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CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Ezra
After our workout and a quick shower, I have to head to the shop to sort some things out, so Sawyer and Harlow tag along for something to do. When it’s sorted quicker than I anticipated, I offer to start Sawyer’s tattoo, seeing as we’re here and with no other plans. We’ve been discussing what he wants since Harlow got hers, and it’s all ready to go. Everyone else at the shop packs up and closes up behind them while I fiddle with the design and print the stencil. Harlow is curled up in the nearest chair, while Sawyer lies on his side on my bench. I carry the stencil over to him as Harlow speaks.
“He just messaged back. I’m officially on three shifts a week instead of six.”
“You think that’ll be enough spare time?” Sawyer asks as I lay the paper on his side.
“It’s the minimum I can do and still afford my rent. I’ll be eating cereal as it is.”
“Your usual diet when I’m not around to cook,” he reminds her, and she laughs.
“Take a look at that in the mirror,” I tell Sawyer, and he gets up and twists in the mirror to see the stencil. A huge grin splits his face, which I take to mean he likes it.
“What do you think, Angel?”
She gets up and walks over to him, squatting down so she’s eye level with his waistband.
“Is it dry?” she asks me.
“Yep.”
She traces the lines of the angel tattoo on his side with her fingertips before trailing them over his abs as she looks up at him from under her lashes.
He groans, and she smirks at him. “You’re fucking sinful, you know that?”
“I love it,” she says with a quick kiss as he rearranges himself.
“God, that thing’s gonna be in my face now,” I grumble, and she laughs before making her way back to her chair with her hands held up in a show of innocence. “Lie back down and think of your gran,” I tell Sawyer.
“Ew, dude,” he complains, but I shrug. Needs must. Harlow pulls her chair in and watches as I set up, and after the first couple of lines, she speaks again.
“Shall we do something tomorrow night?”
“Like what?”
“Maybe have people round? I just want to drink and not worry about anything serious before we have to join the sick rat race.”
“We can do that,” Sawyer says through gritted teeth.
“How you doing, champ?” I ask, trying to stop myself from laughing at his discomfort. Ribs are tough, to be fair, but it’s still amusing to watch him suffer.
“I’m fine.”
“Harlow didn’t squirm as much as you are,” I add to wind him up further, and he throws a glare over his shoulder at me. “Who do you wanna invite?” I ask Harlow, moving the conversation back to tomorrow night, but she shrugs. I guess she’d normally ask Fleur and Lee, but now they’ve moved away, that’s not an option. I could ask the guys from the shop, but I’m not sure if that’s the vibe she wants.
“What about the guys from the gym?” Sawyer asks. “They’re always a good time.” Harlow shrugs but doesn’t say anything, chewing on her bottom lip.
“What are you thinking?” I focus back on my task at Sawyer’s ribs, so I can’t see how she reacts, only hear the low way she replies.
“I’m not sure. I feel like we should make the most of it, but maybe I don’t want to be around other people.”
“You wanna be alone?” Sawyer asks casually. I know he’ll want that as little as I do, but he doesn’t make her feel guilty for wanting it.
“Alone with you two,” she clarifies, “pretending the outside world doesn’t exist. I guess I want to pretend for a night that it’s all still simple and easy.”
“We can do that,” I tell her as I drag the needle along, ideas filling my head.
