Chapter 38
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Ivy
“How are you really holding up?” Ash asks the moment Wyatt heads out for his training session.
We’re curled up on the sofa with some random rom-com playing in the background, a half-hearted attempt to distract me from the chaos exploding online. But it’s not working. I keep checking my phone every five minutes like I’m hoping it’ll all disappear if I just refresh one more time.
I glance over at her and let out a heavy sigh.
“Truthfully? I’m mad as hell.” I unlock my phone and pull up the article that’s been haunting me since this morning.
“Have you seen this?” I hand her the phone, my hands trembling slightly.
“They’re calling me a homewrecker. Saying people shouldn’t trust me professionally, and that working with me would be unethical.
” My voice wavers as emotion rises. “They even dragged my parents into it, Ash. I don’t even know this woman, but I can’t stand her. Who does something like this?”
She sets the phone down and wraps me in a hug. “Yeah, she’s a bitch, Ivy, no doubt about it, but you’ve got to stop reading this stuff. It’s only going to eat you alive. It’s garbage, and people will see through it eventually.”
I pull back and shake my head, frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. “But my clients don’t know me, Ash. They’re going to believe it. All of it. I’ve poured everything into building my business from the ground up, and yeah, it’s been slow, but this could destroy it.”
Ash sighs and takes my hand. “Have you told Wyatt how you’re feeling?”
I let out a slow breath. “No. He’s already beating himself up over everything.”
She gives my hand a firm squeeze. “Still, he’d want to know.”
“Maybe. But I don’t want to pile more on him. It’s already a mess.”
Ash shakes her head. “He’ll want to be there for you through all of this.”
I hesitate, a single tear tracking down my cheek. “What if this pulls us apart, Ash?” I whisper. “What if we’re not strong enough to weather this?”
“Hey. You are strong enough. Wyatt loves you. I’ve never seen him happier than he is when he’s with you.”
“I don’t want to lose him, Ash. I really think he might be the one.”
“You’re not going to lose him. He’s just as all-in as you are.”
My eyes widen. “He said that to you?”
She nods. “We basically had this same conversation earlier. You two should try saying these things to each other sometime.”
Before I can answer, a phone starts ringing somewhere in the apartment.
“What’s that?” Ash asks.
I let out a sigh. “My work phone. I should take it.”
I head quickly to Wyatt’s room, where I left my purse, digging it out and swiping the screen before lifting it to my ear.
“Hi, this is Ivy James Estates,” I say, a little out of breath.
“Ivy, hello, it’s Elizabeth Carter.”
“Oh, Mrs. Carter, hi! The open house yesterday went really well. There were a few–”
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” she says, her tone clipped. “But we’ve decided to go with another realtor. We won’t be needing your services after all.”
My stomach drops. “I see. Can I ask what changed your mind?”
There’s a brief pause on the end of the line, and then she exhales. “It’s the media coverage. My husband and I saw the articles online this morning and… well, it just doesn’t reflect the kind of image we’re comfortable portraying.”
I grip the edge of the dresser, my fingers digging into the wood.
“But none of it’s true,” I say quietly.
“I understand that, and I’m truly sorry you’re going through something so difficult,” she replies, sounding more awkward than apologetic. “We just don’t want any negative attention surrounding the sale of our property. I hope you understand.”
My throat tightens. “Right. Of course.”
“I wish you all the best,” she says, and then the line goes dead.
I lower the phone, staring at the blank screen. Another blow. I can’t help but feel like this is only the start.
“Everything all right?” Ash asks as I walk back into the living room.
“I just lost a client,” I say quietly, the weight of it pressing down on me. “They don’t want to be tied to the kind of image the media’s painting of me.”
Her eyes widen in disbelief. “But they know it’s all lies, right?”
I shrug, sinking onto the edge of the sofa. “Doesn’t matter. I told you it wouldn’t.”
“Shit. I’m sorry, Ivy.”
“Me too,” I whisper.
When my phone rings again, I exhale in quiet relief. It’s my personal one this time, not work. I glance at the screen and see Mom flashing across the display. I answer quickly, bringing it to my ear.
“Hey, Mom,” I say, forcing my voice to sound lighter than I feel.
“Ivy, you’re on the news. What’s going on? Are you okay?”
She sounds panicked, and my chest tightens.
“The news? As in TV?”
“Yes! The local station has this entertainment bit, and you and Wyatt were all over it. None of it’s true… right?”
I sigh. “No. It’s all lies.” My voice catches, and Ash silently reaches for my hand.
“Oh, sweetheart,” Mom says gently. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
“Not really.”
“Is Wyatt with you?”
“He had to go to training.”
“So, you’re alone?”
“No, Ash drove up this morning. She’s here.”
There’s a pause. “Hold on, honey. Someone’s at the door.”
The phone’s cordless, and while I can’t hear everything, I catch my name… and Wyatt’s. Then Mom’s voice turns firm. “No, we’re not interested. Please leave.”
I hear the front door close, and she returns to the phone.
“Mom, who was that?”
She sighs. “Reporters. A whole group of them.”
