The hazelnut and strawberry ice cream combo is unbeatable.
JJ doesn’t agree as we sit on the wall, facing the sea as we munch on our sweet treat. “This is wrong on so many levels,” he grunts.
I roll my eyes. “It’s good.”
“I promise you, princess, it’s not.”
I gently nudge my shoulder into him, and a dark splatter of ice cream hits his white T-shirt. I open my mouth in horror as I clap a hand over it to muffle my words.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” I say with a chuckle.
JJ glances down and shakes his head with a growing smile. “You are a menace.” He laughs playfully.
His ice cream begins to melt in his hands, dripping down the curve of his fingers. He releases a grunt. “I’m going to get cleaned up. Never order those two flavours together again.”
“Spoil sport.” I grin as he walks towards the bathrooms.
I finish my ice cream before wiping my hands down with a napkin. I stretch my arms above my head and turn around to the beach shop behind me. The sunglasses display snags my attention as I try a pair on and look at myself in the mirror.
“Ivy?”
My entire body freezes at the sound of my name.
I don’t tear my eyes away from the mirror as a presence behind me sends alarm bells ringing in my head. I snatch the glasses from my face, and I turn around to face the person I’ve been dreading seeing.
Slowly, I begin to back away from him. I doubt he’d try something in public, but at the same time, he drove us off a bridge with the intent of killing us. How can I trust him at all?
“You shouldn’t be here, Ben,” I rasp. “You’re not allowed to talk to me.”
Ben’s dark eyes soften towards me as he takes another step forward. “You think I’m going to hurt you?”
I say nothing as I watch him cautiously, and every movement he makes until my back hits the wall of the shop.
“Ah, come on,” he grunts. “I’ve been away for two years. Don’t you think that’s enough punishment?”
Hell no. He deserves life for trying to take mine away.
“Leave me alone, Ben,” I say through gritted teeth. “You’re breaking your restraining order.”
Ben scoffs. “I live here, Ivy. It’s not my fault you’re here too.”
My hands grip onto the wall as he takes another step, and my stomach flips with dread. He towers over me, and I prepare my knee, knowing if he takes another step, I’ll drive it straight into his balls for thinking he can try and intimidate me.
“Come on, just talk to me,” he exhales. “Please. I thought about you almost every day, and I’m sorry?—”
“Everything okay here?”
The relief that washes over me as I hear JJ’s voice is instant. I glance up at him, standing behind Ben. JJ steps forward with his arms folded over his chest and a face like thunder.
“Yeah, everything’s?—”
“I wasn’t talking to you.” JJ scowls at Ben, pushing him back by the shoulder to step between us. “You okay?”
My mouth opens, but my tongue feels heavy and numb. “Can we go?”
JJ doesn’t hesitate to lean down and take my hand, wrapping an arm around my front protectively before he leads us out of the shop, making sure I’m not left at the back. He stares at Ben with narrowed eyes but thankfully says nothing more.
“Ivy, wait?—”
