lonely tear from her cheek. "Ivy, he's in love with you. You just need to find the courage to push in those final edges of your last puzzle piece."
Huh? Maybe he was being genuine last night. I am the woman he loves.
"Listen to me. Like really listen. Not the kind of listen where you think, my bestie is being dramatic, blah, blah, blah." She cups her right hand like the bill of a duck.
She stares at me. "Don't lose him or push him away. Fuck your past. Fuck all the weirdo foster parents. Fuck 'em all. Claim him as your prize for making it out alive. Weld yourself to him and never come undone."
She releases my shoulders, and we sit quietly for a moment. Bryn's never been so direct with me about a man. Of course she's told me if she thought someone wasn't right for me, like Kevin. But this was different. She chose her words carefully. She wanted to make a strong impact on me, and she succeeded.
Her voice softens. "Promise me you'll do everything in your power to keep him in your life." We lock red and swollen eyes.
Can I promise her this? He hasn't told me how he's tied to Viktor. He has a shit ton of firearms and a temper like a starving panther. But I understand her. The blowtorch of devotion she saw in his eyes turns into an inferno when I'm in his presence.
"Bryn, I can't promise you all of it." I hold her hand in mine. "But I can promise I'll give him every reasonable chance to be in my life." I squeeze her hand. "I'm falling in love with him. I couldn't untangle my heart from his, even if my own life depended on it. By the way, he bought me a Dodge Challenger Hellcat." I nod and grin at her wide eyes. "Seven hundred horsepower."
"That's a hot car. My Tesla could kick your Hellcat's ass and gets better gas mileage, chica."
"Tesla? Did you get a new car?"
"Yep. My divorce gift to myself. Stella can't get her groove back in a Prius, so I upgraded."
***
Ivy
I avoid the cracks in the sidewalk as stride down my street. This way if I ever do meet my mother and she has a broken back, I'll know it wasn't my fault.
I shiver from the bone-chilling wind. The brutal monster of a Midwest winter lurks around the corner.
Despite the chill in the air, my body feels at peace. I've seen Bryn with my own eyes. Unharmed. Maybe not emotionally, but physically, unharmed.
I locate my keys in my pocket and walk up my front steps. An authoritative voice stops me in my tracks.
"Did you have a nice stroll?"
Jacade. I didn't even see him.
Shit.
I press my hand to my chest and turn. "Oh hey, I didn't see you there."
He stares at me while leaning, ankles crossed, hands in pockets, against the passenger-side door of his Ferrari.
How did I not see his car? He's got some crazy wicked ninja skills.
My spine tingles as I check him out. He looks like a commando in his army-green cargo pants and black T-shirt stretched taut across his rock solid pecs and biceps. Casual Jacade is as hot as dressed-to-the-nines Jacade.
He pulls his sunglasses from his face and slips them in his collar. The street traffic whooshes past us, the people in their cars having no idea what this man does to me. He takes a few steps in my direction and stops with one foot on the first step of the stairs. His piercing glare could slice through a shank of beef without a cleaver. His hold on the handrail is so solid, I'm surprised the wrought iron doesn't bend.
"Ivy, be honest with me. Where did you go?"
Gulp.
His rage fumes from him like a smoldering cremator. I would not be surprised to see ashes cascade from his nostrils and carbon monoxide gush from his ears.
Oh man.
"I went to the grocery store."
"Oh? And what did you buy?"
"Apples."
"Apples."
"Yeah. I'm going to make, uh, apple strudel."
"Strudel?"
"Yes. It's delicious."
"Mmm. And where are said apples?"
Wait. The dormant light bulb over my head flickers to life. Shane told Jacade I went by myself to see Bryn.
"Well, when I realized I didn't have my wallet, I decided to go check on Bryn." I
Huh? Maybe he was being genuine last night. I am the woman he loves.
"Listen to me. Like really listen. Not the kind of listen where you think, my bestie is being dramatic, blah, blah, blah." She cups her right hand like the bill of a duck.
She stares at me. "Don't lose him or push him away. Fuck your past. Fuck all the weirdo foster parents. Fuck 'em all. Claim him as your prize for making it out alive. Weld yourself to him and never come undone."
She releases my shoulders, and we sit quietly for a moment. Bryn's never been so direct with me about a man. Of course she's told me if she thought someone wasn't right for me, like Kevin. But this was different. She chose her words carefully. She wanted to make a strong impact on me, and she succeeded.
Her voice softens. "Promise me you'll do everything in your power to keep him in your life." We lock red and swollen eyes.
Can I promise her this? He hasn't told me how he's tied to Viktor. He has a shit ton of firearms and a temper like a starving panther. But I understand her. The blowtorch of devotion she saw in his eyes turns into an inferno when I'm in his presence.
"Bryn, I can't promise you all of it." I hold her hand in mine. "But I can promise I'll give him every reasonable chance to be in my life." I squeeze her hand. "I'm falling in love with him. I couldn't untangle my heart from his, even if my own life depended on it. By the way, he bought me a Dodge Challenger Hellcat." I nod and grin at her wide eyes. "Seven hundred horsepower."
"That's a hot car. My Tesla could kick your Hellcat's ass and gets better gas mileage, chica."
"Tesla? Did you get a new car?"
"Yep. My divorce gift to myself. Stella can't get her groove back in a Prius, so I upgraded."
***
Ivy
I avoid the cracks in the sidewalk as stride down my street. This way if I ever do meet my mother and she has a broken back, I'll know it wasn't my fault.
I shiver from the bone-chilling wind. The brutal monster of a Midwest winter lurks around the corner.
Despite the chill in the air, my body feels at peace. I've seen Bryn with my own eyes. Unharmed. Maybe not emotionally, but physically, unharmed.
I locate my keys in my pocket and walk up my front steps. An authoritative voice stops me in my tracks.
"Did you have a nice stroll?"
Jacade. I didn't even see him.
Shit.
I press my hand to my chest and turn. "Oh hey, I didn't see you there."
He stares at me while leaning, ankles crossed, hands in pockets, against the passenger-side door of his Ferrari.
How did I not see his car? He's got some crazy wicked ninja skills.
My spine tingles as I check him out. He looks like a commando in his army-green cargo pants and black T-shirt stretched taut across his rock solid pecs and biceps. Casual Jacade is as hot as dressed-to-the-nines Jacade.
He pulls his sunglasses from his face and slips them in his collar. The street traffic whooshes past us, the people in their cars having no idea what this man does to me. He takes a few steps in my direction and stops with one foot on the first step of the stairs. His piercing glare could slice through a shank of beef without a cleaver. His hold on the handrail is so solid, I'm surprised the wrought iron doesn't bend.
"Ivy, be honest with me. Where did you go?"
Gulp.
His rage fumes from him like a smoldering cremator. I would not be surprised to see ashes cascade from his nostrils and carbon monoxide gush from his ears.
Oh man.
"I went to the grocery store."
"Oh? And what did you buy?"
"Apples."
"Apples."
"Yeah. I'm going to make, uh, apple strudel."
"Strudel?"
"Yes. It's delicious."
"Mmm. And where are said apples?"
Wait. The dormant light bulb over my head flickers to life. Shane told Jacade I went by myself to see Bryn.
"Well, when I realized I didn't have my wallet, I decided to go check on Bryn." I
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