Page 38 of Moonlight & Matrimony
“I’m going to need a huge desk,” I mutter to myself. My finances aren’t exactly in the best shape, but I’ll be getting my security deposit back from the house, and I should be able to put some of that towards making this space into the perfect studio. I can just picture myself sitting in front of the windows with a brush in hand. Walls lined with canvases and shelves full of paints and brushes. The natural light illuminates the space beautifully, and it almost feels like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
“Maybe I need some bookshelves, too,” I add. I have so many ideas swirling in my head, I don’t even know where to begin. I pull up my phone, intending to start a checklist, when I notice a notification from a social media account. Someone tagged me in a post. I tap on the icon, gaping at the photo of me and Luca standing outside of the diner on our wedding day, with an unhinged caption accusing me of being a cheater, telling the entire world that Luca is a homewrecker, despite the fact that I didn’t meet Luca until well after the divorce.
Austin lives in his own delusional world, and this isn’t the first time he’s tried to turn people against me. When I left, most of our friends took his side. They didn’t see what I lived through — what I survived. I mourned their friendships for a long timeuntil I eventually came to terms with the fact that they didn’t deserve my time if they couldn’t be bothered to listen to my side of the story.
When Paige came into my life, I realized I needed to forge new friendships that serve me and bring me joy. I will be forever grateful to her. Since then, she’s shown me nothing but love and acceptance. Not to mention unwavering support in the face of this crazy scheme with her brother. I’m endlessly thankful for the connections I’ve made since then.
I think back on the last two years and I wonder if Cade even remembers the first time we met — the day he looked out for me at the bar. That night, when Austin took me home, he flew into a rage. I’ll never forget the look of pure hatred as he spewed disgusting words at me, accusing me of having an affair with the “fuckboy bartender.” And when I denied it, he swung at me, landing a blow to my cheek. I just stood there in shock while he paced the floor in front of me. I think I blocked out the rest in a haze of self-preservation.
I should’ve left that night; I see that now. But when you’re so deeply entranced in another human being, you want to cling to the hope that they can change. I dug myself out of that hell, a shell of my former self, then built myself back up, piece by piece. I swore I’d never again be the naive girl I once was, falling for the older man, and the forbidden allure of his rebellious nature.
It’s a hard pill to swallow at 23 years old, realizing that everything you thought you knew about someone was just a facade, a mask he used to pull you in. And once you’re securely in his clutches, the mask slips, showing you the monster hidden beneath the surface.
The night I left, I swore I wouldn't fall in love again. I locked my heart away behind a fifty-foot wall, and while I’ll always love my friends and family, I will never allow another man to haveany control over me, physically or emotionally. I can’t afford to put us back in a position where we have to run.
But isn’t that what you’re doing now?
No. Luca is nothing like Austin. He’s proven himself to me time and time again. He’s a good man, and I have to trust that Paige would never lead me into the clutches of another narcissist. I can hear my mom in the back of my mind, begging me never to fall in love. “Just don’t lose your heart, Ivy girl.”
Chapter 9
Luca
? Moonlight - Ariana Grande
“You good?” Miles asks.
I’ve been hovering over the blueprints of the new addition we’re putting on one of the condos belonging to some rich asshole in Willow Valley, but my mind is elsewhere.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” It’s a lie and we both know it.
Miles leans against the desk, arms crossed like he’s preparing for an interrogation. “Don’t bullshit a bullshitter, dude.”
Feeling defensive, I lean back in the chair and glare at my boss. “Alright. I’ll make you a deal. You tell me what’s going on with you and Mags, and I’ll tell youmyshit.”
“Don’t be a dick. I’m just trying to be a good friend.”
Fuck, I’m an ass.
“Sorry. Some shit went down with Austin, and I’m just worried about Ivy and Rylin.” I’ve spent the better part of six hours stewing over everything that happened this morning, from the look on Ivy’s face when she crashed into me in the hallway, to the run in with Austin’s sister.
The day had started off so promising. I wasn’t expecting to run into Ivy in the hallway, but I’m not complaining. Just a glimpse of her gorgeous tits through her coffee soaked t-shirt was enough to have me rushing off to my room to fist my cock. I could’ve sworn I heard the floor creak outside the door, but when I walked back out, Ivy was in the bathroom, and I’d convinced myself I was hearing things.
Then shit hit the fan and what started out as a damn good day quickly turned into a shit show of epic proportions. I explain the sequence of events to Miles, leaving out the part where I made myself come with Ivy’s name on my lips, and his expression gradually turns sour as the story goes on.
“We need to get some cameras installed at your place. Maybe then the cops will take things seriously. We can talk to Rosie and ask her to keep an eye out, too.”
“Thanks, man. I appreciate the support.”
“Ivy’s a good girl. I hate that she’s going through this shit,” he says. My face pulls into a scowl, and he doesn’t miss a beat. Chuckling, he says, “Don’t worry, brother. She’s all yours.” That signature goofy grin is back on his face as he claps me on the shoulder. “Let’s head out early. We can grab some equipment and get those cameras installed.”
“Are you sure? We still have an hour left.”
“I’m the boss, and I say this is more important.” He signals to the rest of the crew to wrap it up, and I follow Miles out to the parking lot. As I approach my truck, something prickles at the back of my neck, an awareness I can’t quite put my finger on, but I chalk it up to residual anxiety from the chaos of the day.
“Meet you at the hardware store,” Miles shouts through his open window from across the lot.
“That should do it.” Miles hands me back my phone where he’s installed the apps needed to run the new security system. We placed three cameras along the front of the house facing the driveway and the street, and two more at the back, though I doubt he could do anything from back there. The trees are dense and there’s no access road. Better safe than sorry.
