11. THE VISIT
THE VISIT
KARSON
I sat in my pajamas, legs stretched out over the back deck, sipping coffee in the morning sunshine.
My gaze roamed over the wild abundance of plants and flowers in the enormous garden before drifting out to the ocean beyond.
The headlines will be everywhere by now. Bracing myself, I picked up my phone.
The Country’s Hottest New Couple!
I scanned the images: getting out of the car in my gleaming suit, walking up the red carpet, shielding my face from cameras. Another of me on the dance floor with Bella.
My attention shifted to the next headline, my muscles tensing as heat spiked up the back of my neck…
Prince and Princess Unite!
“This is SUCH bullshit!” I yelled into the wind, gaping in horror at the oversized centerpiece: Bella and me “kissing.” My hands were planted around her waist.
Groaning, I slapped my palm against my forehead as I stared at the comment section, buzzing with chatter.
This is fucking insane. I slammed the phone onto the table as my jaw clenched.
I need to figure out a way to see Ivy.
Today.
There had to be a way to tell her the truth. If she’d even talk to me…
Especially with the lies sprawled all over the internet. It was a complete train wreck. But at the thought of seeing her again, my mind sprang into action.
That bastard can’t find out… but I have to see her. I can’t wait any longer.
I opened Discord and tapped out a rapid message.
KARSON: Dyson I need your help. No time to explain. Buy me a ticket on tonight’s 8 p.m. flight to the Gold Coast, then book me on the earliest flight back tomorrow morning. Thanks, bro. I owe you. Don’t tell ANYONE. Everything depends on it.
With the message sent, I let myself breathe. If anyone could sort the flight, it was Dyson. I knew he had my back. Next, I needed to figure out a way to stop Karlos from finding out. And to prevent Gus from noticing I was gone.
I had no idea what I’d say to Ivy when I got there, but at least I had a pile of cash…
One of my lecturers had bought the Cartier watch I’d put up for sale. He’d been thrilled to get his hands on it at such a reduced price, and I was glad to be rid of it.
I wanted nothing he’d given me.
***
“Karson, come on,” Gus called from the dining room. “Let’s eat! It smells delicious, and I’m hungry.”
“Yep, coming.” I handed the delivery guy a tip and carried the takeout into the kitchen.
“You’re always doing everything for me,” I said as I unpacked the food. “Tonight, it’s my turn.”
With a stab of remorse, I added a generous serving of laxative to his meal, vowing I’d make it up to him somehow.
I couldn’t tell Gus about my trip. He’d be so worried about my father finding out that he’d never go for it. My plan was to keep him out of the way until I returned the next morning.
Hopefully, he wouldn’t even notice I was gone.
I placed Gus’s meal in front of him, and he loaded up his fork. “Mmm, this has to be the best Indian food in Sydney,” he said, shoveling it into his mouth.
Forcing a smile, I joined the feast.
Half an hour later, he let out a moan after returning from his third trip to the bathroom. He was pale.
“Bloody hell. I’m not feeling too good, my boy. But I still have a lot to do around here before bed.” He rubbed his stomach miserably.
“Sorry, Gus! You don’t need to worry about a thing. I’ll tidy up, and I can manage here for the rest of the night. You just get yourself into bed and try to get some sleep.”
He nodded but stayed glued to his seat.
“I promise I won’t throw any wild parties. And I’m sure you’ll feel better in the morning. Go on, get some rest.”
He sprang to his feet and ran toward the bathroom. “I’ll see you in the morning,” he called out.
I hoped like hell he’d be able to get some sleep and not be up the whole night. But I couldn’t hold back a small smile at the thought of seeing Ivy.
After tossing the plates in the dishwasher and throwing the empty containers in the recycling bin, I hurried back to my room.
I grabbed a daypack, tossed in a spare shirt and jacket, then pulled out ten thousand dollars from its hiding place in the back of my drawer.
I shoved one of the hundred-dollar bills back into the drawer, keeping the cash under ten grand—to avoid having to declare it to the airline—and leaving as small a trail of my movements as possible.
My phone pinged.
