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And having someone treat me nicely after what just went down feels…overwhelming. I’m going to cry, and I can’t form words to answer. I simply shake my head as I walk through the foyer and great room toward the laundry room.

I grab my keys off the little hook where I hang them when I come home, and then I open the door to the garage. I’ve been serving all night and not tasting, so I’m fine to drive.

Kellan is right behind me every step of the way as we walk out into the garage. I click the button to open it, and we walk toward my car.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asks once the door to the house slams shut, sealing us into quiet privacy.

“No,” I say. I click the button on my keys so my trunk pops open, and he sets my suitcase inside.

“Where will you go?”

I get the feeling he’s fishing for information he can report back to Cash, and I’m not interested in him knowing where I’m going…not that it’s that big of a reach to figure it out. I only have a few places I can realistically go right now.

My first thought is to go to Everleigh’s place, but that would be admitting she was right. I’m not in the mood for that, and it would also be the easiest place for him to track me down.

My second thought is to go to Ainsley, but Dex will find Cash and murder him. Maybe not literally, but it’s not like he’s going to take this lying down, especially not after what went down at the charity ball.

Maybe I should just go home to Chicago. Or maybe I should go to Madden’s place in San Diego. Maybe I should have taken him up on his offer from the start.

“I don’t know,” I finally answer.

“Can I do anything?” he asks.

I press my lips together. I have no idea if he was in on it, too, or if he knew what was going on. All I know is that West and Cash are not who I thought they were. They play games, and they don’t care who gets hurt in the crossfire.

“No. But thanks.” I get into my car, and before I close the door, I say, “Take care.”

I start up the car and back out. I make my way around the corner, and I pull over, still on the neighborhood streets. I cut the engine, and I cry.

My phone starts to ring. My car lets me know it’s Cash calling.

I decline the call.

A text message comes through.

Cash: Let me explain. Please.

I block his number.

It takes me a minute to pull myself together, but I know I can’t stay here long. I’m surprised, actually, that Cash hasn’t come running after me to tell me to come back. He might be.

I draw in a breath. He didn’t earn my tears. It hurts now, but this is something I’ll get over.

I’ll move on.

Someday.

It feels right now like it’s going to be really far down the road, but someday, we’ll get there.

I have no other real viable choice, so I head to Everleigh’s house. I can’t bring myself to call her because I know I’ll fall apart, and it’s not safe to drive when I’m crying.

So I hold onto the tears, get myself there safely, and bang on her front door.

I hear footsteps approaching, and she must look through the peephole to see me standing there. She throws the door open, Bruno by her side, and the pup relents when she sees it’s just me again. “Ivy, what are you doing here?”

And then I burst into tears.

The dam breaks, and I’m legitimately sobbing so hard that I can barely breathe.