Inked

6

My smile dropped.

"Oh." I couldn't manage to say anything else due to my thoughts whirring at a million miles an hour. 'If he has a boyfriend, then what was that back at the bar? Was I just reading him wrong?' I walked over and sat on my bed in confusion.

"So, you don't have the slightest curiosity as to why we both have the same tattoo? That has to mean something, right?" I ask him desperately. I don't know why I'm fighting so hard to convince a guy I have only known for a day that we have something. I'm not going to give up though. I have a feeling about this whole thing that I can't quite put my finger on.

"It doesn't mean anything. It's just..." He paused, trying to come up with an explanation. "It's just a coincidence. Nothing more." He frowned at me, before continuing. "And even if it isn't that doesn't change the fact that I have a boyfriend." I started to get a little bit mad at him for this. Surely, if it came between his soul mate (potentially) and his current boyfriend he would take the chance. Right?

"What if it isn't though?! Isn't it worth the risk?" I yelled. He shook his head at me in disbelief.

"You don't get it, do you? We don't even know for sure that we are... you know. If I drop everything, including someone who I am in love with and who loves me, for a stranger who may or may not be my soul mate and I get it wrong... Rowan, I would lose everything." Mason's voice cracked as he looked at me with tears in his eyes. I froze, seeing how much this guy meant to him. 'I can't do this. He obviously really loves his boyfriend.'  I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

"Okay." I said quietly. He looked at me shocked at first but soon a look of relief came over his face. I also noticed a small look of sadness in his eyes, but decided to ignore it since it was probably just wishful thinking. He pulled me into a very awkward hug before pulling away a few seconds later.

"Thank you." Mason smiled at me genuinely before checking the time on his phone. "I need to go, but thank you again for understanding. I really hope we can still talk to each other without this being a problem because I do want to get to know you. Can we just agree to not talk about this whole thing, please?"

"Of course, I completely understand where you're coming from." I smiled at him, hopefully not looking too sad.

He left shortly after and I stayed in my room just laying on my bed for the rest of the day. Callie tried to get me to go to the store with her a few times and Mia invited me on a walk, but I refused them both. I was still trying to figure out everything, my feelings, the tattoos, what happened today.

Eventually, I found excuses for everything, such as I thought I had feelings for him because Callie gave me false hope of finding my soul mate that night, it was all just a coincidence that we had the same tattoo, I was just being selfish today, etc.

Satisfied with finding answers, I got ready for bed and curled up in my warm sheets. Just as I was about to fall asleep I remembered something.

I still hadn't called the phone number that was tattooed on my wrist.

I jumped out of bed and grabbed my phone, ready to punch in the number. I stopped.

'This could be just what I need to find my soul mate! Whoever picks up is the one who put their number on my wrist.'  I smiled to myself, completely ignoring how late it was and dialed the number.

Ring

Ring

Ring

Beep

'Voicemail, great.'  I was about to hang up when I heard a voice on the other line.

"Hello?" The voice said sleepily through the phone. I gasped and dropped the device in surprise.

'Mason?'