Page 35 of When Ivy Met Mr. Holiday
I didn’t have to guess who’d started those rumors.Damn it, Sienna.
“You know I hate commenting on my love life,” I growled.
“Sorry, you don’t have a choice,” Tori responded in her no-nonsense way. “We can go either one of two ways here. I can send out a statement outright denying it, or you can start posting some authentic photos of you and Ivy to put to bed any rumors. My suggestion is the latter. Yes, I know, it’s not your favorite option,” she added as an afterthought. “But it will be more effective.”
I could feel Ivy tremble against me. What had I done? All I wanted was to make Ivy see we belonged together. I never meant to thrust her into the spotlight like this.
“I’m going to need to call you back,” I snapped, even though this wasn’t Tori’s fault. That blame was all mine.
“You have ten minutes to decide.” She unceremoniously hung up on me.
It didn’t bother me in the least bit. Tori was the best of the best, and I liked her take-no-prisoners attitude.
“What’s going on?” Ivy’s voice warbled.
I shoved my phone in my pocket and wrapped my arms around her, letting myself selfishly sink into her warmth while gazing into her beautiful, worried eyes.
“Ivy,” I said with every tender feeling I had for her. “Please don’t hate me.”
She bit her lip. “Um . . . please don’t start sentences like that.”
I smiled, although there wasn’t anything pleasant about this. Except Ivy being in my arms.
“We have a situation,” I breathed out.
“I don’t like situations, Jack.”
“I know. And I’m sorry, for the hundredth time. But Sienna has decided to play dirty.”
Ivy gasped. “Dirtier than she already has been?”
I nodded, confirming her worst fears.
“What is it? Am I a gold digger? Pregnant with your child?”
If only. I would be ecstatic to announce Ivy and I were expecting a childtogether.
“It’s worse.” I tensed. “It’s the truth.” Ivy’s truth, not mine. “A sliver of truth,” I added. “And sadly, sometimes in my world, the truth isn’t better than a lie. Public perception is everything.”
Ivy tilted her head. “What are you talking about? What truth?”
“There are reports circulating that I staged our relationship to promote my upcoming movie about friends to lovers.”
“What?” she spat. “That’s ridiculous. Do people do that? Do you do that?” she chastised me.
“Of course not. But yes, it would surprise you what studio execs and PR teams cook up. They are all about strategic leaks and fake dating rumors. Anything to sell their movies.”
She gripped my jacket, her breath coming out so fiercely it swirled in white wisps between us. “How are you going to fix this?”
I cleared my throat. “I think you meanwe.”
“No. No, I didn’t. You got me into this mess.”
“Well . . .” I said playfully. “I mean, it was you who confirmed to Sienna we were a couple.”
She wrinkled her cute button nose at me. “Don’t even try to pin this on me. You’re the one who panicked and blurted that we were a couple. You prematurely blurted, Jack.”
“That doesn’t sound right.” I broke through her defenses, and she laughed.
