26. Ivy
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Ivy
Two months. That’s how long it’s been since we started this wild arrangement.
Two months of breakfasts together, of Hunter’s terrible coffee experiments, of Rhett’s quiet steadiness, of Landon’s sharp edges softening just enough to surprise me.
Two months of waking up tangled in sheets that smell like them.
And now, less than two weeks before I’m supposed to go back to New York, my chest feels like it’s splitting in half just thinking about it.
“Storm, down,” I mutter as the Doberman bounds toward the front door, tail wagging like he’s got springs in his ass.
The bell rings again. Chloe shifts against my hip, making a little grunt.
I tug the door open.
Brooke stands there in a sleeveless sundress, sunglasses perched on her head, balancing Skye on her hip while Sage sleeps in a bassinet. Behind her is a young woman in neat black slacks and a crisp white blouse, hands folded politely in front of her.
“Bestie,” Brooke sings, already moving inside. She sets Skye down, who immediately crawls for the toy basket in the corner. Then she puts the other twin down. Sage follows, dragging a stuffed giraffe by the neck.
The nanny—early twenties, brown hair in a perfect bun—smiles nervously. Brooke waves a hand toward her.
“This is Claire. Professional lifesaver. She started this week.”
Claire nods. “It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for having me.”
“Of course,” I say, shifting Chloe in my arms. “Make yourself at home.”
Storm circles Claire like he’s conducting an inspection, then wanders off, unimpressed.
Brooke slides her sunglasses off and narrows her eyes at me instantly, no warm-up, no small talk. “You’ve had sex. Lots of it.”
Heat floods my face. “Brooke?—”
She waves me off. “Don’t even bother denying it. You’re glowing. That’s not skincare. That’s orgasms. A lot of them.”
I bite down on a smile, but it breaks free anyway. Because she’s right. And worse? The glow isn’t just from sex.
It’s from mornings like today, when I woke up to Rhett braced above me, his mouth on mine while Hunter teased at my nipples, and Landon—damn, Landon—fisting my hair while he fucked me slow enough I cried out until my throat was raw.
Three different kinds of pleasure, back-to-back-to-back, and they left me limp, smiling into the pillow like a fool. Double penetration will do that to a girl.
I shake the thought away quickly, heart racing, but my face must give it all away. Brooke smirks.
“Mmhmm. Thought so.”
“Fine. Yes. We’ve… you know.”
Brooke’s laugh is sharp and knowing. “Oh, I do know. And judging by that glow? You’ve been on an all-you-can-eat buffet, babe.”
“Brooke,” I groan.
“What?” She plops down at the table, reaching for her water. “You’re living with three hot men, and you look like you’ve been thoroughly defiled. I’m proud. You should frame this moment.”
Claire busies herself setting the twins up with snacks, either oblivious or politely pretending to be. Chloe squirms against me, and I lower her into the swing by the window. She coos once before settling, tiny fists batting the air.
Brooke watches me with hawk eyes. “So. Spill.”
I keep myself busy at the counter, arranging the salad I’d been prepping before she arrived. “It’s not just sex,” I admit finally, voice low.
Her brows lift. “Oh?”
I swallow. The words taste dangerous. “I think I’m catching feelings.”
Her smile is slow, wicked. “No shit.”
“It’s complicated, Brooke,” I rush out. “I’m supposed to move back to New York in less than two weeks. I have plans. A whole life waiting for me. This”—I gesture to the house, the swing, everything—“wasn’t supposed to happen.”
She tilts her head, voice softer now. “You mean they weren’t supposed to happen.”
I nod, throat tight.
Before she can press me further, Storm appears again—this time dragging something from under the bed in the hallway. I frown. “Storm, what did you?—”
He trots into the living room proudly, tail wagging. Something small and plastic dangles from his mouth.
My stomach drops.
“Oh shit.”
Brooke leans forward. “What is that? A toy?”
It hits the rug with a dull clatter.
Not a toy.
An IUD.
My IUD.
The world tilts. I lunge forward, snatching it up with trembling fingers. My vision tunnels.
Brooke’s voice cuts sharp. “Wait—hold on. That’s your IUD ? Like—the thing that’s supposed to be inside you right now?”
“Yes.” The word rips out of me. “It must’ve—it must’ve come out—I didn’t—oh my god.”
Brooke’s face pales. “Do you know how long it’s been out?”
“No.” My breath hitches, panic climbing my throat. “Weeks? Maybe longer? I didn’t even?—”
Brooke doesn’t hesitate. “Okay. Okay. No spiraling. We’re getting tests. Now.”
Chloe stirs in the swing, sensing the tension, her tiny lips wobbling. I scoop her back up, clutching her to my chest while my world crashes sideways.
Ten minutes later, I’m in the bathroom with Brooke while Claire wrangles the kids. Three tests sit lined on the counter, pink lines stark and undeniable.
Positive.
Positive.
Positive.
My knees give out. I grip the sink to keep from sliding to the floor. My reflection stares back pale and wide-eyed, breath coming in sharp bursts.
Brooke hovers close, hands steady on my shoulders. “Shit.”
Tears prick hot behind my eyes. “No. No, no, no. These could be wrong. False positives happen, right? Right?”
“They can,” Brooke says quickly, her voice fierce. “Stress, hormones, faulty sticks. It’s not final until a doctor confirms.”
My throat locks. “Brooke… if it’s true—if I’m?—”
She squeezes my arms, cutting me off. “Then we deal with it. Together. You’re not doing this alone. Not with me here. Not with them.”
Them.
The word pierces me like a blade. Hunter and Rhett are running drills right now, laughing on the ice, oblivious to the chaos unraveling here at home.
I walk back out of the bathroom and pick Chloe up. She gurgles softly against my shoulder.
Brooke tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, steady as ever. “I’m calling my OB. Tonight. No more guessing.”
I nod, but it feels like my head is filled with cement. My chest heaves. The pink lines blur through the tears I can’t blink away.
Less than two weeks. I’m supposed to leave in less than two weeks.
And now?
Now, everything has changed.