Bad Boy Ink (Get Ink'd #5) - Ali Lyda Page 0,71

jacket, but getting up and moving around had helped. Quite a bit of my resentment had been left on the sidewalks behind us. Not all of it, not yet, but I knew I’d get over it. I could feel the healing already beginning.

Eryk tossed an arm around my waist, higher than he would if he were flirting, pulling me in like I was a good friend. And maybe we could be good friends. After all, he backed off after he’d seen me with Aiden and yet could still be here for me when I was down.

“Not that I think you’re an impulsive person,” he teased, as I was fairly sure we all knew I definitely could be a bit impulsive, “but try not to act too rashly while you're upset. You might lose the job and that'll suck. But what would be worse would be losing the job and the person who's been making you happy.”

It was good advice and a good reminder. The job was just a job. I mean, obviously it was a dream job. But there would be others, even if it wasn’t the same. But Aiden? There was only one Aiden. He was completely irreplaceable. If I wasn't careful, my jealousy could trust a wedge between us that would be difficult to remove.

I just needed a little bit of time and space before I faced him again to wrestle all of my feelings back under control, so I didn’t say anything that I’d regret later.

We got to the shop and Eryk opened the door for me, keeping a hand on my back in solidarity on the way in. My brain was already working on a hundred different ways to get my head in the game. But all of that froze like ice when I saw Aiden in the shop, his angry stare locked on Eryk’s hand resting on my waist.

20

Aiden

No good deed goes unpunished.

Good deeds like coming to check on your boyfriend, who you know has hurt feelings. And finding him with another man’s hands all over him.

I’d arrived at Get Ink’d to check on Bryce before I had to go to work, just to make sure that he was okay. That we were okay. When he was nowhere to be found, Bryan mentioned he’d stepped out for some air. That had made my chest ache; clearly he was more upset than he’d let on. I’d settled in to wait for him, hoping to give him a hug and see what he needed when he got back.

What I hadn’t expected was to see him waltz back in with the new guy’s arm slung around his waist. Bryce’s cheeks were rosy. It could’ve been the cold...or the touch of someone else. Worry scratched at my insides, and I hugged myself without thinking about it.

Bryan cleared his throat and looked pointedly at me while Bryce stood, gaping, before quickly stepping out of the touch of the other man. But it hadn’t been quickly enough for my tastes.

I’d never viewed myself as a jealous person. But I’d also never had a boyfriend I cared enough about to be jealous over. And Eryk was handsome, with gorgeous tattoos and muscles I’d never have. And he’d probably be a hell of a lot less complicated than I was.

This wasn’t the first time I’d seen him latched onto Bryce, either. He wanted in my boyfriend’s pants and I couldn’t fault him for that, but I could certainly fault Bryce for leading him on.

Or worse.

It isn’t worse. Don’t think like that.

Bryce shuffled over to me, guilt hanging over him like a cloud. “It isn’t what you think,” he said. Which made it sound as if it were exactly what I thought.

“You don’t know what I’m thinking,” I said. It came out sharper than I wanted. Fuck. I’d come here to make him feel better, not pick a goddamned fight. Seething, I tried to exhale slowly. Count to ten and all that shit. It...didn’t help much.

Bryce’s next comment helped even less. “I’m not in the mood, Aiden.”

My fingers were digging into my ribs as if I could hold myself together through sheer strength. My nostrils flared. I wasn’t going to have this fight. “Look, I get that. You’ve had a rough day. You’re allowed to not be happy. I just wanted to check on you and make sure you’re okay.”

Bryce was frowning and it looked so unnatural on his face. He was the sunshine, the effervescent one. Seeing him down and quiet was alarming.