Page 31 of Behind the Lights

“Uh, nothing.” He looked at Diamond but refused to make eye contact with me.

Diamond motioned over his shoulder to the storefront windows. When I looked up, I spotted Lucas outside talking to some guy who was standing way too close to my boyfriend. I dropped the portfolio on top of the glass coffee table and stormed outside.

When I reached Lucas, I wrapped my arm around his waist possessively. I felt like a dog marking his territory, but the way the guy was eyeing him pissed me off.

“Who the fuck are you?” Mr. Zero Fucking Personality asked me.

“I’m the boyfriend, who the fuck are you?” I’d never been jealous before or in a fight in my life, but I was ready to throw down with this asshole.

“Someone who isn’t interested in the drama associated with this,” he pointed to Lucas before turning and walking away.

“Jealous much?” Lucas asked me.

“That guy was looking at you like you were his fucking dessert and I didn’t like it.” That statement was laced with so much venom that I couldn’t believe it came out of my mouth.

“What if he was someone I knew?” Lucas said, pulling away from me.

“Did you know him?” I already knew the answer based upon the asshole’s response, but I needed Lucas to say it.

“No, but that’s not the point,” he said defensively.

“Oh yeah? Enlighten me then. What are you doing here anyways?”Fuck this bullshit.

“Looking for you. I wanted to see if you had a break so we could hang out. Please tell me you aren’t wasting more money ontattoos?” he all but snarled. Needless to say, he had no ink on his body.

“First off, how did you know where to find me?” My jealousy had rolled into curiosity that was teetering on the edge of anger.

“I went to the studio and the guy at the front desk said he heard you guys say something about getting new ink. So I knew where to find you,” Lucas explained, he knew Mash was our go-to guy for all our ink.

“You could have called first. I know how much you hate the studio and that would’ve saved you some time.” For some reason this conversation was pissing me off too.What the fuck is wrong with me today?

He crossed his arms defiantly across his chest. “Check your phone, Joey, I called and texted. My guess is you never turned the ringer back on after practice.”

I pulled it out of my pocket, noticing I’d missed several calls and texts from Lucas. When I gazed up, he was staring knowingly back at me.

“Sorry.” I clicked the ringer back on. “And no, I bowed out of getting a new tat.”

“My car’s around the corner, do you want to go out or not?” The attitude behind that made feel like I’d be better off with the guys for the night. But I guessed I owed him after the way I’d just overreacted.

“Yeah, let me give the van keys to the guys. Wait here, I’ll be right back,” I said before walking inside.

“Hey guys, I’m gonna take off with Lucas,” I said, tossing the keys to Diamond.

“Whapush!” Mickey sounded, cracking an invisible whip.

“I’m not fucking whipped,” I argued, stomping my heavy black boots across the floor and right out the door.

“Everything okay?” Lucas asked when I walked up to him.

“Same old shit, just another day. Where do you want to go eat?” I asked, pulling my long hair back into an elastic band.

“You pick, you’re paying,” he informed me.

His words stopped me dead. “Let me get this right – I can spend money taking you out or buying you something but can’t do the same for myself. That’s kinda bullshit, don’t you think?”

He gave me his best pouty face, batting his baby blues my way.

Made me want to hug and smack him at the same time. “God, you’re so fucking frustrating!”

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