color to this piece I did for Hank, one of my regulars, so I press on. He travels a lot, and I don’t want him out there in the world with naked art on his arm.

See, Wolf? Who says I don’t help advertise?

“Man, that’s sick. I love it,” Hank gloats when I finish and grab the wrap to seal him up. “No one does color like you, Easton. Don’t ever get so booked up you can’t fit me in.”

Snorting, I stretch the aftercare film over his ink, lining it up to cover the area. “Always a spot for you, Hank. You know that.”

He praises me a few more times before shaking my hand and heading out of the stall to go settle up with Shannon at the desk. That part always supplies me with validation. Granted, I don’t think my art is anything to be praised since it came naturally, but the fact I learned to apply it to flesh professionally is something I take pride in. I’m happy when my customers are happy, but tonight Hank’s flattery doesn’t do for me what it usually does. I’m itching to get out of here. So help me, if I get a walk-in, I’m going to feign an illness.

Glancing over the half-wall to Wolf’s stall, I wait for him to feel my stare. Arching a brow, I glance at my wrist, where a watch would be, with a satisfied smirk. A little friendly competition is healthy amongst friends. His mouth forms a thin line, and he shakes his head dismissively.

Sore loser. Not my fault he’s a slow poke.

Snickering, I start cleaning up my station until I feel a pull from that unspoken, silent bond we’ve shared for years. Catching his gaze, I watch his eyes flick to the front of the shop and then back to me. That’s a warning signal if ever I saw one.

Son of a bitch. Did we seriously get a walk-in?

Spinning my stool around, I regret my curiosity. I read Wolf’s signal wrong. I expected it to be someone drunk or possibly a difficult regular, but it’s worse. So much worse.

Aaron stops a few feet away from my stall. I’ve never seen him in blue jeans and would have preferred to keep it that way. The snug, faded denim fits him exquisitely in all the right places. The blueHenleyunder his jacket compliments his stupidly pretty eyes.

Ugh. I should jam this tat gun into my cerebral cortex. What the fuck is wrong with me?

Throwing me a sheepish wave, he smiles. “Hey.”

There’s that trembling sensation again, bubbling under my surface. My lungs feel thick, almost like I’m holding my breath underwater. What was the point in learning how to speak again if I can’t seem to think of anything to say to him each time I see him?

I went the whole damn week convincing myself I’d struck him from that pathetic mental record in my mind only to have him reappear like a bad penny. A still terribly sexy bad penny that has no business being voted as‘sexy’by yours truly.

Turning back around, I busy myself cleaning up my work tray from Hank’s job. I went with signing last time Aaron appeared in my life, so if I look indisposed, he’ll know why I don’t answer. That, and I’m pretty sure I told him in so many words to fuck the hell off, so he shouldn’t even expect me to respond.

“Easton…I owe you an apology.”

Fuck.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“I’m so sorry I just barged in on you like that. I didn’t know you lived upstairs. The girl at the desk just told me to go on up. I thought it was the office or something. Not that it makes it okay,” he lets out in a rush.

That explains part of it. Shannon is so getting demoted.

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