Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
Wyatt
It’s Saturday night, and I’m in the back of an Uber heading to Eden to meet up with everyone. I haven’t seen or spoken to Ivy since Wednesday, even though I’ve come close to messaging her more than once. The truth is, I can’t wait to see her.
When the car pulls up outside Eden, I take a deep breath and climb out. It’s ridiculous, but I feel like a high school kid again, completely gone for a girl who might not even see me that way.
“Hey!” a voice calls. “You going in or just standing there all night?”
I glance over my shoulder to see Nash and Paisley walking up Main Street toward me.
“Hey,” I say, meeting them halfway. “I just got here.”
“Perfect timing. First round’s on you.” Nash grins, clapping me on the back.
I laugh and pull him in for a quick hug before pressing a kiss to Paisley’s cheek. “You have impeccable timing.”
Paisley smirks. “Please. Like Seb ever lets either of you pay for a drink in Eden.”
“She’s not wrong,” Nash says. “Being related to the bar owner has its perks.”
We head toward Eden, and I roll up the sleeves of my shirt, trying to shake the nerves twisting in my gut. Nights like this are nothing new. We’ve done this countless times, but something about tonight feels different. And even if it shouldn’t, I know exactly why.
Ivy.
Inside, Nash and Paisley peel off toward the bar, but I hang back for a second, my eyes scanning the room.
Then I see her.
She’s standing with Ash, laughing at something, her head thrown back and her eyes sparkling.
That laugh stirs something warm in my chest. And then I see the dress.
Short, black lace that makes her curves look incredible.
My eyes track lower to the heels, to those legs, and I swear under my breath. She looks stunning.
“Hey!” Ash calls out, spotting me and waving me over.
Ivy turns to see what caught her attention, her smile lighting up when our eyes meet. That familiar pull tightens in my chest, the one I’ve been trying to ignore since the charity auction. I smile back and make my way over.
“Hey,” I say, leaning in to kiss both of them on the cheek, saving Ivy for last and letting it linger just a second longer than I should. I can’t help it. She smells incredible, and stepping away feels like a small kind of torture.
“I’m heading to the bar,” Ivy says, her eyes flicking to mine. “I owe you a drink.”
I grin. “You don’t owe me anything.”
She shrugs. “I’m getting you one anyway, so you might as well tell me what you want.”
I chuckle. “A beer sounds good,” I tell her, knowing full well no one behind the bar is going to make her pay. “I’ll come and give you a hand.”
“I’ll go and find everyone,” Ash says. “Grab Tay and me another vodka, Ivy?”
She nods and makes her way to the bar. I fall in step behind her, doing my best to keep my eyes on anything but the way that dress clings to her hips, and I fail miserably.
When we reach the bar, it’s packed, so I stand behind Ivy, probably closer than I should. She turns slightly, peeking over her shoulder at me with a grin.
“I’ve been looking at some listings for you,” she says, leaning in so I can hear her over the noise.
I catch myself staring at the soft line of her neck before forcing my eyes back to her face. “You have?”
She nods, amusement flashing in her eyes. “You did ask me to be your realtor, remember?”
I smile, a little slower this time. “I remember. Did you find anything?”
She wrinkles her nose, and damn, if it isn’t the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. “No. You’re kind of a pain, Brookes.”
I laugh then, because I can’t help myself, I rest my hands lightly on her hips and turn her to face me. Her eyes widen, and her breath catches just a little. It’s subtle, but I notice.
“Are you saying I’m high-maintenance, Miss James?”
She tilts her chin up, her eyes locked with mine. “You could call it that. Five cars, Wyatt? Really? Bit much, don’t you think?”
Her tone is playful, and I fight back a grin, loving this flirty banter between us. “Are you judging my car collection? You seemed to approve when you were picking my Ferrari as your favorite.”
She laughs. “That was before I got tasked with finding a place big enough to store all your toys.”
Before I can come up with a comeback, a voice cuts in.
“Hey, gorgeous. What can I get you?”
I glance up to see Alex behind the bar, his eyes raking over Ivy like he’s never seen her before. I usually don’t mind the guy, but right now, I want to punch the smirk off his face.
Ivy turns to face him, but my hands stay right where they are, resting on her hips.
“Hey, Alex,” she says with that easy tone she gives everyone. “Good to see you.”
“Is it?” I mutter under my breath, not bothering to hide the edge in my voice. I hold Alex’s gaze as he sizes her up, the jealousy flaring hotter in my chest. He flirts with everyone, I know that, but I don’t want him looking at her like that.
