Page 3 of Undeniable

She had every reason to hate me.

With an agitated groan, Ivy shook her head, making the twin buns on top of her head shake back and forth.

“God, you make me want to throw something.”

I chuckled. “No one’s stopping you. But if you want to keep this job, then you might want to rethink that. Actually, on second thought,pleasethrow something.”

She glanced to her right, and I followed her line of sight. On one of the end tables was a glass lamp, and she eyed it like she really was contemplating throwing it at me.

“You’re infuriating,” she muttered.

And just for a moment, her carefully crafted defensive mask dropped away. And I saw a glimpse of the girl I grew up with instead of the woman who’d grown a tough, steadfast exterior. An exterior she rarely let slip, at least around me.

“Look,” I said, trying a softer tone and utilizing her momentary lapse in defenses to my advantage. “This is a big departure from Willowwood. Moving from a city of not even one thousand to a city with nearly a million…” My words trailed off as I watched my opportunity slam shut. Her face dropped and all her walls shot up once again.

“What are you trying to say?” Her voice was flat and void of any and all emotion.

“I’m just not sure you’re going to like it here.”

She huffed and straightened. In one swift motion, her eyes appraised me from bottom to top, and the disappointment that marred her features felt personal.

“Interesting, because I don’t remember asking for your opinion.”

“I was just trying to help. I know you, Ivy, and—”

She paced forward, the click of her boots loud on the wooden floor and a renewed fire blazing in her green eyes.

God, she was angry.

I expected her to stop in front of me, but she veered to my right and had the door handle in her hand before I realized what had happened. She paused, and instead of pulling it open, she glanced back at me.

“You don’t know me at all anymore. It’s almost like you never did.”

And then she was gone. She let the door slam behind her, effectively ending our argument with little resolved. Part of me wanted to chase her and demand we resolve our issues once and for all.

But whether I wanted to or not, I couldn’t chase her. She didn’t want to be caught.

TWO

Ivy

Thirteen Years Ago

“Ms. Sharpe? Excuse me?Ivy.”

The irritation in Ms. Willmore’s voice finally pulled me from my thoughts. I had zoned out as I mentally began going through my never-ending to-do list before graduation. I’d started doing it almost obsessively every single day as that fateful day approached.

There were things I still needed to buy for my dorm and scholarship paperwork I needed to finish. My athletic scholarship would only pay three-quarters of my tuition, so I had to apply for all the academic scholarships I could to cover the other costs.

Which meant finishing my senior year strong.

And zoning out in the middle of class didn’t bode well for that plan.

“Yes?” I asked, sitting up straighter and willing myself to pay attention.

Our teacher, Ms. Willmore, stared at me for a moment and then shook her head. “Look, everyone, I know senior year is almost over. But as long as you’re sitting in my class, I need you all to pay attention. We still have a few weeks until you’re walking across that stage and this project is worth a good portion of your final grade. So, you shouldallbe listening.”

My face flushed with embarrassment, and I readjusted in my chair. I could feel a few of my classmates’ eyes on me. I wanted to make myself smaller at their attention while my best friend, Shelby, snickered at my expense.

---