Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Ivy
Iwake up wrapped in Wyatt, our limbs tangled together, my head resting on his chest. There’s something about waking up like this that I can’t get enough of, and it’s fast becoming my favorite part of the day.
We didn’t say much after he showed up last night.
We didn’t need to. Instead, he held me close until sleep pulled us under.
But this morning, I want to talk. On the phone, he mentioned feeling lost before the auction, and I need to understand what that meant.
He was there for me last night, calming all my fears, and I want him to know that I’m here for him too.
“Morning, baby,” Wyatt says, his voice thick with sleep.
I lift my head and smile.
“Morning.”
I press a soft kiss to his lips, and he rolls me onto my back, settling over me like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
“Thank you for coming last night,” I say, my voice quiet as I gaze into his eyes.
He smiles down at me. “I’m always going to show up for you, Ivy. No matter what.”
“I’m sorry if I freaked out,” I say. “I didn’t mean to.”
He holds my gaze. “You don’t need to apologize. I want you to feel like you can tell me anything.”
“I do feel like that, Wyatt,” I tell him. “I want you to be able to tell me anything too.”
“I already know I can, baby.”
“What did you mean last night when you said you felt lost?”
He exhales slowly, then rolls onto his side, the mattress dipping with his weight. Propping himself up on one elbow, his fingers slide along my waist before settling on my hip. I shift too, turning toward him, mirroring him as the sheets rustle between us.
“There’s the guy everyone sees, the football player. The one with the stats and the privileged life, the one people cheer for on game days. And then there’s… me. The real me. The one who’s quieter off the field, who overthinks everything and who’s tired of the performance.”
I brush my fingers over his bicep, waiting quietly, letting him have the space to speak.
“For a while, I didn’t even notice how far apart those two versions of me had become. I was living this life that looked great from the outside, but it didn’t feel like mine anymore. I just felt... disconnected. And I had no idea how to fix it.”
I move my hand down to his, tangling our fingers together in a quiet show of support.
“I watched Nash fall for Paisley, Cade reconnect with Sophie, Seb fall for Taylor… and I realized that no matter how great everything looked, I was missing something. I wanted that kind of love, the kind that doesn’t need a performance.
But I wanted it with someone who saw all of me and chose to stay anyway. ”
His hand leaves my hip and cups my face, his thumb brushing against my cheek.
“I didn’t expect it to be you, Ivy,” he says, his voice vulnerable. “And maybe that’s why it hit me so hard when it was. Because with you, I don’t have to split myself in two. I can just be me. And for the first time ever, that feels right.”
I don’t speak straight away. I can’t. His words knock the air from my lungs. He’s just handed me a piece of himself I don’t know if anyone else has seen, and that takes my breath away.
“You don’t ever have to pretend with me, Wyatt,” I say. “I like the guy underneath the jersey. I always have.”
A hint of vulnerability flickers across his face, and he exhales quietly. He leans forward and kisses me.
There’s a flash of something behind his eyes. Relief, maybe.
“I think we’ve both been acting like we’ve got it all figured out,” he says, his forehead resting lightly against mine. “Like we’re fine, even when we’re not. But I don’t want to pretend anymore. Not with you.”
“I don’t either,” I whisper, knowing he’s right.
Ash knows how badly I’ve wanted something genuine. She’s the only one who’s seen what’s behind the smiles, the quiet ache every time another friend found their forever, while I waited for mine. I hope he had someone to talk to. Maybe Seb was there for him.
“Did you tell anyone how you were feeling?” I ask quietly.
“I told Ash,” he says with a small smile. “She was surprised. Can’t really blame her. I got good at hiding it. But it felt good to finally let someone in.”
“Ash is the best.”
“Yeah,” he agrees, smiling. “She really is.”
I laugh quietly, and his brow lifts in curiosity.
“What?” he asks, his eyes warm. “What’s funny?”
I shake my head with a smirk. “Ash. She engineered this whole thing.”
He frowns in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I knew she’d set us up for the charity auction, but now you’ve just told me what you have, I know why.
It wasn’t just my crush on you. She knows I’ve always had a hard time letting guys in.
Honestly, I think my own insecurities have kept me from meeting someone.
But looking back… I’m kind of grateful they did.
Because if I hadn’t held back, I might not be lying here with you right now. ”
I lean in and press a soft kiss to his lips. He smiles when I pull back, and the warmth in his eyes leaves my heart aching in the best way.
