Page 26 of Exposed Ink

But it’s the only way.

* * *

“You look so good,”my aunt Celeste says for the third time, smiling at me.

I’ve only been at the barbecue for less than a half hour, and I’m already regretting showing up.

I love my family, but because of how close everyone is, that means they care even more. And everyone has spent the past three years worrying about me.

“Thank you,” I say for the third time. “Are you excited about Milan?”

She shrugs and smiles. “Jase and I have spoken, and this is going to be our last Fashion Week. My girls have the company under control, so I’ve decided to officially retire. I miss my grandbabies when I’m gone, and now, with Melina …”

“Melina?” I ask, confused when Celeste clamps her mouth shut.

“Sorry,” she whispers. “I’m not supposed to say anything.”

Just as she finishes her sentence, James, Melina’s boyfriend, clanks a knife against his glass to gather everyone’s attention.

Once everyone is quiet, he begins to speak, thanking everyone for welcoming him into the fold. Then, he goes on to talk about how he and Melina met and how she’s quickly come to mean the world to him.

And then, once Melina is standing in front of him, he pulls out a ring box and gets down on one knee. “Some might say what’s happening between us is moving too fast, but I’ve always believed that when you know, you know. And I know that I want to spend my life with you …”

As he continues to speak to her, my thoughts go back to the day Brandon proposed. We were in Forbidden Ink, having lunch. I laughed at something he’d said, and when he pulled his phone out of his pocket, the ring fell out. He had been carrying it around with him for weeks, waiting for the right time to propose. I told him I didn’t need a perfect moment, and he got down on his knee and proposed. It was fitting since we had met and fallen in love in Forbidden Ink.

“Kins,” someone says softly, shaking me from my thoughts.

When I glance over at my dad, I realize my vision is blurry because I’ve started to cry.

“I … I need …” I murmur, quickly standing.

“Go,” he says with a sad smile gracing his lips. “It’s okay. Go.”

Without drawing attention to myself, I head out the side fence and don’t stop until I’m safely on the sidewalk and away from everyone else.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, but I need a minute to myself, so I ignore it and walk down the sidewalk toward the development’s main gate. Since it’s a small town and I don’t drive, I’m used to walking everywhere. Within minutes, I find myself sitting at Brookside Park. It’s the town’s main park, where most of the sports are played. There’s a huge kids’ play area, a trail for jogging, and even a dog park.

I sit on the bench and focus on the kids playing, trying to tamp down my emotions. Only the sight of a little girl squealing in delight has me spiraling further as I imagine being here with Brandon and our daughter.

I stand abruptly, ready to flee, when I run straight into a hard chest. When I step back, my apology on the tip of my tongue, I’m met with familiar bright brown eyes.

“Kinsley?” Shane says, gently holding on to my biceps to help steady me.

“Hey,” I choke out. “Sorry, I was …”

“You’re the tattoo artist from Exposed Ink, right?” a girl says, cutting me off.

I glance at her and recognize her as the friend of the girl I turned away. With her red hair and green eyes, she doesn’t have the same features as Shane, but the second the corner of her lips curves into a smile, I know she has to be Shane’s daughter.

“Yeah,” I breathe out. “Taylor, right?”

“Yeah.” She nods. “I was just talking about you with my dad.”

My eyes land on him at the exact moment his tongue glides across the seam of his lips to wet them, and my thoughts go back to my fantasy in my room.

The second my neck begins to heat, I dart my eyes back to Taylor, praying my entire face didn’t just turn red.

“My friend Casey and I are going to be coming in to get our noses pierced,” she tells me.

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