“What?”
“I’m wondering if there was a reason why you left my apartment without saying anything.”
Ivy’s eyes flash for a brief moment. She stands there and says nothing until she takes a step back and glances down at the sand beneath her feet. “Enjoy the party, JJ,” she murmurs as she walks past me.
I turn to her. “You’re not even going to answer the question?”
“There’s no point dwelling on the past. Is there?”
When I don’t say anything in response, she heads back to her friends. I raise my fresh beer bottle to my lips, taking a well-needed swig.
I breathe sharply through my nose before heading back towards Finn. A hand touches my shoulder, and I find Callan grinning back at me.
“Ready for some beer pong, JJ?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
CHAPTER 9
IVY THOMPSON
No one needs to tell me that my face is the colour of salami. I’m grateful the sun has set, and nothing but the fire can illuminate my complexion. My lips latch onto the edge of my drink, and I take a sip—I shouldn’t even call it a sip when half my drink is gone.
I perch on one of the logs beside Daisy, who is looking in the direction of the drinks table. I clear my throat and pretend that everything is fine after my conversation with JJ, but Daisy seesall.
After a long moment, she tosses her hair over her shoulder, brown curls whipping me in the face. “Who’s that?”
My throat closes up. “That is Finn’s friend from university.”
“Oh my god, that’s JJ?”
Here we go.
I suck in a breath and act unbothered. “Yeah,” I say, finding the colour of my drink severely fascinating.
Inside, I’m deflating because this is the last situation I want to be in.
Daisy wraps her hand around my arm in a death grip. I wince at the pressure. “Oh my fucking god. He’s unbelievable. A nose ring and a buzz cut? Holy hell.”
She’s not wrong. He’s in a league of his own.
When her eyes find mine, they’re filled with excitement. I cringe internally. Without showing my true thoughts, I simply shrug and take another sip of my cup. “He’s alright, I guess.”
“You guess?” Her glossy red lips fall open. “What did he say to you?”
I brush a few strands of hair from my eyes and focus on the roaring fire in front of us. “Just being friendly,” I admit.
Daisy slides her lips together and hums. They’re so pouty and flirtatious that she can simply look in the direction of a man, and they’re on their knees for her. She’s built like a Spanish goddess, and I’m your average pale blondie.
Her eyes burn into mine. “Do you think you’ll go back there with him again?—”
I wave a hand in her face. “No, Daisy. He and Finn are best friends.Best friends.That line I cannot cross. Not again. You of all people should know that.”
She hums in my direction and twists to look over at JJ, who is chilling with my brother and his friends. His mouth is stretched into a wide grin, and he tilts his head back and laughs before raising his beer bottle to his lips.
Unfortunately, he manages to flash the rings he has on his fingers, and I know Daisy is probably having a seizure over there.
“He’s beautiful,” she huffs.
