Page 15 of The Baby Bargain

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My head is in a weird place today.

It keeps going back to Ariel.

The hurt streaking her eyes.

The desperate plea.

The heaving chest.

Some asshole taking advantage of her. Failing to appreciate her math puns and her begrudging love of Disney films and the way her black glasses frame her brown eyes.

The way she blushes when I call herprincess.

Fuck, not going there.

She's not askingmeto get her pregnant.

She's—

I swear, I'm out of my mind. It's the lack of sleep. The lack of coffee. The mental image that shouldn't be in my head.

"On the count of three." I pick up the gun. Dip it in ink.

Sara nods.

"On, two." I turn the gun on. Bring the needle to her skin. "Three."

She yelps. "Fuck." For a split second, her eyes press together, her teeth sink into her lip, her fingers dig into the teal vinyl.

Then she sighs and releases.

"It hurts," she says.

I nodyeah.

"But knowing how it does… that makes it less scary. Why?"

"The unknown is always scary."

"True." She wraps her fingers around the chair. Still bracing, but not so tightly. "You, um… you do a lot of these?"

"Latin quotes?"

"I guess."

"Some." I do a lot. A lot of this quote specifically. But never with lilies. "Not many like this."

"For someone… you think that will make it hurt more or less?"

"What will?" I finish tracing the first word. Move onto the second.

She yelps as the needle hits her skin. "Have you ever lost someone?"

"Not the way you mean."

"But you have?"

"I was engaged for a while."

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