seeing how much he means it when I lock eyes with his. That dark color staring back at me paired with a pearly white smile has my chest tightening with a familiarity it held when I was a teenager. Maybe, just maybe, a little of my crush still remains on the man who’s willing to help me even without knowing all the details.
That means something to me.
“And you’re welcome,” he adds, brushing my arm with his palm before squeezing it once. “If you need me, I’m here to help. I’ve known you for a long time and I want to make sure you’re going to be okay.”
I know why he says it. For Jesse. For Danny. He’s making up lost time and trying to make it worth my forgiveness. But he doesn’t have to. Not after talking to Mable.
But I don’t tell him that.
Jenna decides to give me time to myself by looking after Ainsley on Saturday, which lands me in front of The Inked Lotus. Their open sign stares me in the face as I sit in the car debating on whether to go in or not. East and I have been fine at home, not really skirting around each other, but also not engaging either.
It feels like it did when he first moved in, and I know I’m at fault. I’ve barely told him about the new arrangement I have for my student teaching hours, just that it worked out. He gave me a typical one-word response and watched me walk upstairs with Ainsley to get her ready. He hasn’t been to my room or tried anything with me since the night in the kitchen, and I’m not sure if I’m glad or confused by it.
I take a deep breath and turn off the car, grabbing my purse and getting out. Easton has done way more than a roommate has to, and it’s hard to ignore that fact. So, I ignore the weirdness that walking in might induce and push open the door with a smile on my face.
Like usual, Jay greets me first. He’s not working on anybody like Easton is, so he pushes off the couch where he’s laying down and pulls me into a one-armed hug. I laugh as he messes up my hair, pushing him away. “Really? I actually put effort into looking decent today.” I brush out the frizz with my fingers, rolling my eyes at his goofy grin.
Jay reminds me of Danny. He’s charming in a class-clown kind of way and isn’t afraid to work for everything he wants. It’s funny to see how opposite his personality is to Easton, who’s much quieter and more subdued.
“What brings you here, Red?” He leans against the counter and studies me. “Let me guess, you’re here to let me ink you.”
“No.”
His brows raise. “Pierce you?”
My lips part, then close.
His eyes widen. “Really?” He claps his hand and gestures for me to follow him to his chair. “Shit, Red. What kind of piercing? We just got new stock in the back. Let me go bring some out for you to choose from.”
Before I can say anything, he’s already down the hall. Blinking, I slowly sit at his station, peaking over at Easton whose needle has stopped moving over the guy’s arm he’s working on.
We lock eyes. His are narrow and skeptical as he studies me up and down. “You’re getting a piercing?”
“I figured it’s time.”
He sets the needle down and says something to the man before walking over to me with his arms crossed over his chest. “I thought you couldn’t because of school policy. You said it’s against dress code.”
I didn’t realize he listened. “It is, but my new placement is at the college as a teaching assistant. If I get a piercing now, it’ll have time to heal for when I get employed by a school district to teach in the future.”
His jaw ticks as he looks over his shoulder at the man waiting for him. “Wait.”
I go to ask him why, but he turns his back on me and saunters over to his station. When Jay comes out holding a black box, East calls him over and murmurs something to him. The two have a quiet conversation, both looking over at me at one point or another, before Jay slaps East’s shoulder and saunters over with a big grin on his face.
“What was that about?” I question, glancing over at Easton. He isn’t looking, but I can tell his jaw is locked together.