Sequel: Hangovers with You ›
Waking up in Vegas
Your kiss is torture but killing me would be too easy
Kodi’s POV
I’m currently sitting at my station, tattooing a client when I hear the bell on my front door jingle over the sound of Ice Nine Kills. I look up and see Cole and George walking towards me. Cole had a boba tea in her hand. She’s gonna be talking to me about something uncomfortable.
“Look at you being the supportive wifey listening to your husband’s band.” Cole snickers as she puts the boba down on the counter. “Since when do you listen to Ice Nine Kills?”
“I didn’t pick the music today.” I tell her before going back to my client’s tattoo. “Do you really think I’d listen to this angry bullshit?”
My client, Jill, perks up looking at me while I tattoo her thigh. “I thought you were friends with them? You really don’t listen to their music?”
“I’ve been friends with Spencer since 2010 but that doesn’t mean I have to listen to them” I reply. “And being married into the band isn’t gonna change that.”
“You finally married the drummer?” Jill smirks, causing me to laugh.
“Does everyone know about your crush on Galante?” George questions. “When did that crush even start?”
“2016.” I reply, chuckling. “But no, Jill. I didn’t marry Patrick. Not yet anyway.”
‘Patrick didn’t join Ice Nine Kills until 2018.” Cole reminds me. “How did your crush start so early?”
“The band he was in before Ice Nine Kills was called Affiance. They did two tours with Ice Nine Kills. And I did merch for one of those tours. I just don’t remember which one. But that’s how I met Patrick.”
“Well your crush on him isn’t why we’re here.” Cole states, causing me to groan. “How long have you been in love with Spencer?” I feel my heart stop. “You aren’t even going to deny being in love with him?”
“Not now, Nicolette.” I glare at her. “Now is not the time or place to talk about if I have feelings for my best friend.”
“Then when?” She counters. “How hard is it to admit you have feelings for him?”
“Pot calling the kettle black.” I glare at her, going back to working on the tattoo in front of me. “We’ll talk about this later, not while I’m in the middle of a session.” Cole and George both sit down in the waiting room, waiting for me to finish.
“I think she means well.” Jill states.
“She’s too protective for her own good.” I mutter as I continue the session.
Once I finished Jill and cleaned up, it was just Cole sitting in the waiting room. I motion for her to come back and she does. She sits on the bench while I sit on my stool. “So what do you want to know?”
“How long?”
“Promise not to judge?”
“This is Charnas we’re talking about.” She laughs. “I’ve been judging you immensely for years.”
“It’s your fault he’s in our lives.” I remind her. “You could have skipped the project and come to a Mest concert with me. But NOOOOOOOO.”
“He lived in the apartment across from you, need I remind you?”
“Yea and he would have been just another neighbor to me.” I counter. “I never talked to my neighbors. I still don’t.”
“Just tell me how long and stop trying to avoid the question.” Cole rolls her eyes.
“Boo, you whore.” I pout before sighing. “2011 is when feelings first started brewing.”
She whistles. “Fucking, eh. That long?”
“They started after you left to go back to France.” I start to explain. “Spencer never left my side. He was there through every manic and depressive mood. He was there for everything. He helped me move to another apartment. Helped me pack. He held me through every mental breakdown. He was my rock. And I thought I was only getting those feelings for him because he was being so kind and thoughtful so I pushed them down.”
“I had no idea you were upset about me leaving.” Cole frowns.
“It was worse than a break up.” I chuckle. “I don’t think I ever cried that much over a guy cheating on me. I not only lost my best friend but I couldn’t be there for her when she needed me the most.” Cole pulls me into a hug. “I ignored those feelings for so long until Covid happened.”
“That’s when you moved in with him during the lockdown.” She muses. “Playing house brought those feelings back?”
“Yea those feelings came back with a vengeance. “ I let out a dark chuckle. “I honestly couldn’t wait until everything was lifted and I could move out again. Because it was getting so hard to be around him and feeling the way I did.”
“If you love him so much, why are you pushing the annulment so hard?”
“Because I’m the last person he’d want to marry…” I reply. “Being in love with your best friend is one thing. Being in love with him and knowing he doesn’t feel anything for you back hurts. If I stay, it breeds hope that one day he’ll love me back…”
“So you want to remove hope as soon as possible?”
“As much as I want to make this work and be a walking cliche, I can’t.” I sigh, running my fingers through my hair. “I love him, so in love with him. But I can’t allow myself that hope. He’ll never love me back. I can’t remain in a loveless marriage just in case he falls for me down the road.”
