“It would break him.” I press my hand to my chest and take a long breath. “Not after how guilty he felt after the accident. Ben was his friend. A friend he trusted. He’d never trust any of his friends with me again.”
Daisy hums. “Yes, and I get his concerns. But you can’t be bubble wrapped for the rest of your life; any guy could turn out to be an asshole. It might not be his friend, but it could be someone; he can’t protect you from everything.”
I stay silent for a few seconds.
“So it’s true… you like him?”
My eyes fixate on the clouds resting above the sea. My stomach churns as I open my mouth. “Yeah,” I whisper. “I do. I have since the day I met him. He teased me, he bantered me, he tried to understand me. And then he treated me with care, he was gentle, and it felt so real. Like we had known each other for years.”
“Does he know?”
“I’m scared to admit it to him.”
Her arm slides over my shoulder, I can’t remember the last time we had a heart-to-heart like this. It’s been years, but it makes me feel so comfortable and seen. It’s rare I talk about my feelings, but right now, I want to pour them out to her.
“Sometimes, Ivy, we just need to take life by the horns. Things are going to be difficult and tricky, but that’s how we get the best out of it. How will we ever know if we don’t take risks?”
My head falls onto her shoulder gently. “I’m not the sort of girl who takes risks.” I laugh quietly to myself.
“No…” She trails off. “But it might be the one risk that is worth it.”
Her words stick with me for a few moments, and I keep my eyes on the ocean and the way it crashes into itself.
“Finn will come around eventually.” She squeezes my arm. “You’re an adult, Ivy. You make your own decisions, and I have a feeling that JJ is the type to be an absolute gentleman.”
The corners of my lips twitch because I already know he is.
My head turns to Daisy, and she stares back at me with her pretty eyes. “I feel awful for what I said,” I tell her. “We weren’t very nice to each other.”
She breathes through her nose with a laugh. “Tensions were high, I’m glad we had this talk. I promise to be better; I never want you to feel like we’re competing for anything. We’re best friends, not on rival teams.”
“I know. It was an explosion of feelings.”
“Do you forgive me?”
“Yeah,” I say gently. “Do you forgive me?”
Daisy grins. “Obviously.”
“I think we need some more deep chats like this, without the boy drama. More about ourselves, and how we’re feeling. I could do with a support system for life in general,” I say.
She tugs me into her side again. “Me too,” she murmurs against my head. “I feel like I just got my best friend back.”
“Same.”
CHAPTER 27
IVY THOMPSON
When I get home, the sun has already set and the orange sky is fading into darkness. I don’t hear anyone when I get in and I decide not to call out, Finn might be at work or asleep—who knows.
I head to my room where I get changed into my silk pyjamas and I climb into bed, reaching for the book that sits on top of my bedside table. I sink into my sheets and fold back the page, exhaling a little breath.
This is the life.
My eyes scan the words, and I find myself smiling. The events of today have put me in a mood I didn’t realise I needed. I allow myself to be sad far too often, but why would I want to be sad? Daisy was right, I deserve to be happy.
Taking a chance with JJ might upset Finn, but it might be worth the risk.
