Page 134 of Catch Me
“The diaper competition was just for fun, but everything else was serious. I’ve known you your whole life. I know when you’re serious about something, and I can see that Ivy is your future. If you need anything, anything?—”
“I know where to go.” I hug my brother, then I pull back and look at him. “Do you think the same is true for Thiers?”
His eyebrows spike.
I look toward Diego’s home. “This.”
Kyle sighs.
“I don’t think your twin is keen on anything that might keep him in one place for too long.”
His words ring too true for my liking.
It’s not that I want to see Thiers settled down just for the sake of it. It’s that I want him to stop unnecessarily putting his fucking life in danger.
“You know what happened to him and everything since isn’t your fault, don’t you?”
I nod, but only because I know that’s what Kyle wants to hear.
“Go home to your future.”
“You were the one holding me up,” I reply. “Catch ya later, bro.”
On the drive, I can’t help but to wonder what a little girl the mix of me and Ivy would look like.
CHAPTER 38
Ivy
“Still no response?” Andreas’ deep voice comes from behind me.
I turn to him, still frowning. “No. She never takes this long to respond.” My eyes roam over to the floor-to-ceiling windows of his condo that look out onto the Hollywood Hills.
It’s been about a month since our return from Williamsport, and most of my free time is spent at his home … even when he’s not here, which has been frequent since he’s been so busy with work.
I texted Ari earlier this morning to ask if she wanted to get lunch together. It’s now evening, and Andreas and I are about to head out for a surprise somewhere.
“Do you think she’s okay?” I ask without thinking. “What if she’s withdrawing because she doesn’t like L.A. as much as she thought?”
Andreas trails his palms from my shoulders down my bare arms, sending chills over my body.
“She would tell you if that were the case, wouldn’t she?”
I shrug. “I hope so, but …” I trail off, guilt hitting my belly.
“But?”
I push out a heavy breath. “What if she didn’t? Mya and Ari were the main ones, the only ones there for me during that time after graduation. I leaned on them more than they knew. What if Ari won’t tell me because she thinks I’m too fragile?”
While I hate to admit it, it’s one of the deepest fears that’s plagued me ever since that time. Am I a drain on my relationships? My friendships?
“That’s not the case because you’re not too fragile. You’ve built a life in a city halfway across the country from your family. You have a career you love that you’re getting better at everyday.” He squeezes my arms. “Fragile my ass.”
I give him a smile before pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you,” I tell him just above a whisper.
“Maybe your friend just needs time,” he says.
I nod, knowing what that’s like.
