“But this?” My hand gently slid across the tattoo along her shoulder. The blood-red petals woven into black ink. “This isn’t weakness.”
My thumb slowly traced one bloom.
“It’s armor.”
Her eyes dropped to where my hand rested.
“Armor that reminds you of your survival.” My voice softened further. “Armor meant to protect you from anyone who tries to convince you that you’re worthless.”
A shaky breath left her. The kind that sounded like someone finally setting down a weight they’d carried too long.
Her shoulders loosened more fully now, her expression softening around the edges as she looked down at my chest instead of hiding from me.
And fuck, something inside me swelled painfully at seeing her breathe easier.
Her head tipped upward again, curiosity flickering across her face before she spoke.
“Do you have one?”
For a second, I didn’t understand what she meant, then I realized her hands had settled against my chest sometime during all this. Her fingertips moved across me absentmindedly. Every tiny touch made my heartbeat slam harder.
“One what?” I asked. My voice came out rougher than intended.
A few strands of her hair shifted with each breath between us. Her fingers drifted down my arm, tracing over some of the older tattoos there.
“A tattoo of armor.”
The skin along my neck burned, the old magic reacting before my brain could catch up. My jaw tightened with the reminder.
I hadn’t wanted to talk about that. I never talked about that night or that woman. The pain of betrayal had sliced so deeply that night, but after everything she’d just handed me… keeping my own scars hidden suddenly felt cowardly.
“It’s not one you can see,” I admitted quietly.
Immediately, her eyes swept over me again like she could somehow spot it beneath skin and bone. I laughed softly under my breath.
“But it’s there.” My fingers rubbed against the back of my neck unconsciously. “A reminder of what happens when you trust the wrong person.”
That familiar hollow thing that still lived somewhere deep beneath all the arrogance and sharp edges stirred.
“She stayed with me a long time,” I said. My hand slid through my hair restlessly. “My family never really liked her, but she stayed anyway.” Puffing out a laugh, I mumbled, “Should’ve been my first clue.”
Even now, part of me regretted bringing this up. Talking about it made it feel too alive again. Like I was reopening something I’d barely managed to seal shut, but before I could pull away, Olivia’s arms wrapped fully around my waist.
Holding me there. Just waiting patiently.It’s only fair…
“I thought that meant loyalty,” I admitted. The words tasted bitter. “Her staying with me for so long, but then I caught her with someone else.”
Olivia’s eyes pinched with anger that simmered low, but she kept it to herself even when I admitted, “She wasn’t with me because she loved me.”
I gave her a sharp and hollow laugh as I finally said the words out loud. “I was just convenient.” The magic mark along my neck flared hotter, and I swallowed hard. “She wanted security. Comfort. A future already paid for… while she searched for her mate, her one and only.”
The silence that followed stretched just long enough for the old humiliation to crawl back up my spine like ants under the skin.
Before I could blow it off, dismissing it like I normally would, Olivia scrunched her nose like she’d smelled something rotten.
“She sounds like a bitch.”
I blinked, watching her entire face twisted with genuine offense on my behalf. Brows furrowed. Mouth pinched. Eyes blazing.
