Page 8 of Moonlight & Matrimony
Leaning her head against the wall with her eyes closed, she lets out a shaky breath. “I didn’t even see him coming. I hate how helpless he makes me feel. I wish you didn’t have to keep cleaning up my messes.”
“You’re not helpless. And it’s okay to let someone else share the burden sometimes. Why don’t you let me give you a ride home?”
Her eyes meet mine and up close I can see flecks of gold mixed with the green and brown swirls. She clears her throat, sidestepping away from me. “Yeah. Okay.”
Ivy
A heavy silence fills the cab of Luca’s truck on the short drive back to our neighborhood. The air is thick and rife with tension as we pull into the driveway. Before I can even open my door, Luca’s already there, lending a hand as I step out.
“Thanks for the ride,” I say, pausing on the sidewalk between our houses.
“Anytime. Have a good night,wifey,” he teases.
“Wifey? We’re back there again?” I laugh, dramatically holding up my left hand between us. “Weird. Still no ring on my finger.”
Luca chuckles, his face taking on a contemplative expression. Without warning, he looks me dead in the eyes and sinks down onto one knee. “Ivy, will you marry me?”
My mouth goes dry and I almost lose my footing, but he catches me before I tumble to the ground. “Wh-what are you doing?” I ask a little breathlessly as his hands wrap delicately around my waist.
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m proposing.”
“You’re insane! You don’t even know me!”
“It won’t be real. We’ll just pretend to be engaged to get Austin off your back. We’ll probably be seeing a lot of each other, anyway. It can’t hurt to fake it.”
I push off his shoulders and take a step back, steeling myself for what I’m about to do. “I’m not some fucking damsel in distress who needs saving, Luca.” My tone is harsh but necessary. The last thing I need is another man barreling into my life, thinking I’m some meek, submissive little girl he can push around. “Igot us out of there.Ican keep us safe on my own.”
“Ivy…” his eyes are softer now as he pushes himself up off the ground, reaching for my shoulders. Instinctively, I stiffen under his touch and his hands retreat to his pockets. “I didn’t mean it like that. I don’t think you’re weak — you’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met. I just wanted to give Austin a reason to keep his distance. I have no doubt you can take care of yourself, but I’ve met guys like him. He’s not going to let this go so easily. Would it be so bad to just keep up the charade for a little while?”
I can’t say it isn’t tempting to let Austin assume I’m with someone else, but I can only see it going one of two ways. Either he doesn’t believe it and nothing changes, or he does believe it and it enrages him further. Try as I might, I can’t imagine a favorable outcome. That’s not even taking into consideration how it would complicate my relationship with Paige. Nothing stays secret in this small town. We would have to keep up the pretense for all of Oak Ridge, and I’m not sure I have the acting skills to pull it off.
He must see the hesitation in my eyes because he nods. “Just think about it. Please.”
“Ok,” I say through a sigh, knowing I won’t even entertain the idea. “I should head in. Thanks for everything.”
“Of course. Give me your phone.” My brow furrows in confusion. “Just giving you my number so you can call me if Austin tries anything else,” he clarifies. Understanding dawns, and I do as he asks. It can’t hurt to have my neighbor on speed dial just in case. This doesn’t have to mean anything.
“Call me if you need anything. I don’t care if it’s 2am. If Austin shows up out of the blue, call me.”
“Ok.” He walks over to me, arms outstretched, and I step into his embrace. He’s tall, towering over me by more than a foot. He leans his cheek on my head, and I swear I hear him inhale before releasing me, retreating towards the front door with a wave. Thecomfort of his woodsy scent lingers on my clothes for the rest of the day, and I sleep like a baby.
Chapter 3
Luca
? Sweet Creature - Harry Styles
She’s everywhere, and I can’t seem to shake this prickling sensation every time she catches me staring. I don’t know what the fuck came over me that had me dropping to one knee on the pavement — insanity maybe — but we haven’t spoken since. I’m not a complete dumbass; I’m well aware she’s been avoiding me after what has to be the least romantic proposal in history.
Unloading the last of my tools into the workshop, I head back to the truck and slam the tailgate, hearing a startled squeak from somewhere to my left. I glance over my shoulder, spotting a familiar set of blue eyes staring back at me from the tree swing. A rush of concern swamps me as Rylin pumps her legs, propelling her forward and back with no Ivy in sight.
“Hey big brother,” Paige says, waving at me from Ivy’s front porch.
“Fucking hell. You scared the shit out of me.”
Rylin giggles. “Bad words, Mr. Luca.”
“Yeah,Mr. Luca,” Paige snorts, emphasizing the nickname I can't seem to shake with unrestrained amusement on her face. “Watch your mouth around the tiny humans.”
