My eyes flash to Ivy’s, and she stares right back. A moment between us, both of us remembering the night together in the garden under the stars.
Finn lays the pizza in front of us, and we all dig in. “So, JJ,” Andrea says as she chews on her food. “How are you?”
“All good.” I smile at her. “I love it here.”
James snorts. “That’s interesting, most people under the age of thirty would find this seaside town boring. There isn’t much to do.”
“Might not be a lot to do,” I admit. “But it’s been nice meeting Finn’s friends and having a quiet summer for once. Summers at my house are usually quite hectic. I’ve enjoyed the sun and parties. It’s a nice balance.”
Andrea leans forward for another slice. “You usually spend summers at home with your parents?”
“Yes.” I nod. “But they’re not here this summer.”
“What are they up to?”
Her question throws me off, and a familiar pair of eyes rest on my face. My throat tenses, and my palms begin to sweat. Talking about it with strangers isn’t something I enjoy. I don’t mind sympathy and condolence when it comes from the right place, but I don’t want to discuss it with all of them in the room.
Doing it with Ivy is enough. She knows more than Finn. And that’s because I wanted her to know. Now, my tongue is tied, and I want the conversation to move on.
“They’re in Germany,” I say after a few moments.
Andrea’s eyes light up. “Oh, how wonderful. Germany is beautiful. We spent a few weeks in Bavaria. I would love to go back. Whereabouts are they staying?”
My lips part, and I raise a slice of pizza to my mouth. “Uh, Berlin.”
“Berlin is one of my favourite cities.” She clasps her hands together. “You must tell them to check out this restaurant wewent to.” Her voice drones out as she reaches for her phone and scrolls. “Oh my, it was wonderful. We even went for this walk, I think we discovered a new path, and it was breathtaking. Once in a lifetime opportunity, certainly for the bucket list.”
Suddenly my chest constricts like my lungs have shrivelled.
“Mum,” Ivy says sharply. “Please stop.”
“What? I wa?—”
“Mum.” Her voice is harsher now. “Just,stop.”
I glance up slowly and hate the silence that washes over us. Shit. She was trying to be nice. I’m the one who is overthinking this.
I turn to Finn, who is staring at Ivy, flashing her a rather strange look. But I ignore it and turn to Andrea again. “Sorry,” I tell her. “I’d just rather not talk about it.”
Andrea slaps her lips together and shakes her head. “No, I’m sorry, JJ. I’m always overstepping, always talking. Goodness, I apologise. If you ever need me to shut up, just tell me to, and I will.”
I flash a quick smile and excuse myself. “I’m going to grab another drink,” I say before heading out of the back door towards the ice bucket.
As soon as the fresh air hits me, I drink it down, filling my lungs to maximum capacity.
A hand touches my shoulder. “You okay, brother?”
“I’m okay,” I say as I stare at the skyline.
“I’m sorry about my mum,” Finn says after a few moments.
“It’s not her fault. It’s just raw, and I don’t like talking about it.”
Finn hums softly. We remain silent, but he doesn’t move from my side.
“Did you tell Ivy?”
My eyes tighten. I knew this was coming.
