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“I’m surprised you don’t have some party to go to tonight,” I say. Chase looks at me over his shoulder, his dark blond hair falling in his face as he shoots me a mischievous grin.
“Who says I don’t?”
I shrug and use my chin to point at the chair. He rolls his eyes as he slides off, purposefully shoulder-checking Kon as he passes. The giant nearly implodes.
Chase taps on his phone, grinning to himself before turning it around to show me the screen.
“Oli dressed Robert up in a suit,” he says proudly. I blink at the photo. The possum, actually dressed in a little suit with a bowtie and tophat, looks bored. He’s used to Oli’s shit, so I shouldn’t be surprised he doesn't care about the weird outfit, but damn. A possum in a fucking suit?
“What?” Kon grunts, and takes a step forward.
“Nothing.” Chase flashes me a smirk as he slides his phone back in his pocket. “You wanted me out of your precious chair so badly, you don’t get to see what Robert looks like in his formalwear.”
Kon grumbles to himself as he prepares his station for his next client. I can’t make out what he’s saying, but I hear a clear, “Little blond shit.” Chase must hear it too, because he throws his head back and laughs. Kon glowers at both of us and switches to muttering in Russian instead.
“Oli said Eve has been helping her with the animals,” Chase says casually, shooting me a glance.
My jaw clenches until it feels like my teeth are about to crack.
“She’s real good at it,” he continues. “Oli said she can lure them out—”
“They don’t need to be luring anything out,” I snap. “Why does Oli even have those fucking things?” I shove my hand through my hair, my annoyance spiking.
“Those things?” Chase laughs, and the sound grates my nerves. How is he so effortless and happy all the fucking time? I’m tired of hearing his laugh. I’m tired of seeing him smiling.
Why is he even bringing Eve up? He knows how I feel about her—why I feel the way I do. Why is he purposefully trying to piss me off?
I stomp back to my side of the shop, ignoring him as he follows along behind me, seemingly oblivious to my inner turmoil. Looking at the mess of ink, paper, and needles makes me even more fucking tired.
Tired of cleaning. Tired of waking up. Tired of pretending.
Just fucking tired.
“They’re not things, Ro,” Chase says. He slides onto my chair and I glare at him from the corner of my eye.
“Get off.” I shove his shoulder, but he keeps his ass planted in the seat. “I need to clean it. Get off.”
“They’re animals,” he continues, ignoring me completely. Huffing out a breath, I turn back to the mess and wrap everything in the paper lining the little steel tray. “And she loves them like they’re her babies.”
“Yeah, it’s fucking weird,” I grunt. I feel his gaze on me, but ignore him as I toss everything into the bin.
“She’s not weird,” he says quietly. I let out a long breath, but I don’t take it back.
Olive is fucking weird. Even if Chase doesn’t see it, everyone else does. I haven’t seen the girl in forever, and I still know she’s just as weird now as she was when we were growing up.
Turning, I glare down at him. “What do you want, Chase?”
“Do you want to go to the party with me?” I press my tongue into my cheek as I stare at him. “You don’t have to drink.”
“But there’s still booze there,” I say, and he shrugs.
“Thought you weren’t gonna let it control you anymore,” he taunts. “I thought you were stronger than your—”
“Fine,” I growl. He flashes me a triumphant grin, but it doesn’t meet his blue eyes. “I’ll go, but I can’t be out all fucking night.”
“Where are you going?” Kon asks from the doorway, his meaty, tattooed arms folded over his barrel chest. I know he’s not talking to me.
Chase’s grin turns mischievous as he gives all his attention to the giant man. “You’re not invited.”
