Chapter 18 - Ivy
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Ivy
Thank God Penny is finally asleep.
At one point, I didn’t think it was going to happen.
The only problem is now I’m left with way too much quiet and only my own thoughts for company.
Timothy’s words keep circling my mind, relentless, like a broken record. "We’ve all developed feelings for you. All three of us."
All three of them. Mitchell. Freddie. Timothy.
How did this happen? When did everything get so tangled?
The fact that they have been fighting only makes this a million times worse. I have to figure out what to do before it all erupts into hell.
I rub my forehead, pacing the small space of Freddie’s living room, trying to clear my head. I need to think. I can’t just stand here and let everything spiral. But what’s the solution?
There isn’t one, not right now. Not while I’m standing on the edge of this thing, not knowing whether to fall or pull back.
I glance over at the door. It’s closed, but I can’t shake the feeling that something’s coming. Maybe it’s just the anxiety building in my chest, or maybe it’s because I’ve been waiting for something to happen, waiting for the tension to break.
Just then, the sound of the door creaking open makes me jump.
I freeze, my heart racing.
But of course, I recognize the footsteps immediately.
Freddie is home.
I turn, my breath catching in my throat. He stands in the doorway, his silhouette framed by the dim light from the hallway. His eyes are shadowed, and it makes my heart thunder.
For a moment, neither of us says anything.
His presence is heavy, and I feel the pull of it, like gravity, drawing me in and pushing me away all at once.
"I didn’t mean to startle you," Freddie says, his voice almost too soft.
I swallow hard, trying to steady my nerves. "It’s okay. I just… didn’t know what time you’d be back."
"Yeah, sorry about that." He takes a step forward, and I can see how tired he looks. "It’s been a day."
"Is everything okay?" I ask, watching him closely.
Something’s different about him tonight. He’s not just tired, he’s wound up, like a coil ready to snap.
"Not really," he replies, glancing at the door like he’s making sure no one else is coming in. His voice drops lower. "I went to the bar after work. Just to blow off some steam, and… well, Jesse was there, asking questions tonight. About you."
The mention of Jesse sends an icy feeling creeping up my spine. My brother seems permanently distracted by Vanessa, but maybe not as much as I’d hoped.
"Questions? What kind of questions?" I ask, my voice a little too sharp.
Freddie runs a hand through his hair, his frustration palpable. "Pointed ones. About you, about me, about rumors."
I feel a sudden chill, as if a cold gust of wind has swept through the room, despite the warmth from the heater.
Jesse’s always been smart. Too smart, sometimes.
If he’s starting to ask about us, then we’re all in trouble.
Not just Freddie and me, but the whole mess of us. It’ll all come out eventually.
"Shit," I mutter, running a hand through my own hair. "What did you tell him?"
"Nothing," Freddie says quickly, shaking his head. "I didn’t say anything. Just told him not to listen to rumors. But still… it’s an issue."
The weight of his words settles in the pit of my stomach. If Jesse puts two and two together, it won’t just be a mess. It’ll be a disaster. He might kick me out and never speak to me again.
"So, what do we do? Do we…" I swallow hard. "Keep our distance? As much as we can?"
Freddie looks at me for a long moment, his eyes searching mine, like he’s trying to figure out if I really mean it.
The air between us thickens. Neither of us wants to do it.
We can feel it, the pull. The chemistry that’s almost impossible to ignore, the kind of tension that coils tightly in our veins and makes even the smallest touch feel electric.
"I don’t want to," Freddie admits quietly, his voice low, almost like a confession.
He takes a step closer, his hand brushing against mine in a brief, fleeting touch that sends a jolt through me.
"I know," I whisper back, swallowing hard. "I don’t either. But we don’t have a choice."
He looks at me for a long moment, his jaw tight, and I can see the struggle in his eyes. He wants to pull me to him, wants to press the issue, but he knows what’s at stake. And for once, he knows we have to make the hard call.
"I’ll keep my distance," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. "For now."
