Page 67 of Ivory's Ruin Romance

She laughed and set her head on his shoulder. “You should’ve done that from the beginning.”

“Mhm.” He wrapped her in his arms. “If I recall, you said you weren’t looking for a relationship the first time we met.”

“That’s only because I knew you’d say no.” She paused, then added with a thoughtful sigh, “I could tell you kept everyone at an arm’s distance, but I wanted to help despite that. I didn’t want you to push me away because of my feelings.”

Yet she called him the honorable one. “What about now?” he asked dryly. “Do you still worry about catching feelings?”

“I think it’s a little too late for me,” she whispered, smiling into his neck.

“Me too.”

Her smile widened.

He rested his chin on her head, wishing the world would stop spinning if he held her close enough. That she could rewrite his life the same way she’d restructured his heart. They stood in silence for a while, speaking without words or movement. A certain stillness enveloped the air—a predestined bond, if such a thing existed.

Ivory stirred in his arms. “I think you should know about what happened with Jace.” Her voice waived, and he tensed, already half convinced to throw out his plans for the day and give Jace what had been coming for a long time. One word from her was all it would take.

“Did he do something else yesterday?”

She shook her head. “No, I mean, you should know why he acts this way around me in the first place. You’ve been so open about your past. It’s about time I faced mine, too.”

“Okay.” He rubbed her through the blanket, proud of her being brave enough to face this. He had no right to know, let alone ask, but he'd do anything in his power to help her heal if she offered the chance. “If you want to share, I’ll listen.”

She swallowed as if the words didn’t want to leave her throat. “Last semester, Serena, Avril, and I met Jewelle outside the club. She gave us a ride back to Beta Rho, and that following week, we were over there almost every day.” She let out a hollow scoff. “College was still so new to me. The parties. Greek life. The freedom to socialize with people from so many different places.”

“One day, we were playing a round of truth or dare—nothing scandalous. Stupid things like ‘Who was your childhood crush?’ and ‘Have you ever cheated on a test?’ The dares were mostly to drink shots. By the time we got too drunk to play, everyone just…disappeared.”

Her fingers curled into his shirt. “I remember Jace offering to give me a tour of the house, so he took me to his room. It felt dangerous, sinister in a wrong way. I was naive to fall for it, but I was also heartbroken from my ex breaking up with me over Harvard—imagine that, being dumped for an ancient brick institution.” She stopped to breathe, and he massaged the base of her neck.

“Jace said he knew deep down I wasn’t an innocent good girl; I said he was right. Then he shoved me to my knees, and I didn’t even put up a fight. I told myself I wanted it rough. I wanted it to be abrasive. Ugly and demeaning. But when he forced himself past my lips, I started to cry.” She shuddered, turning to hide under the blanket. “The alcohol made my head swim, and my gag reflex kicked in, but he wouldn’t stop until he finished, and then I ran away. I’ve hated him ever since, although… I think I hate myself more for letting it happen.”

Fuck. The edges of his vision bled red with fury, but all that mattered right now was Ivory. Making sure this didn’t drag her down. “Sweetheart, you were drunk. Even if you remember saying yes, you couldn’t have consented. I should cut his dick off and shove it down his own throat.”

“You should,” she said bitterly, then looked up. “I mean—no, don’t actually do that.” Some of the fear fell from her eyes as she saw his expression. Nothing felt better than the pride of having his girl know he’d go to any length to protect her.

“I won’t do anything without your permission,” he promised, rubbing her back. “But if you change your mind, let me know.”

“Okay, sure, Mr. Anti-hero,” she said with a roll of her eyes that only she could get away with, and more importantly, a small smile back on her face.

He peeled away the blanket enough to tuck her against him. “Thank you for telling me, and I don’t mind avoiding any activities that make you uncomfortable. It’s not a problem at all.”

She sighed into his touch. “Don’t worry, I’ve never felt that way with you.” Her thumbs sought out his waistband, hooking over the elastic. He knew her touch wasn’t meant to seduce, even though the mere feel of her skin on his did the trick. It was for her to know she had the power to be there. To touch him and not fear how he’d respond. “I don’t think it’ll be a problem, but…”

“But?”

“I need to rewrite that experience. I don’t want what happened to define me. I still want to enjoy this part of sex; I want to submit.” She lifted her head and flicked her eyes to his lips before kissing him lightly. “Only to you.”

He kissed her back the same way he always did, easing her mouth open and taking control. She wasn’t weak or broken, and he’d show her just how good her desires could be when handled by the right man. “I’ll take care of you, Iv.”

She blushed. “Thank you.” Visibly more at ease, she pulled his arms around her waist and leaned back. “Do you have work today?”

“I have the week off,” he replied. “What about you? When’s your first class?”

“Nine. I’ll have to ask Nia if—” She cut herself off. “Unless you could give me a ride?”

He smiled. “Of course I can.”

“I should make breakfast first,” she said through a yawn. “Do pancakes sound good? And no arguing today. I want to do it.”

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