Page 118 of The Dark Stranger
Music low in the background. Drinks being passed around. Laughter bouncing off the walls in a way that made the whole place feel alive.
Some artists even set up, doing small tattoos right there—flash pieces, quick work. People lining up, excited, feeding off the energy.
It felt like a celebration.
Not just of the shop—
But of everything it took to get there.
I moved through it all like I was floating. Talking. Laughing. Taking it in piece by piece because I didn’t want to miss any of it.
This was mine.
I built something real.
And foronce—
Everything felt right.
Izzy was there too.
Of course he was.
Right beside me.
His hand brushing mine, his presence constant and easy. He fit into the space like he belonged there, like he had always been part of it.
And part of me liked that.
More than I probably should’ve.
I remember looking over at him at one point, watching the way he moved through the room, the way people noticed him without him trying. Confidence. Charm. That same pull that got me in the first place.
But something else was there too. Subtle. Easy to miss if I wasn’t paying attention.
The looks.
Not from everyone. But enough.
Quick glances. Pauses in conversation. That slight shift in expression when he walked past or when I introduced him.
No one said anything. Not out loud.
But I could see it. Feel it.
Cody saw it too.
I caught him once across the room, his eyes flicking from Izzy back to me. Not judging. Not stepping in. Just… watching.
That same look.
The one that said he was still paying attention.
I should’ve listened to that. I should’ve asked.
But I didn’t.
Because the night was too good. Because I didn’t want to ruin it by digging into something that didn’t feel like it mattered in the moment.
