Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Wyatt
It’s been a little over a week since Nash and Paisley’s wedding, and today, they’re back from their honeymoon.
Everyone’s gathering at the lake, not just to welcome them home, but also to see me off.
I leave for Phoenix tomorrow to start pre-season training.
I’ll come back whenever I can, but with nine sessions lined up and the first pre-season game on the horizon, it’ll be at least a month before I’m back in Hope Creek.
The thought of not seeing Ivy every day is already eating me up inside.
We’ve spent every free moment together this past week, and I don’t know how I’m supposed to say goodbye tomorrow.
She’s planning to come to Phoenix whenever she can, but pre-season is always chaos, and I have no idea how much time I’ll actually have.
Still, even an hour with her is better than not seeing her at all.
I’ve got tickets for everyone for the first game, but that’s still weeks away.
“Does this look okay for a day at the lake?” Ivy asks, pulling me from my thoughts as she steps out of the bathroom in a red bikini.
My breath catches, and my eyes track over her, every thought in my head short-circuiting.
“Damn, Ivy,” I say, rising from the bed and crossing the room to her. “You look unreal.”
She blushes, a soft pink spreading across her cheeks, and I can’t help but grin as I wrap my arms around her, my hands gliding over her warm skin.
“We don’t have to go to the lake, do we?” I mutter against her neck, trailing kisses along her skin. “We could stay here... I could take my time unwrapping you from that bikini.”
She giggles and swats my hands away. “It’s your send-off, Wyatt. People might notice if the guest of honor doesn’t show up.”
I groan, burying my face in her neck. “It’s for Nash and Paisley too. Everyone will be wrapped up in them.” I press a kiss to her skin. “What if we just show up a little late?
My fingers find the ties at her back and neck, tugging at them with practiced ease. The fabric slips free, and she lets out a squeal.
“Wyatt!” she laughs, mock-scolding.
“What?” I grin innocently. “You make it impossible to keep my hands to myself.”
“Well, you’re going to have to try,” she says with a smile. “We’re already late.”
“Spoilsport,” I tease, pressing a quick kiss to her lips before stepping back and picking up her bikini top from the floor.
She slips it on, then grabs a pair of denim shorts and a tank from her dresser, pulling them on quickly.
“Ready?” she asks.
I nod and follow her downstairs.
In the entryway, I grab the bag with the towels and sunscreen, plus the cooler packed with food for the shared picnic, and load everything into the car.
The drive to Lynx Lake is quiet. Ivy stares out the window, lost in thought. I reach across the console and place my hand on her bare thigh.
“You okay?” I ask, giving her thigh a soft squeeze.
She glances over and offers a smile, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Talk to me, Ivy.”
She exhales and focuses her gaze back to the road. “I’m okay,” she says quietly.
But she’s not. I know she’s not.
She doesn’t think I’ve noticed the way she watches me when she thinks I’m not looking, or the way she’s held me a little tighter than normal the past few days, but I do.
“Ivy,” I prompt.
“I’m just… trying not to think about tomorrow,” she says.
And there it is. The thing neither of us has wanted to say out loud.
“I know,” I say quietly. “I’m trying not to think about it either.”
I pull into the parking lot at Lynx Lake and shift the car into park.
She forces another smile, but it’s not convincing.
“Ignore me. I’m being dramatic. Let’s just go have fun.”
Before I can respond, my hand slips from her thigh, and she climbs out of the car. I frown, then quickly follow, circling around to where she’s standing.
I reach for her, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her against my chest. I tilt her chin until her eyes meet mine.
“Hey… you’re not being dramatic. And you’re definitely not alone in this. I hate having to leave you too, Ivy. It’s okay to feel it. It just means what we have is special.”
Her gaze drops from mine, and I feel her start to pull away, but I don’t let her.
“Ivy,” I say gently.
She swallows hard, her voice betraying her uncertainty.
“I’m sorry… I just, God, I don’t want to be that girl who clings too much or needs too much.
This is all new to me, Wyatt. I’ve never had something like this before, and I don’t know the rules, but the thought of you leaving tomorrow already feels heavier than I expected.
Like I’m losing something I only just got. ”
Her words tumble out in a rush as if she’s been holding on to them, afraid to let them go. And hidden beneath them, I hear what she’s really afraid of. Being too much for me. Her words hit me hard, and I can see from the emotion in her eyes that she’s barely holding it together.
I cup her face, my thumbs stroking her cheeks.
“You’re not too much. None of this is too much. You’re just being honest, and I love that about you. I don’t want you to hold back or second-guess yourself with me, okay? You don’t have to figure it out alone. We’ll figure it out together.”
She nods slowly, and I lower my head, kissing her.
“I’ve never had something like this either,” I admit against her lips. “But I know I want it with you.”
She exhales slowly and wraps her arms around my waist. I hold her close like I never want to let go, because I don’t.
“I’m falling in love with you, Ivy.”
Her breath catches, her eyes flicking up to mine, wide and uncertain, like she’s not sure she heard me right.
“I mean it,” I whisper. “Every day I spend with you, it gets harder to imagine a life that doesn’t have you in it.”
A smile erupts on her face, and she drops her head onto my chest. “God, Wyatt. I was so scared I was feeling more than I should… that I was falling too fast.”
She lifts her head, her fingers gripping my shirt like she needs to make sure I’m real.
“I’m falling in love with you too,” she whispers. “I think I’ve already fallen.”
Relief crashes through me like a wave, and I tighten my hold on her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
“I never saw you coming, Ivy. You’re everything I’ve always wanted, even if I didn’t believe I’d ever find it.”
