9. Ivy
NINE
Ivy
The past few days have gone like clockwork, and Daisy is playing in her room, having her dolls act out being kidnapped by some monster that lives under her bed.
We’ve taken turns being the one to rescue them, and the morning has gone by so quickly that I’m surprised to see it’s almost lunchtime.
“Hey, kiddo, we might want to pause to eat soon.”
Daisy looks up from jamming her Barbie under the bed again, and I giggle at the sight.
“Oh, umm, can I have…” She thinks to herself, looking at her fingers. “This many minutes?”
She holds up her hand with all five fingers out. “Sure, love. In five minutes, we’ll?—”
Ring, ring, ring.
My phone goes off next to me, and I freeze. I really should have changed my number or something, but the idea of having to explain everything to Xaden is too embarrassing to stomach.
When I look down at the thing, I almost consider not answering it. I’m with Daisy, after all, and I don’t want her to see me upset.
Picking up the phone, I’m intent on silencing it when I see the number.
“Oh my…” My words fade away as I swipe to answer, putting the cell to my ear so quickly it actually hurts a little. “Jas! Where have you been?”
Daisy looks up at me, confused, and I put my hand over the phone to whisper to her. “Sorry, honey. It’s my sister. I’ll be right in the hall, okay?”
She nods, happily going back to her dolls and their torture.
“Hey, Ivy. Sorry, I just got settled in the dorm, and I?—”
“Couldn’t be bothered to call me? Jeez, Jasmine. I thought you were in trouble or something.”
Jasmine sighs on the other end, and I can practically see her eye roll. “I’m twenty-one, Ivy. I can take care of myself. And it’s only been a few days.”
Scoffing, I frown even though she can’t see me. “It’s been two weeks, Jas. Christ, I just needed a text to know that you were alright. What was going on?”
“Sorry, sorry.” She sighs again, but this time, I can hear the remorse behind it. “I was getting moved into the new dorm. I’m sharing a suite with Melody, Kaiah, and Bre this year, and it’s been chaos. Plus, I’m rushing Zeta Sigma Delta, and well, yeah…you know how sororities are.”
Rolling my eyes, I start to pace, a habit of mine when I’m on the phone. “Actually, I don’t. I hate that sorority crap, and you know it. Especially since I specifically warned you against rushing.”
“And you continue to be no fun, so here we are.”
We’re locked in a standoff, another totally normal thing for us, until my mind inevitably wanders back to who else could have been calling me.
My stomach clenches, and I look back at Daisy as she stuffs the Barbie back under her toddler bed. All I want in the world is to have a normal life and protect that little girl.
So when I consider opening up this bag of worms to Jasmine, nausea immediately surges to the surface.
Still, if I can’t tell Jasmine about this—who should know anyway since she could very well be getting her own calls soon—then who can I trust?
“Umm, I’m not sure if you heard,” my voice is octaves lower and barely above a whisper, so I force myself to toughen up and say, “Dad got out.”
A pin could drop, and you would hear it perfectly. I look down at my phone, making sure I didn’t lose the connection or have Jasmine hang up on me.
“He…he was released?” Jasmine’s light soprano voice trembles, the fear darkening it.
“Yeah.” I sigh, no longer pacing but slumping down against the wall until my ass hits the plush, carpeted floor. “He’s been…he’s been calling me. Harassing me on the phone. Has he…have you…”
“No. I haven’t heard anything.”
“Good, good. I, umm, well, you know I worry. If he finds your phone number…I don’t want him getting close to you.”
“Hey,” Jasmine soothes, and I can see the matching sympathetic grin she wears in my mind’s eyes, “I’m fine. Tom and Becky have taken great care of me. I…I love them, and the police and whoever those social workers were have done a lot to hide my location. That asshole isn’t coming to Texas.”
I swallow, closing my eyes as I let myself feel grateful that Jasmine isn’t in harm’s way. “He better not.”
There’s another brief silence, at least as far as the conversation goes. I can still hear Daisy shouting to her dolls in the background, making me smile, and it’s clear that Jasmine is in the dorm or cafeteria or something.
“Where are you?” I ask.
“In my room. I just have the door open. Here.” There’s a pause, and then I hear a chorus of female voices yelling hi before Jas gets back on the line. “Haha. They say hi, and they’re also even more of a reason for you to stop worrying. I’m always around the girls. They’ve got my back.”
Smiling, I still feel a sting behind my eyes. I haven’t talked with Jasmine much since she started school, and not much before that, either.
Jas went into foster care. I didn’t. Jas went to Texas, a fact that I had to beg to learn, and I went to New York.
We’ve always been just a few notes off from singing the same melody.
And I want more for us than that.
“It’s good to hear your voice, Jas. I…miss you.”
I can’t hear anything for a moment aside from the random curses and laughter coming from Jasmine’s dorm.
“I miss you, too,” she says finally. “How’s work?”
Realization strikes, and a pang of guilt hits as I consider how I haven’t been particularly up front with Jasmine either.
“Oh, actually. I moved. I’m not in New York City anymore. I’m in Red Lodge.”
