Page 498 of Love Bites

"Yeah, I'm thinking about leaving."

"Why? I thought you loved tattooing?" I tap my hand lightly to the beat of the music. I'm antsy about her leaving because I've been feeling the same way. I think my days working for a snake like Ray are numbered.

"I meant moving kind of leave." The look on her face says she's more than thinking about it.

"Oh." I grip her hand and flip it over to reveal her tattoo. I trace the area around the design, and she trembles, making me stop. "It's calling you, isn't it?"

Carly pulls her arm away. She frowns as she glances down at it. "I don't know. I just have this need to move."

"To the mountains, right?" Carly's eyes widen in recognition at my words. They're blue and stormy looking tonight.

"Yes." She shakes her head. "This is insane. I've always lived here. Do you think I'm crazy?"

"No." Because I want to go too.

Ruby announces, "Food." A big plate heaped with tortilla chips, meat, and veggies thumps before us. "Need another drink?"

Carly snitches a black olive and says, "Yes, please."

A sudden thought occurs to me, and I grab Carly's wrist. "Ruby, what do you see here?"

Ruby leans close and flips her glasses down off her head onto her nose. "Nothing, should I?"

Carly yanks her hand away and says, "Nope, Sierra's just trying to make a point. Don't mind us."

She glares at me until Ruby walks away and says, "We're the only ones that can see it."

“I think it’s a gift.”

“Stuff like that doesn’t happen to me.”

I bite into salty beef and pepper jack cheese. Her words make me sad and wish I could make her see how awesome she is. I speak over a mouthful of food. “Something already did.”

I lose Carly for a moment as she traces the tribal swirls of her paw print. She takes a big swig of her drink and empties her glass. "Ruby, I need another, please."

She's freaked out. I sigh. "You can get as drunk as you want, but it's not going to change what's happened. We've been chosen, Carly." I glance into the mirror behind the bar and notice it’s too dark to see myself.

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