Page 81 of Volatile

“You still there?”

“Yes.” Headlights sliced through the dark hall, and Lily went to peek out the window. “Joshua’s here. I’m gonna go now.”

“I’ll be there soon.”

Lily slipped the phone into her pocket and propped open the door for him. Now that Joshua had arrived, she zeroed back in on that possible mumble, feeling a bit bolder.

She rushed over and knocked hard on the door. “Ivy?” She tensed. That was definitely a sound. “Ivy?” she said again, then stuck her key in the door, no longer concerned about privacy. Her senses were back on high alert, her heart thudding frantically. She did not like this. Not at all.

Lily pushed open the door and flicked the switch, flooding the space with light. Her jaw dropped. Ivy’s eyes bulged wide when she saw her, and she looked petrified.

“Get the fuck off my—”

A gust blew past her, and she hadn’t realized it was Joshua until Wes crashed into the corner of the wall. It had all happened in a blink.

“Wes?” Ivy’s face appeared to have no blood in it at all. “Wes?” she said a bit louder, starting to shiver. “You... you?” She slumped down into a chair and trembled harder. Then she grew eerily calm.

Lily didn’t know what to make of it. She went over and held her sister’s hand. Seeing Ivy like that, so disoriented, way too subdued like she was in shock or something.... “You didn’t know it was him?” But how?

Ivy just shook her head, and something snapped in her. Lily stomped over to where Wes was cowering against the wall. “What did you do to my sister, you asshole?” she screamed. “Did you hurt her?”

“Not physically,” Ivy said softly. “I’m okay.”

Lily swung her head back to see her curled up and hugging her knees. Like hell she was. What Ivy must’ve gone through.... It’d been pitch black in the room, and Wes had a hold of her from behind, one hand around her waist and one clamped over her mouth. He never told her who he was? She must’ve thought someone had broken in and was probably fearing for her life.

Lily turned back to Wes. “You asshole!” she yelled again. “How could you scare her like that? I knew one day you’d lose it and snap!”

He lowered his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare her. I thought if I took control of what I wanted, she’d look at me differently and want me back.” What? Lily wasn’t sure if she’d heard him correctly since he was slurring, but it didn’t matter. She kicked him in the balls anyway.

He made some inhuman-like shriek, but she didn’t care. Her blood was pumping hard as she raised her foot for another shot. She felt hands on her shoulders, calming her. Wes flopped over, appearing to have passed out. Or was that just a ruse?

“Baby.” Joshua’s arms were around her midsection, gripping her tightly. It wasn’t until she’d relaxed into him when she realized just how hard she’d been shaking too. “I’ll take care of it. Go to your sister.”

Joshua stroked her hair, soothing her further, telling her he loved her before he released his hold. He left to drag out a comatose-looking Wes, and she went to Ivy, kneeling down beside her.

“He’s drunk,” she said.

“So?”

“He never drinks.” She let out a little snort. “Well, I guess I can’t say that anymore.”

“Ivy, are you sure you’re not hurt?” Lily peered closely at her face.

“No, he just really shocked me. And scared me. He never spoke, just kept me still, so I didn’t know it was him. All I felt was leather and he never wears leather. I was pretty drunk too and... I just froze. I didn’t know what was going to happen to me, and then when I saw you, I was even more scared. I thought he’d hurt you too.”

“How’d he even get in? Does he still have a key?”

“No.”

Lily despised him. She couldn’t believe she’d once thought her sister could do worse. “There’s something seriously messed up with him, Ivy. What would’ve happened if we hadn’t shown up?”

“I’ve known him a long time, and so have you. You know how meek he usually is. He wouldn’t have done anything more than what you saw.”

“Are you sure about that?” She didn’t answer. As if scaring the shit out of her wasn’t enough. Lily wanted to thrash her for downplaying what he did, but she’d already gone through enough.

At that moment, Mr. Blazek entered the apartment, and Ivy made eye contact with him. In the midst of all the chaos, Lily had spaced about him coming. Joshua stepped up behind him. Where was Wes?

Lily went towards the door, her expression urging Mr. Blazek to go to her. He was the one she needed right now, or at least Lily hoped that was the case. She refused to believe it was really over between them. Not when she knew how right they were for each other.

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