Page 42 of When Ivy Met Mr. Holiday
See, not even Ivy’s mom was buying it.
I cleared my throat.
Jaquelyn patted my arm. “So, how are you? I can’t imagine theserumorshave been easy on you.”
I paused. The way she saidrumorsmade me feel uneasy. Maybe Ivy had been right when she’d said Sienna had made her family doubt. Which would be a shame, since it would mean she hadn’t just been looking for an excuse to be more affectionate. Had I read our kiss wrong? It had felt real to me.
But now Jaquelyn made me question it. I wondered if she believed the rumors, even just a little, and that was really why she wanted to check on me. Maybe that was why she’d been so cavalier moments ago about the sleeping arrangements.
“I love Ivy.”
There I went prematurely blurting again. Hell, I hadn’t meant to say it out loud. It was one thing to tell Tori, but altogether another thing to say it to Ivy’s mom. What would Ivy make of it if her mom mentioned it? Would she brush it off? Call it part of the show, as she loved to say? Would she assume I loved her platonically?
Or . . . would she know the truth and pretend not to?
Regardless, I didn’t want Jaquelyn to believe I would ever use her daughter for some publicity stunt. I was a lot of things—egotistical, selfish, even recklesssometimes—but I liked to think I had some honor. Even if I was fake dating my best friend and the woman of my dreams, Iwantedit to be real. That had to count for something.
“I know you do. That kiss at the ice rink said it all,” she teased.
I wasn’t in the least bit embarrassed by the kiss or even by how public it had been. It was even worth Bradford’s stern looks. That kiss had been the most incredible kiss of my life. Jaquelyn was right—it said it all. Everything I’d wanted to tell Ivy.
“But honestly, I’ve known that since the first time I met you,” Jaquelyn said fondly.
“You did?”
A sense of relief swept over me. Maybe she wouldn’t mention this conversation to Ivy just yet. If she’d kept this to herself for so long, why tell now?
Jaquelyn leaned against Ivy’s old desk, an air of amusement surrounding her. “It was obvious. I’m just glad you both decided to trust each other enough to admit it.”
“Yeah.” I ran a guilty hand through my hair.
“And that Ivy decided to let you be right about men and women being friends,” Jaquelyn added jovially.
I chuckled half-heartedly, feeling more like a jerk each second. “She couldn’t deny the truth forever.”
Or could she?
“Although . . .” Her tone turned more serious. “I think this has been hard on both of you. It’s no wonder it took so long to decide to change your title. I know everyone thinks friends-to-lovers is a simple transition, but it can be difficult.You know, Bradford and I were friends long before we dated.”
It seemed as if she’d been waiting for the perfect moment to say this.
“I didn’t know that.”
“Oh, yes. We were friends all through college. Of course, I’d always had a little crush on him.” Her eyes lit up as she reminisced. “But I knew he thought I was zany.” She pointed to her reindeer sweater. “Of course, I am. And I thought he was a little too serious. But there was just something about him. So, one night, I decided to kiss him. And he kissed me back,” she said, proud of herself.
Maybe Ivy could take lessons from her mom.
“But . . . as wonderful as it is falling for a friend, you realize that no matter how much you shared as friends, the intimacy of a romantic relationship begs for more vulnerability. And with you being famous . . .” She sighed. “That adds a whole additional layer of vulnerability. A layer I don’t think Ivy was prepared for.”
“For that I feel terrible,” I was quick to say.
But even as the words left me, I was still processing. Still turning over what Jaquelyn had said about the transition between friends and lovers. Is that why Ivy was so afraid? Why she wanted to protect us, as she’d said? Did she worry about being vulnerable with me? Didn’t she know she was safe with me?
“Oh, I’m not blaming you in the least,” Jaquelyn tried to put me at ease.
I appreciated her kind words, but it was my fault. It was me who had pushed Ivy right into the damn spotlight. Or worse, into Sienna’s crosshairs.
“I know it’s difficult for both of you. Relationships are hard enough without it being a public affair. I just wanted you to know that if you need to talk about anything, I’m here for you.” Jaquelyn smiled and waited like she expected me to spill my guts.
