“Does he strike you as the type who’s looking for anything long-term? As much as I try to pretend I’m not, I am. I’d love it, you know? If the right guy came along, I’d be so ready to get married and have kids. I put out the vibe to him that I’m not into all that.” When she really listened to herself, she let her head drop into her hands with a groan. “Do you hear what I’m admitting to? I basically lied to get laid.”

“I don’t know if you realize this or not, Macy, but you can be pretty standoffish. If that’s the vibe you’re putting out, he’s probably doing the same thing. It’s simple self-preservation.”

“I’m not that bad.” Macy lifted her head and searched Candace’s face. “Am I?”

“I’m not one to give an objective opinion. I’ve known you my whole life, I’m used to you.”

“Great. In other words, ‘You’re a raging bitch only a best friend could love’. I had no idea I had so little self-awareness.”

“Get over it. I’d have to say you’re more a snob than a raging bitch. Oh, and maybe a control freak though you’re better about that now than you used to be. But I love you anyway. So could he.”

The words stung, the ring of truth biting deep. The Candace of old would never have said anything like that to her. Macy laughed to keep from crying. “It’s only that I don’t see what’s so wrong about being set in my ways and wanting what I want, and liking what I like. And of course, not liking some things.”

“The bottom line is you have to accept him the way he is and not try to change him. If you’re not willing to do that, Mace, it really is going to be impossible. Give it up now, because I can tell you with absolute certainty, he won’t go for it. I mean, he’s a guy who’ll tell you to f**k off and die if you try that on him.”

“I know. I wouldn’t do that. He is who he is. Just as long as he remembers that I am who I am too.” Macy sighed, staring out the window at the neon sign of the tattoo parlor across the street. A light drizzle of rain beaded on the glass and slicked the street outside, but even so, she could see that Seth was over there. She could just make him out through the windows, and sure enough, his car was now parked at the side of the building. When had that happened, and how had she missed it? “Hey, I thought you said he wasn’t working tonight.”

Candace glanced over. “Huh. He’s not. He must be hanging out. Looks like Kelsey and Evan are there too. When did the party start?”

Macy chewed on her thumbnail. He hadn’t spoken to her since leaving her apartment. It had been days. She hadn’t tried to contact him, either. Was it some kind of game, or did he really not care to talk to her? Whenever she tried to apply motives to him, though, she had to take a look at her own.

Yeah. She would love to talk to him. She just wasn’t about to be the first one to pick up the phone and give him the satisfaction of knowing she needed him, of giving any truth to his final arrogant words before he’d left her lying lifeless on her bed wondering what the hell had just happened. For nearly an hour after he walked out, she’d stared at the ceiling in a daze. When she’d finally dragged herself up, aftershocks racking her every time she moved, she noticed he’d grabbed the hoodie he’d loaned her off her dresser and taken it with him.

It had only been there a little more than a day and she missed it. Missed picking it up and inhaling his scent.

Dammit, someone had to break the cycle. It might as well be her.

She looked across the table at her best friend. “Let’s go.”

It had been three days, and he hadn’t heard a word out of her. Ghost might as well face it; she was a girl who stuck to her guns. He admired that. He mostly stuck to his too, except when it came to her, the gun he stuck to was perpetually cocked and ready to fire.

One excellent thing about his Saturday night was that Gus actually dragged in to practice, cohesively, no less, and they’d just about blown the roof off the house. They’d even started a bunch of new material. Seemed both the axmen had a lot of aggression to work out, and the rest of the guys had stepped up and added their respective flavors too. Even Mark had been happy. Neighbors had complained. It was an incredible feeling, what he lived for. By the time he left, he was still juiced up.

With nowhere to go and nothing to do. So he swung by Dermamania, thinking what a loser he must be to go to his workplace to hang out on his night off.

Nah. It just meant he had an awesome job.

“You know, if you’re so f**kin’ bored, I’ve got plenty you can do,” Brian said as Ghost made his entrance.

“Ooh. I’m sure you do, loverboy.”

“Jesus. I guess I left myself wide open for—shit, that’s no good either.”

Laughter erupted from artists and clients alike. “You know I can’t go a single night without you, Bri-baby. Is Candace not here? You and I can slip in your office and—”

“Please!” Starla cried. “Spare us.”

“You know you love it, my little voyeur.” Starla grinned as if to say there was no use denying it. Ghost hoisted himself up on the counter at his station. “What’s going on tonight, kids?”

Brian shook his head. “Nothing here. Work, home, sleep.”

“Come on, man. It’s Saturday night.”

“Says the guy who hasn’t been here all day.”

“Old ass.”

He laughed at that. “I’m no older than you are, dude.”

“He’s just domesticated now,” Starla said.

“Poor strapped bastard. Where is the domesticator, anyway?”

“Across the street at the coffee shop.” Brian glanced up at him. “With Macy.”

Shit. The pause had been so unnecessary, as were the little grins that passed among the others. Ghost could only hope he kept his expression bland and uninterested.

“Oh yeah? And here I was hoping you were gonna tell me they were in your office in the sixty-nine.” Good. That sounded like something he would say.

“You wish.” Brian’s eye was caught by something outside the front windows. “Hell. It’s my brother.”

Ghost followed his gaze out to see Evan Ross and his wife Kelsey striding quickly through the light rain. Brian waited until Evan had pulled open the door before cupping a hand to his mouth and shouting toward the back, “Hey! Hide all the crack!”

Ghost laughed while he considered bolting. He didn’t have one reason to be concerned that a state prosecutor was walking into his place of business, but Evan had a way of making them all feel like they had something to hide. Even when he was in jeans instead of a suit, the dude wore authority. He couldn’t help it.

They laughed good-naturedly at Brian’s joke, Kelsey walking over to give her brother-in-law a hug. Evan glanced around the shop with his all-too-assessing gaze, nodding at Ghost when he caught his eye. Always good to have friends in high places. Even if you never actually cared to see those friends.

“To what do I owe the dubious honor?” Brian asked, hopping up to sit on the counter as Evan turned back to him.

“Kelsey wants to get my name tattooed on her ass,” he said, earning himself a smack on the arm and his wife’s laughter.