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“Of her initial. She told me it was A for Aries, and I believed her.”
“Because that’s believable,” Everly said, keeping her hand on my shoulder when I straightened. “We can fight this. Just so I have all the facts, did she pay with a credit card? If that had a different name, we’ll need an explanation.”
“She didn’t pay. I did it as a favor to Aries.”
“Did she sign any paperwork? A consent form?”
I nodded. “She signed with the name on the ID.”
“Did anyone other than Aries see you give her the tattoo?”
“Only about five cameras.”
“Marked has cameras?”
“Some clients have crossed the line before. Gotten physical over pricing or the way a piece turned out. Max has assault charges in his past, so he wanted to document any altercations.”
“Smart. That could work for us. It means there’s proof you did the tattoo, so there’s no sense arguing that, but there’s also probably proof you checked her ID.”
But would it matter? I was a felon who’d tattooed a sixteen-year-old girl. Someone without a record would probably pay a small fine and be done, if they were convicted at all. But many people in Peace Falls thought I hadn’t served enough time for Logan’s death and would use any opportunity to put me behind bars.
“Look, Everly. I appreciate your help today. No doubt I’d be in custody right now if you hadn’t shown up, but I don’t want to waste your time. I’m screwed.”
I stood, unlocked the door, and hurried to the reception area. Everly ran behind me, her four-inch heels clicking on the shiny wood floor. I walked straight to Poppy, who was pacing the room, and pulled her into my arms. I’d be damned if I took anyone else down with me. I breathed deep, savoring her lavender scent one last time.
“What’s happening?” she asked, looking up at me with those snaring eyes.
I took a step back. “The inevitable. You can’t be with me. I’ll only hold you back.”
“What?” Poppy said, her eyes widening. “Are you breaking up with me?”
I nodded. I was. In front of everyone. Because I knew if we were alone, I wouldn’t be able to let her go.
Cal jumped to his feet. “The hell you are.”
“Yeah, I’m with Cal on this one,” Aiden said, standing. “You can’t dump his future sister-in-law in front of him and not expect to get your ass kicked.”
“I’m not dumping her,” I snapped at them. “I’m not,” I said taking Poppy’s hands. “I’m letting you go.”
She yanked her hands from mine. “What if I don’t want to be let go?”
“Theo, this has been a stressful day,” Max said, quietly. “I’m sure you’re spinning to the worst possible scenario. Don’t do anything rash.”
“He’s right,” Everly said. “This could all be resolved with a single court date.”
“Or I could spend another year in jail,” I yelled.
Cal staggered back, bumping into the couch before flopping onto it. Max and Rowan looked near tears. Aiden paled, then turned green. But Poppy stared me straight in the eyes.
“Whatever it is,” she said, stepping closer. “However long it takes to straighten out, it doesn’t matter. I’m with you.”
I shook my head.
“At least tell me why?”
“Because I love you. I love you so much I can’t stand the thought of the life you’ll have with me. I won’t survive that guilt. If you care about me at all, you’ll keep your distance.”
“Care about you?” she yelled. “I fucking love you too.”