Page 60 of The Holiday Honeymoon Switch
“No, she is not with her parents, and if you actually cared about her, you would know that is the last place where she would get emotional support. She’s in the Hudson Valley. We swapped holidays. She’s in an eco-cabin, having some alone time and trying to regroup.”
“Holly…is in an eco-cabin? Like, one of those off-grid ones?”
Ivy nods.
“And you’resureshe’s okay? Like, she’s figured out the power and the water and…all that?”
“Of course I’m sure she’s okay! Because we talk and text every day.”
“Please don’t tell her.” Matt has now doubled down on his begging, and Ivy feels a wave of disgust. “Let me do something for you. Where are you staying? Can I pay for you to have a room here? What can I do?”
“I want nothing from you,” Ivy says, keeping her voice as level as possible even though the rage is bubbling back up. “Please, could you just get away from me? Go back to Abby. Go have yourhoneymoon.”
“But you won’t tell Holly, right? You know this would destroy her.”
“And yet you still did it.” Ivy crumples up a cocktail napkin in front of her. “Yes,” she finally says. “I promise I won’t tell her.”
Matt’s face floods with relief, and Ivy feels a stab of revulsion. He doesn’t deserve to feel anything but guilty. “I’m not telling heryet,” she clarifies. “Not until I get back and can tell her in person. But Iamtelling her.” It feels like making a deal with the devil, and she hates it, but she knows that Matt is not wrong about this, at least. The news that thefiancé who left you is now on your honeymoon with his new girlfriend is not something that should be received by telephone.
But she can still find a way to ruin Matt’s night, can’t she?
Abruptly, Ivy turns and walks toward the dance floor.
She approaches a woman who is swaying to the music happily, watching the fire dancers.
“Excuse me?”
Abby turns. “Yes, can I help you?”
“My name is Ivy Casey. I’m Holly Beech’s best friend. As in Matt’s up-until-very-recently fiancée? The one he dumped for you, the night before their wedding?”
Abby tucks a lock of her short, blond hair behind one ear and tilts her head. She doesn’t look as shocked as Ivy feels she should. “Okay. Nice to meet you, Ivy. What are you doing here in Hawaii?”
“The question should be, what is Matt doing here, on his honeymoon?” She waits for Abby to have a reaction, but her face stays blank. Ivy tries again. “Did you know it was his honeymoon, Abby, or did he convince you he was taking you on a romantic holiday trip?”
Abby is still unfazed. “Of course I knew,” she says. “We discussed it. Didn’t we, Matt?” He has now reached his new girlfriend’s side. “Matt explained that he had asked Holly if she wanted to take the trip, and she said absolutely not. Which meant a very expensive, nonrefundable trip wasgoing to go to waste. We both agreed it just made good financial sense to go on the trip ourselves.”
Ivy can see out of the corner of her eye that Oliver has approached to make sure she’s okay, and is now standing behind Abby and Matt, trying to wipe a surprised smile off his face.What the actual fuck?he mouths.
Suddenly, Ivy can’t sustain her anger. She starts to laugh and she can’t stop. “Okay, wow,” she says, pointing a finger from Matt to Abby. “I never thought you were good with Holly, but Matt, this woman isperfectfor you.”
“Thank you,” Matt says. “I think so, too. Now do you see why I—”
“No way. I don’t want to hear it. I told you before, Team Holly, all the way.” She lets out another snort of laughter, while Matt leads Abby away, both of them casting concerned glances over their shoulder.
“Come on,no,” Shira says moments later, when Ivy and Oliver have explained what happened. “We were all totally ready for this huge confrontation with you and Abby, and she knew the entire time.”
“Said going on Matt and Holly’s honeymoonjust made good financial sense,” Larry adds, and Ivy nearly doubles over with uncontrolled laughter again. “What ajerk.”
“Holly is beyond better off without him,” Oliver says. “And I’m glad to see you laughing, Ivy, because normally when you see him, I feel like I’m going to have to stop you from committing a murder.”
“I was very close.” Ivy grows serious again. “But confronting him felt good. And learning that he and Abby are a match made in hell? Kind of awesome, too.”
They’re dancing again, the moonlight and torchlight casting shadows across their faces. “I’m relieved for Holly,” Ivy says to Oliver as their bodies move together. “I know she’s going to be okay, even if it takes time.” She pauses, looks up at him, tests out again how it feels not to have walls up around her emotions. “I’m happy, too. About us. About this…”
He pulls her close. “Me, too. But I have something I need to tell you.”
“What is it?”