“Red Lodge? The fuck is that?”
I can’t help but laugh, and I stand up from the wall, wandering downstairs into the kitchen so that I can make Daisy’s lunch.
“It’s a mountain town in Montana.”
“Why on earth did you move to Montana?”
I hear shuffling as I reach into the cupboard and pull out a container of macaroni and cheese.
“To get away from Dad, clearly. He’s got my number. I…I worried he’d look me up or something.”
“Oh, Ivy. Seriously? That sucks. Why don’t you just call the police and tell them he’s harassing you?”
She has a fair point, and that’s still on the list, but I know that it’s going to take more than a few phone calls for the police to take this seriously.
“I plan to once I have enough evidence to put him away again. You know they won’t just come and arrest him for making a few calls.”
“Sure, sure.” Jasmine sighs, and the background noise gets quieter, making me think she shut the door. “Look, I’ll let you know if I hear anything from him, but please. Just call the cops. Maybe if you harass them, they’ll get off their asses.”
I laugh, pouring the noodles into the pot of water as it starts to boil. “Yeah, we’ll see. So, aside from rushing, how’s school? Are you at least keeping your grades up to maintain that scholarship?”
“Yes, Mom . I’m doing fine.” She grumbles incoherently before I hear her again. “You know, it is fully possible for me to be in the sorority and also going to classes. I am well aware that I need a certain GPA to keep my scholarships; thank you very much.”
Holding my hands up in surrender, I stir the macaroni occasionally as it cooks. “Okay, okay. I’m laying off.”
Just as Jasmine starts to tell me about all the good, non-drinking-related things that the sorority can be, the front door opens, and Xaden walks in.
I straighten, offering a little smile, and then turn off the water as I walk to the side of the room with my phone.
“Hey, Jas, I need to go. I’ve got lunch to serve to a four-year-old, and her dad is home.”
“I’m sorry. What now?” She sounds so shocked, and abruptly I remember, I didn’t tell her I was a nanny.
“It’s not like that. I’m the nanny. But really I have to go. We’ll talk soon, okay?”
“Umm, details! Is he cute?”
I sigh, rolling my eyes again. “I’ll call tonight. Bye, Jas,” I offer in a sing-song voice and hang up.
Sliding the phone back into my pocket, I walk back into the kitchen to see Xaden stirring in the cheese packet for Daisy’s lunch.
He’s left his coat and briefcase near the door on the console table, and my mouth goes dry for a moment as I see him in the fitted henley.
When he turns my way, my brows are at my hairline as I offer an exaggerated smile, awkwardness crawling up my spine.
“You okay?”
I clear my throat, nodding as I keep up that stupid grin. Not even remotely . “Yeah, fine.”
Not for the first time, I can tell that Xaden doesn’t truly believe me. But what am I supposed to say?
Actually, I’m freaking out because my ex-con father is out of jail and harassing me constantly. I’m worried that he’s going to find and hurt me and potentially my sister, too.
Oh, yeah, I have a sister. She’s in Texas, and she’s just a college junior, and I love her. Oh, and also, I’m constantly panicking that we’re going to be pulled back into the darkness because of our father, or you know, maybe killed.
Fun times.
But as I stand there with a mind tornado in full swing, Xaden just smiles gently, scooping up the macaroni and putting it in a little bowl.
“Okay.”
I sag with relief, which I’m sure he notices, but then he’s grabbing a fork and walking up to me with the food.
“How was she today?”
Smiling genuinely this time, I take the bowl from him. “Amazing. As usual. You really don’t have to worry about Daisy. She’s an angel. And so smart!”
Xaden grins, and I can see the relief and pride in his expression.
“Thanks, Ivy. Really. You’re so good with her, and it is such a relief to know that Daisy is with someone like you. I appreciate it greatly.”
My chest squeezes as my cheeks heat. The compliments hit home, and I can’t deny that hearing Xaden so appreciative is nice.
A lot of parents just expect you to be perfect and never so much as offer a “thanks.”
I feel seen by Xaden, like he understands how hard I’m working and how much I care.
“Thank you.” I smile, holding his Henry Cavil blue eyes. “And I mean it. Daisy is amazing. If all kids were like her, the world would be a great place.”
“Well, clearly, she has an excellent nanny to help her.”
We hang there in the moment, silence sliding between us as thick as pea soup. After a few seconds, Xaden clears his throat, forcing his stare away from mine, and I finally blink.
“I’ll let you get to work.”
He nods, his smile softer but not gone. “Yeah. Thanks again.”
“Of course, Xaden.”
As he turns to leave, I catch a glimmer of something in his eyes as they linger on me. He waits until he has to look forward before breaking the eye contact, and the moment he does, it’s ten degrees colder.
I’m not sure what passed between us just then, but we both felt it. My skin hums, and I realize that my heart is pounding.
But this time, it’s not because I’m afraid. Oh, no, I couldn’t be further from scared. In fact, I’m a little turned?—
No, Ivy. He’s the dad. Out of the question.