Page 99 of Writing On The Wall

Ivy nods as she puts the pieces together. “So he thinks you—aka the buyer—has tracked him down, which is why he tried to break in and look for it this morning. Turns out thebad peoplehe thought were after it were Opal and Gail…and Gran.” She rubs her forehead, pacing the very small space in the middle of our increasingly stifling circle. “But he still owes people money.”

Agnes shuffles close, her mouth downturned as she rubs a hand on Ivy’s back. “That’s not your responsibility, sweetheart. It’s his mess to clean up.”

Opal clears her throat and begins fanning her face with her hand. “Y’all, not to be a party pooper, but can we wrap this up with a ‘hands in’ and a cheer or something? This muggy huddle is getting to me.”

Gail nods, flapping the front of her blouse. “I dunnoabout anyone else, but I’m fixin’ to sweat through my favorite brassiere if we don't get out of here soon. And there’s a reason you don’t hear about wet T-shirt competitions for women our age.”

“Careful, your overripeness is showing,” Agnes snorts.

“Touché,” Opal nods, herding everyone out of the room.

“Ivy, honey, you got any sweet tea? Nevermind. I’ll make some if you don’t. We’ll give you two a moment.”

Ivy and I are finally left alone in the room, and I waste no time in tilting her chin up with my finger and pressing my lips to hers. I can’t hold her close enough as relief floods my veins, and our kiss deepens until Ivy pulls away with a gasp. “Wait, why aren’t you on your way to Frisco?”

“Something more important came up.”

“Ethan, I can’t keep you from your dreams. I’d never want to stand in the way of your heart feeling fulfilled or you getting to enjoy all the adventures you crave. You’ll only resent me later,” she says, taking a tiny step back.

“Nuh-uh,” I grin. “We’re not doing that. We’re skipping that whole bit where you push me away, and we’re both sad. I’ve found the most fulfilling, enticing, exasperating, adorable adventure I’ll ever encounter. And there’s no way in hell you can keep me from this one.”

“But what if you have to move?” she frowns.

I bring one of her hands to my lips, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles. “When I started doing all these things for the show, I just kinda went with the flow. I didn’t think too much about the location. But that’s only ‘cause there’s no question where it’ll need to happen. I told them today, we either do it here, or they do it without me.”

“Ethan. Are you sure about this?” She squints an eye, one side of her mouth lifting skeptically.

“You trying to talk me out of loving you, woman?”

“I’m trying to save you from feeling weighed down by a girl who doesn’t want to leave this town. And I’m trying to save myself from heartache…” She pauses, closing her eyes before mumbling, “but I think it’s too late for that.”

My stomach swirls with nausea, the feeling of failing her hitting me like a freight truck. I promised her I’d be the one drama-free part of her life, and she’s been freaking out over me breaking her heart this whole time. “Baby, I’m so sorry for not making sure you knew without a shred of doubt that I’m all in. I didn’t wanna scare you away?—”

“Ethan, no. This isn’t on you. This is my fear, and you’re not responsible for that. I’m—I choose to trust you,” she says, rising on her toes to place a kiss on my jaw. When she lowers, a slow grin spreads across her face. “But I still wanna hear you say it again.”

“I love you, Ivy.Youare my greatest adventure.”

“Okay,” she nods with watery eyes, her smile giving me the rush of a lifetime. “I love you, too.”

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

IVY

The top of my thighs tingle as the sun continues to warm them through the glass wall. Gran’s chair squeaks beside me while we rock our wicker chairs in the solarium.

“I’m so glad you redid this little room. It’s everything I always dreamed it could be,” she says, smiling softly at the little additions and updates.

My eyes sweep over the thrifted Persian rug and the abundance of potted plants, the latter all gifted from Gail and Opal. Each plant is carefully positioned for optimal happiness. A smile spreads across my face as I glance at the chandelier hanging above us—the one Ethan wouldn’t let me hang, even though I tried to do it myself, anyway. At least there were no major injuries, and now it’s up and shining beautifully.

The low bookshelves lining two of the walls have a small growing collection of books. In the past I mostly listened to audiobooks, but I find myself liking the real thing better now that Ethan is around to read to me. “It’s my favorite room,” I sigh, closing my eyes and leaning back, lulled by the motion of my chair.

The room is filled with the melodic chirping of birds and the gentle creaking of our chairs as we relax, soaking in the serene afternoon.

“Now, tell me about this Toby business, honey. You were never dating?” Gran raises one eyebrow, straightening to sip her sweet tea.

A snort escapes before I sit up and explain how my small, fake-dating fib ended up spiraling out of control. By the time I’m done, Gran shoulder’s are shaking at how I let things get carried away in my mind. “Toby actually just started dating another teacher at our school,” I add. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth, though. I should have trusted you.”

“I forgive you, Ivy June. But I think there’s something else we should discuss, too,” she says, leaning over to grab my hand. “You’ve been holding yourself back ‘cause of your struggles. But now that everything’s out in the open, are you finally ready to take the plunge and go after your dreams?”

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