Page 79 of One More Made Up Love Song
We should talk about the kiss, but how do I bring it up? How do I ask her if it meant as much to her as it did to me? My brain pulls up the image of her running away seconds after we kissed, and I force myself to swallow the question.
“Are you ready for tonight?” Ivy asks, and I nod, happy to accept the subject change.
“Areyou?”
She looks up at the ceiling. “Uh, let’s go with yes? I’m nervous, I think. But also a little excited? And I think that must be a good thing.”
“Remember our signal,” I say. “If you need to get out of there, one squeeze on my elbow. That’s all it’ll take.”
She nods, the gratitude in her expression making my heart stretch.
What would it be like to have her look at me like that all the time? To spend every day trying my hardest to make her life easier, better?
Ivy lowers her cup into the sink and backs away from the counter. “I should…” She tilts her head toward the stairs. “Carina and I are going to get pedicures this morning.”
“I hope you have a good time.”
She bites her lip. “So I’ll see you tonight?”
I nod. “Car will be here at seven to pick us up.”
I watch as she nods, then disappears up the stairs.
A part of me thinks tonight can’t get here fast enough. But another part feels like I’m careening toward heartbreak, and I have no idea how to put on the brakes.
Every moment I spend with Ivy, the stakes raise a little bit higher. I’ve been taking risks all my life.
But I’ve never felt like I have this much to lose.
After a few more hours atthe studio with Leo, I’m back home and ready to go, pacing the entryway as I wait for Ivy. Natasha has me in a dressed-down tuxedo, no tie or cummerbund, just a black dress shirt open at the neck, a black jacket, and black pants. It’s a simpler look than she’d usually style for me, but she said the outfit is a nice complement to Ivy’s dress, so she didn’t get any complaints from me.
Adam and Laney show up in the entryway first, then Jace, who is carrying Eli. He’s brave to carry the baby when he’s already dressed and ready to go, but he doesn’t seem to be worried.
Annie is beside him, something clutched in her hands. She looks up at her dad, and he nods his encouragement. “Go ahead,” he says softly.
To my surprise, Annie walks over to me.
I crouch down so we’re eye to eye. “Hey, Annie,” I say.
She blinks at me with wide blue eyes, a matched set to her dad’s. “I made this for you,” she says, then she holds up a bracelet with chunky red beads. “For you to wear.”
“Tonight?” I say, smiling as I take the bracelet. “Annie, this is the coolest thing I’ve ever worn!” I loop it over my wrist, holding it out for Annie to see. “It makes the whole outfit.”
She surprises me when she throws herself against me, her tiny arms wrapping around my neck. “Bye, Uncle Freddie.”She runs back to her dad, who runs a hand over her head and smiles at her, then bends down and kisses her on the forehead before handing Eli to his mom, who is standing nearby. She takes both kids into the kitchen, and Jace makes his way over to me.
He’s wearing a bracelet just like mine, except the beads on his are blue and green. “Her mom would never wear them,” he explains. “You don’t have to keep it on after we leave, but thanks for putting it on for her.”
I reach out and squeeze Jace’s shoulder. “Are you kidding? She just called me Uncle Freddie. I won’t take it off all night.”
Adam and Laney raise their clasped hands, both of them wearing matching bright pink bracelets. “We won’t either,” Laney says.
Jace nods, gratitude making his expression soft. “Thanks, guys.”
When movement across the entryway catches my eye, I turn to see Ivy at the edge of the space, and all the air escapes out of my lungs.
She looks incredible.Beautiful.More beautiful than she’s ever looked before, which is saying something because she always looks amazing.
Jace clears his throat. “Breathe, man,” he says, and I take a stuttering breath, quickly crossing to where she’s standing.
