Page 15 of Inked Heart
“I’m not done.”
He exhales sharply.“Jesus, Quinn.”
The name hits my ears like a warning bell.Because when Emette starts using that tone things usually get worse.
“I just want to finish shopping,” I say quietly.
“Why?”
“Because I do.”
He looks at my cart again.Flour.Sugar.Chocolate chips.
And suddenly his mouth twists into something ugly.“You really think those cupcakes make you special?”
My chest tightens.“What?”
“You bake and suddenly everyone treats you like you’re amazing.”
I stare at him, confused.“They like them.”
“They like the attention,” he snaps.
I blink.“That’s not true.”
“Please,” he scoffs.“You’re not exactly a genius, Quinn.”
The words hang in the air for a second, long enough for my brain to fully process them.
My throat tightens.“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
My heart starts pounding.“You think I’m stupid?”
“I think you don’t think things through,” he says coldly.“Like hanging around that tattoo shop all the time.”
My vision blurs slightly.“Emette...”
He throws his hands in the air.“You know what?Forget it.”He turns toward the front of the store.“I’m not dealing with this tonight.”And then he walks away.
Just like that.Leaving me standing in the middle of the cereal aisle with a half-full cart and about a hundred pairs of curious eyes pretending not to stare.
The humiliation burns hot in my chest and for a second I consider abandoning the cart and running out of the store.But then Damien’s voice breaks through the silence.
“Hey.”
Soft and careful, like he’s approaching a wounded animal.
I blink rapidly, trying to keep the tears from spilling over.“I’m fine,” I say automatically.
Which is the biggest lie I’ve told all day.
Damien steps closer, his expression calm but his eyes sharp.“You shouldn’t let him talk to you like that.”
I swallow hard.“It’s not a big deal.”
His eyebrows lift slightly.“He called you stupid in a grocery store.”
