“But sometimes…”
“What?”
I chew on my lip. “Sometimes I kind of wish we met under different circumstances, to save ourselves from all of this mess.”
He exhales through his nose sharply, and I meet his eyes again. He looks devastated, and that’s not how I want him to feel. He drops his hand from my face.
“Do you regret sleeping with me the first time we met?” His voice is hoarse.
“No.” I furrow my brows. “I liked you. I liked what we had?—”
“But now?”
“But now I love you.”
JJ’s expression twists to a mixture of relief and reassurance, and my stomach lurches. The words I’ve been dying to say for weeks. The words I’ve felt for so long but been too terrified to voice.
“Do you regret sleeping with me?” I whisper.
He leans forward and presses his hand to my cheek, pulling our faces together again.
“I’m in love with you, Ivy. How can I regret anything when it comes to you?”
My lips part shakily, and I resist the urge to cry.
“You do realise that even if we didn’t sleep together that night or if I didn’t even meet you then, when I saw you here, I would have still wanted you the same. The fact that we slept together means nothing because I would have still been drawn to you.” JJ swipes his thumb across my cheek. “And I know you would have wanted me, too. You cannot deny the connection we have.”
I chew on my lip as he leans forward and kisses the corner of my mouth.
“When I woke up the morning after we met to find that you were gone, I was fucking distraught. I had no idea how to find you, how to get in contact with you. And then when I saw you here, I knew it was fate.” He brushes his thumb over my cheekbone. “We had unfinished business.”
My heart pounds in my throat because he’s right, it was fate.
“Finn will come around, I promise.”
“Knowing him, he might not.”
“Then that’s his issue. Not ours. If he wants to lose us both, then he’s the one who needs to see the bigger picture. He’s inshock right now. Hopefully over the next few days or weeks, he’ll have a better attitude towards it.” JJ tugs my bottom lip with his thumb.
I swallow. “Thank you for earlier.”
“You don’t need to thank me. It’s not your fault, princess.” He cups the back of my neck with his vacant hand. “And I’m always going to be there for you.Always.”
CHAPTER 52
JJ WOODFORD
Ivy’s body lies on top of mine as I crack open my eyes. I smooth my hand down her back and then up again before cradling the nape of her neck. I peck her temple softly, careful not to wake her since she’s still fast asleep.
Even though I slept fairly well, I couldn’t stop thinking about everything that’s happened. Ivy breaking down into a panic attack is something I never want to see, and trying to keep her calm and safe is my priority.
Ivy twists in my hold, and she releases a soft groan, nuzzling her face further into my neck. I kiss her again and keep my arms around her comfortably. “Good morning, beautiful.”
Another groan. “It’s so early.”
“It’s past ten,” I chuckle.
She cracks those green eyes open to me and then smiles. “I clearly needed the sleep.”
