A lot has changed over the years. I’m not the same girl I was when I left Carolina Beach. Living on my own for the first time in my life forced me to learn a lot about myself. I found a voice, a confidence I didn’t have when I was stuck in this hellhole of a town, and a style that suits me. I wasn’t exactly the definition of pretty and popular back in high school. I’ve come a long way from my pimply face, oversized hoodies, and baggy jeans.
“Who’s this?” Madden points to me.
“What the hell, Madd? It’s Ivy.”
Madden’s eyes widen in recognition. They do a quick sweep of my body, as if seeing it for the first time, before finally meeting mine again. His mouth drops slightly, shaking himself from his thoughts, before he grins.
“Wow, Ivy. I didn’t even recognize you.”
He reaches his hands toward me, giving me a casual hug. When he steps back, I eye his black t-shirt with A Rebels Havoc printed across the front. His backward plaid hat paired with his well-kept beard gives off lumberjack vibes.
When I was in high school, I would often stay over at Kyla’s house on the weekends. She was the closest thing I had to a sister, having grown up an only child. Madden took on the role of the pseudo big brother, looking after and protecting both of us.
Even when his band of dimwits came around, he would always keep an eye on us, threatening to knock some sense into anyone who didn’t leave us alone. He’d never let anybody fuck with his sister, and I was thankful I was included in that, too.
“You look so… grown-up?” he mutters, bewildered. “Different… but in a good way.”
“You ready to set up?” Brix interrupts. He may be the bane of my existence, but he’s still one of Madden’s best friends. He claps Madden on the shoulder before his eyes stop, falling on me.
I knew the moment Brix looked at me, the way his eyes did the same once-over Madden’s just had, he didn’t recognize me either. The only difference in how Brix looked at me was the not-so-subtle way he bit his lip before rubbing his hand over his chin, enjoying his blatant perusal of my body.
All the memories of him making fun of me growing up flash through my mind like a highlight reel of my high school years.
To say I hated Brix Ward would be a mild understatement. If he were to go up in flames standing in front of me, I wouldn’t bother to offer him the glass of water in my hand.
“Yeah, man,” Madden grunts, slapping him on the chest. “Give me a sec to grab a beer, and I’ll be ready.”
“I need a drink, too. I’ll come with you,” Kyla echos. She eyes me nervously, her eyes flash over to Brix, hesitant if she should leave us alone. I nod my head toward the bar, assuring her it’s alright, I’ve got this.
“Be nice,” Kyla jests, smacking Brix on the chest.
He has the nerve to act wounded, rubbing his hand where she had touched him, shouting over the music toward her asking, “What the hell was that for?”
I roll my eyes, taking another sip of whiskey.
“What’s your name, sweetheart?”
The words roll off his tongue, and I don’t hold back my cringe of disgust. Is this how he picks up women?
“Not interested.”
“Oh, really.” He laughs. He glances around us, checking to see if anyone may have overheard, before looking back to me. “Are you sure about that?”
“Oh, trust me,” I chuckle, “I’m very sure.”
“Is this some sort of hard-to-get move? ‘Cause I happen to like a chase, but you should know, I always get what I want in the end.”
My eyes widen, nodding my head at his audacity. I’m afraid if I roll my eyes any harder, they’ll end up rolling out of my damn head. Does this garbage actually work on women?
Who am I kidding? Of course, it does.
I’m not blind to the heated stares blazing into him, eating him up like he’s some sort of sugary piece of eye candy.
I’ll admit it. He’s not bad to look at if you’re only looking at his appearance. If he hadn’t been the sole reason for making my life miserable years ago, I might even be able to overlook the fact he’s a player who’s looking to score and give in to his advances for one night.
“I’m not playing hard-to-get. I don’t think there’s anything you could say or do that would ever make me want to sleep with you. Hell, I’m certain more than half of Carolina Beach already has.”
His face falls for a second, but he recovers quickly. If I had to guess, he wasn’t expecting this much resistance. Something tells me he’s not used to being rejected.