I nod, even though the words don’t feel like enough. There’s a hollow ache in my chest as I turn away from him, heading toward the door. It’s almost like there’s this invisible thread pulling me back to him, but I force myself to ignore it.
"Stay safe," Freddie says quietly, as I reach for the doorknob.
I pause for a moment, feeling a pang of guilt before I turn the handle.
"You too," I reply, and then I step out into the cool night air.
The walk back to Jesse’s cabin feels longer than usual. My mind is a whirlwind, caught between the mess with Freddie and the ticking time bomb that is my brother.
I have had him at the back of my mind, but truth be told I didn’t really think he’d find anything out. I have to remember small towns are nothing like big cities.
Everyone knows everything.
When I finally push open the door to the cabin, I’m hit by the stillness. The faint light from the kitchen casts long shadows in the hallway, and I know instantly that Jesse is home.
Back from the bar too.
He’s sitting at the kitchen table, a mug of coffee in front of him, but it’s cold, untouched. His back is to me, but I can feel his attention shift the moment I step inside. The air between us feels taut, like a wire ready to snap.
"Hey," I say, trying to sound casual, but my voice betrays me. It’s too high, too stiff.
"Hey." Jesse’s voice is uncharacteristically flat, which doesn’t help.
"How was your night?"
I pass him and grab a mug of my own.
"Fine. Me and the guys went to The Hollow after work."
I nod as I pour a drink. "Fun?"
Jesse gives a short, noncommittal grunt, then looks down at his coffee again, fiddling with the edge of the mug. He doesn’t meet my eyes, but I can tell he’s waiting for me to break the silence, to spill something.
I shift uncomfortably, my own mind racing. The air is thick between us, like there’s something unspoken hanging over us, but neither of us is willing to put words to it.
It’s never like this with Jesse. I hate it.
"You stayed late at work tonight, right?" Again, all I can do is nod. "Freddie’s keeping you busy?"
The question lingers in the air. It’s so casual, so offhand, but I can feel the weight of it. My pulse spikes, and I catch my breath, trying to mask it.
"I like the work, so I’m always happy to stay late," I shoot back as diplomatically as I can manage. I refuse to read between the lines. "Penny is a sweetheart. Especially when she’s sleeping."
The joke doesn’t land.
I can’t stand this. I need to get away.
"I have an early morning, so…"
Jesse watches me back off. I don’t like the darkness in his eyes at all.
His eyes narrow ever so slightly, and for a moment, I’m sure he knows something. He’s onto me, or at least onto something. The way he’s looking at me now feels different, like he’s finally putting the pieces together, even if he hasn’t said anything outright.
I force a smile, trying to shake the growing unease. "I’ll just get some sleep. It’s late."
I turn to walk away, but before I reach the door, I hear him again.
"Sleep well."
His voice is almost too flat now, too controlled, and it sends a chill down my spine.
I pause, glancing back over my shoulder. "You too."
But I know it’s not just a simple "goodnight." There’s something more hanging between us. A quiet understanding that’s suffocating in its silence.
The anticipation here is horrible, but I don’t know if I want the eruption to happen either…
Once locked away safely in my room, I toss my jacket onto the bed with a bit more force than necessary and sink into the mess of covers, pulling my phone from my pocket like it’s a lifeline.
There’s a text from Olivia, and the sight of her name on the screen almost makes me feel like I can breathe again.
Olivia: I’m getting so excited to see you. Work has been HORRIBLE. Need some bestie time.
Relief floods me.
I need her now more than ever.
Ivy: OMG the sooner you get here, the better!
Olivia: Oh, I feel that. I’ll be there with a suitcase full of snacks and all the gossip you can handle.
Ivy: If you show up with anything less than three pints of ice cream and a bottle of wine, I’ll have to reconsider our friendship.
Olivia: You drive a hard bargain, but I’m up for the challenge. I need to know all about the new small town life you’re living.
I let out a little chuckle to myself as I type out a response to the one person who I can guarantee won’t judge me.
Ivy: You have no idea…