Page 36 of Who Pissed Off Ivy Dell?

The circle widens as everyone begins to step away. Cujo holds Josephine’s shoulders when she stops and refuses to move. She glares at April. “You miserable bitch. You just can’t stand for anyone to enjoy a single goddamn happy moment, can you?”

“I didn’t mean to tell her, but someone should’ve done it a long time ago. It wasn’t right to keep her in the dark.”

“Don’t you dare,” Petra warns. “Don’t you dare try to justify it. And I’ll be damned if I’ll let you stand here and make yourself out to be her friend.”

“Was anyone else ever going to tell me?”

“Of course,” Jensen says.

“I was going to come and tell you in person,” Petra says.

“Come where? To the beach? You were going to let me leave, knowing I planned to come back and visit? Let me believe I could be a part of Ivydell forever, and not tell me it was ending?”

“Oh, sweet girl,” Elma says. “You are a part of it, but no place on earth lasts forever.”

“You weren’t going to tell me before I left either.” I stare into Jensen’s eyes.

“It was Petra’s right to tell you, but I had hoped to be there.”

“You’re a coward.”

“I’m going to let that go because I know you don’t really believe that about me.”

“How am I supposed to know what to believe? This makes me question if I could ever trust you, I know that.”

His face is crestfallen. He’s hurt, but I really don’t trust him right now. My truth may have hurt him, but I’m hurt because he withheld the truth. He knows that the truth is what I came here to find. I came searching for answers. And he just let me be deceived.

Oh, damn. Zara. She didn’t drive all day for this shit. “I’m so sorry. You should stay. Enjoy it. All of it.”

I run out of the community center because I can’t take another second of the sympathetic looks beaming at me from every direction. I don’t stop until I reach my casita. Zara walks through my door five minutes later. Jensen is right behind her.

“Zara, I don’t know what to say. I feel so bad that you came all this way.”

“What do you think you’re doing?” she asks.

“I can’t stay here. I have to go.”

“The hell you do. First of all, you’ve had too much wine to drive, so that’s not happening. Second of all, you’re tooemotional right now to make decisions about anything. Third of all, I’m so damn glad I was here. I’m here, Ivy.”

Tears flow down my cheeks. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”

“I know.” She hugs me tight. “But running away won’t make it better. Running never helps.”

“She’s right,” Jensen says. “Can I have a few minutes alone with—”

“Tomorrow,” Zara says, cutting him off. “You can talk to her tomorrow. I’ve got her. She’s not going to go anywhere, but you need to go.”

I won’t look at him. I’m grateful she’s telling him to go. It’s the right thing, and I hate knowing that if I look at him, I might want him to stay. How can any part of me want him right now?

“I’m staying here tonight,” she says.

“I’m so sorry, Ivy.” I can hear it in his voice. He never meant to hurt me. “But if I had it to do over again, I still wouldn’t tell you.”

I push Zara away. “Why? How could you treat me like that, knowing I’d end up hurt?”

“Do you know how many people here are hurt because Ivydell is ending? How much bigger the loss is for them than it is for you? Or for me? Those women rebuilt Ivydell. They fought for it, not just for themselves, but for everyone they knew needed this place. But it’s time for it to end. And they deserve to be able to let it go without any of us guilting them over it. You can be mad at me for as long as you need to, but don’t leave here mad at Petra. Don’t shut her out, Ivy. She’s the strongest woman I’ve ever known, but I think that might break her.”

“Just go, Jensen.”

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