I shake my head and rest my finger over the exit button. My thumb presses down only for a blue line to stretch acrossthe bottom of the screen and for the image to pop up in our messages.
My eyes widen so far that my face nearly splits in two.
No, no, no. NO, NO, NO.
“Shit,” I chant once pathetically. “Shit, shit, shit!”
My fingers fly over the screen, attempting to recall the message, but I have no idea how to—if it’s even possible. Nausea creeps up my throat, and I resist the urge to vomit everywhere.
I begin to pace, skin heating up as the word ‘delivered’ pops up underneath the picture.
Holy shit.
What thefuckhave I done?
I press my hands to my forehead as I burn a hole in my carpet. Every last drop of saliva in my mouth evaporates within seconds. I rush to Google, trying to figure out how to recall a message. I scan my eyes across the screen and rush back to the message, only for my heart to fall out of my chest.
Read 18:05
A sob falls from the back of my throat, and I choke. “Oh god,” I whimper, still pacing because I don’t know what to do with myself.
Fuck.Fuck!
I brace myself on my desk, hunching over it because I’m struggling to catch my breath.
This cannot be happening.
My eyes burn when I hear the front door open and slam. I’m shaking as I glance over my shoulder, footsteps becoming louder as they race up the stairs. The handle to my door twists, and I clutch my robe around my body as it opens.
JJ stands in the doorway like he just ran six miles without hesitation. His chest puffs out aggressively, his eyes set on me like he’s a hungry lion and I’m nothing more than his silly little prey.
I don’t know how long we stand here staring at one another, but it’s not long enough to process the situation.
CHAPTER 37
JJ WOODFORD
I’m grateful I can spend time with Joel and Cal whilst Finn is at work. They’re nice guys and welcomed me with open arms. We didn’t plan much, a quiet evening on the beach to watch the sunset.
“I’m impressed with Finn,” Joel comments, bringing his beer bottle up to his lips. “I didn’t think he’d be able to keep this job for this long.”
“He clearly needs it,” I comment.
They both hum in response. “Agreed.” Joel nods. “Although there’s no doubt he’ll be getting drunk at the beach fair in a few weeks. Plus, we all heard the news.”
My brows crease. “About what?”
Joel and Cal share a glance. “About Ben.”
“What about him?”
The sound of his name makes my blood boil. I might not know what he did, but I know he hurt Ivy, and I know he’s an asshole that deserves a lot more than just prison time. My phone vibrates in my hand as Cal waffles on.
But I’m not listening because Ivy’s name pops up on the screen. She never texts me.
Something must be wrong.
I press the notification and wait for our messages to pop up. Except, when it does, all the air from my lungs evaporates and I feel like I’ve been winded by a seven-foot rugby player.
