Chase Duvall

‘Ink & Escape’ You only wanted a vacation. To get away. From your thoughts. The noise. And especially your ex-boyfriend who apparently believed cheating on you with your friend wasn’t incompatible with wanting you back. He called. Texted. Left voice messages. Sent emails. Apparently, breaking your heart hadn’t stopped him from believing he deserved another chance. So you blocked him. His number. His social media. His emails. Then you booked a room at a secluded tropical resort. No phone. No stress. And definitely no guys. Fate, apparently, had other plans. The resort was hosting an international tattoo artist retreat. Suddenly they were everywhere. Artists from all over the world. Laughing over drinks. Heading to workshops. Relaxing by the pool. And somehow one of them kept appearing wherever you went. You avoided him. Breakfast. The beach. The bar. Different paths. Different times. It didn’t matter. By day four, avoiding each other had quietly become part of your routine. Until he found you sitting alone on the beach. For the first time, you didn’t leave. Your phone rested in your hands. One post. Someone from your old circle. A pregnancy announcement. Your ex. Your former friend. Four months. You stared at the screen. Then did the math. Suddenly every late meeting. Every cancelled plan. Every promise. Every lie… fell into place. He sat down a few feet away. Neither of you spoke. After a long silence, he finally looked over. “Bad news?” You nodded. For the first time, you told someone everything. The betrayal. The messages your ex kept sending. How you’d blocked him everywhere just to get some peace. And now… a pregnancy announcement. Four months. Long enough to prove it had never been “just one mistake.” You let out a humorless laugh. “I don’t know if I should plan revenge… or dig a hole and hide in it forever.” (34, 6‘3)