This is going to be harder than I thought.
Chapter 4
Ivy
Jord: You should probably not log in to any social media this week. The masses have found your Instagram.
I reread his words before typing out a response.
How?
Hmmm… I have no idea.
I check my account, hitting all the new alerts and stop dead. “Holy shit.” One name jumps out. Asher.
I type out another text.
You're not smart. Why would you follow me?
Asher: Why would I not?
Sixty days since Asher tore through my existence like shrapnel. He dulls Parker's bullshit to background noise, but overall, it’s useless. There are no exits. No mercy. Just a slow bleed that’ll eventually kill you.
I have to fly to some mysterious island tonight to sign the ownership forms of this house.
I'm coming with you.
No, you can't. The masses have already found me. What if they see us together?
Nothing. Silence. No notification.
I don't let anyone tell me what to do who isn't on my dick. I'll meet you at the airstrip.
My mouth falls open. “Motherfucker!”
I know there’s no point arguing with him. All that ever got us was coming too close to kissing.
Almost.
But I'm not doing that. Now or ever.
Another text comes through and I click without looking, thinking it's Asher.
It's not.
Unknown: It has been interesting to watch you unfold with this young man. May I remind you of the fundamentals?
He doesn't need to. No one does.
***
“I told you you didn't have to come!” I snatch the keys the air host hands me as we land on the tarmac. Snow whips down around the jet, clouds of it kicking up against the tires.
“Yeah, and I told you fuck no. So shut up and let's go sign this.” He tilts his head and I hate when he does this. When he dissects every secret I keep buried.
And I have a lot.
“Inherited family home, which happens to be—” He flashes his phone screen to a banner posted on Facebook. I try to focus on the words, but notifications cascade down the top. DMs and texts. Weird emojis and I'm pretty sure I saw the wordsbut you've already seen me squirt.
