CHAPTER 17
Ivy
Birds of a feather – Billie Eilish
After a few hours of sleep, I wake up to the rustle of Lucas leaving, once again. My eyes sting, and my head is pounding after barely sleeping last night. I stir in his arms and try to hold him down to stay with me.
“Ivy, I have to leave. My sister cannot see me leave your room. It will only make things worse.” It feels as if the events of yesterday hit me all at once, as if I am experiencing them all over again.
I groan sitting up as he pulls himself out of the bed. “Do you think she will ever talk to me again? I just can't believe I messed it up.” He takes my head in his hands, pecking my lips lightly.
“You didn't mess anything up with, sunshine. We are good, right?” I nod at his words.
“Bailey will come around. It is just her way of dealing with it.
I really like you and she should not have a say in us.
" The way he talks about me, I wonder if he remembers that this relationship has an expiration date in just over two weeks.
It hurts to think about, so I've been blocking it out.
“Okay. C’mon, lets sneak you out, blondie, before another person is mad at us,” I say, and he takes my hand, pulling me up from the mattress.
As we walk over to the door, he plants his hands on my hips, pulling me close but still walking backwards, kissing me slowly.
As we approach the door, he opens the it and right before he goes to plant a kiss on my cheek, he notices something beside him. Someone.
Bailey is standing watching us quietly, with an unreadable expression on her face.
“I will leave you be,” Lucas says awkwardly, and then kisses my cheek but before he walks away, he continues. “See you at breakfast, sunshine.”
I give him a small smile and walk over to Bailey, quick to explain myself.
“That wasn't what it looked like. He just didn't want me to be alone when I was upset, and I went to go see you, but you didn't reply when I knocked on your door last night.
I'm really sorry for this. I am a bad friend for lying to you.
I just couldn't hurt you more than I already was because I was leaving.”
Bailey looks up at me and it is clear she didn't sleep any more than I did.
She is still in her pyjamas and her hair is out of place.
“I am so sorry.” She sniffles ever so slightly.
“I know you don't like being alone when you're upset but I was just so hurt.
You mean everything to me. I think I have known that you and Lucas have been a thing for a while now, and I just didn't want to love you in more ways than one. It would only hurt more.” She looks back down playing with a bracelet that sits on her wrist.
“Bailey, you're only ever going to lose me geographically. You are my best friend, and you should not apologise to me.”
“I was really mean though.” She laughs a little at her words which ignites laughter in me. “Can I ask you something?”
“Always,” I reply.
“What is actually going on between you? Like, are you dating?” she asks, tilting her head to the side.
“I honestly don't know.” I sigh, “I know you don't want to hear this, but I really like him, but we agreed that us spending time together would end the moment I leave. We would just stop.” I focus my attention back to Bailey, who she has a wide smile on her face. “What?”
“Do you love him?”
“What? No, of course not.”
“Oh my god. My best friend is in love with my brother.” No matter what I try say after this, she continues to get too excited, screaming about marriage and a baby. She keeps freaking out, holding onto my hands as she predicts my future. “Can you come for Christmas this year?” she squeals.
“Bailey,” I say firmly, and she looks at me confused.
“I think I am in love with your brother.
What am I going to do? There's no way we can make this work.
I can barely even do our long distance friendship, so it definitely wouldn't work for a relationship,” I groan loudly, with my face in my hands.
She swings her arm around me and walks me back towards my room. “Come on. We are awake far too early. Let's either nap or work this out. Also, you need to get better at sneaking him out in the mornings. This is not the first time I've seen him leave.”
“What?” I turn to face her, my cheeks burning.
“It was the day Violet was sick, so I didn't think much of it, but clearly it meant more.” She turns to the closet door behind us and says, “also I love your necklace. Is it new?”
I instinctively clutch the necklace hanging around my neck, brushing my fingers over the small ridges of the sunshine.
“Oh, yeah,” I say, “I got it for my birthday.” I can feel the corners of my lips tug up into a smile and my cheeks warm as I think of the memory.
Most of the time the necklace has been hidden beneath my shirts but now in my lower neckline sleep shirt reveals it.
“Who got it for you? The stone looks like the one you lost,” she says, and my blush deepens.
“Of course,” she laughs brightly, rolling her eyes. “Now tell me everything so we can find a way for you guys to stay together.”
I love my best friend.