Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Ivy
I’ve been listening to music for hours. Same song over and over again. It’s the only thing that helps me de-stress. But when I hear the unmistakable sound of male voices in the kitchen, I hit pause mid-song.
At first, I think it’s just Axel on speaker phone with someone, then I recognize the other voice.
Owen .
I hurry into the kitchen, where Axel stands in front of the open fridge, shaking his head at the contents.
“Were you just talking to someone?” I ask pushing aside the curtain covering the window to peer into the back yard.
“Yeah, but don’t worry, I got rid of him.” He straightens and closes the fridge, wrinkling his nose. “You don’t have any oat milk.”
“Who was it?” But the sinking feeling in my gut tells me all I need to know.
“Neighbor or something. Came in around the back. Don’t worry—I made him leave. That’s what I’m here for, babe.”
I roll my eyes. “Don’t call me that.”
“It’s nothing personal.” He cocks his head at me, grinning his winning smile. “Everyone is babe to me.”
I want to scream, but I hold it back. “You shouldn’t have come.”
He raises a perfectly-groomed brow at the hiss in my voice. “That’s what you pay me for.”
“You’re fired!”
He just laughs. “You can’t fire me. It’s in the contract that you wrote.”
I let out a frustrated sound, keeping it quiet since it’s barely sunrise, and Olivia is still sleeping.
Flinging open the back door, I hurry into the yard, my bare feet slipping in the dewy grass.
Owen is halfway across the yard, his back to me. I don’t have to see his face to know it’s him. Those broad shoulders and perfect posture give him away.
“Owen!”
He stops when I call his name. For one brief moment, I think everything is okay. But when he turns around to face me, the look in his eyes is so cold it makes me shiver.
Without a word, he turns and continues along the path with a determined stride.
“Owen! Wait—”
My voice ends in a screech as I slip and go down hard on my butt. Pain radiates up my body, and tears spring to my eyes.
The only good thing Owen having his back to me is he didn’t see me slip in the wet grass and fall with what must be zero Hannah.
I want to call his name again, to scream it this time, but the cluster of reporters on the edge of my property will catch the scent of blood and attack like the sharks they are.
Owen disappears around the side of the house, and I hear the clamor of voices as the reporters swarm him.
I can’t stand that they are dragging him into this, but I can’t risk them seeing me. It will be over for Owen in a minute. For me, it’s never ending.
I push to my feet and walk back to the house. Every step I take sends a rocket of pain up my back. Worse than the pain is the humiliation.
Owen walked away without a second glance. Rejection hurts worse than a bruised butt.
Inside, Axel stands at the counter, scrolling through his phone with the nonchalance of a man who didn’t just sabotage my budding relationship with his mere presence.
He glances up from his phone. “That had to hurt.”
“Screw you, Axel.” A storm rages inside me. “You being here just made it worse. You should’ve stayed in California!”
He places his hands on my shoulders, looking into my eyes with what I know is sincerity. “I’m here to help.”
I know he is telling the truth, but my heart hurts too much to listen to my head. I shrug him off and begin opening every drawer in the kitchen.
“Where did you put my phone?” I check the microwave just in case.
Axel waggles his finger at me. “No phones, babe. It’s for your own good.”
I know he is just trying to protect me from the notifications on my phone, but I need to call Owen. “It’s an emergency.”
Axel shakes his head. “The only emergency is outside.”
I bang a cabinet shut. “You are so fired!”
Footsteps creak on the stairs, and I turn to see Olivia. Too late, I realize the racket I’ve been making.
Her hair is a wild mess, and her eyes are wide with fear. “What’s wrong?”
I toss one more glare at Axel and hurry toward her. “Nothing’s wrong, Livy.”
She shoots a glance over my shoulder. “What is Mr. Axel doing here?”
“I’m helping,” he says.
I ignore him and tuck Olivia’s blanket around her shoulders. “Go back to sleep for a little while. It’s still really early.”
“Do we have to move again?” Her lip trembles, and her eyes fill with tears.
My stomach lurches. I’m so tired of running. An answer forms on my lips. A lie. The truth. I don’t know, yet.
But Olivia doesn’t give me a chance to say anything. She turns and runs back up the stairs, abandoning her blanket. A moment later, her door slams.
The silence is thick in the kitchen. I spin on my bare foot and glare at Axel. He meets my gaze, unbothered.
“Don’t blame me.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “You were the one who had to give that performance.”
“It wasn’t a performance.” Frustration boils inside me. “It was a kids’ talent show. Can’t I have a normal life for once?”
Axel shakes his head. “You’re Ivy Ice. There is no normal.”
I slump onto the kitchen stool and bury my head in my hands. My heart feels like it’s ripping in two. I never wanted to be Ivy Ice in the first place. And having just a glimpse of Ivy Ickerson was enough to make me realize everything I’d missed.
Now, my life is in shambles. Again.
Olivia isn’t talking to me. Owen stormed off without giving me a chance to explain my stupid manager not letting him inside. And there’s a mob outside my house waiting to pick over my bones.
“Don’t start crying,” Axel says, wrapping me in his warm embrace. “It will make your eyes puffy.”
I don’t want him to hold me. It’s Owen I want. But I let myself relax just the tiniest bit. Axel may be a giant pain in my ass, but he’s been a great manager. And he’s more like family than my own. He’s been there for me in the worst times, and he’s right—I can’t fire him.
“Can you make all this go away?” I ask, sniffling into his premium cotton shirt.
“Of course I can.” He gives me a reassuring pat. “That’s why you pay me the big bucks.”
I sag against him and mutter, “Maybe I should’ve gone into accounting.”
Axel laughs and says, “You’d have made a terrible accountant.”