Page 28 of When Ivy Met Mr. Holiday
I sat up and ran a hand through my hair, thinking of the photo Sienna had posted of us together on the beach, sun-kissed and lips locked, with the caption,Some things just make sense. #iloveyoujack.
And there was no forgetting all the photos of me in the Cookie Crew sweater. Most of my fans loved it, but there were always haters wondering what was going on with me and who didn’t think it was a good look. I could easily ignore them. Unfortunately, Ivy was having a hard time letting go. If they could only see me now in my gingerbread men pajamas.
I reached over and tugged on her hair, the strands slipping loose from her messy bun. “You’re going to get a headache doing that. Come here.” I patted the spot next to me.
She bit her lip, mulling it over. She’d been adamantly against it twenty minutes earlier when we went to bed, claiming it was silly for us to sleep on a twin mattress together.
But her hesitation didn’t really seem to be over logistics. It felt like something entirely different. Something she was too afraid to say. What was she so afraid of? Me? The thought of us?
It was so maddening to have her keep secrets from me. Normally, she had no problem speaking her mind. Even from the first moment we met. I supposed I was keeping a secret from her too. The biggest secret—that I was in love with her. In my defense, I was trying to spell it out for her. But she was mistaking it for me being a talented actor. Which sure, I was, if I do say so myself, but this was anything but an act.
She let out a resigned breath and, with ease, flipped over and landed next to me like she’d done it a hundred times. A vision of teen Ivy popped into my head. I could easily picture her as the life of the party, planning some midnight raid of the kitchen or sneaking out to meet up with boys. Which was why her behavior now was so disconcerting. Ivy wasn’t timid. Hell, the first time I met her, she had no problem putting me in my place. I loved her for it.
Her head hit my shoulder with a thud. I’d purposely kept my shirt on, thinking it might make it easier for her to agree to share the bottom bunk with me. I’d noticed the night before that she’d purposely averted her eyes. Odd, considering we’d gone to the beach together and frequently hung out at my pool. Why was she shy all of a sudden?
I kissed her head. “Ivy, what are you keeping from me?”
She unnaturally stilled before stuttering out, “Nothing.”
“It doesn’t sound like nothing.”
“I just didn’t think being your fake girlfriend would be this hard. I feel like such a liar. And let’s not forget Sienna,” she spat out her name.
“How come you never told me how much you hate her?”
“I’m not your babysitter or mother.”
Thank goodness for that. “But you are my best friend.”
“And I want to keep it that way. I was afraid you and Sienna would get married, and if you both knew how much I despised her, she or you would have pushed me out of your life.”
“That’s never going to happen.”
“Please, Jack. Someday, it’s going to happen. You’re going to meet some woman and fall madly in love with her, and she won’t appreciate you having a female best friend. She definitely wouldn’t approve of this scene.”
This was killing me. Why couldn’t she just open her eyes and realizeshewas the woman?
“You never know,” I teased. “Maybe she’ll be open-minded.”
Ivy giggled.
I loved her laugh. It was like oxygen to me.
“Right now, we have bigger fish to fry than your future wife. Can you imagine anyone finding out you’re sleeping on an old bunk bed and wearing gingerbread men pajamas? I hope this doesn’t get out. Your fans and Sienna will be storming my parents’ house, demanding we release you. I’mhonestly surprised you haven’t run away screaming yet. By the way, how are you holding up? I know this time of year is hard for you.”
I thought for a moment. While today had been fun, it was a reminder of how screwed up my own family was. Ivy’s family, despite their quirks, was amazing. There was so much love between them. Even if they teased or argued, they stood on an unbreakable foundation. They always came back together and worked out any differences with mutual love and respect. It was almost weird how mentally and emotionally stable they all were.
Granted, the matching sweaters and holiday cheer were a little much, but like I said, they had their quirks.
Then there was my family. We were a case study in dysfunction. Honestly, until I met Ivy, I never wanted a family of my own. Who did I think I was to try to raise children, or even have a wife, after the example my parents had set? I didn’t want to repeat their mistakes. But every time I looked at Ivy,I saw my future—a future I’d never thought imaginable. A future I wanted. Badly.
I hadn’t been lying earlier when I told her I wanted children. I’d only left out the most important part—that I wanted them with her and only her. She’d brought out a side of me I hadn’t known was there.
And I liked that man—the one who didn’t think only of himself.
“Today was fun,” I admitted. “And weird.” I chuckled.
“I did warn you.” She shifted uncomfortably.
