Page 26 of Seeds of Malice

She spins on me, seething. "Go take care of your girlfriend, Dax."

"She's not my girlfriend!"

"She seems to think so!" Ivy cries out, her blues full of fire.

"She's not!" I try to pull her into my arms, but she wiggles out of them.

"Don't you dare touch me when you were with her last night!"

"I wasn't," I lie.

"Bullshit!"

"I'm telling you the truth!"

Ivy shakes her head, and anger spews from her lips, "No, you aren't! I'm not stupid, Dax. A girl isn't going to claim those things if she doesn't do them!"

I laugh, but it's more from the nervousness of losing Ivy forever. I declare, "You don't know Cindy very well."

"Yeah, but you do!" Ivy spouts.

I run my hand through my hair. "Ivy, I told you I'm not with her anymore."

"You left off the important part!"

"What's that?" I ask.

Ivy sarcastically laughs. "The 'since last night' part!"

I groan. "You're not listening."

"Oh, I'm listening just fine, Dax!" She turns and trots toward her house.

"Ivy!" I call after her, close on her heels.

"Leave me alone, Dax!" she cries out.

We get to the porch, and I grab her. I spin her into me. "Stop! Let me explain!"

"There's nothing to explain! I have a very clear picture of what's going on," she claims.

"You don't!"

"I do!"

"Ivy, what's going on here?" John interjects, stepping out of the house.

Ivy stares at me, her face red and her breath short.

"Ivy?" John repeats, scowling at me.

She shakes her head. "Nothing, Dad. I was just coming home to finish unpacking."

I stay frozen. "Ivy?—"

"I think it's time for you to go home now, Dax," John states.

I debate about how to play this out and whether I should fight with him right now or not.

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