“Hey Archer, I was starting to think maybe you forgot about me.”

His call came in about two minutes after my last customer left the shop, and I couldn’t have been happier to hear from him.

“What do you mean? I sent you like three emails over the past week, and you didn’t respond to any of them. What gives?”

I frowned at the phone as though Archer were speaking a different language, because I’d been stalking my email like a high school cheerleader waiting to hear back from the quarterback, and so far, nothing. Not one returned email or text message, or even a call. Until now.

“I have no idea what you mean. I’ve been waiting for somebody, anybody to get back to me with an opening, and my inbox is sitting here as empty as a celebutante’s head.”

His deep laughter boomed over the line and I smiled, missing my big bearded drinking partner. “Damn, seriously? That’s too bad. When you didn’t respond to the second one, I said yes to Ryan Sterling, you know her?”

Yeah, I knew her. She was an amazing artist who’d combined her artistic skills with her natural beauty to create a brand that was quickly becoming as high profile as her clients. But Ryan had nothing on me. Except looks, she was way hotter. “Yeah. You won’t be disappointed with her work, that’s for sure.”

Archer let out another low chuckle. “I know that, I just hope she doesn’t leave me with a shop of head-fucked tattoo artists when she goes.” Ryan was also a bit of a man eater. And a woman eater. She had been known to leave broken people in her wake.

“Too bad you didn’t pick me.”

“Not for lack of trying, doll, maybe you ought to get one of those computer geeks out there to look at your shit so when you hit me up again in a few months, we’ll actually connect.”

He had a point. “Shit. Good luck with Ryan, Archer. I’ll talk to you again soon.”

He grunted a goodbye while I sat there staring into space as I wondered what the hell was wrong with my email. I knew it was something fishy, and I was sure Mae’s sticky fingerprints were all over it. Even though she was known to sometimes either type her password in her FB timeline, or send personal messages in her posts for the whole world to see. Yet, somehow, she’d gotten me good.

“What’s wrong, Mags?” Mason’s deep voice was thick with worry, and if I wasn’t still so angry with him, I might have been mollified.

“Nothing.” Things were strained between us like never before, and I knew most of it was on me. But I wasn’t ready to let it all go yet.

“Mags, come on, don’t lie to me. Be pissed off, yell and scream if you must, but don’t shut me out.” He raked a hand through his thick hair and blew out a long breath. “Please.”

“It’s nothing, Mason. Don’t worry about it.” More like don’t pretend to care now. But saying all that would have just started another pointless argument. “It’s personal,” I added when he put on his most stubborn older brother look.

“And?”

Okay now he was starting to piss me off. “And it’s my problem. I’m not making it your problem, so you don’t need to either!” Shouting wasn’t absolutely necessary, but I was just so frustrated.

“Is this about that rumor I heard, that you and Davis are married?” Arms crossed over his massive chest, Mason grunted.

“Nope.” At least that wasn’t a lie.

“For god’s sake Magenta, how long are you going to punish me? It was a stupid mistake.”

I snorted at that. At how easy it was for him to downplay what he’d done. “No Mason, I’m not punishing you for simply forgetting about my existence, or worse, not giving a damn about my comfort or safety. You know, your little mistake.” I shook my head. “I’m just giving you the space you clearly need.”

His scowl darkened. “Who said I wanted space?”

“You did! God, why else would you move a stranger in without telling me? Or I don’t know, asking me?”

“It worked out pretty well I’d say!”

And that was exactly why I was in such a hurry to get the hell out of town. It was humiliating to think I’d been living this fantasy in my head, living and working with my older brother and best friend. Turns out he was just tolerating me, and I never even realized it.

“You couldn’t have possibly known that,” I told him through clenched teeth. “And that’s not really the point is it? I can take a hint, Mason.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Anger flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by surprise. “Come on, Mags, don’t be difficult.”

Difficult. I fucking hated that word more than any other in the English language. It was a word people used for people like me, ones who required honesty and gave it back in return. Was that really so much to ask?

“Don’t worry Mason, I’m not your problem and I won’t be interfering in your precious life!”

“I don’t think you’re interfering. I should have talked to you first and I’m sorry I didn’t.”

I believed he was sorry, but that wasn’t enough. “Just tell me why. Why did you think I’d be okay living with a complete stranger with no advance notice?”

He sighed and blew out a breath. “I thought it’d be easier if you had less time to bitch about it, and less time to try and sabotage him.” His lips twitched and mine did too, because we both knew I would have done it. “But it was wrong, and I’m so sorry.”

“I’m sorry too, Mase. I wish you just would have told me I was cramping your style. I wouldn’t do that to you.” But it was clear that I was the only one who knew that, who saw how much I’d grown over the years. Sure, I was still a wild child, but in a mature, in charge of my own life, kind of way. I made sure that I was the only person affected by my impulsive actions. No one else. Just me. “See you around, Mason.”

“Wait, Mags!” The anguish in his voice was real, I could hear it, but unlike my brother, I knew what he really felt was guilt.

“Look, as soon as I find a chair, I’m gone. Until then, stay the hell away from me.”

Guilt wrapped around me like a cloak, but I was in no mood to be logical or rational. I was angry. Pissed off. Hurt, dammit. I thought I’d dealt with my shit and moved past it, as much as anyone could move past being the forgotten child. The one left to her own devices when she was just a kid, while the rest of the family went about their lives filled with after school sports, piano lessons and the like.

I thought she was gone, that I’d killed her years ago, and now I was more pissed than ever to realize she wasn’t dead at all, simply in hiding.

Dammit.

“I expect an official dinner to welcome Davis to the family!” I couldn’t miss the sound of laughter in his voice even if I tried. But if he thought I would put myself through his attempts at humor at my expense, he was dead ass wrong.

“Not happening. Stay out of my way and I’ll stay out of yours.” I wanted to leave, to run out of the shop and disappear for the rest of the day. Maybe even the rest of the week. But I had appointments all day, and despite what my brother thought of me, I took my business seriously. Deadly serious.

Everyone thought because I didn’t dream of owning my own tattoo shop, I had no plans beyond being an artist.

Everyone didn’t know squat.

I was living my life on my terms, and making a good living doing it. “Your next appointment is here.” Mason poked his head inside the room and grinned. “I’ll go on a lunch run while you’re in here.”

“No thanks,” I called out, but the jerk was already gone. That was fine with me, I’d just refuse to eat when he brought it back. Even if it was my favorite sandwich.

My petty level was off the charts, and I planned on keeping it that way.