My eyes find Finn’s, and I see the sheer panic behind them.
Everything crashes into me at once, so intense I can’t breathe.
I blink, and a tear rolls down my cheek.
“Please tell me that’s not true,” I rasp to him, barely recognising my own voice.
“He’s lying,” Finn dismisses, but the guilt is written all over his face. “I didn’t say anything, Ivy.”
Tom snorts. “Really, Finn? I still have the text messages. If you want to see them, Ivy. To know that your own brother stabbed you in the back, but rightfully so, brought you to justice.”
I shake my head over and over, staring at my brother in disbelief.
“Tell me that’s not true.”
“Ivy—”
“How could you do that to me?” I whisper beneath my rolling tears.
“Wait—” He steps forward.
“How could you lie to them about that?”
“Ivy, listen?—”
I take a large step back. “No. Don’t you dare. Don’t you fucking dare.”
My hands begin to shiver uncontrollably. I spare him one more glance before I walk away as quickly as possible.
“Ivy, wait. Let me explain.”
My head remains low as I fold my arms over my chest.
“Ivy, I fucked up, okay? Ben, he was?—”
“I don’t care what Ben was doing.” I whip my body towards him and grit my teeth. “I care about the fact you made up a lie that put me in the fucking hospital. Ben only freaked out because someone told him I cheated, he reared us off a bridge because of that reason. I almost fucking died, Finn. How could you do that to me?”
Finn’s face crumbles, red eyes glistening. “I-I panicked, okay? I never thought it would lead to that. I knew he wasn’t good enough for you, I know you needed to break up with him.”
“Then why didn’t you just talk to me like a normal human being?” I laugh, but my voice is hoarse. Tears continue to stream down my face at the humiliation of what he’s done. “I don’t understand why you’d do something so cruel.”
I shake my head dismissively and turn back around again, needing to get out of here before I break down.
“Ivy—”
“Leave me alone, Finn. I don’t want to talk to you right now.”
Or ever.
Finn doesn’t follow me after I speed off through the fair. An arm clings onto mine, and I feel Daisy step into me. “That’s so messed up.” She brings me into a hug. “I’m so sorry, Ivy. I can’t believe Finn would do something like that.”
I sniffle, incapable of words right now.
We stay like this for a long while, and I’m grateful she doesn’t say too much, she holds me tight as I cry into her shoulder whilst she strokes my arms.
We might have had our differences in the past, but I know she has my back.
CHAPTER 42
