“Don’t you dare apologize. It’s been a long time since someone cared about me who wasn’t already family.” Perhaps never. “I’m grateful.”
She slips out of my hands, and I miss her immediately. “Just make sure you remember that for your next girlfriend,” she says, as if there could ever be a next after her.
I open my mouth to say this when it hits me. Ah. How ridiculous I’ve been to miss it until now.
Ivy believes this to only be a game. Another role she’s been thrust into. And games are fun, but they’re short-lived.
If she doesn’t trust this to last, I’ll take great pleasure in proving her wrong. Because when you manage to catch starlight in your hands, you don’t let it go.
“You didn’t need to rush over.” She walks inside, and I take the open door as an invitation to follow. Inside is the chaos I’ve come to love with her. “Dealing with Kyle is more important.”
Is she joking? “There’s nothing more important to me than you. I’m simply used to taking on issues alone. I didn’t consider you’d want to help.”
“Are you kidding me? We’re friends, and that means your battles are my battles. So sit your perfect ass down and let’s see what we can find.”
I won’t push. Now isn’t the time. In my experience, words wouldn’t be enough anyhow. What Ivy needs is proof. To see that I’ll keep to my word. That I won’t walk away at the nearest opportunity.
I can do that for her. I have no plans to go anywhere, and I’ll wait as long as it takes to convince her.
One day, I’m going to need her to marry me.
She looks toward the kitchen and hums. “Want me to run upstairs and get your kettle first?”
I don’t dare tear my eyes from hers, hoping she can hear the honesty in my next words. “I have everything I need right here.”
She ducks my gaze to throw herself down on her tiny couch, pulling her laptop onto her crossed legs. Two strides put me right there next to her, where I always hope to be, with no distance between us.
What Kyle seems to misunderstand about life is that money can’t touch what is really important, because this right here — Ivy, hair loose, curls wild, like a dream come to life — is worth more than any wealth in the world.
CHAPTER41
ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?
IVY
The day we leave for the Bradbury reunion, I swear there is birdsong outside my window. It follows me on my morning run. Maybe in another universe, it’s the sign that this weekend is only meant for good things.
A universe where local wildlife dance if I whistle the right tune.
But this is real life.
I bet Snow White never had to clean bird poop out of her hair.
* * *
My black suitcase fits neatly next to Lincoln’s leather bag in his trunk (once he cleared up the confusion that was “pop it in the boot.” I’m definitely going to have to start carrying around a little notebook of British translations).
The estate is two hours away, but I still overpacked (yes, even tampons), which Emma promises me is better for weekends like this. My wardrobe is prepared for anything.
Me? Ask me again later.
Lincoln closes the “boot” with a soft thud. “All right. You have everything you need, and now…” He slips a hand around my stomach, his mouth dipped down to my ear. “So do I.”
I smile as I slip out of his grip and into the passenger seat. Lincoln offered to let me drive my faded yellow Subaru, but the temptation to slip into the passenger seat of his McLaren was too great.
The dark red leather is soft and smooth, and one quick turn might send me sliding into the footwell.
Lincoln starts the car, curling his hand around my thigh and pulling my body closer to him. “I’m going to preemptively apologize for this weekend. The extended family can be a lot. If at any point you wish to leave, I will drop everything and take you home.”