She places the drink order, and when Alex slides them across the bar, I finally let my hands fall from her waist and reach around to grab my beer. As expected, he waves her off when she goes to pay. I have no idea how Seb turns a profit with the amount of drinks that get given away around here.
“Come on, let’s find the others,” I whisper in her ear, more than ready to put some space between her and Alex and the way he keeps eyeing her.
I grab one of the vodka sodas in my free hand, following Ivy as she weaves through the crowd. We reach the booth where everyone’s already gathered, and after a round of hellos, I slide in beside her, my leg brushing against hers as we squeeze into the tight space.
“How was the auction, Wyatt?” Ash asks from across the table.
I glance at Ivy beside me and smile. “Not bad. Ivy showed up just in time to rescue me from an overly eager bidder.”
Ash laughs. “I still can’t believe someone was willing to pay thousands of dollars to have dinner with you.”
“Hey!” I fire back, teasing. “You think I’m not worth it?”
“Hardly,” she scoffs.
Ivy laughs, and I turn to her with a grin. “Oh, you agree, then?”
She holds up her hands, still laughing. “I’m staying out of it. All I know is it looks like I paid fifteen thousand to have dinner with you!”
“Bargain if you ask me,” I joke.
Ash groans. “Of course you’d say that. I’m sure Ivy would have had dinner with you for free if you’d just asked. Right, Ivy?”
I glance at Ivy. Her cheeks are flushed pink.
“Maybe,” she says quietly, her eyes anywhere but on me.
I force a grin to cover the way my heart skips. “Good to know for next time,” I say, my voice coming out a little rougher than I intended.
She lifts her drink with a smile, taking a slow sip of the clear liquid.
Her bare leg stays pressed against mine, and when she leans forward to join in the conversation with Ash, Taylor, and Paisley, it slides lightly against my thigh.
The contact sends a jolt through me, and I grab my beer, needing something to keep my hands busy because all I want to do is reach for her.
The heat rolling off her is impossible to ignore, and it’s driving me crazy.
Conversation flows easily over the next hour, with Seb making sure no one's glass stays empty for long. The girls are definitely starting to feel the alcohol, their laughter a little louder, and their voices raised. So, it’s no surprise when Ash suddenly gets to her feet, declaring it’s time to dance.
Seb, Nash, and Ben all chime in with half-serious warnings for them to stay close, but my attention is already fixed on Ivy. I watch as Taylor grabs her hand, tugging her toward the makeshift dance floor a short distance from our booth. She follows with a laugh, and my eyes trail her every step.
I can’t tear my eyes off her. The way she moves to the music, her hips swaying, her arms in the air like she’s completely carefree. I take a pull of my drink. The beer’s cold, but it barely touches the heat spreading through me as I watch her.
It isn’t until the booth shifts beside me that I realize Seb’s slid in next to me.
“You wanna talk about it?” he asks quietly.
I glance over. “Talk about what?”
“Ivy,” he says simply. “And the fact you’ve had your eyes glued to her since she stepped onto that dance floor.”
I hesitate before taking another long sip, buying myself a few more seconds. “You’re seeing things.”
He snorts. “Come on, man. You forget who you’re talking to. I know you too well.”
I groan, raking a hand through my hair. “How did you figure it out?”
He gives me a knowing look. “Same way you clocked my feelings for Sophie. Maybe it’s a twin thing. Or maybe you’re just that obvious. You’ve been staring at her all night.”
“Yeah,” I admit under my breath, “I can’t help it.”
“So, when did this happen?”
My gaze drifts back to Ivy, still laughing, still dancing, and still completely unaware she’s undoing me with every move. “The night of the auction. Something changed. I don’t know how to explain it… It was like my eyes were suddenly wide open and she was all I could see.”
“You tell her?”
I drag my eyes away from her and meet his. “No. She doesn’t feel the same. To her, I’m just Ash’s big brother.”
He bumps my shoulder. “You don’t know that.”
“I do,” I insist. “She’s never looked at me that way. If I say something and she doesn’t feel it back... it’ll ruin everything. She’ll pull away. I’d rather have her like this than not at all.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Didn’t you ask her to be your realtor?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
“You think that’s a good idea?”
I frown. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Because you like her, Wyatt. Spending time together is just going to make it harder, surely?”
I shrug. “At least I get to see her more,” I say lamely.
He lets out a low whistle. “Damn, Wyatt. You’ve got it bad.”
“Yeah,” I say, my eyes drawn back to her again. “I guess I do.”
“You should talk to her.”
“It’s not that simple.” I glance at him, my voice quiet. “You’ll keep this between us, yeah?”
“Of course. But for what it’s worth, I think you’re making a mistake.”
“Noted.”