“If you told Ash you were looking for something genuine,” I say slowly, a teasing note in my voice. “And she already knew that’s exactly what I’ve been hoping for…”
“Then the charity auction was the perfect setup,” Wyatt finishes with a quiet laugh.
“I owe her,” I say, shaking my head with a smile. “Makes me wish I’d told her I had a thing for you when I was sixteen.”
He smirks. “Okay, I’ve got to know, if you had a crush on me at sixteen, did you have one on Seb too? I mean, back then, we looked exactly the same. No tattoos to tell us apart.”
I raise a brow, playing along. “You do realize all your brothers were pretty easy on the eyes, right? All of you were genetically blessed. It was like walking into a Calvin Klein ad every time I came over.”
I laugh, squealing as he tickles my side. “Are you admitting you had a thing for all of my brothers?”
I squirm on the bed, pushing his hands away. “Stop! Okay, okay! I didn’t have a crush on all of you.”
He pauses, his eyebrow raised. “So… just Seb, then?”
I shake my head, all humor gone from my voice. “It was only you. Even when you and Seb looked like mirror images… you were the only one I saw.”
His grin turns into something more real, more tender. “Damn, Ivy. That might be the best thing anyone’s ever said to me. I wish I’d known back then.”
“Me too.”
His phone buzzes on the nightstand, breaking the moment. He sighs and grabs it, his thumb swiping across the screen.
“Everything okay?” I ask, watching his expression tighten.
He nods, but I hear the reluctance in his voice. “Yeah, baby. It’s just Seb wondering where I am. I should probably head out.”
“Okay. I’ll walk down with you.”
I slip out of bed and watch him tug on his hoodie, grabbing his keys from the dresser. We head downstairs, our hands intertwined. As we reach the bottom, Tessa’s voice cuts through from the kitchen.
“Wyatt Henry Brookes! What are you doing here?” She appears in the hallway, her expression a mix of shock and motherly disapproval. “Have you been here all night?”
I step forward instinctively. “It’s my fault, Tessa. I got upset on the phone last night.”
Wyatt wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me into his side. “It’s not Ivy’s fault. I wanted to be here. I needed to be here.”
Tessa looks at me, her brows pulling together in concern. “Did he upset you?” she asks, nodding toward Wyatt.
“Oh! No, not at all,” I say quickly, shaking my head. “Wyatt’s been amazing.”
I glance up at him, and he smiles before dipping his head to brush a kiss against my lips.
A pointed throat clear snaps me out of my Wyatt-induced daze, and my face flushes as I turn back to Tessa, who’s wearing a knowing smile.
“Let’s get one wedding wrapped up before we start planning the next one,” she teases, her tone light but unmistakably suggestive.
My eyes widen as heat rushes to my cheeks, and Wyatt chuckles beside me.
“All right, Romeo,” Tessa says, waving a hand. “Back to Cade’s. Make sure everybody eats something before they start running on adrenaline and nerves. You’ll see Ivy soon enough.”
She flashes me a wink, then disappears into the kitchen, leaving me standing there, slightly stunned and very red-faced.
“Stop overthinking,” Wyatt says, slipping his arms around me and drawing me into his chest. “She’s just getting a little ahead of herself.”
“A little? We’ve been together a week, Wyatt.”
He chuckles. “I know. But for the record, she’s never wrong. Just saying.”
Before I can respond, he leans in and kisses me, cutting off my train of thought. And even though his words rattle me a little, I quickly melt into him, letting everything else fade away as I get lost in his kiss.
When he finally pulls back, we’re both breathless.
“I’ll see you soon, baby,” he says, his voice husky.
“See you soon.”
He turns to go but pauses, leaning in to steal one more kiss. I smile against his mouth, my heart skipping. Whatever this is between us, it’s real. I can feel it in every touch, every glance, and every word he doesn’t even have to say.
I walk him to the door, our fingers laced until the last possible second.
He hesitates before letting go, like he doesn’t want to leave either.
I step out onto the porch and watch as he climbs into his car.
He gives me a wave as he pulls away, and I’m already counting down the minutes until I see him again.
I don’t know how it’ll be when the football season starts back up and he’s in Phoenix while I’m still here. I’m trying not to think about it, but the truth is, I already miss him, and he hasn’t even left yet.