Page 84 of Midnight Ink

“What’s it called?”

“The Tea House Bed and Breakfast. In Layton, North Carolina.”

“Take some pictures and post it on your shop’s socials. You have a lot of followers—holy shit, I sound like Noah.” He laughs a little. “Ask them if you can tag them in vacation pictures. It might help with a little traction. You guys have nearly thirty thousand followers on BlueVibe.”

“That’s a good idea. We’ll do that.” I take a deep breath. “How much do you hate me?”

He laughs. “Less than before you called. I know you didn’t mean it, but I can’t have you lashing out like that. I can’t deal with it. My mind is already a fucked-up place.”

“How much does Noah hate me?”

Jamie laughs a little. “He doesn’t hate you. He hates what you said, he’s just . . . protective of me.”

“I know. I won’t ever say anything like that again, I promise. I promise. I am so fucking sorry.”

“I miss him too, man.” I swallow at the drop in his tone. “I know how physical it feels. He was a fucking tornado, but we loved him a lot.”

I laugh. “We do. We do love him.” While I hate to ask this, I need to. I’ve had some ideas since coming here. “Please don’t be mad, but I have a favor to ask.”

“That’s bold.”

“I know, but it’s not for me. It’s for Julian.”

“I’m listening.”

I tell Jamie my plan for the mural and explain what I want to do. There’s room on the wall, but I’m worried about straining his body like this. I just had to ask. “That’s a lot of work. Two weeks?”

“If you can’t do it, I get it. I know it’s a lot, I just . . . It’s an idea I had. For him. For us. If you can’t do it in the timeframe, I have a little money I can scrape together to pay people to help you. Or maybe we can hide it somehow. I just want it to be a surprise for him.” I swallow. Maddox built this shop with his own hands, but there’s another person who’s just as important and who’s made an impact on where we are today.

And I want to honor her.

“It’s not the shop Maddox bought, it’s the one Julian and I built. Together. It’s his shop too.” Julian is more than just another artist. He’s the air and sun in that place. He’s my partner, and it’s his shop too. “Just tell me what you think is possible.”

“Two weeks with that size . . . it’s doable. I may have someone who can help, but it’ll cost you a tattoo. Maybe she knows people who can help out too.”

“Free tattoos to whoever can help. Anna is calling our clients to reschedule all the appointments we have for this month.” Which I haven’t told Julian yet, but I think this is what we need. A reset. We need a change.

“That’s going to be a lot of work to catch up on.”

“Yeah,” I sigh. “But I think um, I think I’m going to hire some more artists. At least two, maybe three, or a piercer. I’ve thought a lot about this.”

“You’re getting new stations?”

This is the part I’m struggling with. I need to learn to let go. I’ve been through all the stages of grief on a loop over the last seven years. All except acceptance. It just seems so impossible that someone so alive isn’t here anymore. I love him, but I don’t want to live my life like this anymore. The reality is brutal, but it’s still reality. Maddox isn’t coming back. He’s just not. This is now my shop, and my responsibility, and I can’t live like this anymore.

And I know Maddox wouldn’t want me to.

I don’t know what’s happened to me since he died, but this isn’t me. I hate who I’ve become. “Yeah, one station. I’m uh, I’m going to take Maddox’s.” I smile at the thought. “It’s time, Jamie. I need to make a change.”

“He’d be proud of you. He knew how much you didn’t want this.”

I clear my throat not trusting my voice.

“Let me get in contact with Amira, see what I can do. She knows people. We’ll work something out for you guys. If we can go up tomorrow, how will I get in?”

“Anna has a key. I’ll text her to meet up with you, and I’ll give her your number. There’s a picture of her on Jules’s station. Anna will show you. Thank you, Jamie. Seriously. Thank you.”

“Always, man.”