Cole pulls me into a hug and I just break down crying. I can’t help the tears that are coming. I know Spencer’s type. I’ll never be it…
I’m currently sitting at my station, tattooing a client when I hear the bell on my front door jingle over the sound of Ice Nine Kills. I look up and see Cole and George walking towards me. Cole had a boba tea in her hand. She’s gonna be talking to me about something uncomfortable.
“Look at you being the supportive wifey listening to your husband’s band.” Cole snickers as she puts the boba down on the counter. “Since when do you listen to Ice Nine Kills?”
“I didn’t pick the music today.” I tell her before going back to my client’s tattoo. “Do you really think I’d listen to this angry bullshit?”
My client, Jill, perks up looking at me while I tattoo her thigh. “I thought you were friends with them? You really don’t listen to their music?”
“I’ve been friends with Spencer since 2010 but that doesn’t mean I have to listen to them” I reply. “And being married into the band isn’t gonna change that.”
“You finally married the drummer?” Jill smirks, causing me to laugh.
“Does everyone know about your crush on Galante?” George questions. “When did that crush even start?”
“2016.” I reply, chuckling. “But no, Jill. I didn’t marry Patrick. Not yet anyway.”
‘Patrick didn’t join Ice Nine Kills until 2018.” Cole reminds me. “How did your crush start so early?”
“The band he was in before Ice Nine Kills was called Affiance. They did two tours with Ice Nine Kills. And I did merch for one of those tours. I just don’t remember which one. But that’s how I met Patrick.”
“Well your crush on him isn’t why we’re here.” Cole states, causing me to groan. “How long have you been in love with Spencer?” I feel my heart stop. “You aren’t even going to deny being in love with him?”
“Not now, Nicolette.” I glare at her. “Now is not the time or place to talk about if I have feelings for my best friend.”
“Then when?” She counters. “How hard is it to admit you have feelings for him?”
“Pot calling the kettle black.” I glare at her, going back to working on the tattoo in front of me. “We’ll talk about this later, not while I’m in the middle of a session.” Cole and George both sit down in the waiting room, waiting for me to finish.
“I think she means well.” Jill states.
“She’s too protective for her own good.” I mutter as I continue the session.
Once I finished Jill and cleaned up, it was just Cole sitting in the waiting room. I motion for her to come back and she does. She sits on the bench while I sit on my stool. “So what do you want to know?”
“How long?”
“Promise not to judge?”
“This is Charnas we’re talking about.” She laughs. “I’ve been judging you immensely for years.”
“It’s your fault he’s in our lives.” I remind her. “You could have skipped the project and come to a Mest concert with me. But NOOOOOOOO.”
“He lived in the apartment across from you, need I remind you?”
“Yea and he would have been just another neighbor to me.” I counter. “I never talked to my neighbors. I still don’t.”
“Just tell me how long and stop trying to avoid the question.” Cole rolls her eyes.
“Boo, you whore.” I pout before sighing. “2011 is when feelings first started brewing.”
She whistles. “Fucking, eh. That long?”
“They started after you left to go back to France.” I start to explain. “Spencer never left my side. He was there through every manic and depressive mood. He was there for everything. He helped me move to another apartment. Helped me pack. He held me through every mental breakdown. He was my rock. And I thought I was only getting those feelings for him because he was being so kind and thoughtful so I pushed them down.”
“I had no idea you were upset about me leaving.” Cole frowns.
“It was worse than a break up.” I chuckle. “I don’t think I ever cried that much over a guy cheating on me. I not only lost my best friend but I couldn’t be there for her when she needed me the most.” Cole pulls me into a hug. “I ignored those feelings for so long until Covid happened.”
“That’s when you moved in with him during the lockdown.” She muses. “Playing house brought those feelings back?”
“Yea those feelings came back with a vengeance. “ I let out a dark chuckle. “I honestly couldn’t wait until everything was lifted and I could move out again. Because it was getting so hard to be around him and feeling the way I did.”
“If you love him so much, why are you pushing the annulment so hard?”
“Because I’m the last person he’d want to marry…” I reply. “Being in love with your best friend is one thing. Being in love with him and knowing he doesn’t feel anything for you back hurts. If I stay, it breeds hope that one day he’ll love me back…”
“So you want to remove hope as soon as possible?”
“As much as I want to make this work and be a walking cliche, I can’t.” I sigh, running my fingers through my hair. “I love him, so in love with him. But I can’t allow myself that hope. He’ll never love me back. I can’t remain in a loveless marriage just in case he falls for me down the road.”
Cole pulls me into a hug and I just break down crying. I can’t help the tears that are coming. I know Spencer’s type. I’ll never be it…
♠ ♠ ♠
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