Fuck, is that Karlos? I hope he’s not onto me already. A light sweat broke out on my brow.
DYSON: Hey Kar, I’m flying into Sydney the day after tomorrow at 11 a.m. I need to talk to you. I’ll head to your house after I land.
When he arrived, I’d finally be able to tell him about the whole sorry nightmare that had unfolded since we got off the boat.
I pressed Print, flicked my phone to silent mode, placed it at the back of the drawer, then grabbed the tickets off the printer tray.
After tugging my baseball cap low over my face, sliding my sunglasses on, and slinging my pack over my shoulder, I silently exited the house, and headed to the airport in the Uber.
I hope Ivy’s home when I get there. I’m not sure I can pull this off again.
***
IVY
Sass was spot on—the spa had been just the remedy I’d needed.
We arrived home, and she threw a cute silver top at me to wear. I finished the final touches on my makeup and checked myself in the mirror.
“It’s on!” Sass said excitedly as I locked the door behind us and we walked to the waiting Uber. “This is one of the hottest clubs in Surfers Paradise.”
She spent the ride telling me about her latest French Netflix binge and her dream of visiting Paris until we arrived and made our way inside.
We ordered drinks and sat for a bit before Sass took my hand, pulling me onto the dance floor. I tried to enjoy myself, but my heart and brain refused to cooperate.
After Sass caught me staring into space (again), she announced it was time to call it a night. “I’m proud of you for giving it a go, Ivy. You’ve done enough today.”
It wasn’t even eleven when the Uber pulled up in front of our house, but I was glad to be home. I needed to clear my head.
“Thanks—have a good night,” Sass told the driver as she got out.
“Thanks, Sass.” I gave her a hug. “Sorry I was lousy company. It was still good to get out, and the spa was fantastic.”
“One step at a time.” She smiled, letting me go.
“I think I’ll take a walk on the beach.”
“Alright, but don’t stay out too long. I’m going to bed. See you tomorrow lovely.” She started toward the house.
I turned toward the beach, spotting the silhouette of a man in the distance, I hurried down the track onto the sand.
As I breathed in the salty ocean air, a layer of hurt I’d been carrying drifted away.
***
KARSON
I scanned for the driver Dyson had arranged for me, then spotted a solitary black car parked in the airport pickup zone.
As I walked closer to the car, a middle-aged man peered at me through the open window.
“You Karson?” he asked. “I’m Milton.”
“Yeah, that’s me. Thanks for waiting.” I got in the back seat, clicked the seat belt into place, then gave him Ivy’s address after asking him to stop at the closest grocery store on the way.
So far, things had gone according to plan. Not even two hours earlier, I’d boarded the flight from Sydney, and I was already on my way to see her.
But I was nervous. Nervous she wouldn’t want to talk to me. Or even look at me.
Please let her be at home—or I’m cooked. I had to at least get a chance to tell her the truth about what had happened.
As we sped along, I took in the blur of palm trees and city lights. There was barely another car on the road. My mind whirled from one thing to another as I stared through the window.
I wonder what Dyson wants to talk to me about. It must be something important for him to make a trip to Sydney—
“Here we are, mate,” said Milton, stopping in front of a grocery store.
“Awesome, I’ll just be a minute,” I replied, hurrying inside.
I grabbed two prepaid phones and waited for the attendant to shuffle over from the back of the store…
If we could just find a way to work things out, we’d be able to talk without my father knowing… but I didn’t want to get ahead of myself.
She might never talk to me again.
The attendant arrived. After processing the order, he held out his hand and took the cash from me before I hurried back to the car.
A short time later, as we neared Ivy’s street, my mouth went dry. “Just drop me off here,” I said as we turned into the street.
A wave of excitement surged through me, fueled by the thought of seeing her again. How’s she going to react when she sees me?
A prickle ran down my back. This is it.
DON’T. FUCK. IT. UP!
Milton shut the engine off. “If you don’t want to miss your flight, make sure you’re back by four a.m.” He pushed his seat back, pulled his cap over his face, and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Thanks, man.” I got out, smoothing my shirt as I took a breath to try and calm my nerves.