13. Ivy #2
“Are you wondering what they look like?” he whispers, making my spine stiffen as my gaze snaps back to his.
“No.”
“Your cheeks are calling you a liar, Princess.”
“You’re just trying to get a rise out of me,” I mutter, and he grabs my hand, pressing my palm against his crotch.
“You’ve already gotten a rise out of me,” he retorts, and I think I’m going to pass out.
Not with embarrassment.
But with need.
Desire courses through my veins as I blink at him, my eyes flicking between his big blue orbs and his full lips.
Dammit.
I can feel myself swaying when my name rings in the air, snapping me from the stare-off with my Water Protector.
Gulping, I scan the area for the source of the sound and find Meadow waving at me animatedly.
Teddy brings my hand to his lips, grazing my skin with his mouth, a promise in his touch as he traces the same spot, sending another shiver down my spine.
“Hold that thought, Princess, for when we don’t have an audience,” he adds before nodding for me to go.
I stumble over my own feet, desperate to get to my friend, who wiggles her brows at me as I draw close. Before she can speak a single word on the matter, I wave her off.
“Girl, don’t even.”
Her eyes shimmer with delight, but she thankfully takes the hint. “Fine. Toby mentioned there’s a barbecue tonight. Can we eat first? I’m starving.”
My stomach chooses that exact moment to rumble, answering for me, and that’s the only hint she needs to drag me the remaining distance toward the pathway that leads down to the beach, leaving Teddy, Toby, Dorian, and the rest of their friends in our wake.
We giggle over nothing on the way down, using all of our focus to stop ourselves from rolling down the side of the cliff, and when we reach the bottom, my jaw already aches from smiling so hard.
Meadow rests her head on my shoulder, releasing a contented sigh as the smoky aroma catches my attention. Following the clouds of smoke, Meadow tugs me along to the back of the line.
“Who knew all I needed was my bestie and a burger?” Meadow declares, and I smile at her.
“I’m sorry I’m not present enough. I’m working on it,” I promise, and she waves me off.
“Girl, life is hard on me right now, and I’m not a phoenix. Fuck knows you’re juggling a lot, and the fact that you’re managing to keep your head above water is impressive,” she insists as we arrive at the front of the line.
I startle when I realize it’s Silas helping. Instinctively, I glance over my shoulder, not wanting to inadvertently cause an issue, but to my surprise, I find Teddy a few yards away, his eyes on me, and a sultry grin on his lips. If he’s bothered, he doesn’t show it.
Shaking off the invisible concern, I muster a smile as Meadow takes a cheeseburger, leaving space for me to do the same.
“Fireball,” Silas murmurs as he hands me a cheeseburger wrapped in a napkin.
“Silas,” I reply with a nod as Meadow groans beside me. “Thank you,” I add, pointing toward my burger before nudging Meadow to get out of the way.
Thankfully, she takes the hint, and we find a quiet spot to demolish our food, letting the chill music echo around us.
“My mom hated barbecues,” she blurts, and my eyes widen.
“She did?”
Meadow nods. “She was always worried it wasn’t cooked enough and ended up burning everything. In the end, she would just make it all in the kitchen but turn the barbecue on to make us think she had used it,” she muses, and I smile.
“She sounds awesome.”
“She was,” she admits with a nod, glancing out at the water as she shakes her head. “I’m supposed to be forgetting, but the more I try, the harder it is,” she admits, making my heart ache for her.
I can’t even begin to comprehend what she’s feeling.
Grief.
Sorrow.
Loss.
I’ve never felt any of those emotions for another human being before.
“Maybe you need to stop trying. You’re probably inadvertently making yourself feel guilty, and that’s only going to make it worse,” I offer, and she groans.
“You’re right. It’s weighing down on me so hard.”
“That’s okay. What do you usually do?” I ask, finishing the last of my burger as she shrugs.
“I don’t usually do anything. I just sit in it, but the pain doesn’t subside, and I definitely don’t feel better for it.” I’m familiar with that feeling. “Not to get too personal, but Toby offered to… keep me occupied all night, but it’s not my body that needs distracting, it’s my mind.”
“Do you have your magic yet?” I blurt randomly, and she shakes her head.
“We could do with that spontaneously catching you off guard right now,” I muse, and she groans again.
“I wish.”
Silence envelops us for a moment before I clear my throat. “What emotion do you want to chase?” I ask, and her eyebrows pinch as she glances at me.
“I don’t understand.”
I shrug. “Do you want to feel happy, free, joyful, mischievous? What emotion is going to give you the sense of escape that you’re craving?” I explain, and she rubs her lips together for a moment as she thinks.
“I don’t know if that’s a good question for me to answer. I feel a little reckless.”
“I love reckless,” I insist, and she grins.
“All I envision is getting blackout drunk and waking up in my room in the morning.”
I nod. “Alone or with Toby?”
“With Toby,” she answers immediately, and I smile.
“Then that’s what we do.” Dusting my hands off, I climb to my feet before offering her my hand.
“You’re serious,” she states, and I tilt my head at her.
“Were you not?”
She presses her palm against mine, and I pull.
Standing side by side, she nudges her shoulder against mine as she stares out at the ocean.
I can sense eyes on me, and I glance to my right, finding Baron off in the distance. The shadowed flickers of the campfire dance across his face as he peers at me.
“Hi,” I breathe, my voice little more than a whisper, and he nods in response.
A soft smile curls the corner of his mouth, and I clear my throat, impressed that he can hear me, which is useful for the carnage we’re about to create for ourselves.
“So the plan is, Meadow, that we’re going to get black out drunk, dance until our bodies ache, and sing out of tune to every single song until we’re dragged home.
All so we can pass the hell out in bed, your mate beside you, and wake up in the morning with a heaping of regret.
” My gaze is fixed on Baron’s as I speak, and I’m sure I see him roll his eyes from here, but I can’t be sure as Meadow claps excitedly.
“Yes, yes, and yes,” she declares, squeezing my arm, and I smile.
I’m going to regret this in the morning, but I can only hope that I won’t be alone.