Page 86 of When Ivy Met Mr. Holiday
They all knew Mr. Holiday. But they didn’t know Jack. The Jack who bought period care packages. The Jack who’d taken me to the emergency room when my appendix had burst two years ago and never left my side—not only at the hospital,but for days after. The Jack who loved me enough to wait for me. Or even the Jack who currently wore a Santa sweater just to keep my mom happy.
Tori’s words about controlling the narrative rattled in my brain.
Maybe it was time for me to tell the truth. Maybe I should narrate this story. It was, after all, Jack’s and my story. Why was I letting other people tell it? People like Sienna and the vultures outside. Even well-meaning friends and neighbors.
I’d been wanting to get Jack one more gift. Something meaningful. I had an idea now of what that should be—
The truth.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“In the book of love, friends write the most beautiful chapters.”
Unknown
Jack
“Areyouallright?”I whispered in Ivy’s ear, trying to sneak a glance at what she was mixing into her hot chocolate.
She huddled in the corner of the kitchen, hiding her ingredients under kitchen towels. The smells of chocolate, peppermint, salted caramel, and what I swore was bubble gum wafted in the air. I wasn’t looking forward to taste-testing bubble gum–flavored cocoa. Alongside the aromaswere the sounds of Christmas carols, minor swearing, and Jaquelyn reminding everyone for the third time to keep their language G-rated and that this was a friendly competition.
No one got that memo. Along with the snowman-building and gingerbread mansion contests, this was the most cutthroat competition I’d ever witnessed, with people trying to sabotage drinks or hide ingredients. Not to mention the smack talk.
I hadn’t known Ivy’s family took their cocoa so seriously. It shouldn’t have surprised me after a week with them. In many ways, though, I was beginning to love the chaos of a big family. The matching sweaters were even growing on me. A little.
Ivy nudged me away, determined for me not to see what she was already dubbing her masterpiece.
She’d been acting off since we got home from shopping and locked me out of her room, saying she needed to wrap some last-minute gifts for me. That sent me into a low-level panic. How many gifts were you supposed to buy your girlfriend for Christmas? Apparently, more than one. So, tomorrow morning Ivy’s inbox would be flooded with gift cards to all her favorite stores.
And . . . maybe a little, or big, something else. But I wasn’t sure how she—or her family—would feel about it.
“I’m fine.” She did her best to hide the slight tremor in her voice. “Quit trying to cheat.”
Hmm. Something was definitely off.
“Darlin’, I don’t need to cheat. I already have this in the bag,” I responded, choosing not to press her further, though the lilt in her voice said she was definitely worried.
I knew it bummed her out that Callan hadn’t been sighted yet and that Tae Cho wasn’t responding to Paige’s calls, emails, and texts, and probably subpoenas to appear in court. It disappointed me too, but I was more worried about how Ivy was taking it, and I was doing my best to focus on us and our first Christmas together—my first real Christmas ever.
All I had to say was Callan’s PR manager better not have screwed us over. If he’d lied to Tori, there would be hell to pay. At least the paparazzi had gotten their fair share of lighthearted and cozy photos of Ivy and me together today. Hopefully, it was enough for now to keep the studio happy.
I wrapped my arms around her from behind, resisting the urge to pull her flush against me and do and say things that were not G-rated. Instead, I settled for letting my fingers brush under her sweater and rest on her warm abdomen. All covertly, of course.
“What’s wrong, Ivy?” I said low in her ear.
She did her best to hide her gasp from my intimate touch. For a moment, she melted against me.
Ivy cleared her throat, her hands resting on top of mine, pressing my skin against hers.
“Jack,” she stuttered. “Behave.”
“I am—it’s you,” I teased while I enjoyed the feel of her raised skin. “Now, tell me what’s wrong.”
She let out a heavy breath. “I’m just nervous about one of the gifts I got you. I don’t know if you’ll like it.”
That was interesting. We were in the same boat. “I’m sure I’ll love it.”
Ivy turned around and buried her head in my chest.
