“Barry—”
But Barry shakes his head and pulls his fingers free from Chris’s hand. “Believe me, Chris. I’ve dealt with it long enough and I can’t take it any more. I just can’t. The only time you talk about your work is to tell me what new tattoos you’ve given Lee. He’s first on the speed dial on your cell. I know—I looked. Most of your calls are to him, not me. You spend hours together after everyone else has left the parlor and he’s inked in places I don’t want to think of you seeing, let alone touching, and…” Another sigh, this one so sad, it breaks Chris’s heart to hear it. “And he likes you back. Don’t say he doesn’t.”
Chris forces a laugh that sounds fake to his own ears. “Barry, really. You’ve got it all wrong—”
“Do I?” Barry stares at Chris, his face hardened now, his emotions mas
