Page 3 of Embraced in Ink

“And we like who you are, too.” He frowned into his glass. “Just don’t take advantage of the fact that he’ll always be here when you come back.”

She didn’t like this. Not the feeling his words pushed through her, and not what he was getting at. “What are you saying?”

“I don’t know what I’m saying,” he said and then ran his hands through his hair. The style gave him this beach-boy look with his longer hair, and Bristol could actually see women looking as if they were ready to swoon behind him. The fact that her brother was an internationally famous model that women drooled over might make her a little queasy if she thought about it too hard. Still, she did enjoy the way women stopped whatever they were doing and ran into walls while looking at him.

“I’m not going to take advantage of Marcus. I never have. We’re best friends. So, we have each other. I’ll always be here for him. If he needs me, I’ll drop everything.”

“I believe you. And I believe that he would do the same for you. However, this is going to be the longest you guys have ever been apart. I don’t want you to get hurt if he changes along the way. Just like you’re going to change.”

For some reason, her eyes stung, and she blinked away tears. “I don’t want to think about that, Liam. Stop it, okay?”

She said the words quickly, and Liam nodded before he hugged her tight to him again. “I’m sorry, I’m thinking about my own friends, I guess. They all want something from me, you know? I don’t have what you have with Marcus.”

“You want me to kick their asses for you?” she asked, her voice a little hoarse. She didn’t want to cry, but she had a feeling she would if she thought about this too long.

Marcus had been her best friend for as long as she could remember, and she didn’t like the idea that they might change and go in opposite directions. It wasn’t something she had planned for, and she had planned on a lot.

So, she’d have to make something happen. Tell him that she was never going to change and drift from him. She would have to cement something, make it so they couldn’t walk away from each other.

She had no idea what that was yet, but her mind whirled, and she did her best to come up with something.

“Another glass of champagne?” Liam asked, his voice low. She knew he had to be worried about her if he was offering her more booze.

She nodded, her gaze off in the distance. Liam murmured something, and then was back in the next instant, a fresh glass of champagne in his hand.

“Don’t tell Mom.” He kissed her cheek. “I’m sorry I’m an ass.”

She shook her head, blinking so she could settle her gaze correctly. “You’re not an asshole.” She paused. “Okay, you are. Then again, so am I.”

Liam laughed.

“However, thank you, you’re right. I need to make sure I don’t take advantage of Marcus, just like I need to make sure others can’t take advantage of me where I’m going.”

“I didn’t mean to put a damper on your birthday. I’m sorry, babe.”

She shook her head, then went up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. “You’re my favorite biggest brother.”

Liam laughed. “I don’t know. Aaron’s getting kind of big.”

“But you’ll always be the old one.”

“I’m going to hit you for that one day, but it’s your birthday, so not today.”

“Thank you for that. For everything. Now, I need to go find my best friend and make sure he knows that I love him.” He raised a single brow, and Bristol knew she blushed. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Just checking.”

“Oh, shush.” She turned and started making her way towards Marcus, downing the rest of her glass of champagne. She set the flute down on a tray and talked with a few other people on her way. People who wanted to say goodbye—some from work, from school, and from classes. A lot of her friends from high school had shown up, and one of the guys that she played with.

“Hey there, love,” Colin said, his British accent far too sexy. “I wanted to wish you a happy birthday.”

She swallowed, her eyes wide. “I didn’t realize you’d be here,” she said, fumbling over her words. She had such a crush on this guy, and between the booze in her system and that accent of his, she was probably going to sound like an idiot.

“Well, I’m going on tour with you, so I thought I’d make sure I was here for your birthday. We can celebrate together when we’re in Venice if you’d like.” He said the words, and it went straight to her belly. She let out a sigh.

“Okay. Maybe. I, uh, need to go find someone, though. I’ll see you later? Tomorrow, right?”

Colin winked at her, and she giggled before heading toward Marcus again. She made her way past a few other people and talked with her instructor, who she was now leaving. She shared a little teary-eyed hug with her. Even though the old woman had scared her to death for the first five years of her training, she would still miss her. Finally, she made her way to the other side of the room.