Page 74 of The Holiday Honeymoon Switch
He sounds concerned. “Is Ivy okay? Larry gave me her flight info, but her phone has been going straight to voicemail since she landed, and she hasn’t replied to any of my texts.”
“She’s fine. She’s sleeping. It looks like she accidentally left her phone on ‘do not disturb.’ It must have been an accident.”
She can hear him breathing a sigh of relief. “I thought maybe she had ghosted me,” Oliver admits, and Holly likes him already, admires his candor.
“No way,” Holly says. “Ivy wouldn’t do that.” She refrainsfrom addingEspecially not to you, because she knows Ivy is very good at playing it cool, and would want Holly to do the same on her behalf—no matter how head over heels her friend is for this guy.
“Good,” he says. “I was starting to wonder. Which was starting to make the fact that I flew to New York after I found out she was gone…well, a little awkward.”
“Oliver!” Holly claps a delighted hand over her mouth. “You’re in New York?”
“I just landed at LaGuardia about half an hour ago. You’re her best friend, so you’re going to find this out eventually, but I fell hard for her. And when I read her letter, I made a decision. I think Larry called it a grand gesture. I decided to get on a plane. I decided to chase after her.”
“Levitate,” Holly whispers, still in awe.
“Pardon me?”
“Oh, nothing. So you’re in New York,” she says again.
“I am. And I’ve been trying to call Ivy to get the address of your cabin. But she wasn’t answering. Now I know why.”
Holly’s cheeks hurt, she’s smiling so hard. She glances up at the loft, where her sad, sleeping friend is—and her heart feels like it’s expanding in her chest. She gives Oliver the address. “I’m going to head out,” she says. “So that you two can talk in private when you get here. But Oliver? Ireallylook forward to meeting you later.”
She hangs up and leaves Ivy a note, explaining how to usethe solar shower and telling her she’ll be back later.Text me when you want me to come back, she says, hoping it’s not too obvious that there’ll be a reason Ivy might not want her friend around. Then Holly dresses, texts Aiden, and drives to his cabin, the smile never leaving her face.
23
Ivy
December 27
Hudson Valley, New York
Ivy wakes and climbs down the ladder, but Holly is nowhere to be found. She sees the note left for her and feels a jolt of surprise. She knows Holly has completely forgiven her for not telling her about Matt and Abby, but she’s still a bit rattled that she’d leave her alone in her heartbroken state.
She looks at her phone screen, but there are no text notifications or missed calls. She was wrong about him. It doesn’t feel possible that she could have felt such a strong connection with someone, only for it not to be real—but it must not have been. She’ll get over it, somehow. Maybe not today, and maybe not for a little while, but she’s strong. She will.
She goes outside for a fast, bracing shower, then runs inside before her hair can freeze. She’s dressing upstairs in the loft when there’s a tap at the door. “Hang on!” she calls out. She throws on a T-shirt and pulls on track pants, then climbs down the ladder. She can see a tall shadow of someone standing at the door, but she can’t tell who it is.
She opens the door.
Oliver.
It nearly takes her breath away.
“You’re…really here?” she manages. “I’m not dreaming?”
He looks nervous. “Is that okay? That I’m here?”
“Yes,” she breathes. “How did you find me?”
“I called while you were sleeping. I talked to Holly. Your phone had been on ‘do not disturb.’ ”
“Oh! So it’s not that you didn’t call or text…”
“No. Not at all. I tried and tried, and I finally decided that I had to see you again. So, I flew to New York.”
“Of course you did. Because you’re you.” She feels dizzy with happiness, breathlessly, perfectly thrilled to see him. “I’m so sorry,” she says, stepping back and leading him inside. “I’m sorry I left. I’m sorry for the thing I said before you did.”