We don’t say anything for a long moment, standing wrapped up in each other at the hood of the car, the rest of the world on pause.
Eventually, Ivy leans back slightly, her eyes meeting mine. “We should probably go,” she says, her fingers brushing against my jaw.
She smiles, and this time, there’s no doubting that it reaches her eyes.
“Yeah,” I say, pressing one last kiss to her forehead. “Let’s go.”
Grabbing the bags from the trunk, we walk hand in hand toward the trail that leads to the lake. Laughter and conversation carry through the air, and it sounds like everyone else is already here.
As we walk into the clearing, I spot Nash and Paisley by the lake, completely wrapped up in each other like the honeymoon never ended.
Cade’s manning the grill, flipping burgers, while Seb and Ben linger nearby with beers in their hands.
A little farther off, Ash, Sophie, and Taylor are stretched out on a blanket, all of them doting on Hunter, who’s clearly loving the attention.
“Hey, you made it,” Ash says, jumping up when she spots us. Her eyes narrow as she gets closer. “Why do you look like you’ve been crying?” she asks Ivy.
Ivy squeezes my hand. “Because I’m dramatic,” she says lightly, looking up at me and smiling. I smile back and drop a kiss on her nose.
Ash frowns but lets it go, leaning in to hug me before taking Ivy’s hand and pulling her toward the blanket. My hand slips from hers, and I watch her go, my chest warm with everything we’ve just shared.
“Hey,” Nash says, appearing beside me with a cold beer in his hand. “Good to have you here, man. Thought maybe you’d skip out and stay tangled up with Ivy instead.”
I glance over at her, now laughing at something Taylor said. I grin. “Trust me, it was a close call.”
He laughs. “Glad you made it. Let’s make the most of today.”
I nod, my gaze drifting back to Ivy as she catches my eye and smiles.
“How was Hawaii?” I ask, dragging my gaze off Ivy.
He grins. “Incredible. Didn’t want to come back.”
I smile and slap him on the shoulder. “Happy for you, man.”
We make our way over to Cade, Seb, and Ben. After the usual round of greetings, I hand off the food we brought and reach into the cooler for a beer.
“You need a hand with anything?” I ask, taking a swig.
Cade waves me off with a flip of his spatula. “All under control.”
“Ready for the season to kick off?” Ben asks.
I chuckle. “Ask me again after I survive nine back-to-back training sessions.”
Seb leans in. “So… did you come through with those tickets? Taylor’s been relentless.”
I grin. “Loft seats for the preseason game against the Chiefs. You’re all set.”
“Thank God. For a minute there, I thought she was regretting picking the wrong brother.” He smirks, but I roll my eyes.
“No way. She’s crazy about you.”
“Yeah, she is,” he says with a satisfied smile.
A sudden burst of laughter and squealing draws our attention to the blanket where Ash is hugging Ivy, both of them beaming.
Nash bumps my arm. “That have something to do with you?”
I look over just as Ivy glances up. Her eyes find mine, and her smile brightens. It knocks the wind right out of me.
“Yeah,” I say, still watching her. “I’m guessing she just told them I’m in love with her.”
For a second. all four of them are silent.
“Damn,” Cade says with a grin, “that’s…big.”
“You’re serious?” Seb asks, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Like in love, love?”
I look at him. “Yeah, I am.”
Nash whistles. “Never thought I’d see the day. Wyatt Brookes in love.”
“Shut up,” I mutter, though I’m grinning.
Seb laughs. “No, seriously. That’s great, man. Ivy’s the best. You look happier than I’ve seen you in… maybe ever.”
Cade claps a hand on my shoulder. “Just don’t screw it up.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I say dryly.
Nash raises his beer. “To being in love, and to Ivy for somehow taming the wild NFL player.”
I roll my eyes and clink my bottle with theirs, still smiling like an idiot.
Because they’re right. I am in love. And for the first time in my life, it feels like everything’s exactly where it’s supposed to be.
An hour later, we’ve eaten, and I’m in the lake with Ben and Ash. Laugher erupts as Seb chases a giggling Taylor off the end of the dock and into the water, splashing Ivy, who’s sitting cross-legged on the side.
Swimming over, I hold out a hand.
“Come in, baby.”
She eyes me sceptically. “Is it cold?”
“Freezing,” I say with a grin, “but I’ll keep you warm.”
She smiles. “I think I like the sound of that.”
She slips off the edge, squealing when the water hits her. I catch her before she can go under, my hands sliding around her waist. Her arms loop around my neck almost instinctively, and we just float there for a moment, her legs locked around me.
“I’m still getting used to this,” she says.
“To what?”
“How easy it feels being with you.”
I smile. “It’s easy because it’s right, baby… and I’m not going anywhere, not really. No matter how many miles are between us.”
Her eyes glisten a little in the sunlight, and I can tell she’s trying to keep it together. I press a kiss to her forehead, then each cheek, and finally, her lips, slow and unhurried, like we’ve got forever. And just for today, we do.
She leans back with a mischievous glint in her eye and flicks water at me, laughing when I flinch and dodge.
“Oh, that’s how we’re playing it?” I grin, launching a splash right back at her.
Laughter and squeals echo across the lake as we chase each other through the water. The weight from earlier melts away, replaced by something easier and freer. It’s just her and me and this perfect moment.
Eventually, I catch her again, pulling her close, both of us breathless and smiling widely.
“I love you, Ivy James,” I say.
She exhales slowly. “I love you too, Wyatt Brookes.”
And damn if those words don’t hit deeper than anything else ever has.