Page 23 of Stevie
“You…likeme?” I squeak out, but stop when something else hits me. “I don’t hate you, Brooks,” I admit softly and watch the look of hopefulness appear on his face. Shit, I didn’t mean to do that. I can’t be with him that way.
“Stevie,” he says softly as he steps closer. “Let’s clear the air here so there is no misunderstanding or miscommunication. I am more interested in you than just physically, and while I know you are not in a place to want to date, I can’t help my feelings. They’ve been this way for a long time, and I don’t plan on them changing anytime soon. So, now you know.”
I stare at him, speechless. “You can’t like me that way,” I whisper. “Brooks, we… You have to stop it. Nothing can happen between us.” I see him wince slightly, and it’s as if I slapped him. Fuck, that hurts. It hurts because Brooks is a sweet man who makes me smile and cares about my feelings. One that makes me feel safe and… oh fuck, do I have a crush on him?
“Is it,” he pauses as if he’s trying to figure out the proper words. “Is it something I did?”
I give him a soft smile and shake my head. “No, Brooks, you’re great. I just can’t be with anyone.” I can’t give someone that kind of power again, but even as I think it, a part of me knows Brooks might already have some of that power.
* * *
“Atlas!” Ren’s very terrifying voice cuts through the tattoo shop as she enters. I am standing in the tattoo area, talking with Janie, Brooks and the guys as Janie discusses her upcoming trip after the convention at the end of next month. Janie and Fox are going to a fertility specialist in Florida and will be there for several months while she goes through IVF.
Atlas has a full-body shiver before putting on a nervous smile and looking up at the blonde.
“Hey, Princess! How is my pret–”
“Fix it, now!” She orders, shoving a cinnamon hair girl towards him. The girl is cackling wildly at Ren.
“Addy,” Atlas sighs and turns to the girl who wrinkles her freckled nose. “What did you do?”
“Ughhh…” She rolls her eyes and holds out her hand. Atlas and I peer at the hand and… oh, shit.
“An eggplant?” Atlas looks from the purple tattoo on the girl’s hand to her slim face.
She gives him a shrug. “Gotta represent that cock loving lifestyle.” Nix sprays the drink from his mouth as he smacks his knee.
“Fucking brilliant.”
“Don’t you encourage it!” Ren snaps. “Now, fix it At! I can’t have her walking around with this.”
“Uh, her has a name. And maybe I like it. You always want to make sure to showcase your strengths, Ren. Mine is eggplant farming.” Ren is beginning to resemble a tomato at this point.
“Pretty girl,” Atlas says, touching Ren’s face in a way that doesnotmake me long for Brooks in any way, shape, or form. My eyes betray me and find their way to where the man in question is sitting, staring directly at me. I feel my heart rate pick up and I quickly look back to Atlas and Ren.“I would love to help, but actually,” his eyes move over to the snickering grey-haired man at the station in front of him. “Nix here isthemaster cover-up artist, and since it’s on her hand.”
“Oh, come on now,” he groans, all humor gone. “Mate, you’re daft if you think I can do fucking shit there.”
“I told you to speak English!” Atlas growls, and Ren rushes between them. “Okay, baby, sit.” She turns to Nix and raises one brow before his cocky grin is gone, and he motions for the girl to walk over to him.
“So who is she?” I ask Ren as she sits on At’s table.
“Adeline, my little sister,” she grumbles. “She’s going through her rebellious teen stage at twenty-three. And she’s about to get kicked out of mom and dad’s because between that tattoo and her dropping out of college, they’re done with her.”
“College is a scam,” Adeline calls over while Nix draws on her hand. “Think about it: society as a whole has been brainwashed into believing that you cannot be successful in life without an idea. Your very intelligence is measured by whether you sat in a classroom for an additional four to twelve years. Not only that, you go into tens of thousands of dollars into debt for a piece of printer paper with your name stating that you have good attendance. And for what? So you can go out and get a job and make the same amount of money you would’ve fresh out of high school? Except now everyone expects you to be more mature, have your shit together, and be financially responsible. When in reality, all you’ve done for two decades is go into an embarrassing amount of debt that you will never recover from and waste your life being institutionalized.” I look from Adeline to Ren and cringe while waiting for her head to explode.
“While it’s nice that you have the luxury to think that way,” Ren states through her gritted teeth. “Not everyone is as fortunate as you. A lot of people have no choice.”
Adeline scoffs as she turns to her sister. “Have no choice to what? To go out into a society where they deem you better than others based solely on the fact that you know how to sit and listen? Oh, and god forbid you have thoughts opposing the professors.”
“Which leads us to our final point,” Ren snaps. “You’re getting kicked out because you fought with your professor?”
“No,” she says firmly. “I’m getting kicked out because my professor wanted to fuck me for a better grade and I said no.” Nix, who was about to start the tattoo on her hand, freezes and looks up at her eyes wide
“He wanted to fuck you for better grades? That’s really a thing?”
Adeline scoffs, “Of course, it’s a thing. You’re telling me they don’t do that over in that pond?”
Nix’s face falls as he stares at her. “Well, first off, I couldn’t tell you because we’re not in a pond.” He says dryly. “And second, I never went to Uni, so I couldn’t tell you what was happening there. Sure, you hear things on telly–”
