Page 56 of Relentless (The Titans of Founder's Ridge 2)

“She had Parker, a partner in an international law firm and professor of law at Yale? She had Isaac, a junior associate at her father’s firm? She had her ex-boyfriend who was in college at Oxford? Really? I’m sure the slumber parties were enthralling.”

“She had Hoodrat and Griff, too.”

He rolls his eyes. “First, they were both in Founder’s Ridge with you and then living with you in Boston. Second, quit calling her Hoodrat. She runs a multimillion-dollar security company.”

“She’ll always be my hoodrat.” She doesn’t even mind the nickname anymore. She knows it’s said with the utmost love and affection.

He blows out a disappointed breath. If only he knew how truly disappointed I am going to make him in the near future. “Just lay off Ivy okay? She looked like she was about to cry earlier, and I don’t remember ever seeing her cry before.”

I nod and walk out of his office without saying anything else.

19

IVY

“Hey girl!”Lilith says as I walk into the apartment Friday night. “Ready for girls’ night tonight?”

“Yes! This week has been hard as fuck.” I drop my purse on the kitchen island. “Levi either ignores me or makes little cutting remarks.”

“Want me to kick his ass? I can still take him down.” She flexes her bicep and growls.

“No,” I laugh even though I know they’re actually pretty evenly matched with her training in Krav Maga. “Maybe this week got it out of his system.”

“Maybe.” She doesn’t look convinced.

“I can always fight fire with fire, if it comes down to it.” I smirk, knowing I that I am well aware of each of his buttons. “We’ve known each other too long and were too close to not find our way back to each other at least as friends.”

“Agreed,” she nods. “We’re meeting Claire and one of the girls she dances with at nine for dinner, and then they want to go out clubbing. I was thinking we could just go to Indigo. We’re always on the list for VIP there.”

“Sounds good to me. I’m going to go start getting ready.”

I’m zipping up my dress when I hear a knock at the door.

“Come in,” I yell from the closet.

The bedroom door opens and closes quietly before my eyes see Con, leaning casually against the door jam. He’s still in a suit and tie, so he must have just gotten home.

“I have everything set for the yacht next week. Do you think you could sneak into our room at some point this week and pack a bag for everything she’ll need? I want to completely surprise her with the trip, the proposal, everything.”

“Yes, anything to help. I’m so excited,” I tell him while I slide my feet into a pair of black platform peep toe pumps.

“Thank you.” He watches me with a concerned look on his face.

“What?”

“How was Levi this week? Griff had concerns.”

“He was fine,” I sigh, not really interested in dishing my feelings to his best friend. “I mean, he’s mad and having no problem showing it. I want to get back to our friendship, but it’s going to take some time.”

“Just friendship?” Con cocks an eyebrow and rubs his jaw.

“I can’t let myself think of anything beyond that right now.”

“Okay,” he nods. “There hasn’t been anyone like you for him. You should know that.”

“He doesn’t act like it,” I mumble as he walks away.

I walk back into the bathroom to finish my makeup. I do a shimmery plum smokey eye, contour the fuck out of my face, and put on a nude lip gloss. My goal tonight is to forget about everything this week and enjoy girl time. I don’t even want to look at guys.

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