Page 79 of Inked Heart
“Good.”Then he adds quietly, “You deserve that.”
The words land deeper than he probably realizes.Because for a long time I didn’t think I did.Not after high school.Not after years of feeling like the awkward kid nobody noticed unless they were shoving him into a locker.
But standing here now, watching Quinn laugh with the people who matter most to me, it feels different.Like maybe life worked out exactly the way it was supposed to.
Across the shop Skye finally releases Quinn.She walks back toward me with a small smile.
“Well?”I ask.
“Well what?”
“Did you survive the interrogation?”
“Barely.”
“What did she ask?”
“Everything.”
I groan.“I’m never going to hear the end of this.”
“Probably not.”She chuckles knowing Skye well enough.“But I told her something important.”
My curiosity spikes.“What?”
Quinn slips her hand back into mine.“That you make it easy to be me.”
My chest tightens slightly.“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Alistair walks past us carrying a tray of supplies.“So when’s the wedding?”he asks casually.
“Alistair,” I warn.
“What?Too soon.”
Quinn laughs again.“I like him.”
“Don’t encourage him.”
The shop settles back into its usual rhythm after a few minutes.Tattoo machines buzz.Music plays softly from the speakers.People work.
Quinn leans against the counter beside me watching everything with interest.“This place really does feel like home,” she says.
“That’s the idea.”
“You built something special here.”
“My brothers did most of it.”
“You’re part of it.”
I glance at her.“You’re part of it, too.”
She smiles.“I like that.”
“So do I.”