“What?” My voice drops in disbelief. “Is Dad home?”
“No, he’s out playing golf.”
A loud knock echoes faintly through the phone.
“Is someone knocking again?”
“Yes. Don’t worry, I won’t open it.”
There’s a tremble in her voice, and my heart aches.
“I’m coming home. I’ll leave now.”
“You don’t have to–”
“I’m coming, Mom.”
A pause. “Just… drive safe, okay?”
“I will.”
I end the call and push myself up from the sofa.
“You’re heading home?” Ash asks, rising with me.
I nod, grabbing my work phone before moving toward Wyatt’s bedroom. She trails after me.
“There are reporters outside my parents’ place,” I say over my shoulder.
Ash reaches out, placing a hand on my arm. “Why don’t you wait for Wyatt?”
I pause and turn to her. “He just left, Ash. He won’t be back for hours. My dad’s not home and my mom’s scared.”
“Shit.” She pulls me into a hug. “Then of course you need to go.”
I hold her tightly. “Maybe it’s for the best. I know I could use some breathing space. I’m sorry you came all this way and now I’m leaving.”
“I don’t care about that.” She pulls back slightly. “Are you going to text Wyatt?”
“There’s no point. He won’t check his phone. I’ll call him after training.”
She nods. “Okay. I might hang around until he gets back. He’s going to freak when he finds out you’ve gone.”
“I know. I hate that this is happening.”
Ash gives me a reassuring look. “It’s going to be okay.”
I offer her a faint smile, but it doesn’t reach my eyes. She’s said that twice now, and each time it feels harder to believe. After losing a client and hearing how scared my mom sounded, ‘okay’ feels like something slipping further out of reach.
Wyatt
Training’s a disaster. My head’s all over the place, and I can’t focus for more than a few seconds at a time.
By the time the session finally ends, I’m beyond relieved to get the hell out of there.
I shower in record time, avoiding the guys as much as I can.
I know they’ve all seen the headlines, and I’m not in the mood for their comments or questions.
Before I pull out of the stadium lot, I check my phone. There’s a flood of social media notifications, but nothing from Ivy. I try to tell myself that’s a good sign. Maybe she’s sleeping, or maybe she’s just avoiding it all.
Fifteen minutes later, I’m back at the apartment. Ash is in the living room, and the moment she sees me, she switches off the TV and gets to her feet.
“Hey, Ash. Where’s Ivy?” I ask, my eyes already scanning the room behind her.
She lets out a slow breath and steps toward me.
“She didn’t call you?”
I frown, pulling out my phone again just to be sure. “No. What’s going on? Where is she?”
Ash closes her eyes for a second before answering.
“She went back to Hope Creek.”
My stomach twists. “What? When?”
“Right after you left for training. Her mom called. Reporters showed up outside their house.”
I drop my head into my hands. “Shit.”
Ash hesitates. “She lost a client this morning too.”
Ash’s words hit me like a punch to the gut. Reporters outside her parents’ place, clients dropping her, and all because of me. I feel sick.
“Fuck!” I yell, turning and slamming my fist into the drywall with a loud crack. Pain shoots up my arms, but I barely feel it over the rage.
Ash rushes forward and grabs my arm. “Wyatt. Hey! Stop.”
“This is my fault. All of it. She’s being torn apart because of me! I did everything I could to get ahead of this. I put the statement out fast. Cleo called in every favor owing to her to get ahead of it, but it wasn’t enough. I was blindsided, Ash. This came out of nowhere.”
Ash nods, her eyes wide with concern. “I know. I know you did. You moved fast. But the internet doesn’t care about the truth. You were never going to stop this completely.”
I pace the kitchen, anger and frustration at the situation coiling tightly in my stomach. Stopping, I pull my keys from my pocket.
“I’m going after her.”
Ash steps in front of me. “Wyatt, wait. You have to breathe.”
I frown as I look down at her. “I can’t just sit here while she’s dealing with this alone. She’s scared. She didn’t even call me, Ash. What does that tell you?”
“It tells me she’s overwhelmed.”
I clench my jaw. “She’s the one paying the price for my mistakes.”
She places her hand on my chest. “So be the guy who helps her shoulder the weight, not the guy who rushes in without thinking. She went home because she needed space. Give her that for now.”
I drop my head in my hands. “I just hate that I’m the reason she’s hurting.”
“Just give her some time.”
I don’t say anything. I can’t because I’m seconds away from driving to Hope Creek and begging her to forgive me for all the chaos I’ve brought into her life.
“I’m still going to head home. That way, if she does need me, I’ll be close by.”
Ash raises her eyebrows, and I raise my hands.
“I’ll give her space, I swear. I just need to be close to her.”
She nods and smiles. “Okay. Let’s go. I’ll follow you back.”
I wrap her in a grateful hug. “Thanks for being here for us today, Ash. It means a lot.”
“Always. I love you both,” she says, then adds, “And Ivy loves you too.”
God, I hope she still does after all this. I wouldn’t blame her if she walked away, but I’m praying she doesn’t. I can’t lose her. I won’t.