Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
COLTER
I can't believe that piece of shit, Will. I knew he'd hurt Ivy; I warned her brother Rome when they got together. I knew Will would hurt her, but no one would listen to me. Rome even accused me of being jealous of Will.
Why would he think I would be envious of Will? I knew Will differently than most, especially Rome and Ivy because he always put on a show around them.
"Alright, shake this off." I stare at the door, waiting for Ivy to leave the dressing room. I was so relieved when she agreed to allow me to pay for her clothes; she didn't need to worry about anything.
"Colter?" She calls out.
I jump up, rushing over to her. "I'm here; what do you need?"
"Help." She giggles. "The zippers stuck on my dress."
"Of course it is." My chest tightens with anger as I reach for the curtain. "I'm coming in."
"See?" Ivy turns so that I can help.
My fingers brush her neck as I take the material into my hands. "Yeah, there's a hook and a thread stuck in it. Let me get it loose, and I'll work on the zipper."
"Shew, I just had a chill run over me." She shivers and blushes when I peek at her in the mirror. "I don't know why they keep these places so cold."
I unhooked her dress and slowly worked the string out of the zipper. Her tanned bare back breaks out with chill bumps as I drag the toggle down. It takes me a minute to gather myself and clear my head.
"You're good now." My voice strains, breaking at the end of the sentence. I spin, hurrying from the small enclosure and away from her. I'm so confused. Why did that bother me? It's just Ivy.
"Thank you." Ivy laughs, but it's off. "Will would never have done that for me."
"Why the hell not?" I blurt out, but I worry that I've hurt her feelings when Ivy's silent longer than I expect her to be. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come off rude."
She whips the curtains open, and I can't help but stare at her perfectly toned legs in her new shorts. "No idea, I never asked. I just started buying things with zippers I could reach, or I didn't get them."
"He's such a spoiled asshole." I huff, earning me an elbow in the ribs. "Oww. Too soon?"
"Just a bit." Ivy holds her fingers slightly apart. She takes a few bags in hand and nods towards the exit.
I roll my eyes and grab the rest of our things. "He's still an asshole."
"That he is, but for the next two weeks, he shall be nameless and out of mind." She smiles at me, and I stumble over the threshold. Ivy reaches out for me, clasping my arm. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I just- tripped." I throw my thumb over my shoulder. "Over that thing there… at the door."
Ivy looks around me, her eyes dart across the floor. "I don't see anything. Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine," I swat at her with a bag. "watch where you're going before your trip."
We walk silently to the parking garage, and I wonder if I overstepped or made her self-conscious, but before I could ask, it dawned on me that she doesn't have her gown.
"We forgot to get your dress." I stop and hesitate, turning around.
She shakes her head and points to the car ahead. "Left it, pop the trunk."
I guess when she's done with something, she's really finished. However, I should have known this from childhood. Ivy was always going her way, strong and resilient to whispers and gossip. This is the first time that I've ever seen her shaken.
"Good, it was ugly and did nothing for your figure," I say confidently. We placed our bags into the trunk with the suitcases we had bought earlier.
"Excuse me?" Ivy's hands are on her side, and her brow cocked.
"Ivy, I've never lied to you, and I'm not about to start now." I shrug and grin at her, hoping she sees this is who I am and will always be with her.
Her hands fall to her side, and she releases her lip from her teeth. "You're right, but why didn't anyone tell me that?"
I shut the lid on the car and saunter over to the driver's side. "Because they're assholes too."
"What?" She shouts. "That's my brother you're talking about."
"Rome knew long ago what Will was about, and I told him he should warn you, but he wouldn't listen." I open the door and slide into the seat.
Ivy whips the door open and jumps in. "So, why didn't you tell me?"
"You would've never believed me, Ivy, but trust me when I say I wanted to a hundred times." I start the car, grinding my teeth for never saying anything to her. Whether she would've taken me seriously or not.
She buckles her belt and snickers. "So, you're an asshole too."
"No," I fain hurt as I lay my hand on my chest. "I'm just a bad friend."
"As if that's any better, Colter!" She slaps my arm in laughter, and I pull out, heading to the airport.
We checked our suitcases thirty minutes after packing them in the airport parking lot. Ivy stopped at a pay phone to leave a message for her family, letting them know she was all right and going to Bald Head Island on her own. I think she just needs some time to think and regroup.
Ivy's quiet as she trots her knee while we wait to depart. The runway is busy today, but the plane slowly taxis along. I want to break the tension but don't know what to say.
That's until we take off, and Ivy's nails dig into my forearm. "Ivy, we're in the air now."
"Okay." She opens her eyes. 'Good."
"I think you have your blood sample by now." I glance at my arm, and she lets it go with a jump.
"I'm so sorry." She checks for actual blood. "I hate flying."
I raise my head back, eyes wide. "Then why did you book your honeymoon where you had to fly to get there."
Her eyes dart away, and we say his name in unison. "Will."
"Couldn't you just have told him?" I roll my shoulders, trying to release the tension they hold for this so-called man.
"I try." Her head hangs.
"Promise me something, Ivy?" I ask quietly, holding my breath as I wait for her reply.
She tilts her head and peeks up at me from under her lashes. "What's that?"
"If you ever fall in love again," I swallow hard, knowing my following few words may hurt like hell. "make sure he's worthy of you. You deserve nothing less than someone who worships and puts you first, even before themself."
Ivy blinks wildly as if measuring my words. "I promise."