Page 59 of Spring Break Fling

“Why?” I asked.

“Ten years ago it wasn’t as bad as it is right now, but it was always kind of nasty. No kid should’ve had to live like that. But back then, I didn’t know any different. It was normal to me. Going back always makes me see how far I’ve come, but also how much that old life still pulls at me. Like gravity. That’s why I thought it was him.”

Nikko’s voice trailed off, lost in the memories. I squeezed his hand, encouraging him to continue.

“When I was a kid, I loved drawing. It was the only thing that kept me sane while everyone else was running around doing God knows what. While my friends were getting arrested or getting into fights, I was sitting on the porch sketching tattoos I’d never get to ink. I kept my head down, stayed out of trouble as much as I could. But…” He hesitated, his voice growing quieter. “That doesn’t mean I’ve never done shady shit. Sometimes my old man needed help. Sometimes I wanted to fit in. But I’m done with all that now.”

I placed a hand on his arm, squeezing gently. “That’s huge, Nikko. I’m sure it wasn’t easy.”

“After high school, I worked my ass off to get out of there. Saved up from odd jobs—anything to put distance between me and that life. I was doing back-room tattoos before I was eighteen.”

“Forgive me for asking, but do you have to get a license or go to school to become a tattoo artist?”

He chuckled softly, the tension easing a bit. “Yeah, you do. I went through an apprenticeship and got my license as soon as I could afford it. It’s all official now. Working and making a name for myself in the ink world was like me finally saying I made it on my own terms, you know? Legit. No corners cut.”

“That makes what happened even worse,” I murmured, feeling his pain as if it were my own.

“Exactly. So when I saw the place trashed, my first thought was that some part of my past finally caught up with me. That maybe they wanted money and I wasn’t around to give it to them. Just because I left them, they don’t let you leave completely. They still come to me when they need money. That’s why I thought it was him. I figured he’d gotten himself into trouble again and needed a quick paycheck. He came by the shop a week ago and wanted money. He watched me pull it from the register. I assumed he knew how much was in there and decided to help himself.”

“But it wasn’t him,” I said softly.

“No,” Nikko said, his voice heavy. “It wasn’t him. And now I have no idea who it was.”

“No offense, but Miami is a big city. I’m sure break-ins are pretty common.”

“Maybe, but not at our place. And no other business was hit. A real thief would have taken some of the equipment. That shit is worth a lot.”

I debated what to say. “Maybe they got spooked.”

“Maybe. It’s fucked up. Marcus is putting up security, but it just feels off.”

I could hear the strain in his voice. This wasn’t just a bad boy with a chip on his shoulder. This was a man who’d fought tooth and nail to claw his way out of a shitty situation and was still trying to figure out how to leave his past behind. He deserved better.

“I’m sorry you grew up like that,” I said without thinking. “No kid should have to be scared all the time.”

“I wasn’t scared,” he snapped, the words sharp enough to sting.

His thorny attitude wasn’t going to protect him from me. Someone needed to be honest with him.

“Any kid with two brain cells would’ve been scared in that situation,” I shot back. “It’s okay to admit it. It’s normal. You’re a man now and can defend yourself, but back then, you were at their mercy. That was never your fault.”

He looked down at me, his expression a strange mix of defiance and pain. I could see it in his eyes—the years of telling himself he was fine, that he didn’t need help, that he could handle everything on his own.

“It’s okay,” I said again, my voice softer now. “You don’t have to pretend with me.”

For a long moment, he didn’t say anything. Then, without warning, he leaned down and kissed me.

It wasn’t a tentative kiss, like he was testing the waters. It was passionate and warm, full of affection. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against mine, his breath mingling with mine in the cool night air.

“I want to see you again,” he said, his voice low and rough.

My heart stuttered in my chest, and for a split second, I wanted to say yes. But then reality crashed back in.

“I can’t,” I whispered, the words barely audible.

Nikko pulled back just enough to look at me, his thumb brushing against my cheek. “Why do you keep pushing me away?” he asked softly. “You can’t keep hiding from this forever, you know.”

I shook my head, my eyes darting away. The walls I’d spent years building slipped into place like a security system activating. Big heavy doors slammed down around my heart. “I’m not hiding from anything,” I lied, though the tremble in my voice disagreed.