Page 43 of Ivy's Venom

Me: You up?

I wait for a few minutes and when she doesn’t reply, I make my way to her house. I can’t see the house from the road and her gate is shut tight with fucking privilege. I rest my head on the wheel and breathe through my irritation.

My phone pings beside me and I scramble to pick it up.

Ivy: Who is this?

Right, she doesn’t have my number, I should’ve thought of that. She’s probably thinking it’s one of her rotations hoping for a titty pic. I groan at my thoughts and again try to breathe out the irritation. What am I even doing here?

Before I can even turn the car around, my phone pings again.

Ivy: Leave me alone.

Huh?

Me: It’s Neil.

Why the fuck did I do that? The phone pings again.

Ivy: Neil Jones?

Me: No another Neil.

I laugh when I see she sent me the middle finger emoji.

Ivy: What do you want?

Me: Who are you telling to leave you alone?

Ivy: You?

I snort and scrub my hand down my face.

Me: Do you want me to leave you alone?

Am I fucking flirting with the girl who murdered my sister?

Ivy: Not at all.

Me: Good. I wasn’t planning on it.

Yes, I fucking am.

Ivy: How’s work at the hotel?

Me: I took this weekend off.

Ivy: Sweet.

Me: Come outside.

I don’t know why my heart races after I send that and my palms are suddenly sweaty. What if she doesn’t come out? My phone doesn’t ping again and it’s been ten minutes since I sent that fucking stalkerish text.

I turn the key in the ignition and stop when I see the gate open.

Ivy: Come up.

I pull into her driveway and drive up to the house, which is also dark and I feel a pang of guilt. Maybe I woke her.

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