Page 70 of When Ivy Met Mr. Holiday
Then again . . . so was I.
I curled deeper into the couch and pulled the Grinch hat of shame over my face, hoping it might smother the memories of all the stupid things I’d done over the last few days. The least of which was making out with Jack any chance I could get. The worst of it being that I’d lied to my family.
Hardly anyone said a word to me, except for Kaden and Graham, who thought they could swindle me out of money by playing blackjack. As if I couldn’t see through that little con. I was going to have to talk to my brother Drew about his sons.
Then again, I had no right calling out the little schemers, considering I’d just spent the better part of a week trying to con my entire family into believing Jack and I were a couple. I had zero moral ground to stand on.
What was I even thinking?
“Is this floor taken?”
Jack startled me. I peeked out from under the Grinch hat of shame, only to find him standing there holding a blanket and pillow, in his own ridiculous version of the hat of shame—green fuzz, drooping brim, and that evil Grinchy smile stretched across the front like it kneweverything.
I stifleda smile.
If only the press could seethis—Mr. Holiday in snow globe pajamas and a hat of humiliation.
Unfortunately, none of it dimmed the infuriating fact that he was still stupidly hot.
“Jack, go back to bed.”
He dropped the pillow and blanket to the floor. “Ivy, we need to talk.”
“I don’t want to.”
That sounded really mature.
“Fine.” He made himself a bed on the floor, right next to the couch.
After a few minutes of silence, I peeked over the edge of the couch to find him lying there staring at the ceiling.
“What are you doing?”
“I just want to be next to you.”
“Oh, no, you’re not going to be sweet,” I said, my voice catching.
“What do you want me to be?”
“I don’t know.” I pulled the blanket over my head and sank deeper into the couch, like I could hide from all of it—especially my own feelings.
The silence stretched between us, only broken by sighs and shifting fabric.
Jack caved first. “Ivy, please tell me you know I would never kiss Sienna. I would never hurt anyone like that, especially you.”
“Then why didn’t you just tell me when it happened?” I mumbled under the covers.
“Iwas going to, but when I got back, you looked so vulnerable. And I knew how hard this had all been on you. Then when you kissed me, it was different. It’s what I’d been waiting for.”
I stilled.
Because no matter how hard I tried to outrun it, the truth was, we were going to have to talk about all the feelings I’d been avoiding. But I was confused. Okay, and scared. Whatever was between Jack and me now, it was no longer safe, and I didn’t know how to deal with that. I wanted the safety net back.
“I was just trying to be a good pretend girlfriend, making sure I was doing our kissing scenes justice.”
Okay, so I was still trying to avoid all the feelings.
“Then why were you crying so hard when you thought I cheated on you?”
